The Lokian Way (4/7) free porn video

* * * * * * * * * * Saturday * * * * * * * * * * "There she is. Our sugarplum." Mercy winced hearing her Aunt Mary's nickname for her. Grumbling and with bed-hair, she bridged the last few steps down the stairs. "Good morning," she mumbled as she reached for a bowl and cereals. Both her parents and her Aunt were already sitting at the table. It hardly couldn't be a more unmatched trio. Mercy's parents - already dressed for the day - looked prim and proper in outfits that Mercy would describe as business casual. Gray and tan colors composed their outfits. Mary - her aunt - contrasted strongly in her long gown. It wouldn't look out of place for a visit to the opera or a gala. It was in a rich burgundy color and of a silky material. If flowed around her stature as if poured on. Strangely enough, her Aunt decided to pair it with tight high wide striped stockings in white and a muted pastel red. "Hurry up, Sugarplum," her Aunt Mary beamed. "We've got a busy day ahead of us." "Is it too late to fake that I am sick?" Mercy asked. It earned her small grins from her parents and a playful punch on the shoulder by her aunt. "You bet it is. Now hurry up." "I actually do feel sort of sore in places." "Nonsense. Get to it." Grumbling to herself, Mercy pouted milk and devoured her cereals, while her parents and aunt chatted. As soon as her bowl was empty it was snatched away by her aunt. "Now get a shower and get dressed," Mary instructed her. Not seeing any help from her parents Mercy did as told. A half hour later she came down in jeans and a t-shirt. "Oh, come on," her aunt howled. "You can do better than that!" Sighing, Mercy shifted her t-shirt into a summer dress and made her jeans vanish through magic. "Better?" "That'll do for now. Come on. The mall opens soon," Aunt Mary said while already slipping into some neon pink rubber boots with a heel of maybe one and a half inch. Mercy cast a doubtful look outside when her Aunt shrugged into a pink tinted transparent raincoat. It was sunny outside and not a cloud in the sky. Mercy shrugged and chalked it up to her Aunts eccentric fashion style. She slipped herself into some sandals with a small chunky heel and followed her Aunt out to her car. A small city car with a metallic pink paint job and lavender interior. "So why again do we have to go to the mall?" Mercy asked while her Aunt steered the car out of the driveway. "You saw yesterday evening that I can pretty much change every piece worn on me." "Yes," her Aunt agreed with a bright smile. "But there is something that vexed me. You are a trickster mage, right? You need to prank and favorably so with your spells. What I learned yesterday is that you don't know anything about fashion." "I did manage so far," Mercy said with a pout. "For dressing yourself up," Mary agreed. "Though your repertoire is limited to casual styles and summer dresses." Mercy fiddled with the hem of her own summer dress. "Maybe. It's comfy." "There are other styles that are comfy. Take Boho for example." "Take what?" Mercy asked confused. "Short for bohemian. Long flowing skirts and loose tops. Boho is ideal for a comfy casual look that looks stunning. It is not such a stretch from the summer dresses you are currently wearing and it would look great with your naturally wavy hair." "Okay. Color me intrigued. But what does it have to do with me being a trickster mage." "Well, you can't put everyone into a bohemian style dress, right? You need to learn about other styles. Those that might fit other people. Men and women alike. What people wear can tell a lot about them. And this insight can help you plan pranks." "We could do that at home," Mercy countered. "Browsing the internet." "Oh, no," Mary said while shaking her head. "People on the internet show fake persona. Their wannabe ideal self. Either by adding or subtracting things. We need to observe people in their natural habitat. It is time for a safari!" Mercy couldn't help but chuckle. When she calmed down one question was on her mind. "Why are you so intent on helping me with my trickster stuff?" "Do you remember Uncle Pete?" "Yeah. You dated him for a year or two a few years back. Why?" "He was a trickster mage too." "Really?" Mercy asked shocked. "Didn't look like it, right?" "I always wondered how someone like you ended up with him. He looked so plain." "We always joked it was camouflage," Aunt Mary said with a grin. "It was a lot of fun helping him train his spell." "What could he do?" "Make people feel certain emotions when they saw certain colors. Let me tell you it was my best contribution to make him realize he could make people aroused to certain colors. For some time I was so much into ketchup, tomatoes and everything else colored red." "Ewww. Too much information," Mercy exclaimed but then mused on. "Is that the reason why you like wearing pink so much?" "Ha! No. I wore it before. But here is the fun part. Pink was his Achilles heel. Along with black and white." "What? Why?" Aunt Mary didn't answer for a moment as she pulled into the parking lot of the mall. "Because they aren't really colors." "That you have to explain to me. Black and white I can see. But pink?" They both exited the car and Mary then gestured in a sweeping motion along her outfit. "Pink is a color that does not naturally exist. Have you ever seen pink in the colors of a rainbow? Nope. It is a mix of light from both ends of the spectrum of a rainbow. Our brain tries to make sense of it and created pink. It is a purely imaginative color our brain made up. Pete could target any color of the rainbow, but not imaginative ones." "That explains a little bit of you why you like the color so much. And why I always developed a fascination with blue when Uncle Pete was around." "Yeah. You were his measurement of personal grows. Others he could make his spell stick for hours or days. You, however, shrugged it always off within the hour." "Well, I was always special," Mercy boasted. "Hate to tell you sugarplum," her Aunt said with a smirk. "But you were always special. Especially boring that is. Thankfully that changed." "Hey now, I wasn't ..." Mercy piped up only to quiet down. "Wasn't that boring," she grumbled. "Maybe not, but you were certainly your mother's son." "And what am I now?" "Maybe your Aunt's nice," Mary said with a chuckle. "Time to find out. Time for shopping!" Her Aunt struck a dramatic pose and pointed to the mall, which was amazingly far away with the next door three and a half feet away. Mercy was painfully aware how ridicules it looked and how many people stared at her aunt. "Let's head in before I die of embarrassment," Mercy said dryly. "Oh, don't be so dramatic," her Aunt scoffed. It made Mercy stumble for a moment. Once inside her Aunt dragged her to a 'Forever Seventeen' store. "Now look around. What do you see?" "A lot of clothes?" Mercy offered. "The people Mercy," her Aunt chided her. "Tell me what kind of people you see?" "Hmm. Mostly women or girls. Ranging maybe from fourteen to mid- twenties. Some older women, but I guess those are mothers." "Good. Now take a guess. How many of the girls and women here are actually seventeen?" Mercy looked around for a while and spotted two girls behind some racks. "Maybe those two? Don't see anyone else. So not a lot?" "Exactly!" her Aunt said with a beaming smile. "We have two main demographics at work here. And both aren't seventeen. Younger girls that try to emulate older girls or early twenty-somethings that try to stay young. Even if it is in outfits only. Clothing is just half of it, Mercy. Who wears them is the other half." "So it is a little like dressing as stereotypes, but more subtle?" Mercy asked. "That is one way to see it," Mary agreed. "Stereotypes are crass and distinct. But many dressing styles are less obvious. Just like this store. You have the supposed