A look of disinterested dismay adorned Vice’s visage as they looked up into the night’s sky. An encroaching black nothingness illuminated only by the light of distant solar bodies. They shifted their head back down rapidly, causing their hair to bounce before directing their eyes to their ‘friend’ for the evening, Juniper, who was in the midst of sinking her teeth into a deep-fried chicken thigh. Looking down further, Vice saw an assortment of other pieces of fried chicken, a scattering of bones and crumbs, a piece of grease-drenched toast, a duo of buttery biscuits, a paper container full of hot chili, and a brown paper bag, all placed on a plastic red tray that sat on top of a wooden table. It was a sight illuminated by the dim yellowish hue of a nearby light fixture and dampened with the pungent odor of a farm carried by a light breeze.

“Why did I agree to this?” Vice muttered under their breath as they looked at the meal before them.

“What’s wrong Jess?” Juniper asked with a chunk of chicken in her mouth. “It’s like 9, so I’m not buying that you’re just not hungry. And don’t give me any of that ‘oh, but I gotta watch my figure’ shit with how much you say you work out every day. I love this, you love it, and hey, I’m buying. So do me a solid and grab a finger-licking chicken tit or something.”

Vice looked back on their inherited memories from Jessie, revealing that she and Juniper had been visiting this establishment— a farm and restaurant hybrid by the name of Carl’s Crispy Chicken Coop and Cookery— on a monthly basis. While the memories revealed that Jessie loved this food, in spite of it being obviously unhealthy and making her feel like a racial stereotype whenever she ate it. However, Vice would not allow themself enough to eat such ‘lowly food’ for their first proper meal in half a decade.

“I get that you like to surprise me with this stuff, Juniper, but I’d really like it if you would, y’know, listen to me when I say that I’d rather not go someplace for dinner. Any other night of the week, maybe I would want to enjoy myself a nice fatty drumstick or biscuit so rich that it may as well be pumped with 100% pig lard. Just not tonight. I tried to tell you as much, but nope! You just rolled on ahead, clearly knowing what would truly make me happy better than I would.”

“Jeez, what crawled up your ass and died? Look, we’re here, the food’s paid for, and this kind of stuff doesn’t really reheat well, so we may as well make the most of it. As my mother says, ‘this country wastes too much fucking food, so you better clean up your plate.’”

Vice pondered making a comment about Juniper’s weight, something about how Juniper’s mother was ‘full of shit’ and now she’s packing on an extra 20 kilograms that will only hinder her health. But Jessie’s petulant memories informed Vice that such a comment would be considered ‘uncouth.’ 

It was while pondering such details that something clicked within Vice’s head. Just before Juniper arrived to whisk them away to dinner and a movie, they were experimenting with their as-of-yet-unspecified pool of powers. Bending reality by creating, destroying, and transforming things with ease. However, the fact that they had undergone a body swap with Jessie made them question if their abilities were not limited to the physical realm, and if they could affect others’ minds as well. It was a bit of a stretch, Vice admitted, but they felt now was as good a time as any to test things out.

“Um, hello? Jessie, you’ve been staring off into space for a solid minute now, what’s with you?”

“My apologies. A thought came to mind and simply distracted me for a moment. Anyways, I get that you really like this food Juniper, but you have to admit that looking at that grease-soaked bread, the oils covering your hands, and the stains left on the wrappings, that this meal is, at the very least, a little gross.”

Operating under the prospect that, ‘so I wish it, so it shall be,’ Vice simply stated their words while focusing on Juniper, observing her expression shift as Vice spoke, eventually turning into a look of reserved dismay and generalized concern. 

“I mean, yeah, this stuff is… kinda gross, and maybe I shouldn’t be eating it regularly, or… at all. But it tastes so damn good!” Juniper responded, her expression and tone fluctuating dramatically. Almost as if a switch in her head was flicked after she agreed with Vice’s comment.

“Can you truly say that it is worth consumption? That whatever passing joy you experience by eating this dreck is not insignificant compared to the lasting effects it has on your body? You would look and feel oh so much better if you were to cease such foolishness and instead view this slop as a grossly mishandled mesh of empty calories deprived of nutritional value.”

