❖ 7 ❖

“Guh…” I groaned, laying on a deckchair by the side of Rina’s gigantic pool and staring up at the late afternoon sun, which, just in case you’re wondering, looked infinitely redder and closer than it ever did back home. Shit, I could practically see tendrils of flame writhing around it. Everything I knew told me that at this distance, it should’ve burned this place to cinders. But it didn’t, instead, it felt pretty good and pleasantly warm. I’d have taken an incredibly comfy catnap if it weren’t for the worry swirling around in my belly.

“Use your words, mutt. I know you still have some in that dopey little head of yours,” Haqua said, looking at me with a devilish smirk. 

I’d never actually seen her in a swimsuit before today, but…fuck, I don’t need to tell you how gorgeous she looked. Surprisingly, she didn’t pick something terribly skimpy, going for a pretty sunhat, a stylish bikini top and a sarong tied to show just enough thigh that it’d drive anyone—especially loser dogs—absolutely wild, begging to see just a little bit more. She looked so cool and confident that I barely felt worthy of basking in her presence.

“Iori…” I mumbled.

“Ohhh, Rina, are you really forgetting how to speak? Oh gosh, we’ll have to treat you like a doggie full-time then, huh?” Mio, who was lying on the other side of me, giggled and happily petted my head.

Again, I hardly need to say how hot she looked, but I’m me, so of course I’ll do it. Where Haqua had shown surprising restraint in her choice of swimsuit, Mio instead picked the extremely valid option of flaunting every inch of her curvy, cuddly figure. From a bikini top that barely qualified as one, only doing as much as it needed to lift her already perky chest while somehow making it seem even bigger than it was, to what might as well have been a thong which was barely visible from most angles thanks to the thick tail resting above it and the full, squishy buttcheeks that swallowed up so much of it. Seeing her now, it was hard to believe she’d ever been as mousey as she used to be around me.

Not that my own fit didn’t look good. Of course it did, Haqua picked it out for me, insisting that “mommy knows what suits her sweetie best,” and sticking me in a sporty, aggressive-looking swimsuit that suited my impish, bratty charms extremely well.

“No, no, it’s just…It’s hard not to worry about her, y’know?” I explained. “I keep thinking about how scared and stressed she looked when she showed up at the apartment the other night, and…guh, I just hope this vacation does whatever she needs it to.”

“She’s out with Yuuki, dear. It’s impossible to have a bad time with her. So don’t worry, Iori’s in very capable hands. But if you’re fretting so much, try not to be so passive with her, Rina. We’re on vacation together, you can help ensure that she has a good time, no?”

“I know, but…I’m not used to seeing her off-work, I don’t really know what to actually do with her…” I grumbled.

“Come now, you’ve had enough time to adjust to being a succubus, surely?” Haqua chided me, lowering her sunglasses just enough for me to see her stern glare peeking out over the tops of the lenses.

“Y-yeah? But what does that have to-”

“Do you truly need me to spell it out for you? My, I didn’t think you’d committed so strongly to being a loser dog that you’d killed half your brain cells. I’ll phrase it more simply, then. What can a succubus do to truly excite someone, hmm? To take all their cares and worries away? What your body, your oh-so honest body, is built for…”

My face instantly turned shades of red previously unknown to human or demonkind.

“I’m not gonna fuck my boss!” I yelled.

“I bet she’d be good in bed though!” Mio teased.

“I-I mean yeah, she would be, and yes, she’s crazy hot, so if she wanted to, I'd let her ride me hard, and the other day I dreamed-”

I clamped my hands over my mouth before anymore could spill out. All it took was for them to mention sex with Iori and I was losing it.

"Look, failing inhibitions, I'd say that stuff about anybody," I argued. It was probably true, too. I'd caught myself zoning out and thinking about Wakaba constantly, and I barely even knew her, but fuck me, the idea of someone that big and firm having their way with me…

No! Dammit, don't start losing it over someone else! You don't have to prove that you're pathetic!