target group of seventeen-year-olds and the two side groups that wish to belong to the target group." "So it is just like the old saying," Mercy concluded. "Don't dress as yourself. Dress who you want to be." "Now you get it," Mary beamed. "By knowing who wears what you can conclude why. And this, Mercy. This gives you insight and power over them." "You talk like you want me to become the next big dictator," Mercy accused her. "Goodness no, but knowledge is useful. Now let's get out of here and into a few other stores." First was a shop known for hip beachwear. Which Aunt Mary quickly labeled as "full of wannabe surfer types". However, she showed Mercy a few new ways to dress casually and comfortable. Next was a big department store, but before they could enter Aunt Mary pushed Mercy on. "Come on. Hurry. We've got to make some distance," she urged Mercy. "What? Why?" Mercy asked confused. "I saw an old acquaintance. She gives me the creeps," Mary whispered as she led Mercy around the corner. "If she gives you the creeps then there has to be a story behind it," Mercy mused aloud. "Oh sugarplum, you have no idea," Mary said with a sigh as they slowed down. "That girl dresses horribly. So old-fashioned. Pete introduced me to her. Another trickster mage. She can change bodies." "Mavis? You know Mavis?" Mercy perked up. "Oh, sugarplum. You too? I am so sorry that you know her." "I met her last Wednesday when I was at a meeting of all local trickster mages. What is so horrible about her?" Mercy asked. "Beside her fashion sense." "Okay. Maybe not horrible. You see when Pete introduced us she invited me out for shopping." "I thought you love shopping." "Normally yes. You see as soon as we hit the mall I felt uncomfortable. Like my bra was too small. Mavis suggested that maybe I should get myself measured again. Just to be sure. Now you know breasts tend to shrink and swell a little..." "They what?" Mercy asked confused and glanced down at her own. "Oh, sugarplum. Didn't my sister tell you about stuff like that? Yes, they do. Not a lot. Certainly not cup-sizes. But yes, they do. It's mostly a hormonal thing. So imagine my surprise when I got measured and I suddenly have about a half cup more on my rack." "Mavis can do that?" Mercy asked rhetorically. "I know. Changing bodies. I should have connected the dots, but I didn't. I was already dreading what came next. A good bunch of my bras too small. Cute ones that I had to sort out. But then the real horror started." "What did she do?" "Well, at first I didn't know. You see the sales clerk brought bra after bra for me to try out. After a while, she measured me again. Just to be sure. Turns out the first measurement had been wrong. So she brought other bras for me to try on. None fit. She measured me again and you know what? The first measurement was again the correct one and the second wrong. This continued for two hours and by that time she had asked a co-worker of hers for help. Mavis all the while played innocent and understanding. You know. To shift attention away from her. Then they got the manager and she knew Mavis. Turns out that this little prank of hers was well known to the senior sales clerks around here. Mavis constantly had changed my breast size and I hadn't even noticed because it had always been just a tiny amount." "So what did you do?" Mercy asked. "How did it all end?" "Well, I am forbidden from returning there. They thought I was a new trickster mage and she was my mentor. Showing me the ropes. My condolences to whoever ends up her pupil for real." "That would be me," Mercy admitted. "She's my mentor since last Wednesday." "Oh sugarplum I am so sorry to hear this," Mary said sincerely. "Is she really that bad?" Mercy wanted to know. "Well. Probably not, but I never gave her the chance to apologize. I stormed out of the shop and avoided her ever since. I admit it is partially to keep my altered body." "She didn't change you back?" "Didn't give her the chance. Well, I noticed at home that I left with nearly a full cup-size plus... Pete didn't mind one bit. Even helped me to avoid her. And then there is the hair. On the way to the mall, I complained to her how expensive it was to keep my roots from showing. Two weeks after the debacle I noticed that still no new roots showed. Apparently this... " - Mary pointed at her hair - "... is now my 'natural' hair color." "Sounds like you did go out with plenty ahead," Mercy threw in. "Well, yes. But that isn't the point. She should have asked Mercy. I don't mind temporary stuff. Pete and I had a lot of fun with temporary stuff. But permanent? Well, she should have asked or said something. Pete always had." "So I guess you are off-limits to me?" Mercy asked. "Oh sugarplum, no. As long as it is temporary I don't mind." "Great!" Mercy exclaimed. She pointed at a mannequin in a nearby shop window. "How do you like this outfit?" "The pantsuit one?" Mary asked. Confusion tinted her voice as Mercy's abrupt change of topic. "It looks boring. Your mother might like that one." "Perfect," Mercy exclaimed. Aunt Mary gasped as the clothes around her body shifted. It lost all its vivid colors as it settled into a gray pantsuit with matching pumps. "What? Why?" Mary demanded to know. "Well, I decided to test your lesson on a live subject. Understand a person, get power, and blackmail," Mercy said with a grin. "And what do I have to do for you to undo this?" Mary asked with a lopsided grin. "Nothing." "Nothing?" "I'll change your clothes back in ten minutes." Seeing her Aunt's confusion Mercy added with another grin, "But every time you call me 'sugarplum' you spend five more minutes decked out in gray." Aunt Mary broke out in laughter. "Thirty-five times till you cracked. I knew this was the way to get you out of your shell. Well done Sugarplum." "Fifteen minutes," Mercy updated her Aunt. "Well, fair is fair 'sweety'," Mary agreed. "Why do I get the feeling I will hear 'sweety' a lot now?" "Because you are a good student?" her Aunt volunteered. "So besides blackmailing your own Aunt, did you learn anything of note so far?" "Sure," Mercy casually replied. "If I really want to piss off a girl I just have to shrink her bra." Mercy was suddenly twirled around as her Aunt grabbed her shoulders and made Mercy look at her. "Listen to me. There are pranks and there is plain evil. Don't be evil!" Mercy gave a nervous laugh. "Just a joke. I was messing with you." "You better be, because..." Aunt Mary was interrupted as Mercy's mobile phone rang. Pulling it out Mercy winced as she saw the caller I.D.: Victoria. She declined the call with haste. "Friend of yours?" Aunt Mary asked. "You could have invited her to roam the mall with us." Alarm sirens did go off inside Mercy's head. Picturing Victoria and Aunt Mary together? Abandon ship! Everyone, go for the life rafts. Forget women and children. Mercy first! Her growing panic attack was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. # Unfuse contacts, please? # "She's busy," Mercy eventually managed to squeeze out. "Just wanted me to unfuse her contact lenses." Seeing her Aunt's confusion she clarified. "I fused cat-eye contacts to her. It was her idea." "Must be an interesting gal," Mercy's Aunt mused. "I must meet her someday." And the sirens were back. In a panic, Mercy pointed to a random store. "What about that store? I bet you can tell me a lot of things about its customers." "A Hot Topic?" Now Mercy noticed where exactly she was pointing at. "Oh do I," her Aunt said with a grin. "Follow me. Now it's getting interesting." Wincing Mercy followed her Aunt. This could take a while. Still better than Victoria and her Aunt meeting. * * * * * * * * * * Sunday * * * * * * * * * * "Really?" Aunt Mary asked. "After everything I taught you, you still going out to your date in jeans and t-shirt?" "It's not a date," Mercy said with a sigh. "I am