“I… ugh, fuck. You’re right. Fuck me, Jess. This is why I’ve gone up two sizes since high school…”

The melancholic expression affixed to Juniper’s face convinced Vice that they could, indeed, manipulate people to heed their words. Yet, being the ambitious type, they were not willing to simply end things there, and began pondering ways to use this newfound ability to bring them… pleasure.

“I’m happy I was able to persuade you, my dear Juniper. Perhaps I could persuade you into doing something else for me,” Vice cooed, easing out of their impersonation of Jessie.

“Huh? Um, sure, I don’t see why not. I don’t work tomorrow anyway, so we can screw around for another couple hours.”

“Lovely! In that case, let us leave this trash for the swine. You and I have a… date in the middle of the woods.”

“Oh?” Juniper replied. “Well, why would we want to go into the woods? Nothing’s there aside from bugs and the usual critters.”

“Well, maybe I have a surprise for you, and maybe I’d like to do it in private, far away from the judgmental eyes of society.”

“I… I don’t really get it, but sure, Jessie. Whatever… Whatever you want. Now, let’s blow this Popsicle joint and hit the road!”

Having fallen under Vice’s influences, becoming little more than a putty in their hands, Juniper heeded their words with little hesitation and decided to gather up all the food placed before the two and toss it onto the ground with a blatant disregard for this establishment. Vice snickered at her display before the two casually moseyed towards Juniper’s car. Without any form of verbal ire lingering in the air for their actions, the two casually placed themself into their respective seats before Juniper made her way to the edge of Murinova.

“So, whatcha think of the movie?” Juniper asked with her usual chipperness.

“Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla? Hmph. While watching the film, it occurred to me how much time has passed since I last viewed an entry in the Godzilla series, let alone the giant monster genre. Upon watching this film, it occurred to me how my positive memories of this genre were, in actuality, lingering remnants of unchecked childhood nostalgia that only preserved the finer points of the better films. While the lesser aspects of these films became little more than distant memories. I had not seen a Godzilla film since the one wherein the character battled against a sentient mass of pollution that was eradicating the population of Japan whilst the designated human characters meandered about, taking hallucinogenic drugs.”

“This rendition of the well-trodden giant monster formula centers around muddled and confused genre staples, mingling sci-fi and fantasy with reckless disregard. One that involves a race of alien apes that disguise themselves as humans and hail from the ‘third planet of the black hole of outer space,’ and also an ancient prophecy with an accompanying giant rabbit monster by the name of… King Caesar. Because when you think of Japan, you think of Roman emperors. The majority of the film focuses on a cast of vaguely detailed human beings who function as the, as it were, heroes of this story, and by sheer fortitude manage to outsmart and outmatch the poorly equipped alien threat. Who in spite of their self-appointed superiority, only consists of about a dozen people, if that, and are routinely overpowered by these unremarkable human shlubs.”

“When it is actually focusing on the titular characters, and invests the final quarter of its run time to the battle the film is named after, it is a fairly mindless yet cathartic affair. Despite the filmmakers’ routine insistence to make Godzilla, and the much anticipated King Caesar, look utterly incompetent next to the capabilities afforded to MechaGodzilla by being a machine. Or rather a cyborg. It is only thanks to mystical contrivances that Godzilla ultimately manages to emerge victorious from this bombastic wrestling bout and even decapitates the machine for good measure. Ultimately, it was a poorly directed mess of a monster bash, and made me realize just how little the leaders of this genre seem to understand its founding principles.”

“Giant monsters are beings with powers well beyond that of humans. Lifeforms that possess the destructive power seen only in natural disasters and weapons of war. They are well beyond the restrictions and limitations imposed on individuals by society and are able to rend the Earth as they see fit. They are creatures who express their immense powers freely, and confidentially standing against any threat that stands in their way, only fearing defeat from a weapon, or lifeform, possessing greater strength than themselves.”

“They are forces that, inevitably, will go down in history, be a subject dissected by scholars of their respective worlds, and be remembered by the masses whose lives they affected. They’re forces that shall not be forgotten, and people do not want to forget them. For as much as humans love prosperity, peace, and tranquility, it pales in comparison to the internalized satisfaction they experience after personally being subjected to a tragedy beyond their control.”

