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***** Chapter 1 ***** Walter logged out of his workstation. It was early for him as he usually worked from nine to five in his typical office cubicle job. Today it was only four-thirty. He walked over to the elevators and used one to go two floors up. A moment later he entered the dreaded area of human resources. Though he didn't feared it as others did. He only was here for his monthly review. Mindy, his case worker, greeted him. "Ah, Walter. Punctual as always. Come into my office." They exchanged some pleasantries and then Mindy had a surprise for him. "I have some good news. The company noticed that you raised your intelligence stat to 87. That is quite high. Especially for someone with the 'not specified civilian' class. With a stat that high, you could make a good mage. I know. I know. We talked about that. You aren't a glory hunter like others. And the company values that. Therefore it's my pleasure to tell you that the company gives you a bonus. Equivalent to a month worth of salary. Of course, as your int stat is now 87 your salary is adjusted upward. Congrats." "Thank you. It's nice that the company's notice changes like this." Walter did his best to hide his surprise. Mindy gave him a reassuring smile. "Well normally it doesn't, but it's quite unusual that someone remains an N.S.C. for so long. Of course, you aren't the only one. Most of the others are working towards a Class-Change. It appears you skill to the benefit of your job. That stands out. I think your wife follows the same philosophy as you do?" Walter fidget a little inside his chair. He wasn't used to this much attention or compliments. "Yes. That's right. Though she doesn't work for the company. She is a part-time florist. We just don't see the value in a class change. We also worry about undue attention." "Ah yes. Very understandable. Certain classes draw out thugs that hope for a class stone drop. However rare that is. And nobody cares for an N.S.C. class stone. Well, given your reservation about Class-Changes I was surprised to read in your file that your daughter had one. Isn't she a bit young for one?" "Yes, she did. Her mother and I aren't very happy about it. But I do understand her reasoning. You see, she had an unpaid internship last summer break at Netsearch Corp. We were so proud. With only sixteen, she got one of the few available spots. She did well. In fact, she won an unofficial competition. You see Netsearch Corp has money in spades. So they tend to offer the top 5 interns a random class change." "Fascinating. Do you mind if I ask what class she got?" "No, I don't mind. She's become a Necromancer." Mindy looked surprised. "Wow. Rare and powerful. I bet it draws a lot of attention." Walter gave her a rueful smile. "You have no idea. Necromancers have some strong compulsions. All of them make her stand out. We are worried someone might target her." Mindy gave a curt and knowing nod. "Even with killing strictly forbidden it happens a lot. And let me tell you it really sucks. Losing experience points is the one thing. The memory loss is worse. I've gotten killed three times so far. Last time I got home I was surprised I had a cat. A pet that I later learned I had for two years. For a teenager, such a memory loss would be a lot worse." "Yes. We think so too. That's why, until she has better control over her compulsions, we decided to home school her." "Yes, I think that's a good idea. Well, Walter, I don't want to rob you of any more time. I will see you next month and keep up the good work." Walter mirrored Mindy's smile and shook her offered hand. "I think the pleasure was all mine. Can't wait to tell my wife of the raise. Till next time." ***** Chapter 2 ***** Walter arrived home at seven and was greeted by his daughter Sarah. Her smile and eagerness made him weary. Like every good parent of a teenager, he knew she wanted something. And if she was ambushing him at the door it could only mean one of two things. Either her mother had said no and she hoped she had better luck with him. Or her mother had pushed the decision onto him with a sentence like "I am okay with it if your father agrees to it." He mentally willed himself not to sigh in resignation and gave her an equally cheery smile. After a moment of typical father-daughter talk, he finally managed to enter the living room and greet his wife Bethany. He exchanged a few pleasantries. All the time being watched by his daughter close by, who waited for her moment to strike. "Okay.." He gave a heavy theatrical sigh. "What does my darling daughter want?" Sarah blushed a little as she was found out so easily. Walter meanwhile fought to hide a smirk. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and waited. Suddenly put on the spot Sarah fidget. "Well. As you know it's been nearly a half year since my class change. And as we agreed I focused suppressing and managing my compulsions. I think I do well enough right now. So I thought we could go out this weekend." She gave him her most innocent puppy eyes she could manage. Walter sighed and took a critical look at his daughter. She was right. It was a far cry from the way she used to look. Before her class change, she had been a normal teenager. Maybe dressing a bit on the plain side. After the class change that had been over. Long flowing black robes had been her new wardrobe. She couldn't have helped it. Worse had been the spirits of the dead that had bugged her. For days she had argued with ghosts of the dead that only she could see. Nowadays she mostly ignored them. Though sometimes she snickered at a joke being told to her or she hushed a particularly annoying spirit. There also had been an improvement to the clothing she could wear. She still was wearing black, but now she learned to break it up with splashes of pink. Today he saw she wore a hot pink skirt and a black leather jacket with pink highlights. Not a year ago that ensemble would have earned her house arrest. Now he was just glad she didn't look like a typical necromancer anymore. More like a rebellious teenager. Getting impatient Sarah added: "Mom said it's okay. But only if you agree." Walter gave his wife an annoyed look. Yet another important decision she pushed solely on his shoulders. "How about a family picnic this Sunday in the park?" Sarah gave a squeal of joy and then stormed up to her room, mumbling words like "outfit" and perfect". "Getting out again will be good for her. Being cooped up the past month hasn't been easy for her," commented his wife Bethany. "Yes, I agree. And visits from her friends can only alleviate her solitude a little." "Speaking of friends. You know the young Cooper?" Her sudden steely voice made him look into her eyes. Normally her voice was soft and always hinted of compassion. Now it could have cut through concrete. "Brad Cooper. He is in Sarah's class, right? What happened?" "He showed up earlier today. He also had an auto-accept gift with him." Now it was Walters turn to get furious. Sometimes he cursed the universe that it ran by stats and numbers. And if he hated one stat above all it was the affection stat. It had been nineteen years back when he first started dating Bethany. Both shared a lot of natural affection and they had been quite happy. Then Gregory McCormick showed up. To this day Walter was certain Gregory had only been interested in her beauty. He wanted a trophy wife. Walter and Bethany had raised their affection stat for each other with walks in the parks. Visiting museums or galleries. Simply spending time and talking with each other. Gregory instead showed up with gifts. Thoughtless ones that Bethany didn't wanted. But all these gifts had an auto-accept enchantment on them. Once presented Bethany had to accept them. If she wanted to or not and each gift raised her affection stat for Gregory a little. Over weeks he had to see how she drifted away from him. She