helping Mitch with an English assignment. No need to get fancy. Besides, I doubt being a pirate lolita would fare well with the public." "But you looked so fierce yet cute," her Aunt cooed. Both were referencing the little game Aunt Mary had come up with in the morning. They had taken a deck of cards and divided colors and numbers among themselves. Each one wrote down a list of material, dressing styles or themes for two of each suit and half of the numbers. Then they each had alternating drawn cards from the deck and it was Mercy's job to change the outfit matching to the card. The game had been fun, yet exhausting. It resulted in strange creations like the 'pirate lolita' or 'ballgown swimsuit'. The game ended when both decided that 'sexy clown' was more than they could handle. "I bet you could make him write a really long essay if you wore that 'latex ballgown'," Mary teased her. In hindsight, it had been a mistake of Mercy to include 'latex' as one of her choices. "And sweat like a pig in the sun? I think not," Mercy shot her down. "That does sound like you have more familiarity with latex than you told me about," Mary said with narrowing eyes. "How did you know of latex garments again?" "A friend told me about it," Mercy said. "Nothing special. Just panties." And then a whole bunch more outfits, but that she better left untold. "Kids these days," her Aunt mused. "Took me till college till someone introduced me to it and here you are. A highschooler. Times change." "Well, it is not like I run around in latex all day," Mercy justified herself. Before her Aunt could jump on her comment Mercy quickly added, "And I don't intend to change that." "Fine," Mary huffed. "Be boring." "I just don't want to give Mitch the wrong impression if I show dressed up," Mercy admitted. "Oh, sweety," her Aunt chided her. "He's a boy. Believe me, he will get the wrong impression." Seeing the doubt in Mercy's eyes she did go for the finishing move. "You had been a boy not long ago. Tell me. What would you have thought if a beautiful girl came out of the blue and offered you to be tutored by her?" "W-well it isn't like that," Mercy protested again. "Sure Sweety," her Aunt agreed. "Just remember: if he hasn't kissed you at the end of the 'tutoring' you can always change into the latex ballgown." Rolling eyes Mercy didn't dignify it with a response. She just slipped out of the door to go to her not-date date. * * * * * * * * * * Mercy looked again on her phone's clock. It was already four. A whole hour after she was supposed to meet Mitch. No way she had missed him as she had been early. "He stood me up," Mercy huffed to herself. A strange mix of anger and disappointment welled within her. Was it her fault? Didn't Mitch want to hang out with her? Then she reminded herself that this was not a date. Their meeting had a purpose. To introduce Mitch to bras and other feminine garments. Away from school and snooping classmates. Maybe he had become cold feet Mercy reasoned. After all, it was a step up. It could be that Mitch wasn't ready to take the next step. Mercy decided she should be relieved that his obsession might not have evolved further. That was a good thing, right? Still, the fact was that she had been stood up. Annoyed she pushed off the park bench and walked towards the park bench. As she stomped by the ice cream parlor Mercy had to do a one-eighty turn. A few feet further carried her to a couple that tried to be inconspicuous. "Victoria!" Mercy nearly yelled. "I can't believe you are stalking me. And you even dragged Brian into it." "M-Mercy," Victoria stammered. "We didn't ..." "Not what it looks like," Brian added at the same time. "So you didn't get dragged by Victoria into spying on me and Mitch while we are on a date?" Mercy demanded to know. "I knew it was a date!" Victoria perked up. "Not helping," Brian hissed at Victoria. "It was not a date. Tutoring. Whatever it was it isn't happening. Mitch didn't show," Mercy huffed. "So you two can go home. Nothing to see. You two are the worst spies ever." "We weren't..." Brian started while Victoria exclaimed, "Mercy!" But Mercy didn't care. She had already turned and stomped away in anger. Ignoring the shouts behind her. * * * * * * * * * * Monday * * * * * * * * * * Mercy was practically humming with anger while she stood in front of the school. Which was better than the uncertainty she had felt a moment before. Today her emotions were a mess. it was a rollercoaster of changing moods. She had cried in the morning as her body had betrayed her as had she the day before when her Aunt had said her goodbyes. Then there had been those times she felt anger boil trough her veins. "So he isn't showing here either?" Victoria asked while approaching her. Seeing Mercy's glare she added, "Can we talk? I think you got something wrong yesterday." "And what might that be?" Mercy asked with a hiss. Victoria grabbed her hand and dragged her to a bench. "Look. Me and Brian. We weren't spying. I swear we weren't. I knew you had been busy on the weekend so I reached out to take up Brian's offer. To teach me a little about Video games. Us in the park. That was just a break from a gaming marathon. Honestly, I didn't remember that you were supposed to meet Mitch there. Mercy? Say something." Mercy had looked away while her friend explained herself. Now, while prompted, she broke down. "I am such a bad friend," she cried and breaking out in tears. "I should have known. I am so sorry." "Hey now," Victoria said while patting her friends back. "Just a stupid misunderstanding. That can happen. Are you alright?" "I-I don't know," Mercy admitted. "It wasn't even supposed to be a date." "Mitch?" Victoria asked. "Yes. I just wanted to help him with something," Mercy explained while drying her tears. "Why I am so upset about it?" "Look. Mitch is ... not the most upstanding person to be around. Yes, he quit being a bully, but he still might be bad for you." "He appeared so changed," Mercy sniffed. "Well, that is how boys are. If they want something from you..." Victoria gave Mercy a hug. "Come on. Classes are starting soon. We have to clean you up before class." Mercy gave a weak nod and followed her friend into the school. * * * * * * * * * * "Wow, Mercy," Sonja - the redhead - remarked while they all were changing to get ready for P.E. "What are those glossy panties made of?" "You are wearing latex to school?" Victoria asked as her attention was drawn. "Yeah. I thought they might be nice to wear. For P.E. you know. Less friction," Mercy mumbled. "If you ask me that doesn't sound like a good idea," Victoria said with doubt coloring her voice. "In fact it ..." "Well, I didn't ask you!" Mercy snapped and stomped out to class. "What's up with her?" Sonja asked. "I have no clue," Victoria admitted. "Maybe boy trouble. Not sure." * * * * * * * * * * "So you want to tell me what is going on?" Victoria asked at lunch. Mercy gave a small meek glance at Brian. "Not right now." "Look," Victoria insisted. "If it is about Mitch..." "May I have your attention!" The loud shout made Mercy, Victoria and Brian look up and over. There, lifted up by her fellow cheerleaders, was Stacy. "As you all know, we cheerleaders have been a real bitch to certain girls in the past weeks," Stacy started in her half shout as she had the mess halls attention. "Where is Sonja?" "Not good," Victoria murmured and Mercy felt anger boil inside her. She tried to curb those cheerleaders and their need to criticize Sonja for being a lesbian. In the past week, Mercy had changed those cheerleaders panties to ones with slogans. Ones that hopefully deter them. It appeared not. Still, it was Mercy's only shot to prevent whatever was going down. Before Sonja got hurt worse by those mean girls. But scanning her preys gave Mercy an unexpected obstacle. They already all wore panties with slogans only proud or