RD 4 Ch 37

We’d been busy training everyone the last few days. Yet Simone had managed to keep the plans for tonight a complete secret, despite my best attempts at persuasion, which were usually effective on her.

As instructed, I was getting dressed in a nice suit, something that felt out of place given the current state of the world. But the suit had been Simone's request, and I wasn't about to disrupt whatever plans she had made.

People needed a break from time to time. Constant training wore down people the same way it did blades. To keep yourself sharp you had to enjoy life from time to time. 

Tonight would be wonderful, if nothing else I was going to be with my three loves for the evening.

As I adjusted my tie, Jenny poked her head into my room, a flash of disappointment crossing her face when she realized I was completely dressed. 

"Have they managed to get ready?" I asked, turning to regard one of the leaders of the Mul Branova. 

"Almost. Just one more minute. I wanted to make sure that you were all done," she replied. Rather than the white and red habit that most of them wore, Jenny and Amanda had stuck to looking like professional drivers.

I gestured at myself. "As you can see, no problem here. It's just going to be another minute. I'm happy to head down. Are you driving us somewhere?" I asked, only for her to tut and wag a finger at me. 

"Simone said you would ask questions, and I am explicitly forbidden from answering any." She told me.

"Not even how they look?" I prompted. 

"I'll tell you they are certainly worthy of you, Lord Bran." She answered.

"They don't need to be worthy of me. They just simply need to be ready for a good time. At least, that's what I hope to show them." I straightened up and took one last look in the mirror, only for Jenny to slip behind me and run her hands across my shoulders to flatten out any last creases. 

"You look great. And you didn't ask, but they'll love this suit," she said, chuckling to herself before dancing away to a more respectful distance. "After me, Lord Bran." 

When she reached the door, she bowed deeply.

I still wasn't used to all of the worship and attention I received from the Mul Branova. For some of the older members like Jenny, it was amplified several thousand times what it should be. Yet, I knew that being a leader I couldn’t be everyone’s friend, the respect and the worship was part of what gave me the authority that let me lead them.

Power was a strange thing and I thought it healthy not to savor it too much.

Jenny was dressed in her classic driver's uniform, a pantsuit, that once again belied our present reality. She walked me down the fortress and past a long line of Mul Branova women who were standing about as if waiting for something, only for me to realize they were waiting for me.

Their eyes drank me in, looking me up and down with sly smirks and flirty winks.

But another sight quickly drew my attention from their antics.

Simone, Gloria, and Nix all came out, dressed to the nines. Simone wasn't illusioning her hair, instead keeping her classic curly black, only it was a touch more styled. I couldn't tell you exactly what was different, only that there was an effort made, an effort that I vastly appreciated. She wore a simple yet tantalizing short black dress that had only a teasing view of her chest through a sheet strip.

Gloria came next, just as stunning, wearing a silver dress that contrasted beautifully with her purple hair. And she had put on a pair of earrings that were like dripping silver crystals that cascaded nearly down to her shoulders. As usual, she had a classic coat over her shoulders, a black fur thing, but otherwise preferred simplicity. 

But what really caught my attention was the last of our party.

"Nyx," I gasped, seeing her done up as she came out from behind Gloria's larger frame.

Nyx had tried to tame her serpents, pulling them back, only for them to continue to spill out behind her. I didn't want to discourage her, but her attempt to style them had somewhat expectedly failed.

While Gloria's dress was silver, hers was a rich, dark gold. The gold should have matched her scaled underbelly, but what drew my eyes immediately was that the serpent part of her was gone. 

I activated soul gaze to inspect her, only for Simone to come up and playfully bat my chest. "Don't do that. It takes away the mystique and the mystery."

"Really?" I asked, looking down at Simone. "I can't even see the new ability?” It was probably the surprise she’d gotten from the gate guardian.

Though, I realized that while I was arguing with Simone, Nyx was biting her lip and looking nervous.

"Nyx," I held my arms out, walking up to her and swept her off her feet, giving her a long-lasting kiss, one in which her tongue decided to deepen like it was trying to dive down my throat. I chuckled and pulled her back to breathe. "You look stunning." 

She bit her lip and her face blushed bright red. "Thank you. Do you like it?" She asked. 

"I think the dress is great." I looked her up and down. It was fairly low-cut. It was clear that Nyx wanted some attention tonight and I’d give it to her. Drown her in it until she begged me to take her back.

"No, my legs, silly." She laughed.

"Oh, those." I asked, pretending like I had barely noticed. "Well, I guess stairs will be easier, but you're just as beautiful either way." 

I knew immediately that I had given the right answer as Nyx’s serpents began swinging back and forth happily as if this had finally released the tension.