talked more and more about Gregory and his redeeming points. The very few that had been there. Walter had nearly lost Bethany back then. Only the wilderness trip saved them. His last desperate play to protect Bethany. It had taken hours to convince Bethany of the trip but in the end, she had agreed. Two weeks away rekindled their friendship. But better yet the artificial affection of the gifts had mostly worn off. What was left died when they returned and Bethany saw Gregory pursue another woman in earnest. "I'll phone the Coopers. Make sure they reprimand their son. And I won't let him in anymore." "Thanks, honey. That means a lot." ***** Chapter 3 ***** Walter gave his family a last critical glance before the were to head out to the park. Bethany had a nice white summer dress with yellow accents. It hugged her figure very. Thankfully this spring had a spur of warm days. Thanks to it he could appreciate his wife's beauty as it wasn't hidden beneath layers of clothes. His daughter got a more critical once over. As a father, he was still worried. However, he had to admit Sarah had pulled out a small miracle. She wore a black lacy dress. Between its delicate needlepoint ornaments were parts quite see through. He wouldn't have her, in a million years, wear it hadn't it been for the second dress beneath it. It was a darker pastel pink dress. The lace on top of it contrasted nicely. She looked quite fashionable. Of course, he knew the reasoning behind it. The long dresses were close to being robes and of course, she was wearing still a lot of blacks. He still knew it was a risk, but he also knew he couldn't hide her forever. Giving them a nod he opened the door and led them out. The day was sunny and he smiled as he saw the two most important women in his life walking before him. They chatted just like they used to. Before his daughter's class change. A picnic like this hadn't been uncommon for them. In fact, it had been their family tradition. He looked forward to resuming it. It didn't take long for them to reach the local park. In the middle of it was a good sized lake that was surrounded by fields and groups of trees. He smiled as he saw his wife and daughter head for their usual spot. The lake had two small half-island. One had a spot where few trees provided a cool shade. Yet was open enough that a generous amount of sunlight could pass. They arrived and started to spread their picnic blanket. Half of it was in the sunlight and the other half shaded by the trees. Not a lot further was the waterline. They sat down together and enjoyed the spot for a while. Soon enough his wife and daughter continued their chatting. Walter meanwhile lazily left his gaze drift over other park visitors. Most were farther away and they had the small half-island to themselves. After a half hour, they unpacked a salad and enjoyed a quiet lunch. Walter had to suppress a small smile. This was it. The perfect life. A beautiful wife. A daughter he could be proud of. Overall trouble stayed out of their ways. He just couldn't understand why some would risk their lives and mind in search of adventure and fame. He was happy if this right here could be forever. It was an hour later. Sarah was reading a book and Walter was deep into a discussion about the last gallery he visited with his wife. Suddenly she stopped mid-sentence and furrowed her brows. Curious, about what had caught his wife's interest, he turned around. Two women walked down the path towards them. One was kinda small and a little hunched. She wore leather clothes even in the blazing sun. Walter found that strange. Downright shifty. The other woman, however, caught his attention. And probably not just his. She was tall for a woman. Maybe 5 feet and between seven or nine inches. Because of the heels, she was wearing it was hard to tell. Contrary to the small woman the tall one boasted about her body by dressing as skimpy as you could. Her big breasts and hips were in full view. Everyone could see the taut belly and small waist. She could have been a model if it hadn't been for the big leathery wings behind her back or the small horns on her forehead. He knew she saw some kind of succubus. This spelled trouble. Distracted by the tall woman he nearly missed when the small one drew a knife. His body reacted before his mind caught up. He stood up and positioned himself before his wife and daughter. The threatening pair steadily advanced, clearly not bothered by a middle- aged man. He clumsily dug in his pocket till he fished his phone out. "I am calling the cops! You better stay away!" He heard behind him shuffling as both, his daughter and wife, stood up. However, he didn't glance back to them. His eyes focused on the threat ahead. All his life he had thought he could stay from trouble if he just didn't search for it like others do. Now, in the moment his family was threatened, he wished that he could take a step back in time. To learn something. Didn't matter if it would be a defense or attack spell. The only thing that was left was to ball his fists and try calling the police. They could be close by. Maybe. He quickly dialed and moved the phone to his ear. "That won't save you old man." The small one taunted. By now they were close and he could see the manic grin on her face. She was the dangerous one he thought. Then a voice spoke. Sweet like honey and alluring. He could hear it as if the person was right beside him. "You don't need that right. Just drop it and I take care of everything." His hand involuntarily opened and the phone fell to the ground, as his mind had it utterly forgotten. He couldn't take his eyes from the tall woman. She had been a beauty from far away. Close as she was now, he could see perfection so stunning it could rival a goddess. The surrounding and everything else faded away. All that was left was her. The only thing left worth his attention. Sure enough behind him were voices. Insignificant ones. The vision before him gave a come-hither look. Then a thin but long tail revealed itself. It beckoned him to come closer. Step by step his feet carried him towards her. Then, only two feet away, he stopped. Again the woman motioned for him to come. Yet his feet didn't move. He wanted to. Then a thin red mist rose up from his chest and slowly floated towards her. She greedily sucked it in. Bliss appeared on her face. At the same time, signs of pain appeared on his face. He grew weaker and intellectually he knew why. She drained his life points. Still, he couldn't move. Didn't even wanted to. If this godly creature demanded his life force as a sacrifice, then who was he to deny it to her? Slowly his limbs grew heavy. His smile slowly vanished as the pain grew stronger and stronger. Finally, a shout broke through. "Dad! Step away!" The cry of his daughter brought him back. Something snapped and the first clear thoughts drifted back into his mind. How could he betray his daughter and wife like this? Slowly he lifted his heavy head and looked the creature before him into his face. She was still beautiful, but a far cry from the divine being moments before. What shocked him was the malicious smile on her. Appalled he drew some hidden reserves and pushed the temptation made flesh away. She only staggered away a few steps. Enough for his daughter to act. Before Walter or the woman before him, could react a slim white spear pierced her shoulder. A shrill wailing escaped her and she grabbed the spear. While he was still shocked the back of his mind provided unbidden answers. The spear was summoned by his daughter. Forged behind the veil. It was made from ethereal bones of the dead. One of the few first basic spells a necromancer learned. Meanwhile, the creature before him pulled the spear out in a fluid motion. Seeing it a sudden anger filled him. He flung himself forward and grabbed the spear. A struggle broke out. The tip of the spear still pointed towards her. All he had