cheeky lesbians would wear. It confused the hell our of Mercy. "There she is," Stacy shouted and pointed to Sonja who now found herself the center of attention. "Sonja, the last weeks we had made fun of you for being a lesbian. On behalf of the whole cheerleader squad I want to say we are sorry." "Say what?" Victoria exclaimed beside Mercy who could only nod to the sentiment. "That is right," Stacy continued. "We are sorry. But a simple apologie won't do. You, Sonja, deserve the reason why. You see we all were afraid. Not of you, but each other. We all witnessed how we each other dissed lesbians. It made it hard for us to come out with the truth. And the truth is we all are lesbians." At once a cacophony of shouts erupted. Most claiming bullshit. "I know. I know," Stacy agreed. "Hard to believe. But over the weekend we found out that each and every one on the cheerleading squad is a lesbian. We were so afraid of each other that we leashed out at the only other person we knew who was a lesbian: Sonja. Sonja, by harassing you, we each thought to shift suspicion from us to you. For that we are sorry. You didn't deserve how we treated you and I promise you that it won't again." Mercy's eyes darted to Sonja. To see how she would react. But was spun around by Victoria. "What did you do Mercy?" Victoria asked with intensity. "Me?" "Yes. You. Don't tell me it is a coincidence that the whole cheerleading squad comes out as gay," Victoria insisted. "The panties!" Mercy said while her eyes grew wide in shock. "I might have ..." "What did you do?" Victoria asked again. "I can fix this!" Mercy said while her eyes grew wet. "I am sure I can fix this." Loud shouts made them look around and both saw Stacy kissing Sonja right on the lips. When they finally broke apart Stacy whispered something and then vanished into the crowd. Victoria grabbed Mercy and dragged her to Sonja. "What happened?" Victoria asked. Still stunned Sonja needed a moment to react. "I-I called her out. Stacy. Called her fake. Then she kissed me. Damn, that was a kiss. Kamasutra level. My knees still feel weak." Sonja stumbled away while Mercy mumbled to herself, "I can fix this," over and over again. "No!" The one word of Victoria cut through Mercy's growing panic like a knife. "Even if you can you shouldn't. How will Stacy and her goons explain that to herself once she is straight again? That all this was a joke? A prank to hurt Sonja further?" Victoria asked her. "You messed up Mercy, but this way maybe something good might come out of it." "I am sorry," Mercy whimpered and then rushed out of the cafeteria in tears. * * * * * * * * * * Tuesday * * * * * * * * * * "Come with me," Mercy urged Victoria as she grabbed her arm. "So now you are talking to me," Victoria replied dryly while doing her best to be an immovable rock. "You didn't show up for lunch." "Mitch didn't come to school again..." "So this is about Mitch?" Victoria asked. "Yes. No. Look. He didn't show up today. So I asked around and ... His sister hadn't been to school either. At lunch, I tried to get their home address in the principal's office." "Isn't that a little too much?" Victoria said with doubt. "Mitch is a bully. I bet it isn't the first time he skipped school." "But Melanie, his sister, isn't," Mercy countered. "And I asked her classmates. None of them heard of her since Friday." "I still fail to see how this is your problem." "Because ..." Mercy stopped to wipe away some tears forming in her eyes. "I may have given her bad advice. What if it is my fault that they are gone? What if something happened to them?" "Okay. I get it. You need me to help check on them? See if they are okay?" "Yes," Mercy agreed only to correct herself a moment later. "No!" Getting frustrated Victoria grabbed Mercy by her shoulders. "Mercy. Look at me. Calm down. Tell me what do you need." It took a few moments for Mercy's onset of a panic attack to die down. "I don't have the address," she meekly confessed. "The secretary wouldn't give it to me." "Then we ask the sister's classmates." "I did. They don't know where Melanie lives. She's secretive about that..." "Then we do some further digging. Just don't panic. We got this." "That is not what I am panicking about," Mercy admitted. "Then what?" Victoria asked while crossing her arms. "Spill already." "Mavis. Today is my first tutoring session with her. You promised you'd be there with me." "Right. Yeah," Victoria agreed. "I forgot this was today. I still don't trust her. Let's go." Mercy let out a sigh of relief. She practically dragged Victoria out. "Slow down. You know if you aren't feeling well I bet we can reschedule..." "No!" Mercy shouted and looked at Victoria with big shocked eyes. "I need her. She has to teach me." "How to turn back into a boy?" "Yes. I need that!" Victoria opened her mouth to reply in anger, but then she held her breath. "Fine," she eventually said. "Let's go." Both walked in silence to the center. Each of them lost in their own thoughts and worries. They found Mavis in her office and already waiting for them. They exchanged greetings and took their seats. "Today's lesson is about focus, planning, and consequences," Mavis started without preamble. "Victoria as you insist attending I want you to remain quiet for Mercy's lesson." "Afraid what I have to say? Why would I do that?" Victoria challenged her. "Bribery of course," Mavis said with a small grin. Mavis stood up and walked over, just to hand Victoria a small leather- bound book. It looked old and Victoria had trouble at first to make out the title. "Training neurological reflexes in relation to magic? What's that supposed to mean?" "In essence, this book can teach you to resist alteration of your mind. Be it trickster magic or any other aspect. I heard you had trouble with that in the past." Victoria nodded and at once opened the book to explore its secrets. "Can we get started now?" Mercy asked impatiently. "Sure," Mavis agreed. "Now you know that you can wield your trickster magic by instinct. Most trickster mages are satisfied with that. However, mastering your own focus might lead to more ineffective use..." "Don't you mean more effective?" Mercy interrupted her. "Mercy. The lokian way is all about using up your trickster magic with the smallest impact on those around you. The less effective you are as a trickster mage the more effective you are in 'the lokian way'." "I guess that makes sense. But how is that helping me to get more spells?" Mercy demanded to know. "Aren't the two you have right now enough?" "Well yes, but if I can vary more wouldn't that help too?" "If you can't control the spells you have right now you wouldn't be able to control those any better. Those two you have are already really powerful. Just imagine what could go wrong if you change someone's garments without care." Seeing Mercy opening her mouth to protest, Mavis quickly added, "For example, one changed boxer shorts or panties could kick-start a whole chain of events." Mercy's mouth snapped shut and she glanced at Victoria. Had she snitched in her? If so, when? "How about this: I tell you a story about my past," Mavis continued in a softer tone. "How is an old story supposed to help me get new spells?" Mercy asked on edge. "Because it is all about learning new spells," Mavis chided her. "Back when I was young I heard of a great trickster mage everyone revert. She was called the Great Mother. She had harnessed her body changing spell in a way that allowed her to create human-animal hybrids. At least for some time. If someone in her tribe had behaved badly then they might have ended up with a pig head for a week. And I mean literally. It was there that ..." Mavis broke up. She looked forlorn for a moment. Lost in the past. "I met Loki there," she continued. "Wait! The Loki?" Victoria asked. "Yes. Book!" Mavis said with a stern gaze and Victoria was