“I'm sure you would! Such an eager little bitch, and so good for stress relief. Hardly anyone can bend as much as you can without breaking, but it might be fun to find out your true limits when the three of us are alone later, don't you think?” Haqua chuckled, her smile growing as she saw me shiver in anticipation, my head swimming with all kinds of wonderful fantasies.

"Ohhh, we've gotta! I wanna hear how loud you'll bark, Rina!"

"Go wild, girls…" I let out a pathetic, deeply thirsty laugh, and eagerly awaited the humiliation that lay in store for me.

"But no, mutt, I'm not telling you to jump straight to sex, as hard as it might be for the doggie brain to comprehend such a thing. Spend some time with her, don't keep her at arm's length. She'd be thrilled to know that we'd like to have her around."

"Yeah, you're right," I nodded. "Soon as she's back, I'm gonna make sure to stick by her side! You'll have an amazing vacation, you hear me, Iori?!" I grinned, shouting skyward.

"Oh, sorry to interrupt! But do you have a second, Mio?"

The three of us looked up to see a cheerful-looking ghost girl happily smiling down at us, dressed in a formal-looking suit, save for a small strip of cloth wrapped around her forehead head that was folded into a triangle at the front. Not exactly traditional burial garb, but she made the suit look good. A model employee, really.

"Oh! You're Resta, right? Still wanna possess me?" Mio asked with a giggle, instantly regarding the girl like a close friend. "Make sure you fuck Rina when you do! You can really shove my boobs in her face, tease the heck out of her and make the most of the busty life, ehehe~!"

Wait wait wait, you're just offering me up?! Consult me first, Mio!

…But I mean, Resta's pretty, and the idea of a whole new kind of Mio fucking me silly…

"Mwehehehehehe…" I cupped a hand to my cheek, and eagerly awaited the spectral humiliation that apparently lay in store for me.

"Really?! Can I go for it right now?! You'll still be conscious on the inside, so you'll get to see-" Resta caught herself, then took a deep breath, something I have to imagine ghosts really didn't need to do. "Wait wait, no, I've gotta focus on this first. We can fuck later, OK little puppy? I'll bully you as much as you want."

"W-wan!" I barked, my tail wagging a mile a minute.

"And you were telling about how you wouldn't have sex with Iori a moment ago, now you're throwing yourself at the first person you see," Haqua chuckled, pulling me in against her chest and petting me lovingly, taking on a more motherly tone as she continued. "You're so adorably pathetic, sweetie. Don't worry, Mommy and Auntie Resta will take good care of you…"

Oh fuck, mommy mode… It's been so long…

I couldn't just barely focus as Mio and Resta continued their conversation, but believe me when I say that mentally, I was a thousand miles away, getting pampered and bullied in equal measure.

"I hear you're a writer, Mio. Is that true?"

"Mhmm! I haven't published anything yet, but I've written a few books now, yep!"

"Oh, that's fantastic! Would you be willing to let me read them?"

"Eh?! Y-you want to read them, huh? R-read the books that…that I wrote?"

For a moment, the confidence Mio had gained when she discarded her humanity completely vanished. I wasn't looking at Mio, the energetic, ever-enthusiastic little demon who made me smile and squirm all at once.

Instead, there was Mio, the shy, mousey girl I'd saved from workplace bullies on her first day in the office. She fidgeted recklessly, twiddling her thumbs and talking in circles.

"Mm, if you'd let me."

“B-but, umm…”

“She’s shy about her work,” I explained, gently taking her hand. “Doesn’t have any reason to be, though. It’s amazing.”

“Indeed, she’s poured her heart and soul into those books, and it shows. They’re endlessly sweet, Resta, you’ll adore them.”

“I’m sure I will!” Resta grinned. “Haqua mentioned you write romance?”

“Mhmm,” Mio bit her lip, and gave a small nod. “I-it’s all pretty simple stuff, I focus a lot more on character than plot, so it might be kinda dull…”

“Oh, no, not at all! That sounds right up my street!” Resta assured her. “Hell’s going through a bit of a romance boom lately, so I’m sure you’d sell tremendously well, too.”

“Wait…sell?” Mio asked, squeezing my hand just a little bit tighter.