to do was point it to her heart and then push. An anguished cry beside him nearly distracted him. As slowly the spear slid into the woman's chest and heart, a searing pain drove itself into his left flank. The woman's legs before him and his own crumbled. A hard impact rattled him as he hit the ground hard. Slowly he looked up and saw the face of the smaller woman. It was filled with rage and hatred. She leaned over him and move the blade of her dagger close to him. Droplets of his own blood were slowly falling to the ground before him. "You killed what I love. I will kill what you love." She snarled at him. She spun around and he could see his wife and daughter. While he had been distracted they had fought as well. He saw the weakened mana-shield of his daughter and the cuts on his wife as she stood defiantly with a wooden branch as a weapon. The small woman advanced and anguish filled him. The woman was skilled and clearly more than a match. All he could do was lie there. Stunned as he was mortally wounded. His last life points dribbling away as blood from his wound. He had to do something. Anything. Besides him, the woman, succubus or what not, vanished as a mist into the air. She had respawned and somewhere she would wake up, close to a respawn stone, with two years worth of memories gone. A fate that soon would be his too. As his vision narrowed he saw something twinkle beneath the empty clothes of the vanquished woman. Soul splinters. He had heard of them. A common drop of a human or sub-human kill. If there had been one drop there might have been others. Maybe something he could use. He fought to mobilize the last ounces of strength and slowly pulled himself closer. Then he reached with his hand in and felt for anything that might help. Success. Something hard in his hand. He slowly drew it back. A class stone. Not helpful. Or was it? He tried to remember. Didn't a class change heal the user completely once it was activated? Should he risk it? He heard a scream. He couldn't tell by whom. His daughter or his wife. But it was enough for him to decide. He activated the stone. Deep within his chest, an energy burst forth. Not burning but revitalizing. Soon he felt strong enough to push himself to hand and knees. His eyes caught sight of the bone spear before him. With determination, he grabbed it and drew himself upward. He saw with crystal clear focus his target close by. His enemy drew her dagger over the mana shield. He could tell it was close to failing. Behind it, he saw his daughter weakened by exhaustion. His wife with dozens of nasty cuts on her arms. He saw their faces. Looking at him with a shocked expression. The woman must have noticed as she started to turn. Walter reacted quickly and slashed at her with a wide arc. The spear barely reached her but drew blood nonetheless. Finally, the woman was facing him and whatever she saw made her fall to her knees. Was it the surprise seeing him standing or the rage on his face? He didn't care. He came close fast and struck with the spear deep into the woman's weapon arm. She cried in anguish. Her dagger clattered to the ground. But still, she looked at him shocked. Stepping close he knew that in just a few moments the battle had turned. He had now the upper hand and only he controlled her fate now. Yet he hesitated. He needed something from her. An apology? No. Begging for mercy? Not even that. He raised his hand as if to offer assistance. It was not. Something in him stirred. A hunger. He unleashed it and through it, he drew. A fine red mist raised up from the stunned woman before him. He drew it in and then consumed it. Power. It was pure life force that filled him and he couldn't get enough. Then, as the flow of the mist ebbed away, he raised his spear and struck the woman down. As the woman crumbled to the ground he leaned on the spear with all his weight and drove it deep into her body. Exhausted he did fall to his knees. His shoulder resting against the spear was the only thing keeping him propped up. It was over. Finally, it was over. They had done it. They survived. Below him, the body vanished. Only the clothes and the bloody dagger were left behind. "Walter?" He looked tired up to his wife. "What have you done?" What had he done? Slowly his mind caught up. Started to take in the many details he had blended out before. He looked to his arms. Still clinging to the spear. They looked so dainty and slender. A slight breeze caught his hair and blew a strain of long dark brown hair into his view. Below the wind tugged on the tatters of his clothes. He looked down and saw rosy nipples on top of creamy mounds. A tight stomach going over to wide hips and shapely legs. Around them slithered a thin hairless tail. Wide eyed he looked up to his wife. "What have I done?" His high and breathy voice shocked him. It dawned on him then. The class stone. It must have been a women-only class. Exhaustion and shock caught up with him. He finally got some rest as he fainted and darkness claimed him. ***** Chapter 4 ***** Walter sat up with a start. Blinking he took in his surroundings. Was he in a hospital? "Mam? Please remain calm." Walter looked to the side and saw a police officer. He looked weary and cautious. "Where am I? Where are my wife and daughter?" The man relaxed a little. "Both here. Close by. You are at the police station. To be precise in the respawn recovery room." "I died?" "No mam. You fainted. What is the last thing you remember?" It came back to him. The park. The fight. He looked down. His new body. He gulped and panic threatened him. He took a few moments to fight it down. "We were in the park. Two women attacked us. I think .." He broke off. Realization wracked through him. "I killed them." The officer nodded. Gently he placed a hand on Walter's shoulder. "We have them. Both of them. Picked them up at their respawn points. From what I heard it was self-defense." Walter took a moment to process it. He had never killed before. Never even thought about it. While his exterior was cool and collected, his inner space was in tumult. He needed someone to talk to and there was only one he trusted enough. "Can I see my wife? You said she is here." "I am sorry. Until the hearing we have to keep you separate." "What hearing?" "Well, Miss. There had been some conflicting statements from eyewitnesses. The hearing will sort those out and the district attorney will formally charge the offending persons. For now, rest. Your health points are awfully low. Our healers were puzzled by it. Whenever our healers tried to heal you, it worked only measly and your health tickled down to your current level. They found out that for whatever reason your maximum health is low too. Might be a temporary status ailment. Resting should help with that." Walter frowned and opened his status screen. There all his stats are listed. Name, birth date, basic mental and physical attributes. Then a long list of minor details. What drew his eyes was his health points. It was awfully low. Worse was that his max health was equally low. No wonder the healers failed. He was already fully healed. He seriously needed to find out what was going on. As he was about to close the status window he noticed something else. He never used much magic. Now, however, it looked impossible. Current mana and maximum mana was listed as zero. It looked like his situation got stranger with every minute passing. It was an hour later that Walter was lead into the courtroom. He was pulling and tweaking his wardrobe all the way there. The standard pants barely fit his hips and the cleave of the shirt had to be cut to make space for his ample bosom. It all reminded him too well that it wasn't his old body anymore. What he had given up in the heat and confusion of the battle. He pulled the blanket closer around his body. He was thankful for it, even if it threatened to overheat him. For a thin blanket like this, it kept his