quick to put her nose into the small leather-bound book again. "So what has he to do with all of this?" Mercy asked. "Everything. He.... He came to the Great Mother same as I did. Looking for a mentor. At that time he slowly was formulating his 'lokian way', but he needed more knowledge about trickster magic first. With the Great Mother rumored to be centuries old he thought she might know more." "And?" Mercy prompted after Mavis fell silent for a moment. "He found something else he desired," Mavis told her. "Did he fell in love with you?" Victoria asked with glee. Annoyed Mavis gave her a scolding look and held out her hand. The implication clear. Victoria should hand back the book. She, however, pressed it against her chest. "Sorry," Victoria pressed out. "Won't happen again." "The Great Mother," Mavis said with her focus returning to Mercy. "She used to reward upstanding tribesmen and women by inviting them to the wild hunt. She would shift them and herself into pack animals. Wolves for example. Together they would hunt for one day and one night. Loki became enamored with the idea of joining the hunt. But there was the problem. The same we have Mercy. While old, wise, and efficient, the Great Mother was a weaker trickster mage than Loki. Her spells simply wouldn't take on him." "So he had to learn her spell?" Mercy asked. "Correct. It took him a long time, but he eventually managed it. You know what was the key to his success?" When Mercy shook her head Mavis clued her in. "He tried to learn the Great Mother's spell by exactly imitating her. You see, how every trickster mage invokes their spells differ from mage to mage. Loki's special spells had been audiovisual illusions. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that he had to use his own spells as a base, to learn the spell of the Great Mother. But in pursuit of the Great Mother's spells, he had neglected to develop his mastery of his own spells. Leaving him at a disadvantage." "So there is no quick way to learn it?" Mercy asked dejected and gloom. "There is the possibility that there is still a third major spell inside you. In that case, access would be quick. But to be honest three major spells are rare. The chance pretty low. Every other way takes time." Mavis gave a sigh as she saw Victoria holding up her hand. Like she was a schoolgirl vying for the attention of a teacher. "Yes, Victoria?" "Did Loki ever join the wild hunt?" Victoria wanted to know. "No. He did learn the spell, but it had taken him long. By the time he had learned it the Great Mother had chosen to pass on to the afterlife," Mavis admitted with sadness permeating her voice. "How long?" Mercy asked. "Loki arrived there when he was in his early twenties. When he learned the spell he was in his mid-fifties." "Three decades?" Mercy shouted while pushing herself out of her chair. "I don't have three decades!" "Mercy ..." Victoria was started but was shouted over. "I don't have that time! You have no idea how it is to be stuck in a body not your own," Mercy accused Mavis while glaring at her. "And there you are wrong!" Mavis said in a dangerous low grumble. "I used to be able to change at will. Men. Women. Animals. I used to be all of it. But now trickster magic has me stuck here. In this one little town in more or less one body for the last seventeen and a half years." "Y-you are useless to me!" Mercy shouted before storming out of the room. "Mercy?" Victoria asked shocked. She hastily put away the book and hurried out after her. She found Mercy outside, in the corridor, with her arms trembling. "I think we have to talk," Victoria said with a soft tone while putting an arm around Mercy's shoulder. However, Mercy shrugged her off. "I don't want to talk. All this talking and magic. I've had enough. They want pranks? Fine!" Mercy stomped back into Mavis office. Victoria was debating with herself if she should follow when Mercy sprinted back out again. "Run!" Mercy shouted while dashing for the exit. On instinct, Victoria did just that. A hundred feet outside Victoria dared to look behind her. An angry Mavis pushed the doors open. Clad in neon colors one might think she was a raver just exiting a club after a night of techno and dance music. Her old-fashioned clothes replaced by glow bracelets in different sizes, neon fur boots, and matching PVC bikini. A more detailed look eluded Victoria as Mercy grabbed her and dragged her behind a wall of shrubbery. "Oh my gosh! Have you seen her face?" Mercy gushed while wandering further onto the private property. "Still think my pranks are lame?" "Mercy, we need to talk," Victoria proclaimed while stopping beside a swimming in the backyard of who knows who. She crossed her arms. "Talk about what?" Mercy asked. "About you," Victoria continued. "About how you behave and what you are going through right now." "What do you mean? I am not ..." "Mercy it is okay," Victoria said with softness returning to her voice. "All girls are scared and confused the first time they have their period." In a split second, Mercy lunged to her close. "I don't have my period." "Mercy..." "I said I don't!" Mercy shouted while pushing Victoria, who stumbled backward and lost her bag. "Yes you do," Victoria shouted back and did the only thing she could think of: to shove Mercy away from her. Caught off-guard Mercy fell onto her bum. For the moment her anger vanished and tears came to her eyes. "I don't. I really don't..." she whimpered to herself. Victoria's eyes grew wide as she saw Mercy sprawled on the ground. Her skirt had flapped up and revealed something of concern. "Are you wearing latex panties?" Victoria asked. "The same latex panties from yesterday?" "M-maybe," Mercy admitted. "Did you fuse them to yourself?" Victoria asked more sharply. "That is none of your concern," Mercy hastily countered. "It is!" Victoria insisted. "Give me your panties Mercy." "What?" "Your latex panties. Unfuse them and give them to me." "No!" "Now, Mercy!" "You want my panties? You just want latex, right?" Mercy shouted back while angrily pushing to her feet. "To feel deviant again? Isn't that all I am too you? A source of naughty stuff?" "No, Mercy," Victoria insisted. "I am concerned about you." "Concerned about your source of fetish fuel? Don't worry. I've got plenty for you!" Mercy shouted back. When Victoria opened her mouth something slipped past her lips. Her eyes grew wide as she recognized a gag on her tongue. Mercy was shifting her clothes. Fast. The slippery feeling alerted her that her outfit shifted into the realm of latex and fetish clothing. Real panic threatened her as the gag grew longer and plunged down her throat. Victoria clawed at the gag to get it out only to feel it become part of her. Mercy had fused it to her. She felt her clothes grew tighter and soon her legs were pushed together as her skirt constricted around them. Effectively hobbling her. But nothing had prepared her for the moment as an enraged Mercy pushed her into the pool. Cold water closed around Victoria, who had lost her sense for up and down. Her legs, constricted as they were, proofed to be utterly useless to help her get up. It took Victoria a moment to realize that she wasn't drowning. The gag in her throat was fused. Meaning her need to breath was overridden by trickster magic. With sheer force of will, she calmed down her panic attack. Now she could see that she had sunken to the ground of the pool. Victoria felt herself being encased from head to toe in latex. Looking at her legs Victoria knew what Mercy had done to her. The tight latex around her legs flared out again at her feet. Or rather where they used to be. From the hips down Victoria had the latex tail of a fish. Mercy stared down in anger at Victoria. Saw her making her first attempts to kick with her mermaid tail. Then, Mercy watched her rise to the surface. Fixing her gaze on