“The idea of being able to make such a lingering impact upon the world— of being able to shatter lives and destroy something that took years, decades, maybe even centuries to build— is something that I have always found captivating. And now… now such power is within my grasp. With it, I may leave my mark on this world, shaping it in my own image with my own form of destruction. Yes, unlike most monsters, this power may also be used to create, which begs the question of how my actions shall be interpreted. Will my actions be viewed as a cataclysmic event comparable to many of the atrocities that predated this century, or shall they be seen as a creative force through the annals of history, praised with messiah-esque reverence? I suppose it depends on what the true extent of my powers are, and how they alter my mental state. It depends on if I am a true god, and what role I assume as a god.”

“…Uh-huh… Jess, what the fuck are you talking about?” Juniper questioned as she turned away from the overgrown dirt road to look at Vice.

“I’m talking about how I have been bestowed with immense power beyond that of a regular human, and wish to exert said power onto the rest of the world. Now keep driving to the clearing, you dolt!”

“I… yes… Jessie,” Juniper muttered, unable to say more as she was subjected to Vice’s powers once more. 

A matter of seconds later, the two reached their destination, arriving in an overgrown field with foot-tall stems of grass battling for survival against young trees and bushes. There was not so much as a hint of man-made light illuminating this locale, and not a sound other than the steady hum of the car engine. Which kept most woodland residents at bay, fearful of the heavy machinery encroaching into their domain. 

Having finally reached their destination, Vice pondered their next action for a matter of seconds before sending a hand down to their black skirt. They patted their flat crotch through the fabric, before darting their eyes back to Juniper, who looked at Vice with concern and bewilderment.

“Juniper, be a dear and turn on the overhead lights while turning off the headlights. I’d like a bit more privacy, but I’d still like to be able to see.”

Juniper passively replied and did as Vice asked, her voice sounding monotone as a result of Vice’s mental manipulation. They were once an energetic gal, but within a matter of minutes, they became someone brimming with the charisma of a cheese sandwich.

“Hm, the light’s a tad dimmer than I would have liked, but it shall suffice. Now, my dear, come with me to the back seat. I have something to discuss with you.”

In an awkward motion, Vice climbed their way to the back seat, where they plopped their bottom on the well-worn interior, while Juniper did the same, nearly tripping as one of her shoes wedged itself between the driver’s seat. With the two sitting side by side, and only a foot of open seat between them, Vice began closing in the distance on Juniper, who looked at the stranger wearing her friend’s body with ceaseless confusion.

“Y’know June, we’ve been through a lot together,” Vice began, resuming their lapsed Jessie impression.

“We’ve been together for most of our lives. It’s hard for me to even theorize what my life would’ve been like if you weren’t there by my side, and I think you feel the same way. In that time, you’ve been the best friend I could have asked for. Though, in a sense, we were far more than friends. I know we joked a few times when we were kids that we were practically sisters from other mothers, but now that we’re both adults, and had some time apart, to find ourselves, and view our relationship from a distance… I don’t think that’s the best way to describe how I feel about you. I love you as a person, that shouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s more than that.”

“Do you remember that night we slept together in High School? We wound up sharing a motel room— only had a single bed— but we were so hot we slept in our underwear? That’s when I knew that it was all… more than just a friendship, that you were more to me than just a best friend.”

“Y-Yeah, I remember that Jessie. I just thought we— you didn’t want to talk about that.” Juniper said, her voice shaky and mental state uneven as Vice’s will loosened around her, allowing her to react with all the emotional depth she normally possessed. 

“That was when I was young, unsure of myself, fearful of confessing my true feelings,” Vice continued. “But now, right here, on this moonless night, I feel like it is time. Now, I am ready to say that… Juniper Funkatron, I love you.”

A thousand thoughts began flooding Juniper’s mind as she tried to make sense of the barrage of syllables offered to her by Vice. Questions begat more questions, and a deep fear coursed through her being as she deliberated how to respond. As a young lady from such a rural and closed-off community, she was far from versed in what Jessie was talking about, lacking any firsthand experience with anyone she knew to be gay. At the peak of her panic, all related worries perished within her mind, as Vice began exerting their powers once more, causing all of Juniper’s mental fervor to part away as her mind became consumed by a singular feeling. Affection.