body warmth amazingly well. A moment after entering he saw them. Bethany and Sarah stood close to the prosecutor table. Walter rushed over and hugged them both tight. A few tears escaping his eyes. He knew everything will be alright. Even when the signs told otherwise. Like the small hesitation before they hugged him back. "Walter? Are you alright?" "Yes. No. For the moment I guess I am. Let's get this behind us and then we figure this out." Both nodded. A judge showed up and everyone settled down. He reminded everyone that this was not a trial, but a hearing to sort things out and speed up the whole process. Sarah and Bethany were first to bear witness. Then some bystanders who saw the whole thing from further away. To Walters relief, he was quickly dismissed as a suspect. The next point was to determine if the small woman, a professional thief, was guilty or not. Walter hadn't even seen the woman sitting beside her public defender. Contrary to before she looked meek and confused. Her case, for Walter a clear case at first, turned out anything but easy to judge. The woman herself claimed no memory. Understandable, as most who died and respawned, lost their last two years of memory. Her background was surprising, though. As a professional thief, she worked with both, corporate and police, to design and test security systems. Then, a half year ago, it all changed. Her social pages told the true story. She meets a woman. Beautiful and alluring. The thief fell hard. For her and later from the good graces of her business partners. Finally, the defender concluded: "Judge Abrahams. My defended did attack willingly, but it was under influence of an Empusa. Empusa's are a rare subclass of Succubus that specialize more than other sub-classes on inducing wrongful artificial affection in their victims. And this is why Miss Mathews is a victim. I hereby advise to not pursue Miss Mathews in court." The thief broke out in tears and begged Walter and his family for forgiveness. Walter felt a cold realization in him. She had fallen prey to a vicious predator. Just like his own family. He remembered how it had been under the Empusa's influence. What chilled him really to his bones was that he too was now that hated class. The class that first stalks and then twists the minds of their victims. He was now an Empusa. The judge asked Walter and his family. Of course, they would not press charges themselves. Then came the hardest part. They dragged in the cursed creature. Screaming and kicking, she gave a fight. The hearing was short. She admitted all. In a last defiant move, she looked to Walter. "I don't regret and you won't too. I lived with this class long enough. Undesirable they call it. I call it cursed. You too will lose everything and will do anything to change." They dragged her out and for a long time, her maddening laugh could be heard. His wife gave his arm a comforting squeeze. "We will get through this honey." He somberly nodded. There was a lot to figure out now. At least his wife and daughter are safe. Their health maxed out. Walter looked confused at them. Yes, he hadn't imagined it. Normally a person had concentrate to find out someone's health points or cast a spell. Yet above every person was clearly for him to see a health bar. He decided that was probably due to a class trait. "Let's get home and start figuring this out." "No Walter. First, we need to get you to a healer." She squinted for a moment to determine his health points. "You are running awfully low." "That is one of the things I want to figure out. I am not hurt. Bethany. This is my maximum health." He heard shocked gasps from his family. "No way. I know caster classes have lower health points, but even theirs don't drop so low," his wife commented. "I am not a caster.", interjected Walter. "How do you know?" The question came from his daughter. "Because. My maximum mana is zero. I can't use magic. Any magic." Stunned silence followed. Then his wife gave him a hug. "Yes, you are right. Let's go home, but first, we have to visit a class library. You might be stuck as this class for some time. We need to know what we are in for." Walter nodded. Unwanted the words from the Empusa came back to his mind. Whatever they were in for, it was not good. ***** Chapter 5 ***** The tapping of his foot betrayed Walter. He was nervous and impatient. Still dressed in the standard respawnee clothes and the blanket. It made him stand out a lot. Of course, with his new figure, he would stand out everywhere. "It's not here," Sarah grumbled. Of course, his wife heard. "Keep looking. It has to be in the Succubus section." They had been lucky that the class library was open Sundays. For exactly the kind of emergency like Walter found him currently in. A class library was a mandatory public institution specialized in books about every class known to mankind. At least one book should be here that was about the Empusa class. Yet they had found nothing and their time was running out. The library was closing soon. On that note, a librarian walked around the shelf. "We are closing soon. If you can't find a book maybe I can help." His whole family exchanged looks. Walter stepped forward. "Yes. We are looking for books about the Empusa class." "Empusa? That does ring a bell, but I guess it's not a common class. I will check the index." A moment later she reappeared. "Yes. We have one book about Empusas. However, I fear it is in another section. If you would please follow me." She led Walters family to another area of the library. A section that looked run down and in desperate need of repair. There stood a lone bookshelf with a big sign. On it was written "Undesirable classes." "I am sorry about the state of this section. We keep it a little messy here on purpose. To ward off people that look for classes to change into." Of course, his daughter had to know and pestered the librarian. "Why are these classes undesirable?" "Because they are flawed or broken." "No class is broken. Classes can only be improved from the baseline of the non-specific civilian class." "Well. That is true in a sense, but also wrong. What do you know about how classes are created?" The librarian scavenged through the shelf while Sarah recited. "Every few decades someone is born that can create classes. To do that they take a class and add their own skill to it. It results in an improved subclass of the same kind." "Correct. However, class creators have to follow rules. Sometimes they try to cheat the system by creating unbalanced builds. Most of these classes appear to be strong. This one for example." She pulled out a book that her hand had glided over just moments before. "Sirens had been ruled the 'class to be' a few hundred years ago. Their voice, especially when they were singing, could hypnotize most men easily. But their strength had a price. The creator boosted the voice by adding flaws and drawbacks. Sirens need to sing above water yet live mostly in water. All sirens are female and other females are mostly immune. They share the realm of mermaids, the ocean. But they retained their human legs so their movement is rather crippled. With laws being added that prohibited mind control the allure for the siren class quickly vanished. Ahh, there it is!" The librarian pulled out a thin booklet. Not much more than a magazine. Walter took it and eyed it suspiciously. It was old and worn out. Most of the pages were dog-eared or torn. A dozen handwritten notes spoiled the cover alone. "That can't be all." Walter protested. Other classes had dozens of books written about them. This was a joke. "I am sorry. Undesirable classes are badly documented. Most who end up as one try to change as soon as possible. The handwritten notes will probably be more helpful than the book itself. Normally we discourage people from writing in books, but in this case .. go for it. If you find out something new leave a note for those who