Mercy and just watched her. "What?" Mercy half shouted at her. "Isn't that what you want? Latex mermaid. Can't get kinkier than that, right?" But Victoria didn't answer. Couldn't really, as Mercy knew. But there was no reaction of Victoria. She only stared daggers at Mercy. "Stop glaring!" Mercy said with fury. "Go. Swim. Enjoy your pervy dream come true." Nothing. Not a twitch. Victoria kept staring at her. "That's what you want," Mercy told her, but doubt crept into her voice as her anger slowly dissipated. "Isn't it?" Mercy asked while sinking to her knees. "That is what you want, right?" Tears started to cloud Mercy's view. Within moments she was bawling like a small child. When she looked back up again Victoria had drifted close. "I am sorry," Mercy cried. "I don't know what happened to me. Please. Victoria. Say something." Victoria gently reached for Mercy's hand and as she had it placed it on the gag. "Right! The gag. I am so sorry," Mercy whispered as she unfused the offending garment. Victoria gasped and wheezed after she pulled out a foot long dildo out of her throat. She soon grabbed for Mercy's hand again. For a moment Mercy saw soft eyes looking at her. Then steel returned to them. It was the last thing Mercy saw before Victoria pulled her into the pool. Mercy kicked wildly around her in panic when arms closed themselves around her from behind. They dragged her upwards and Mercy gasped for air as she broke through the surface again. However, she wasn't let go. Victoria dragged her to the middle of the pool. "Victoria?" Mercy whimpered. "Please let go." "Shut up," Victoria commanded from behind her back. "Unbelievable. You know I have seen plenty of girls deal with their first period ..." "I don't..." "Yes, you have," Victoria insisted. "Do you think that bleeding down there was all that there is to a period? Fusing latex panties to yourself just to stop it? Really Mercy? Come on." "It helped," Mercy whimpered. "It did not!" Victoria insisted. "Yes, the blood is a major part of the period, but not all. Your whole body goes through it. Your body produces plenty of hormones and you robbed your body of the only means to end it!" "But..." "When did it start, Mercy?" Mercy started to cry again and in between sobs she admitted it. "Saturday. It wasn't much. I thought..." "No, you didn't think. And you didn't get help either," Victoria accused her. "I have seen plenty of period-induced mood swings Mercy. None as strong or uncontrollable as yours. Now tell me. Do you want to get out of this pool?" "Please Victoria. I am sorry. Please let me out," Mercy begged. "Then here is the deal. I want your panties. Unfuse them and hand them to me," Victoria said before releasing Mercy. "Don't get funny ideas. Thanks to you I am a mermaid. Quick and agile. Now. Panties!" Treading water Mercy needed a moment to gather herself. She needed to look at herself to unfuse something. She reasoned Victoria knew as she kept herself behind Mercy's back. Finally, she managed to get her panties free and flung them to the side. "Good," Victoria cooed while grabbing Mercy again. This time gently and as a hug. "Let's get out of here." Together they swam to the pool edge and heaved themselves out. Victoria felt her latex skin unfuse and shift into normal cloth again. As both stood up Victoria gave Mercy an intense look over. Her clothing clung to her with wetness and was half see through. Still, Victoria had to make sure. "Lift your skirt," she demanded from Mercy. Mercy hesitated for a moment, but then let her head hang in defeat. Lifting up the hem she revealed her being nude underneath. "Good," Victoria said softly. "Now let's get you home. Before someone spots us and calls the cops." "It's the Radcliff's house," Mercy murmured. "They are on vacation." "Not helping," Victoria sighed. They gathered their bags and belongings and left. * * * * * * * * * * Mercy was huddled in a blanket sitting at the kitchen island. It was there where Mercy's mother found her daughter clinging to an empty mug that had previously contained chocolate. "Victoria just left. Her Mother picked her up," Mercy's Mom started. "She hates me now, right? After what I did to her?" "We'll see. Don't give up on her yet. Tomorrow you'll apologize and then you take it from there." Mercy nodded but remained silent. "I am sorry," Mercy's Mother said while giving her a hug. "Why? It was me who did those awful things to her." "Because I didn't prepare you enough. I actually believed it would be enough what they taught you in Sex Ed. I was wrong." "I haven't really listened to it. You know. Back then. On the female side of things." "Come on. Let me get you a new cup of hot chocolate and then we talk." "About what?" "About what I should have told you weeks ago. The talk. From mother to daughter." Mercy winced, but after a moment she sighed. "I guess I have to get used to it. It's just..." "Unfair? Gross?" "Yeah..." "Maybe. All I can tell you is that you get used to it. That it gets better. And one day maybe you'll find it was all worth it." "Has it? For you?" "There was this day, seventeen and a half years ago, where I held you in my arms for the first time. In that moment, past and future, it had all been worth it." "Oh, Mom," Mercy whimpered while giving in to the urge to hug her mother. After a while she admitted in a whisper, "I don't think I am ready yet. To be a mother." "Oh goodness no. You better be not. But give it a few years and you might feel differently about that. Till then how about I finally give you the one-oh-one of practical living as a woman." "Okay," Mercy eventually whispered. There was no way around it. It felt like a nail in a coffin. One for the very idea that this was only temporary. But now she had to face the truth. She was in for the long haul. Maybe forever. And she had to get used to it. * * * * * * * * * * Mercy's list of strange things to figure out: - Being a girl sucks!!!!!! - Magic (two big and one small natural spell; might have other spells; need to learn about limitations; don't go over 100% or below 15% or bad things happen; I have way more magic than I should have - Al says to keep it a secret) - Spell 1 lets me change clothes (targets don't notice change unless I want them to; others might notice change; Mom, Dad, Al and Brian know my spell; Victoria too!; 150 feet and line of sight limit; tiring if more than 90 feet) - Spell 2 lets me fuse stuff to people (apparently it suppresses body functions if needed; target person feels fused items as if part of body; damaged fused items regenerate if damaged) - Victoria the deviant mystery (she is way more deviant than I am; freaking big sex toy collection; hides behind an act of being innocent and proper) - evil trickster mages (not all follow the lokian way; name of the evil one who assaulted Victoria is named Gideon) - I have a new mentor (Mavis Cannon; might be old as hell; can change bodies of herself or others; knew Loki; Victoria and I don't trust her) - there might be a way for me to turn back into a boy (but it might take a long time) * * * * * * * * * * Wednesday * * * * * * * * * * "Mitch isn't showing today either?" Mercy twirled around to see Victoria, who once again managed to sneak up on her. "Victoria! I am so sorry about..." "Not here," Victoria cut her off. "Follow me." Mercy opened her mouth to reply, but Victoria simply walked into the school. Having no other choice Mercy hurried after her. They ended up once again in the bathroom on the other end of the school. "I am really sorry," Mercy started again when they had their privacy. "Can it!" Victoria snapped at her. "You are damn lucky I knew you weren't yourself. What were you thinking? You could have asked me. I would have helped." "I panicked," Mercy admitted. "Feeling better now?" "Still feeling queasy and cranky. But I don't think it is as worse as before." "Good," Victoria