“I… feel the same way Jessie,” Juniper replied with a convincing, yet artificial, breed of enthusiasm. “I’ve been feeling so lost without you and now that you’re back… I never want you to go! I want to spend the rest of my life with you!”

“Oh Juniper, it makes me so happy to hear those words. If we are both in agreement, what do you say about… truly taking our relationship to the next level.”

Obeying the script implanted into her head by Vice, Juniper blushed redder than a fresh tomato as those words pierced her ears. 

“I, um, I guess we could… I just never expected my first time to be with my best friend in the back of my dad’s old station wagon. …But fuck it! I’ll take what I can get!”

Following that decree, Juniper exploded out of her clothes, while Vice took a more elongated route, steadily stripping before Juniper in a way that only made her rapidly beating heart explode into a fully-fledged panic. Following what felt like a small eternity, or at least long enough for a dampness to begin appearing along Juniper’s pale inner thighs, Vice was unclothed once more, and wasted no time by taking the initiative. And then began their second sexual exploration of the evening with a deep kiss.

As Vice and Junipers’ lips clenched, their tongues began to mingle, pushing forward as they explored one another’s mouth, and their bodies did the same. The two began embracing each other in a deep hug, pressing their breasts against each other while Vice locked Juniper’s legs in place, removing as much space between them as possible while restraining her as if that was even necessary. As oxygen became scarce, Vice moved their head away from Juniper, panting as saliva dripped down their chin. 

“You’re into this more than I thought you’d be,” Vice said as sweat began developing along their brow. “I’m used to these sorts of things being more of a… struggle, so this serves as a pleasant change of pace.”

“I’ll do whatever I can to please you… Master,” Juniper said as her vain resistance crumbled beneath Vice’s influence. “Just knowing I can be of some help is enough to make my body ooze with pleasure.”

“Oh, truly? Then perhaps you can help me with a curiosity I’ve had for… a while.”

As Vice contemplated what they could do with their sexual servant, they peered into Jess’s sexual experience, looking for potential guidance in maximizing their pleasure. Vice was then greeted with Jessie’s first sexual experience. One she had during her second year of college with a young white man, a classmate she partnered with for a group project. He was an intelligent and capable bloke, and Jessie had some romantic inclinations toward him.

During the night before the deadline, the two poured over their project, fueled by caffeinated beverages, and soaking hot on account of the unseasonably warm March evening. The euphoria of finishing a daunting project filled the two with relief and, with their bodies tired, hot, and energized, one thing led to another. Vice merely skimmed over the details, but the key takeaway was that Jessie developed a fondness for penetration— the feeling of having someone else, or something else, inside her.

Based on Vice’s brief yet thorough exploration of Jessie’s body, they could certainly see why she desired to have her holes filled so fully. Sadly, Juniper lacked a dick to fill this desire. So instead, Vice decided that her tongue would have to do.

“Let’s start with something a bit kinky,” Vice replied. “If you’re so inclined to enrapture me in pleasure, perhaps you can begin by pleasuring my pussy with your tongue.”

Uttering no words, Juniper did as she was ordered and began stimulating Vice’s vagina with her tongue, lapping the fluids that began accumulating from the orifice with slow rhythmic motions. The technique, while brimming with the imperfections expected of a sexual amateur like Juniper, was enough to satisfy and please Vice, who leaned back and looked through the car windows at the black sky looming overhead, only broken up by the twinkling of stars that flourished in the dim climate of Murinova. 

Vice began to chuckle as things continued… while developing an urge for something more visceral. This inspired them to bark at Juniper, demanding them to be rougher, which she did without hesitation, thrusting her tongue forward and digging into the supple flesh that laid before her. A cascade of moans escaped from Vice’s mouth as they muttered how grateful they were that Jessie shaved her public hair last night, allowing this experience to be unimpeded by any coarse sensations or unwanted tugging. Instead, it was smooth. Smooth and dank.