come after you." "Are all undesirable classes bad?", wanted his daughter to know. "Well. Some appear badly unbalanced, but that may be because their strong points haven't been discovered yet." Walter and his family thanked her and hurried home. ***** Chapter 6 ***** "That's not much to work with. Even with the handwritten notes. It's useless." Bethany was frustrated and made it known. Not that Walter felt any better. Most of the booklet contained things he could see in his own status window. The low maximum health points were due to a trait called "condensed life". Apparently, it also cut received healing by a large portion. The specific percentage varied from person to person. Beyond that nothing, concrete was written in the book. Only wild speculations in dozens of handwritings. The trait "life overflow" was probably the attempt to break the rules. Empusa's could receive healing past their maximum health. That point, however, was mood as the health points slowly dripped down to their maximum. The more an Empusa was overcharged the faster it drained away. In other words, it was probably also useless. Especially when the "condensed life" slashed his received healing. He nearly lost all hope, when he read about the next trait. "Substitute mana" was what set his mana maximum to zero. If Walter would cast any spell it would substitute the mana with the one thing he could not spare: health points. The rest was pretty much standard succubus skills, spells, and traits. There was one skill that stood out as a thorn. "Orgasmic healing" used the energies set free from persons who have sex or masturbate to heal the Empusa. Of course, the drawback was that an Empusa needed daily sex to keep a health level that was even close to their original. Judging by the handwriting most going that way got branded as sluts. By others and by themselves. They got addicted and like every major addiction it ruined lives. Walter eyed his wife when they came to that passage. She was the only one who he would have as a sex partner. Something that wouldn't happen. He knew she was straight. Never had even thought about 'experimenting'. There was that spell, the same spell that had been used on him, to turn up her attraction to him. Past levels were she would care if he was man or woman. But he couldn't do it. He simply didn't want to. It would be a form of betrayal and subvert everything their marriage stood for. "I guess I have to get used to a low health level. To watch out that I don't stub my toes too often." As intended it got a few giggles from his ladies. "Oh you." His wife punched him playfully in the should. "Oh my gosh, watch it. You just dropped my health by two-thirds!" "That reminds me, dad. You know you need a new wardrobe. Maybe some pieces of bubble wrap taped together?" teased his daughter. Now they laughed openly. Of course, she didn't cause him harm, but a quiet voice inside reminded him that he wasn't too far off. He was health wise far worse of than most 'glass cannon' mages. The good mood didn't last long. All too fast the topic returned to matters at hand. "One thing is strange," Sarah remarked. "What is?" Walter wanted to know. "Well, physically you share a lot of attributes with the Empusa in the park. Besides the overall physique, you have small horns and a tail. Yet you don't have wings." Sarah explained. "Well, I am glad I don't have those." "Is there something in the manual about that?" Bethany asked. They all looked but found nothing in the booklet. A search online provided help. "So," Sarah started. "To summarize: The wings are an optional trait all Succubus can unlock. They give you the ability to fly." "I pass on that for sure," Walter remarked. "The tail is for balancing while flying. In fact, the flared tip is polymorphable. It acts as an additional wing to stabilize mid flight." Curious, Walter grabbed his tail as he wasn't familiar with it yet and couldn't command it at will. It sprung forth just above his butt with a width of maybe two fingers and slowly tapered off. Its length was barely long enough to reach the ground. The tip was indeed flared out. It was heart shaped and reminded him of the spades symbol of playing card decks. "We need to find you a different class.", his wife stated firmly. Sarah quickly added to it. "Not just any class. It has to be a male only." "Yes. I totally agree," Walter added. They spend the rest of the day researching online marketplaces and websites. The results looked bleak. Their family didn't have much on financial reserves. As they never wanted to do a class change they used it to live a quality life. Every year vacations in exotic places. A generous apartment. It wasn't that they hadn't put away money, but a good chunk did go to Sarah's private tutor. What was left was maybe half of what a decent 'male only' class costs. "It's late. We should continue tomorrow." Walter concluded and pinched his nose. Both, wife and daughter, nodded. However, the embarrassments for Walter didn't stop there yet. Before bed was at least a mandatory shower necessary. That confronted him yet again with his new body. His hands quickly found out just how curvy he now was. His washcloth glided smoothly over his new silky skin. Blood rushed into his face as he noticed himself getting turned on. He quickly moved his hands away from his new genitalia. "Not on my watch young lady." Walter shrieked very unmanly. Turning around, he saw his wife standing there. How long had she been there and how much had she seen? "You might be a woman for a while. That means you have to know how to clean yourself properly." What followed was one of the most embarrassing lessons he ever got. Patiently his wife explained every detail about his new body. How to clean it and to care for it. Genitalia included. When he was finally done he meekly returned to the bedroom. On him a borrowed robe of his wife. One that no matter how hard he tried couldn't be closed above his ample bosom. With the borrowed pajamas he didn't fare much better. Then he was in bed with his wife. There was no respite. Instead of their usual close intertwined sleep, both lay separate. It did take a long time till Bethany's breathing slowed to that of a sleeping person. For Walter, it took even longer. No matter how he tossed or turned. The unfamiliar weight of his chest kept him awake. When sleep finally found him it didn't last long. One turn in his sleep and he was awake again. He sighed as he knew it would be a long night. ***** Chapter 7 ***** Maybe it had been the long night of tossing and turning that made him a living zombie in the morning. Normally he would get up early, brew himself a coffee and be out the door just past eight. Now he had to be dragged up of the bed sheets just past ten. For once it was Bethany that took charge. She already had phoned his company and explained the situation. One week off was all he got to adjust to a new body and new class. Bethany didn't seem to share his lethargy. He was dressed and fed in record time. Only when she got him into the car he finally woke up enough to ask questions. "Where are we going?" "To the mall honey. You need new clothes." Walter nodded sleepily. A moment later his eyes shot open. The mall. That meant to be outside. Showing off his new body. Modeling clothes for his wife and sales clerks. "We can't! Everyone will see me!" "Yes, honey. Don't worry. They will see two women shopping. Nothing unusual." "But ..." "No buts or arguing. You need clothes. These respawnee clothes barely fit you at all." Walter shut up and pouted. Which was unusual and as strange as his wife taking charge. Oh, he knew she could, but more often than not she pushed decisions to him. His head filled with dread. Images of his wife dressing him in sexy Dessous and slinky sexy dresses came to mind. How gleefully would she be to see him for once tethering in high heels? Of course, that wasn't how she usually acted. But could