said while giving a serious nod. "Now lift your skirt." "What?" Mercy asked bewildered. Victoria rolled her eyes. "The skirt of your dress. Lift it. Show me your panties." "I haven't fused..." "I don't give a damn," Victoria cut her off. "After yesterday you lost the privilege that I take your word for granted." Blushing, Mercy did as told. "Lift the band of your panties too," Victoria added. "Just to be sure. Okay. Nothing fused. I see you chose to wear a pad." "Yeah," Mercy said with a small nod. "Though I hate how it feels when I move with it." "That's why I go for tampons," Victoria said with a smirk. "Oh, no way I can... put things there." "Really? You did just that at our sleepover," Victoria teased. "T-that was different!" "I am kidding. Come here," Victoria said while pulling Mercy into a hug. "If you ever fly off the rails again like that then we won't be friends anymore. Got it?" "Yes!" Mercy hastened to reply. "I promise it won't happen again. Learned my lesson." "Good." A small grin appeared on Victoria's face. "I have two small gifts for you." "What?" Mercy asked bewildered. Victoria pulled out a chocolate bar and a piece of paper. "This is what helps me survive those special days of the month. My home remedy." "Thanks. What's the paper?" Mercy unfolded it and gave it a peek. "An address?" "Yeah. That's where Mitch lives. I still think he just skips school, but if it puts your worries to rest we can check it out after school." "Thanks," Mercy said with honest relief. "Wait. We?" "Of course," Victoria said. "Apparently you do stupid things when I am not around. Honestly thought it was the other way around." That lured a chuckle out of Mercy. "Come on," Victoria beckoned her. "Class is about to start." Nodding, Mercy followed her out. * * * * * * * * * * "It should be around here," Victoria remarked. They weren't that far away from the school. Maybe ten minutes away by foot. "I think that one is it," Mercy said while pointing at the only rundown looking house in the street. "Because it looks shabby?" Victoria asked. Mercy rushed to the gate of the property. When Victoria was slower to come along Mercy shouted over. "It's the only one with police tape all over the front door." "The mailbox says Jenkins too," Victoria agreed while joining Mercy. "Let's peek in the windows. I wonder what happened," Mercy said while hurrying up the stairs. "Mercy," Victoria said slowly as he followed her onto the porch. "I thought I entertain you coming here, but I think you are onto something. Look." Mercy turned around and saw at once what Victoria was getting at. One of the support beams, old and in disrepair, had a fresh wound torn into it. "Are those bullet holes?" Mercy asked shocked. "Shotgun I would say," Victoria said. "Whatever happened here. It can't be good..." * * * * * * * * * * Thursday * * * * * * * * * * "I am sure they will be alright," Victoria said to calm down Mercy. Both were standing on the wide stairs leading to the front entrance of the school. Mercy was stressing out over the fact that both had visited the house of Mitch Jenkins the day before. Just to find it taped off by the police and the messy remains of the impact from a shotgun blast in wood. "There were freakin' bullet holes," Mercy shot back. "Shotgun," Victoria corrected. "Just one impact. No blood. They will be fine. What are you looking at? The last question was needed as Mercy suddenly appeared distracted. "I think I saw Melanie." "Who?" Victoria asked. Mercy grabbed Victoria to chase together after the girl she saw. "Melanie. Mitch's sister." "See? All good. Would they send them back to school so soon after something happened to them?" "My parents send me back two days after an obscure aspect of magic turned me from boy to girl," Mercy countered. "Okay, you've got a point ..." "There!" Mercy exclaimed and pointed. Just in the moment as two girls entered the principal's office. "Who was the older girl?" Victoria wanted to know. "I have no clue," Mercy admitted. "Don't think I have ever seen her around school before." "Me neither," Victoria agreed. Then she pulled Mercy to the side. "Well, unless you want to burst into the principal's office just to satisfy your curiosity, you are free for other things, right?" "Well, we have classes in a few minutes," Mercy reminded her. "This sounds a little like miss prim and proper want us to ditch classes. Though now that I think about it. You haven't been very prim and proper lately." Victoria rolled her eyes. "Of course I am. Just not in my free time. And I do not want to ditch classes. I wanted to show you something." She pulled out a small leather-bound book out of her bag. "The book Mavis gave you?" Mercy asked. "Did it do the trick? Make you immune to tinkering with your mind." "What? No, not yet," Victoria admitted. "Here. Look. The whole book is written by hand. See?" "Yeah. So it's unique? Who wrote it? Mavis?" "That is the freaky part," Victoria said while paging towards the front of the book. Just to show it to Mercy. "Wait. Loki wrote it? The Loki?" Mercy asked baffled. "Do you know any other Loki?" Victoria asked back. "And Mavis admitted she knew him." "To be honest I thought she made the story up. You know. Invent a good story to get me to listen to her." "Apparently, it might be true. So my theory that Mavis and Loki had been a couple is still possible. Why else would she have something from Loki after all these years?" "Really?" Mercy asked. Doubt tinted her voice. "You know the way she talked she might not having been a woman at all when she met Loki." "Maybe the first thing Loki did when he learned the body changing spell was to change into a woman. Maybe that's how they were a couple then? And don't forget, we know nothing about their sexuality. If they like men or women or both. Just imagine a romance between them with constantly changing genders on both parts and ..." "Mavis is Loki!" Mercy proclaimed. "What?" Victoria asked shocked. "Ha. You should see your face. I mean it is possible, right? Who says it isn't so?" "You just saying it to break my theory," Victoria accused her. "Yep," Mercy admitted. "Besides," Victoria mused, "if Loki is still alive why hide all these years? I mean when was Loki last spotted? A century ago? And why would he hide in a small town like this one?" "To raise his next prodigy!" Mercy half shouted and earned a few glances from other students who passed by. "Sure," Victoria deadpanned. "And I am the legendary sorceress Freyja who's beauty is unrivaled to this day." "Okay. Okay," Mercy admitted. "Mavis being Loki is a long shot. As is Mavis and Loki being lovers. So that's it? You showed me the book just to speculate about Mavis love life?" "What? No! I am not some girl who watches desperate sorceresses of northern past. It is about the book itself. I need a favor." "Sure," Mercy agreed. "What do you need?" "Don't be so quick to accept. This favor might reveal your spells to the school." Mercy fell silent for a moment but eventually nodded. "Soon or later they may find out anyway. Besides. After last Tuesday I think I owe you all the favors in the world." "Yeah. About that. Latex mermaid. Pretty cool idea. If you get the choice. Which I didn't." Mercy cringed as if being slapped. "I am really sorry about that one." "Water under the bridge," Victoria replied. "Okay. If you are in then here what you need to do. The book states that in order to develop a resistance to mind alteration one has to be exposed to it. I mean there are exercises and stuff in there, but this is a vital part. So I need you to change clothes on me. Not subtle. Things I can notice if I think about it. Stuff that defies logic. So no changing the color of my socks or lame stuff like that..." "I got it," Mercy said with a nod. Just then the bell rang for the five-minute warning that classes were about to start. "You sure?" "Yeah. Just