Nyx dove back in for more kisses, and she simply didn't stop, even though we had an audience of Mul Branova. My typically shy medusa was not currently shy at all. She continued kissing me, her soft lips melting into mine, her face and body burning with passion.

After a moment I realized she wouldn't stop unless I stopped her. 

"Nyx, you're going to have to stop or we're not going to have time for whatever Simone has planned." I poked her nose.

But based on Nyx’s look, she was genuinely considering if it was worth picking a fight with Simone to stay here and make out the rest of the night. 

"It's fine Bran, she's just excited." Simone giggled from the side.

Nyx bit her lip and nodded vigorously. "I mean, I know you said you didn't mind the tail. But hearing your reaction to my legs just made it all that much more real." 

I struggled not to smile at being right. "I told you before. Did you not believe me, Nyx?" I chided her, though there was no heat behind my words. 

"I did, but there's something different between you saying it's one way and seeing that it is. I guess seeing really is believing," she said with a blushing chuckle. Her transformation had made her appear far more mature with greater curves and sharper features, but it was times like this that reminded me she was the youngest of my harem.

"Well now, how about we get going before we stir up too much more of a crowd?" I said gesturing at what had to be at least half of the Mul Branova all hovering around the entryway watching our interaction like we were the show of the century. 

"Also, now I get to share clothes and shoes with Simone! What do you think?" Nyx lifted up the hem of her dress to show me off a pair of shoes that I was guessing were fancy based on what she’d said. But they were simply heels to me.

"They're wonderful," I said with a blank face. 

"He has no idea what he's looking at," Simone translated. 

"Hey now," I chided Simone.

“Tell me I'm wrong," a smile spread on her face. 

"You're not wrong, but perhaps we let her have her fun showing off whatever the shoes are." I replied. "I assume they're expensive?" I looked around to the women surrounding me for a hint.

They all shook their heads up and down with wide eyes.

“Very.” Gloria spoke up, brushing her hair off her shoulder and showing off her earrings. And for Gloria to think they were expensive, they were likely more than I wanted to know. 

"But technically they weren't expensive at all," Simone countered. "In fact, they were free." Her and many of the Mul Branova around us began laughing. 

"Ah, they were collected as part of your preparing for the apocalypse?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Simone nodded enthusiastically. 

"Well, I'm glad they're getting some use rather than being left in some store. Not like anyone's shopping for expensive heels nowadays. So, Nxy, I'm glad you had a chance to wear them. You look different, but different is good," I continued to emphasize it by letting my eyes roam over Nyx, drinking her and that golden dress in.

Which then prompted her to grab my head and begin making out with me again. Laughing at her enthusiasm, I scooped her up and gestured for the rest of them to lead us out, realizing that Nyx wasn't going to stop. And indeed, she continued all the way until we got to a limo. 

"Are you done yet, or are we going to pick up where you left off?" I asked, prying her off long enough to duck my head into the back seat.

Nyx giggled, her face had a radiant smile that put her already beautiful face on another level. The way her seafoam eyes shone and the edges crinkled only made it better, not to mention her dimples were cute, making me want to encourage her and see them more.

"I don't want to stop. Perhaps I could keep on going for far, far longer," she said. 

"Do remember to let him breathe," Gloria said as she slipped into the limo herself. If she was bothered by Nyx taking my attention she didn’t show it. Though her eyes lingered meaningfully on mine, as if to say that she would be getting some time tonight.

"Yeah, breathing," Nyx said before diving right back in, pressing her body to me and stealing my breath.

Nyx was so enthusiastic that Simone ended up joining her, and the two of them passed me off back and forth, only finally letting me come up for air when the car stopped. 

"Where are we?" I asked, looking around at whatever part of the city we were in. It had been spared much of the destruction that had stripped the rest of the city of its beauty. 

"Old town," Gloria said, not giving any more clues. I looked around again.

I didn't recognize the particular block, but if we were in Old Town, this would have been familiar territory for me. 

"Really?" I asked, turning back and forth, still not finding anything familiar.

But down the street, I saw a restaurant with a sign hanging with no damage from the apocalypse.

"I was told this was the best place in Old Town," Gloria said, checking with Simone. 

"If it's the best place, it's also probably brand new," I said, chuckling. "The good places never lasted long." 

"Well then, I'll take you to a new restaurant," Simone announced, popping out of the car the second Jenny opened the door. She nearly skipped as she led the way. 

"All of this looks so...undisturbed," I hesitated.

"My treat for the date is trying to bring you someplace that won't make you think of the war or everything else the entire time." Simone answered, spinning around with the kind of smile that I couldn’t refuse.

AN - This and the next chapter were written as one, but it was way too long.