she resist tormenting him a little given this unique opportunity? His mind worked overtime to imagine situations where she could not. He was already seeing himself standing in a department store. Dressed in lace and silk. Customers ogling his body. "Walter!" Walter blinked. He recognized the parking lot of the mall. "What happened to you? You looked all spaced out and didn't respond for a minute." "I.. I was just lost in thoughts. Nothing more." Together they exited the car and went to the mall. Walter always lagging a little behind. First stop was the lingerie section of a big department store. At once a sales clerk appeared. A woman aged around mid twenty with a bright cheery smile. "Oh, my. Just respawned my dear? I hope you still remember your name." "Of course it's Wa.." Walter stopped mid-sentence. Giving away his real name would admitting that had been a man just a day ago. Suddenly on the spot, he decided to lie. "Valerie. It's Valerie." "Of course my dear. I didn't actually think you forgot yours. That's rather rare. What can I do for you?" Walter spied the eye-rolling of his wife. Thankfully she played along. "My friend .. Valerie .. sadly forgot that she had a physical upgrade in the last year. She is on a visit and her clothing got stolen in the ... event that lead to her respawn." Of course, Bethany had to overemphasize his fake name a little. It would be his turn to roll his eyes if he hadn't been the spot of attention. "And what a fine body you have. No wonder you decided to upgrade. May I ask how?" Walter exchanged a glance with his wife and thankfully she answered for him. "Class change to a Succubus class. She did it to overcome her problem with her shyness. I tried to talk her out of it, but she didn't listen. Her adjusting had been rough and now she has to do it all over again. Please be considered." "Of course. I take it then a measuring would be a first good step." With a sudden swish, the sales clerk had a measuring tape in her hand and led them to a slightly bigger changing room. A few embarrassing moments later he knew the size of the monsters on his chest. E-Cup was the shocking verdict. Walter could have sworn those would be bigger. From his perspective, they looked downright gigantic. Next was a marathon of trying on different bras. His wife selected very plain ones, which suited Walter just fine. However, none proved to be comfortable. It wasn't like they pinched. They just felt wrong somehow. His displeasure could be seen on his face. "Oh I got it," the sales clerk suddenly announced. She came back with another bra. Same size and everything. The difference was that it was a sheer material with lots of lace. Reluctantly he tried it on and sighed in relieve. Now that felt right. "She's having a version of the Succubus class right? Most of them have a build in a compulsion to dress sexy. Seen that before." the sales clerk explained. Walter groaned and the stifled giggle of his wife didn't help. Just like his daughter he had to dress a specific way. For him, it was sexual enticing clothes instead of black robes. This new development made itself known at every stop on their shopping trip. Pants needed to be tight as a second skin. Skirts couldn't cover the knees or anything below. Tops that covered his bosom completely were downright forbidden. Blouses needed to show cleavage and did feel the best if they were a size too small. Accordingly, to his new class, the ability to button up a blouse was clearly overrated. Everything was a tug of war. Walter's head was spinning from the way his mind clashed with his new instincts and compulsions. The matter wasn't helped by the sales clerk or his wife. The former tried her best to dress him in clothes that showed off his new figure in the best way possible. The later was for more modest clothing, but couldn't help to tease him without mercy with other revealing clothes. After hours of torment, they finally exited the mall. What they left was a small fortune. Who knew that women clothing could be that expensive. Before today, certainly not Walter. Bethany and Walter both carried bags through the parking lot. He was amazed that he hadn't fallen yet. Two-inch pumps had been the lowest he could mediate his two halves on. Maybe his tail helped him to keep balance a bit. "Well, I hope you had fun Val. If we don't find a way to turn you back this will be a regular thing between us." Bethany's ribbing made Walter suddenly realize what felt wrong the whole day. Something that had nibbled at his subconscious, but never on his conscious mind. Bethany hadn't treated him like the husband she used to have. It was different. Now it came to his mind. The whole trip could have been between two friends. Close ones, but friends nonetheless. Walter knew what it meant and a cold knot grew in his stomach. With Bethany being straight, her affection for him would slowly drop to a level normal for a female friend. He knew it right then. He would lose her as a wife and lover. They might be still friends, good ones, but never more. How much time had he left? How soon was this going to be unfixable? Once more he cursed the existing of the affection stat. With renewed resolution, he moved to the car. He needed a solution. And fast. ***** Chapter 8 ***** "Oh my gosh, what happened?" Sarah asked shocked. "Valerie happened." replied a grinning Bethany. "Who is Valerie?" "Ask your father." "Beth. Please. Would you let it rest for a minute? I was put on the spot and it was a thing of the moment." Walter begged. "Wait. Dad is Valerie?" "You got it." Bethany confirmed. Walter sighed. He guessed it needed a while to live down. "The sales clerk asked about my name. I didn't want to explain everything .." " .. and that you were a man .." interjected Bethany. "Yes. That too. Just .. take it easy okay." "But what about your clothes?" inquired Sarah. He saw Bethany's grin and cut her off be she could start. "Apparently I have some class compulsions too. Just like you with the color black and robes. Instead for me, it is revealing clothes." "Didn't you mean sexy clothes, Val?" corrected Bethany. Walter rolled his eyes which prompted some giggling. After some more banter, Bethany excused herself, as she wanted to put away Walter's new stuff. Stating that he hadn't yet developed the feminine touch to properly stow it all away. Alone for a minute his daughter had to ask. "How are you holding up dad?" "Under the circumstances fine, I guess. The body is strange. The clothing embarrassing. The whole situation ridicules. I would probably freak out more over the situation if it wasn't for..." "What?" "Your mother. The way she is acting." "Seems like she is coping fine with the situation." "Yeah. I worry it's the wrong kind of fine. The whole day she acted more than a best friend than my wife." "Oh. Well. Maybe it's just her way of dealing with it." "I think it is. But what if that becomes permanent? I have to go back to being male before that happens." His daughter gave him a serious nod. ***** Chapter 9 ***** The next week blew by awfully fast. Walter spend most of his day at home. Searching the internet and other mediums for a miracle. An exercise in frustration. There were plenty of male-only classes. The problem was the price. No matter what he did. They came always short by a large margin. Even if they would sell all they owned it just wouldn't be enough. With his wife gone for half the day, it was just him and Sarah to man the fort. It didn't take long for Sarah to pry his hard shell of unwillingness open. Soon he found himself as a student of a class called "All things women a man needs to know." It was ridiculous but provided a welcome relief from his frustrated searching. Of course, Bethany found out and suddenly he had two teachers. On Friday he had a sudden thought. If all desired classes were expensive then he should look into the undesired ones. Maybe one of them was cheap and male only. They