make sure you run into me between classes." "Will do. Now off to classes," Victoria said. Then confusion showed on her face. "Well. Locker for me first. Why did I wear a sweater to school anyway? Winter was months ago." "Oh and keep an eye open for Melanie or Mitch," Mercy reminded her. "Sure." Then they hurried off in opposite directions. * * * * * * * * * * "Someone is looking grumpy," Victoria noted as she joined Brian and Mercy at their usual lunch table. "I saw her two times," Mercy grumbled. "Who?" Victoria asked while shrugging out of a cardigan and stashing it in her bag. "Melanie," Mercy replied. "Always gets pulled aside by that other girl before I can catch up to her." "Soon or later you will catch her," Victoria said while pulling a scarf off herself. "When the time is right." "Do you have anything more productive to add?" Mercy asked Brian. "Brian!" she repeated as he ignored her. "Yes? What?" he asked confused looking up from his smartphone. "What's so interesting that you ignore Mercy's personal end of the world drama?" Victoria teased. "The actual end of the world?" he shot back. "What?" Victoria snatched Brian's phone out of his hands before he could react. "Let's see. The headline is this: Seer mages of Delphi making a new prophecy." She looked to Mercy. "Sounds serious," she added in a mocking tone. "Can I get my phone back now?" asked an irritated Brian. "Hey. If the world is going to end I wanna know about it," Victoria shot back. "Let me see," Mercy said and together they read the prophecy. # # # # # The age of ignorance will end as what was promised will blossom. So the seed will reveal the harbinger to be. Mankind will know its own as it's mirror is revealed. # # # # # "That doesn't sound very doomsday-ish," Victoria commented. "Mercy?" Brian asked as he saw Mercy growing pale in the face. "Everything alright? Does this mean something to you?" "The prophecy no. But the article below sounds more like doomsday to me," Mercy said while her eyes darted around between her both friends. "Listen to this: Yesterday at around five a highway robbery took place. The robbers took the whole truck with all its contents. Apparently said content is secret, but sources of the reporter claim it was a trickster magic collection run. A full tank of trickster magic to be transferred to a neutralization facility." "Why would anyone steal trickster magic?" Brian asked. "Well. Remember how I become a trickster mage?" Mercy asked. "They told me that a part of a tank had to be vented in an emergency. Part of one. Imagine what a whole tank could do!" "You think someone stole it to become a trickster mage?" Brian asked. "I don't think someone would be crazy enough. Unless... Victoria. Did you steal a truck full of trickster magic?" "Oh no. Not me. No offense Mercy, but being a trickster mage sounds like a lot of work," Victoria hastened to reply. "Besides. All these compulsory pranks sound tedious." "Oh, it's not so bad today," Mercy added with a grin. "Why? Because you keep putting me into sweaters?" Victoria asked while shrugging out of another one. "So you figured it out," Mercy remarked with a slight smile. "Well. The first was strange, but I remembered wearing it to school. So did I remember the next three. But it is obvious when they pile up in my locker or now in my bag. So yeah. Sweater and cardigans are out. As are scarfs," Victoria said while pulling yet another one from her neck. "Did you do something to make Mercy angry?" Brian joked. "Believe it or not she asked me to," Mercy stated. Not trusting a word out of Mercy's mouth Brian looked at Victoria. "It's true. Supposed to help me learn to resist mind alteration via magic." "To expose yourself to a bunch of it?" Brian asked. "Well, I got this book from Loki's lover..." "She got it from Mavis. My mentor," Mercy corrected her. "And I doubt she is Loki's lover." "Fine. Ex-lover," amended Victoria and earned herself rolling eyes from Mercy. "Speaking of 'ex-'. Are you sure she is still your mentor? She looked pretty pissed." "Yeah. Maybe I should go and apologize," Mercy admitted. "Maybe? Look you ... What now?" Victoria asked as Mercy's eyes wandered elsewhere. "Melanie!" Mercy said while pushing herself up from the table. "Please put my tray away. Thanks." And just like that Mercy was gone. "So. On another note," Brian started. "The plans for the weekend are still on?" "Sure," Victoria agreed. "Unless I have to fix another Mercy emergency..." * * * * * * * * * * "Stop giving her the stare," Victoria hissed to Mercy while they were supposed to be drawing in art class. "She looks like a frightened deer spotting a huntsman." "She is the key," Mercy whispered back. "Whenever I get close to Melanie she is pulling her out of my reach." "Well done Michelle," the art-teacher beamed. "Everyone. Take a look." Eager to spy on her enemy, Mercy got up to take a peek. Only to got her eyes riveted to Michelle's drawing. It was a pretty good rendition of the bowl of fruit they were supposed to draw. Yet something irked Mercy. Somewhere she had seen the drawing style before. The sound of the school's bell made Mercy look up. This small moment was enough for Michelle to vanish from the classroom. Mercy cursed under her breath as she saw her supposed enemy duck out into the hallway. "Someone is popular with the ladies," Victoria teased from behind. "Very funny," Mercy said in resignation as she picked up her stuff. * * * * * * * * * * Friday * * * * * * * * * * "Mercy!" "Yes! What?" "I dare you to repeat anything I just said," Victoria challenged her. Both stood on the wide staircase that led to the school. Mercy's head had been practically been on a swivel. Trying to peer in all directions at once. "Something about ..." "The favor. You know? The one I asked you about." "Oh, right. What about it?" "Did you come up with something new?" Victoria asked. "Not yet. Let me think." Mercy gave her friend a critical once over. Victoria was wearing a pretty standard outfit. Polo shirt and a skirt. Socks and trainers. Not to forget her buttplug. For a moment Mercy thought about doing something with Victoria's favorite secret, but then again changing her plugs had been become a stable of Mercy's too. Her head slightly turned to the side as she narrowed in on the skirt. It looked a little limp. Maybe Mercy could change that. "Got something," Mercy proclaimed proudly. "Good. Ah. There is Brian coming." "And there is Melanie and whats-her-name?" "Michelle," Victoria reminded her. But it was in vain. Mercy already stalking away. "Where is she off to again?" Brian asked Victoria as he arrived. "Hunting Melanie again." "You know. I think I figured something out. Based on what you told me I bet you five bucks that ..." * * * * * * * * * * Mercy was snickering when she spotted Victoria heading for their table at lunch break. Alerted by her, Brian turned around just to chuckle too. "What?" Victoria asked her friends. "Why is your skirt so puffy?" Brian eventually asked after his amusement settled down. "A few underskirts," Victoria remarked as she put her tray down. However, sitting down proved to be more challenging, as the volume of the underskirts interfered quite a bit. "A few?" Brian asked. "Looks more like a dozen." "Don't be ridiculous," Victoria huffed. "Only five." "How many?" Mercy asked. "Still distracted by your hunt?" Victoria asked. "I just told you. Six. It's just a test. You know. Get a feeling and judge the look of wearing seven underskirts at once." "Didn't you just say six?" Brian asked. "What?" Victoria asked perplexed. "I just said eight. You both deaf today?" Brian gave Mercy a small knowing grin. "Oh, now I get it." "Anyway. Mercy. I think I spot your chance to finally interrogate Melanie," Victoria said to distract the other two. "And why is that?" Mercy asked. "Because she is coming over. Pushing her friend," Vict