While eating, I studied the Earthlings I was taking responsibility for. A very informal census revealed something I hadn’t been expecting. A roughly even split between men and women, for one thing. Thinking about that, I realized that I’d been standing somewhat close to the women’s changing area of the venue when the summoning had happened, and that meant that a lot of the other women from the cosplay contest had been scooped up, but were harder to recognize in plainclothes.
It was easy enough to guess based on which girls had half-finished makeup on. Two of those girls were clearly together, hanging off each other and notably missing pieces of a Lightning and Fang cosplay. I picked out one teenager in Citrus gyaru cosplay, bustling around to the other girls and sharing makeup wipes liberally, going straight for those with incomplete faces.
Not a single male cosplayer was in the mix, which made sense based on where they were set up in the event. All that meant was that the crowd was composed of the lady cosplayers and our fans.
Rio settled down beside me, apparently having done similar to what I was attempting already. “I’m sure I’m only guesstimating, but I think I clued in on thirty cosplayers. Roughly two hundred fifty fans, if I lump in the dozen event staff. I think around a hundred fifty are women, and I will take full credit for that one.”
I eyed her with a raised eyebrow, the question clear on my expression.
“Yeah, I arranged with my followers to do a girls meet and greet first, then the same for the guys afterwards.”
I ran some mental math, eyes widening slightly as the figures didn’t quite line up. “A partner event? Your fans and someone else’s?”
Rio blushed instantly. “Of course you’d know about the male to female ratio of viewers. Yeah, Sakurin was there as Chris. I panicked when I saw the glow, and pushed her outside the circle.”
“A couples event?”
She shook her head immediately. “Childhood friends. We got into the hobby together.”
I winced slightly. Cosplay couldn’t be a hobby for me. I put too much into it, by mortal standards.
“You’re her fave, by the way.”
I grinned before I could stop myself. “Thinking she might’ve actually liked coming here?”
Rio didn’t reply. She just grimaced at her plate of food as she swallowed her first bite. I very carefully didn’t laugh or tell her I’d told her so.
“How are the sleeping arrangements?”
“They’re…” she tipped her head back and forth while wobbling her hand side to side. “We’re all going to have to pair up in the smaller rooms, triple up in the larger ones, and sleep in shifts because there aren’t enough beds.”
“They’ll live. Or they’ll learn to. It’ll be easier to do training in shifts, too.”
“I guess so. I want a bath before bed, though. I think we all do, really.” Rio let her shoulders slump. “I bet they don’t have proper baths here, huh?”
I flashed her a grin. “I’ve got a keen nose. The servants in this castle definitely keep clean. I think you’ll be just fine.”
As it turned out, I was right on the money.
From the doorway of the changing room, Rio and I took in the massive women’s bathing room, spread out like a pond in a stone garden, steaming with heat from the angry red stones set into the mermaid fountains.
I grumped quietly to myself while Rio whined something deep and primal at the sight.
Fifty other girls bustled around behind us, changing out of their own clothes or just trying to peek around us.
“Why are you so unhappy looking, Eileen-san?” I glanced down at the shorter teenage girl who’d been talking to that grandpa and boy before.
“The stones in this bath. They’re more than enough to fuel that summoning spell from earlier. A princely sum of magic stones. Running this bath while offering living sacrifices just feels wrong.”
Having ruined the mood, I turned and entered the changing room, Rio at my heels.
There was no way I was going to ruin my outfit, and the coat had extra support built into the chest, so I’d probably end up wearing and maintaining it full time going forward, so I took my time carefully removing each piece.
I paused while sliding the stockings off, glancing up at an embarrassed Rio, who’d only gotten the armor pieces off herself, which had been attached with velcro. She stood there, holding my outfit’s cloak in a neatly folded bundle.
“Thanks for this, but… could you?”
My heart did a stutter-beat as she turned away, her curves clung to by a very tight bodysuit layered with colored leather. She was a fairly slim woman, but her ass could’ve been artwork. Rather, it had to be artwork. I glanced up, only to note the ensemble was zipped up from the back.
There was no way I was going to speak. Action was all that was required of me. I’d choke before I said something sensible in the situation.
Fucking mortal body and its mortal functions, I groused internally.
I think my hands shook as I placed one hand on her back, holding the fabric firm while slowly bringing the zipper down with care. It’d suck to catch her hair or damage the zipper on her hard work. Those were the only things on my mind at the time. Yup.
The zipper went low. Like, center of her ass. I sighed and finally just closed my eyes.
It was impolite to leer. I had restraint, and I wouldn’t treat any of the ladies on my list like they were anything less than treasured individuals.
I unzipped her bodysuit, then turned back to the small shelf where I was stacking my clothes, cheeks clearly burning. That much was probably fine. Rio could know I was interested, but carefully containing myself was the safest route.
She said something… probably her thanks. Then I slid my other stocking off, straightening up and turning towards the door into the bath.
Rio was there, right between me and my destination. That bodysuit was gone, folded and laying on top of her leather thigh-high boots. She’d gotten undressed fast. Completely.