probably had their faults too, but maybe not as bad as his current class. This, however, proved for now just as futile. Too soon came Monday. So far Walter had never feared one. This, however, marked an important step. Going to work the newly christened Valerie had to pause her searching for a solution and start adjusting. Till she found a solution she had to live her life as a woman. Her first big hurdle of the day was clothing. Her own idea of professionalism clashed with her class based need to show off her body. In the end, a half buttoned up blouse and a short pencil skirt was the winner. Combined with pumps with a modest heel she was declared ready by her wife. Of course, nothing could be further away from the truth. The pumps quickly proved to be an additional challenge on her drive to work and by the time she arrived two near accidents had happened. She was painfully aware of the stares she got on her way to the elevators. Murmuring was all around her. As were stares. First stop was Janet. His, now her, floor manager. Gulping she stepped closer. Janet could be a hard-ass on anyone and her temper was legendary. With Valerie's new look she expected plenty of trouble. Janet hated everything that lowered efficiency of her floor and flirting co- workers especially. Now Valerie looked like a stereotypical flirt. Approaching her felt like being wrapped in red cloth and send to face a bull. She stopped in front of Janet's office. Unless you are above her payment level you wait for her to tell you to come in or you may as well walk out of the building. Valerie didn't have to wait long. "Walter I presume? Come in." Quickly she stepped in and felt mustered. "This ..," Janet motioned at Valerie's body. " ... is not much like I know you. Why a succubus? " Valerie swallowed hard. "It was in the middle of combat. An ambush. I was close to dying. Saw this class change stone and ... I didn't think. I just reacted. Believe me when I tell you that this will be as temporary as I can make it." "So you didn't want to be a Succubus." "Empusa actually and not in a million years. If my mind hadn't been so muddled I would never have done it." "Good to know. Look. I'll be honest. We had a few tries in the last years to incorporate Succubus classes into our workforce. Never worked out. On the other hand, I have known you for years so I'll give this a try. Don't make me regret it." "No Mam." "Now Walter, ..." "It's Valerie for now. To avoid confusion." "Okay. Valerie. I would send you back to work immediately, but I fear you have to sign some documents in HR. They are expecting you." "Thank you. I'll try to be quick." "Oh, and Walter .. Valerie I mean. Your clothes..." ".. are the most conservative ones I can wear. Class compulsion." "I see. Might I suggest that you try working on counteracting it?" "With all due respect, I rather keep trying finding another class. Preferably a male only class." Janet nodded and Valerie took it as a sign that she was dismissed. Mindy was her usual cheerful self, but she tried to mute it a little, given the circumstance. What Valerie thought would be a short visit to read and sign some documents quickly ballooned out to two hours. Apparently, Succubus classes tended to exert certain behaviors not appropriate for the cooperation she worked for. One hour alone was dedicated to avoiding gestures that mimic jerking of phallic objects. By the end, Valerie was deeply embarrassed and to her own shame, a little aroused. Thankfully Mindy didn't notice or if she did she was a good sport and kept silent. She also offered her service to Valerie to learn some girly stuff. Not as her HR representative, but as a friend. While grateful, Valerie excused herself quickly. She just wanted to go back what she did best. Sitting in her cubicle and hammer away at her keyboard and workload. As Walter, she could spend hours immersed in her work. Now as Valerie it proofed much harder. "Hey there. I don't think we have met yet. My name is Gary." Annoyed, Valerie turned around. Gary was the third disruption in two hours and the potential to be the worst. He had a certain reputation. Walter had always ignored it. But sadly Valerie couldn't. "I know who you are. Not interested." "Oh come on you hardly..." "But I do! You know the cubicle I am sitting in?" "Yes, it's Walters. The old lame-o has some family crisis. Guess it takes a little longer and you are his temporary replacement. And a sexy one at that." Valerie had to bit her tongue and could swear she already tasted blood. Stupid low health points. Her nails bit into her palms. Better that than to smack that so called ladies man. How he hadn't been caught by HR was beyond Valerie. "Listen... Gary... That old lame-o is me. I am Walter you dimw..." Valerie cut herself off before she said something she would regret. It wasn't like her to swear and she wasn't about to start now. "I had an accident with a class stone. Soon to be remedied. And in case you didn't notice. I still wear my wedding ring. Might be a little loose, but I still wear it proudly." Gary opened his mouth, but Valerie cut him off. "Just move along. I have work to do." Thankfully he did just that. Annoyed Valerie swiveled around to her PC and back to her work. Too bad there hadn't been a course in HR about the unwanted attention she might get. Then again Valerie thought such a course might take longer than two hours. Valerie was on her way to her car when another voice called out to her. "Great. Another one who wants to hit on me," she thought. Turning around she saw Hank, the guard responsible for the afternoon shift in the underground parking lot. He was massive and had to duck his head even with a nine feet height clearing of the ceiling. Must be some class perk. "Valerie right? Normally Walter. I thought I might be of some assistance." "I haven't forgotten how to drive a car." "I sure hope not. No, it's about another thing. Some knowledge other co- workers found helpful." That peaked Valerie's interest. She motioned for him to continue. "I complained to management that there aren't enough cameras around here. There are some blind spots. As much as I hate to say it, it might be good if you know where those are." Valerie was confused at first. Why should she know about those spots? Of course, her mind caught up and the implications weren't pretty. As Walter, she had been fine. Now as Valerie she was prey and judging by the number of times she had been hit on today she was a rather attractive one. With her slashed health points, she was a pushover too. She quickly agreed and was led around by Hank for half an hour. Time well spend as it might save her from a respawn one day. "You are late. We were worried." Valerie did go over to give her wife a hug. There was a slight hesitation to return it, but both decided to not mention it. "Sorry. Apparently, our own security guard thinks the company's underground parking lot is unsafe. He showed me which spots to avoid." Bethany shook sadly her head. "Welcome to our world. Look. You better heed his advice. You aren't as robust as you used to be." "And you dress like you are asking for it," her daughter chimed in. Bethany gave her a mean look while Valerie was embarrassed and looked away. "What? It's true. I know Dad or Mom or ... this is confusing. I know she can't help it. It's the same with my clothes. But we can't ignore it. Maybe I can show her some tricks I learned. In the meantime ..." Sarah got up and fetched something from the hallway. As she returned she put a can of pepper-spray on the table and pushed it towards Valerie. "I think you need this more than I do. I hardly leave the house anyway and when I do I have now my spirits to protect me." Before either of her parents could say anything she continued. "Of course I won't fight someone. If someone comes at me I'll use them to buy me time to escape. And that's the same tactic you will use Dad. Spray and run." Valerie