As the minutes passed by and Juniper’s unwilling devotion to give Vice’s vagina and clit the most sensual licking she could muster, Vice’s body rose to a climax once again, releasing a fluid that sprayed over Juniper’s face. She wasted little time lapping up Vice’s sexual juices once they landed on her skin, and as she consumed the juices of her master, tasting her in the truest form, Juniper experienced a climax of her own. Releasing a squirt of fluid that began dripping through her shorts and down her flabby thighs.

“Oh, Juniper. You’re a 4 at best, but you’re not a bad fuck, I’ll give you that much. Matter of fact, you got my curiosity going, so I’ll do you a favor and show you the same pleasure you showed me.”

“Y-Yes! Yes! Thank you, Jessie. I am… I am so happy. I don’t deserve this kindness!”

“You certainly do not. But perhaps giving sexual pleasure is at least half as enjoyable as receiving it. Let’s just say that this has been a very… transformative day, and I am open to experimentation. Also, cease calling me Jessie. If you are going to be my slave, and you are, then in private you shall refer to me by my true name. Vice.”

“Oh, Vice… just saying it makes me tingle a little. Vice! Vice! Vice! Thank you for your kindness Master Vice!”

With Juniper reduced to a nymphomaniac, Vice let out a hearty masculine laugh as they bent down to Juniper’s nether regions, finding her to contain a thin sheet of hair. It was a little messy, but far from the breed they witnessed reading porno magazines in their boyhood: Untamed and thick bushes that obscured all treasure that lay within. 

Vice went in mouth first, hoping to locate the key components through touch alone, only for their tongue to dip into the lingering juices that had been developing around Juniper’s pussy. Juices that, much to Vice’s chagrin, lacked the inherent saltiness or sweetness that they had grown to expect in their prior exploits. Instead, its flavor reminded them of a mud-coated fish they captured, killed, and cooked back in their boyhood. A rank and decrepit sensation danced across their palette as they dug through the centimeter-thick patch of hair, causing them to retract their head and cough up whatever saliva they could rescue from their esophagus.  

“The fuck is wrong with your pussy!? I bet even my ass tastes better than that after I take a shit! Oh my fucking Lord!”

Vice’s harsh words immediately sent Juniper into an accepting state of despair, recognizing and internalizing her mistake before she could even comprehend what she did wrong. 

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Vice mentally pontificated while glaring at a mortified Juniper. “It must be Jessie’s memories fucking with my head. I am beyond others. I have this power. I cheated death. I am better than other people, and that is a fact. …And what better way to express my dominance than treating this creature before me like the sow it is.”

“Juniper, stay where you are,” Vice barked. “Whatever painful sensation you now experience will fill you with immeasurable pleasure, and it will be all you desire until your body ceases to function. Understood?”

“Yes! Yes, Master Vice!”

“Good, now spread yourself out. As you know, I haven’t had dinner, and I simply refuse to see this day to the end without having something to satiate my hunger.”

Vice then returned their head to Juniper’s crotch. But rather than sticking their tongue out, they instead brandished their teeth and planted them into Juniper’s pussy. They ripped through the skin and sunk their teeth into the bloody flesh beneath, before yanking out more than a morsel of meat. As blood spurted out of Juniper’s severed veins, Vice looked down at her, chewing and swallowing a part of her before spitting out a chunk of hair and flabby meat onto her chest.

Having one’s privates maimed would send most people into a panicked fervor. But Juniper, still intoxicated by Vice’s influence, had the opposite reaction. She was ecstatic. Her mouth never stopped moving as she uttered a deluge of moans, compliments, and thank-yous to Vice, praising them for giving her such a high. A high that went beyond anything she had ever experienced before in her life. Vice smirked at her words as they let the sharp flavor of the flesh settle on their tongue. It was an acquired taste that their body expressed some displeasure towards, but it nevertheless filled them with an empowered nostalgic sensation as they reunited themself with their boyhood pastime of cannibalism.

Their desire was not satiated by just one bite though, and Vice continued to consume Juniper, digging their teeth through her flabby flesh to get the biggest mouthful of blood, skin, and muscles before consuming as much as they could, and spitting out the rest. And as they did so, they had the privilege of watching their victim twist and shout. But instead of the usual cries of pain, their actions were accompanied by cackles of pleasure. For that was what Vice wanted from her.