That wasn’t actually what caught my eye.
My eyes bored into hers, but she wasn’t looking back into mine. She was rigid as a board, eyes aimed downwards.
“You… really work out.” The line was breathless, caught at the level of a whisper.
I nodded, knowing what she meant. “Put in the work for the cosplay you want.”
“Fate’s jacket doesn’t show off those.”
I looked down, tracing the path of her eyes. She wasn’t focused on my chest at all. Nope.
Her eyes were locked on my abs. Right… flawless human body.
“Some outfits do stand out with proper muscle tone.”
Rio finally looked up, hesitating at my chest finally, coloring her cheeks.
“Yeah… let’s go.” I stepped forward and took her shoulders, turning her away. I’d been so damn careful not to ogle her like some piece of meat. To treat her like a person, not an object of desire. How the turns had tabled, for her to look at me like she did.
I didn’t exactly mind being objectified or desired, really. The body was fake, so it kinda was an object, as far as I was concerned.
With Rio turned away, I finally noticed that she’d removed her wig. Her pixie cut was cute, done up in pink dye with light green highlights. That bit reminded me, though. I stopped long enough to remove the bow from my own dyed-blond hair.
Rio glanced back as I did, and her mouth open in surprise. “That’s not a wig?”
I grinned at her. “Nope. It’s naturally long.”
“Isn’t that impractical? If you were summoned before? Long hair is supposed to be a liability in fights.”
“And just who can touch me?” I winked at her, grin still wide over my face as I let a [Spark] dance across my fingertips in a peace sign.
“So cool. You have to teach me that.”
I turned her around again, and we finally entered the baths.
Instead, we entered paradise.
Both of us stopped and stared.
“I forgot it was like this,” Rio murmured with a shaken voice.
“I’m not Japanese. I’ve actually never been in a public bath before.”
Arrayed before us were dozens of women, all bathing, their only modesty preserved by the steam in the air, which was not sufficient. The Brazilian couple were in the far corner, one on the other’s lap as they made out. The rest studiously ignored them, formed up into groups to chatter about everything that had happened.
Rio, getting over her thunderstruck state, found a nearby basket and gathered up soaps and simple oils in glass vials. “I’ll help you with all that hair? Nothing here should have the chemicals that would damage the dyes, right?”
I nodded silently, settling in next to her. Then, I let my eyes wander, focused on a mantra of appreciation, not lecherous intent.
Tall and short. Young and old. It was only a third of the summoned girls, but that was about the most the bath could hold at one time, hence the shifts. Still, they were all shockingly attractive, regardless of their age.
My mood instantly turned stormy as I felt my jaw clenching.
“You good, Lilin?”
“No, Rio, I’m not.”
She paused, and I only then registered her brushing my hair with a long comb. “Did I hurt you?”
“It isn’t that. Sorry, you can continue.” I was carefully deciding not to go find an idiot king to disintegrate him. That took all my effort, really.
Rio set the comb down and snatched my hand, holding it in both of hers, forcing me to meet her eyes. “Talk to me. You’re taking on a lot of stress to watch over all of us. So what’s happening?”
I huffed out a breath of amusement, ensuring Rio was at the top of my list.
“Thanks. Look at them all.” I gestured at the bath with my free hand, sweeping past every single stunningly attractive woman. “Notice anything strange?”
Rio’s brows creased, then her expression twisted. “I was so busy staring that I didn’t… Fuck.”
I chuckled at her embarrassment. “Staring, huh? Yeah, makes sense. Anyway, you’re right. That damn summoning spell airbrushed the lot of us. Anything different about your body that you didn’t notice?”
She patted herself down, stopping at her collarbone. “I had a mole here. It’s gone now.”
“One thing after another with that king. I hope he stays stuck where I left him for a long time.”
“He’s alive?” Rio seemed honestly shocked at that.
“I’m not a murderer. Even if he’s sleazy.” I felt a little disappointed that she thought I’d killed him.
“I figured, but now I know. Anyway, I’m going to have to get all the girls together for a ladies’ pact. We all know what it’s like to have unwanted advances, and that was before someone messed with our bodies.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “And that has nothing to do with your own preferences?”
She froze, making me chuckle.
“I figured. Still, I approve. You do that. One less thing I have to worry about in a world that doesn’t have contraception. I’m not making a spell to bring three hundred new families back to Earth, and I’m not leaving anyone behind, either. Best if the women stick to the women.”
Rio grinned at me, her eyes twinkling with amusement. She was pretty, even before the mess had started. “You sure that isn’t just your own preferences?”
“I’m bisexual, actually. It’s just a supremely bad idea to make things worse by forming attachments to this world that’ll have to be abandoned.” Ignoring my own hypocrisy with the growing list of local girls I was taking note of. I could make angels from them, bring them along that way.
Rio blinked a few times, then nodded at me. “Anything else I ought to know?”
“How are your feelings on polyamory?”
She reddened quite beautifully. But she didn’t say no.