hated that she now was the weakest in the family. Nonetheless, she took the spray. She was grateful and had to wipe away a tear from the corners of her eyes. ***** Chapter 10 ***** It was Thursday and Valerie had survived two more days at work. She dreaded to walk inside, yet did it anyway. It wasn't like her work had changed. Just the behavior of her co-workers. News traveled fast and only rumors could match its speed. The hot "new" worker on the fourteenth floor. Many found a reason to "visit" her. Mostly those reasons were flimsy at best and Valerie was thoroughly annoyed. Her male co-workers were now very attentive, while her female co-workers grew colder to her. Male co-workers were busy chatting her up and the female ones chatted behind her back. She so hoped the novelty would fade away soon. Just as she entered her floor a slimy voice greeted her. Gary again. That guy couldn't take a hint even if it was painted on a twenty feet billboard. She hastily made her way to her cubicle and hoped he would just vanish. She hid behind her cubicle walls and a flimsy printout. "A short FAQ" it was titled and kept the worst off her back. Of course, there were always those that had to pry. Right now she hated the honor position. The one farthest away from Janet's office. Earned by his good work the past years. It was just past lunch break when Paul shuffled by. When Valerie's cubicle was the honor spot, then Paul's was the one for punishment. It was the closest to Janet's office and in full view. It was the spot reserved for troublemakers. It was also the preferred spot for Janet to look for messengers or runners if she needed an errant to be done. She half expected another tacky pickup line. Instead, Paul gave a short "Janet wants to see you." Valerie twitched like she had been hit by someone. "How bad is it?" "Someone from human resources is there too." Valerie nodded and swallowed hard. Whatever was up she wouldn't like it. She took a moment to get into a decent state. An exercise in futility. No matter how hard you try if you wear a blouse a size or two too small you can't button it all up. She stood up on her two and a half inch pumps and walked towards the dreaded office. In this moment she seriously regretted to not have the habit of swearing. She quickly was led in by Janet's personal assistant and with a finality the office door closed behind her. Janet had a grim look on her face. Before her desk sat Mindy. Her expression was just as grim. Valerie decided she was neck deep in trouble. Janet motioned for her to sit and Valerie quickly complied. She then looked at Mindy, who in turn began to talk. "I have known you for a while so this will be probably a shock to you. We got today a formal complaint in human resources about unwanted sexual attention and harassment..." Valerie breathed out in relief. One of her co-workers must have filled it on her behalf. Fed up by the unwanted attention Valerie got. "The named perpetrator was you, Valerie." "What!?" Valerie's eyes grew as big as saucers. Her mind needed a few seconds to fully catch up. "That's ridicules. I am the one peppered with stupid questions and cheesy one-liners and someone thinks I want that?" "Please, Valerie. Indoor voices," chided Janet. "I fear it is worse than you think Valerie," Mindy continued. "I quote from the complaint ... She cornered me in the lunch break when the floor was empty. I think she saw me as an easy target. She said something like that she had underestimated her hunger and now she was hungry for me. I mean normally I would have jumped at the chance, but the wild look in her eyes frightened me. I declined and she got pushy and said obscene things." Valerie was beside herself and fury shot through her veins. "That's ... It's pretty much an accusation of attempted rape. I would never do something like that!" "We ... " Mindy motioned to herself and Janet. " .. agree that it doesn't fit your character. But given your current class, the accusation is not completely without merit." Janet took over in a calm voice. "Currently it is word against word and no evidence is present. However, the company can't just ignore accusations like that. If that would go public it would be a publicity nightmare. Now Mindy and I have to determine a way to deal with this matter." "Who is it? The one accusing me, " wanted Valerie to know. "You know I can't tell you that Valerie. Don't lose your wits now," Mindy replied. She was right and Valerie knew it. It didn't help her when emotions made her blind. In a way, that was what had landed her in this trouble in the first place. If she hadn't lost her cool in the midst of battle. What's done is done and Valerie knew she had to rely on the one thing that hadn't changed. Her body and her physical stats might have changed, but she still had her mental stats. After a moment to calm down she had a solution. Not a perfect one, but close enough. Or so she hoped. "You are right. I apologize. Such unfounded accusation aren't easy to stomach. Given that it is unfounded I do expect no serious action on your part. However, I would totally understand under the given circumstances that the company might want to keep an eye on me. Say for example by making me exchange cubicles with Paul? I would be in full view of you Janet and your personal assistant. The company could then keep tabs on me and who I interact with." Several seconds passed and only the drumming of Janet's pen on her desk broke the silence. Finally, she cleared her throat. "Yes, that might be acceptable on my part. Any qualms with it on your end Mindy? No? Good. We keep this silent of course. You may return to work Valerie. Oh and switch with Jared. Paul is there for a reason." Valerie nodded and left. It didn't take long to switch with Jared. Once done she could finally pick up her work again. She knew there would be rumors. That couldn't be helped. And she definitely didn't like the black mark in her company's file. On the other hand, there was the silence. The only good thing that came out of it. No one dared to hit on her in full view of Janet's office. Finally, she could work in peace again. Still, the anger never left her system that day. Tired she entered her apartment and collapsed on the couch. It didn't take long for her wife to come over and to notice that something was wrong. "Long day?" Valerie nodded but avoided the eyes of her wife. Something she picked up immediately. Bethany sat down beside her and gently asked. "What happened?" It took a moment for Valerie to start. There was a lump in her throat and her voice sounded coarse. It came out in pieces. Her words quickly cut off as tears welled in her eyes. Soon she was burying her face in her wife's shoulder and bawled like a small child. A flood of emotions broke free that she had suppressed till now. It felt good in a way, but it also came with a harsh aftertaste. It was normally her that consoled the others in the family. She was the strong one. Or had been. Not anymore. Ever since her class change, things got more and more out of control. Walter had always handled everything. He had been the rock in the midst of this family. But she wasn't Walter anymore and in this instance, the fact of it was so painfully clear. It took a long time till she could tell the rest of today's events and even longer till the last tear was shed. The whole time Bethany held her. Unwavering like a rock. Valerie knew she must have become just as angry as herself. Yet she gave Valerie what she needed the most and she was deeply grateful for it. ***** Chapter 11 ***** Friday was mercifully quiet and uneventful. At least at work. When Valerie returned home she saw her wife upset. "Sorry Val. I nearly had it. I saw a male only class stone we could afford online. Shop sale only. I asked a co-worker to cover for me and drove over as fast as I could. They already sold it. Apparently, a research company in the next town over bu