A bite from the thigh, one from the arm, a nibble of her side, and one pluck from her cheek. All of these caused Juniper to squirm and moan in an erotic manner. Yet each bite brought with it a less passionate response as the act went on. Her person rapidly began leaking a deluge of red over the interior and onto Vice, painting their body in a shade of crimson. It all culminated in a final bite to Juniper’s neck, a conclusive action that severed her jugular and landed Vice a mouthful of blood and tender meat.

As Juniper’s final words eked through her torn neck, culminating in a barely audible “thank you,” Vice looked at her with a smirk as they chewed what they could. Once their mouth had been emptied and the life left Juniper’s body, Vice casually brought a hand to Juniper’s expressionless face, plucking out her left eye and casually tossing it into their mouth. As the membrane was torn and the juices began flowing throughout Vice’s gums, they looked across the crime scene laid out before them. Red was everywhere, and what was not red had already aged into a musty brown. But no surface in the vehicle was quite as decked out in blood as Vice themself.

“It’s good to be back,” Vice cooed as they stepped out of the car, exposing their naked body to the humid air and cool breeze. 

The woods were as quiet as ever. The sounds of rustling leaves and hooting critters made Vice confident that they were alone, and had gotten away with yet another murder, unscathed. Well, unscathed, but they were quite literally red-handed, and had little chance of getting away with such an outlandish and impulsive murder if they were as capable as an ordinary person. However, Vice was few things if not extraordinary, and all it would take for them to dispose of the evidence was a pinch of will, and a cup of creativity.

Their solution to this self-made problem began simply enough. Vice used their concentrated power of will to rip away the blood, sweat, and assorted grime away from their person, causing it to separate itself from their skin, where it briefly lingered in the air before dissipating into nothingness. The second step came in clothing themself. While Vice could have easily dressed themself like a normal person, they were in a somewhat vain mood. Vice stared at their discarded outfit on the front seat of the station wagon and imagined themself wearing it. Once more, reality twisted, the laws of physics bent, and Vice’s desires were manifested onto the world, adorning them in the same underwear, red shirt, black skirt, and shoes they wore previously.

Satisfied by their display, Vice turned their head to Juniper’s corpse and began pontificating the myriad ways in which they could dispose of it. Yet, for one reason or another, the idea of setting it ablaze struck this twisted individual as the most enjoyable. To achieve this, they summoned two items into their hands: a canister of gasoline and a Zippo. They spread the flammable liquid around Juniper’s car, opening the door and dousing the interior for good measure, all while suppressing a chuckle, clearly elated by not only the act, but the ludicrous extent of their power.

“I am a god,” Vice mentally decreed. “I am a master of the mind. Defiler of the law of conservation of mass. And… I am able to manifest whatever desires I have into this world. I could do, in a sense, anything… but no. I’ve already had an eventful night, and would hate to begin my pursuits in a rushed or panicked manner. In my experience, it is best to sleep on decisions such as these, and I’m certain that there is some motel I may stay at. If not, then I could effortlessly charm my way into someone’s home. However, it will be a long walk to make it back to society, and I see no reason not to further test my limits. So why not make this plebeian commute an enjoyable one… with the aid of music.”

Following that thought, Vice looked down at their left hand, and suddenly a Sony Soundabout, or TPS-L2 Walkman, appeared clenched within their fingers. A device that Vice had intended to give to their brother as a birthday present, but was unable to on account of a little thing known as a traumatic brain injury. 

It was a once innovative and premium device that, according to Jessie’s memories, had become commonplace within the past five years. Vice clicked their tongue as they were reminded of this— reminded of the years they were unable to live out. It stirred sorrow within them for a mere moment before Vice was struck with a secondary realization. That, assuming their discoveries were anything to go on, their remaining time in this world was far from finite.

With a small smile on their face, Vice put on their headphones, pressed play, and was greeted by the second to last track from one of their personal favorite albums as Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads began to resonate through their eardrums. They broke out in a jog, enjoying the honed athleticism possessed by their inherited body, murmuring the lyrics as they ran. And as they did so, they found one verse to be particularly pertinent to their current predicament. 

“What I did that night. What she did that night. Achieving my dreams. Onwards, towards glory, I go.”