“Ah, right, I should’ve mentioned. I’m an editor at a major light novel publisher, so if I particularly like your work, I could almost certainly get you a publishing deal, too.”

“P-publishing? Oh gosh, Rina, Haqua…”

Haqua and I smiled at each other, then hugged Mio tightly.

“Don’t be scared, Mio. Nobody’s saying you have to publish it. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. Resta just wants to read a new friend’s novel, isn’t that right?” I asked.

“Right!” she nodded vigorously. “I wouldn’t have this job if I wasn’t an avid reader first and foremost. I’m not treating this like a submission to my publisher, I’m just really excited to see what you’ve been writing, and, y’know, if we take things a little further after the fact, then we can talk it out together.”

“Indeed, I wouldn’t have suggested your writing to Resta otherwise. I just wanted to share some novels I enjoy with one of my in-laws, dear.”

Mio had been shaking a little, but as the conversation continued, she gradually stilled, and kissed Haqua and I both.

“Ehehe, thank you two. You’re the best,” she giggled. “No way I’d be able to agree to this without you.”

“Oh?! You mean you’ll let me read it?!” Resta eagerly asked.

“Mhmm. I’ll send you a copy of everything, Resta. Just umm, don’t read them when you’re in my body, if you go for that, ahaha. I couldn’t handle watching you read it all.”

“You’ve got it! Can I give you a hug, Mio?”

“I wanna say yes, but…sorry if this is rude, can you?”

“Ah, right,” Resta chuckled bashfully, before scanning around the poolside, sizing up each and every person here. “Let’s see… Oh, perfect!”

With an eager grin on her face, Resta darted off toward Wakaba, who was currently pounding back sake from her gourd.

“Wakaba! Need you for a second!” Resta called, shocking the oni into spilling on her swimsuit.

“Hey, Resta! Wait a sec-” Resta flew inside her, and Wakaba quickly stilled, took a sip from her gourd, then giggled.

“Damn, that was fast…” I mumbled, watching as Wakaba walked over to us with a far more girlish if somewhat uneven gait.

“Ohhh, Wakaba always feels so warm. The sake lights such a nice fire in her belly, and she’s so firm,” Resta in Wakaba’s body drunkenly giggled, the thick accent the oni usually carried having completely vanished. “C’mere, Mio!”

Resta happily wrapped her arms around Mio, hugging her…hopefully not quite as tight as that body could manage. With a smile, Mio returned the hug and…licked a stray drop of sake off of her chest. 

Goddamn, Mio, you’re relentless.

“Oh, wow, that is strong,” she giggled. “Thanks for being so sweet about this, Resta. I’ll…probably still be weird and antsy about things, but I really do hope you enjoy the book.”

“I’m sure I will. I bet I’ll be showering you with compliments in no time, so let’s put all that worry to bed, huh? We'll share a drink at the Avarice Festival tomorrow!” 

“Mm, that sounds great!" Mio grinned and nodded sweetly, apparently completely unfazed by something called the 'Avarice Festival'. "And I didn't know we'd be checking out a festival. That'll be exciting!"

"It'll be a blast! Amazing food, some of the best drinks you'll ever taste, and fireworks bright enough to turn night right back into day! You'll love it!" Resta cheerfully explained, getting so excited it was almost easy to forget that Wakaba wasn't the one in control of her own body. The sales pitch sure matched the oni's raw energy, at least.

"Indeed, it's a favorite of mine. Of all the seven deadly celebrations, the Avarice Festival best suits my tastes."

"Not lust, huh?" I half-joked.

"Oh, the patterns in the sky during the Lust Festival are quite a sight, I assure you…" Haqua chuckled, before blowing me a kiss and looking so sexy that I had to really work to hold back a bark. "But no, I find the excess of the Avarice Festival enchanting. The scale of the grandeur on display is beautiful, in truth. The way the fireworks seem intent on claiming the very sky itself, stealing the moon from all view, is captivating. The festivals I've seen on Earth feel so very trivial next to this! The thrill is completely absent. But fret not, tomorrow you'll witness a true celebration, dears. A monument to greed in all its forms.”

Is…is that a good thing to build a monument to?

"I didn't know you were that big into fireworks, Haqua!" Mio exclaimed. 

"My dearest sister adores a good celebration, and nothing embodies that quite like fireworks." Adri’s small voice interrupted the conversation. She’d been off with a couple of her partners for a while, but goddamn, she looked cute right now. Even her swimsuit adhered to her gothic lolita style, covered in frills and ribbons, and it was adorable, honestly. I’d be tempted to try and pamper her if I didn’t know for sure that it’d end with me barking and calling her mistress.

Actually, shit, that sounds nice, why am I saying that like it’s a bad thing?!

"I guess so!" I nodded in agreement. "But wait, when did you go to a festival on earth, Haqua? There hasn't been one since we started dating, right?"

"Well you see, someone–and I'm not about to name names–left me with a full week alone while they slumbered and became ever more pathetic. Such a dreadful mutt…"

"Ehehehe…" I bashfully laughed, looking nobody in the eyes. 

"Fortunately a festival was held that week. Still, I found my time there fairly hollow. They certainly aren't made to be attended alone."

"Well then we'll have to make sure this one's a great time for you, won't we?" I asked, smiling up at Haqua, who let out a small, pleased chuckle at the sight.

"I'm looking forward to it, Rina."

"Mm, me too!" Mio agreed.

“Well, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt such a lovely conversation," Adri spoke up, "but I believe Wakaba was about to start cooking for us, Resta dear."

“Ah, really? My bad!” Resta chuckled, and quickly pulled herself out of Wakaba, leaving the oni hugging Mio tightly.

“Lickin’ my titty, huh Mio?" Wakaba laughed, wiping down the wet spot on her chest. "Damn, Haku, your partners don’t hold back a thing, do they?”

“They’re so wonderfully earnest, it's true." Haqua nodded. "Still, Wakaba, you’d best be off. It’s been quite some time since I last indulged in your cooking, and I’d prefer nothing get in the way of that now. The things Wakaba does with meat, oh my…” she sighed lovingly.

“Oh? We’re having meat tonight? That sounds so good!”

Our little gathering was growing by the second, as yet another voice chimed in, and I turned to see Iori and Yuuki heading towards us with smiles on their faces and-

Wait, what the heck’s that outfit, Iori?! Are you a gyaru now? Did Yuuki infect you?! You’re…ohhh wowowow, you’re showing so much skin… Fuck, it’s criminal how hot you look in that!

Shit, calm down girl! Sure, she looks crazy fuckable, but she’s your boss! You can’t just turn into a horny teen every time you look at her! But…oh my god, her boobs look crazy good in that top! It’s like Yuuki took your limiters off!

Gyaru are dangerous, so it only tracks that my boss as a gyaru was lethal. I could only hope that she didn’t see me staring.

“Ahahaha, your eyes look ready to burst, Rina.”

Shit.

OK, fine, I’m terrible at hiding when I’m turned on, just the worst.

“Y-yeah! I-I uhh…that outfit, Iori…”

“Looks good, right?” she smiled warmly at me, her cheeks turning ever-so-slightly pink. “Not my usual style, I know, but Yuuki suggested it, and there’s no better time to cut loose than a vacation, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

“And you’re carrying it so confidently! Now that’s truly unexpected.”

“Trial by ice!” Yuuki grinned and flashed us all a peace sign, apparently feeling incredibly proud of her joke. “She was crazy shy when she put it on, but when you’re out in the city in a fit like that, you kinda have to get used to people staring. Still, there's stares, and then there's whatever you're doing, Rinarin, you cute little dork~!”

"M-my bad, Iori, I just-"

"Crumbling inhibitions, right? It's fine, Rina, you don't need to explain yourself. Coming from you, I know that's the highest compliment I could hope for, and it's not like I don't want people to see me dressed up."

Damn, Iori, you've spent way too much time around succubi lately, y'know that?

Still, I smiled a little at that.

But if you're feeling good, then that's all I could really ask for.

"You couldn't ask for a better friend than Yuuki. I'm delighted the two of you are getting on so famously," Adri smiled, giving a distinctly unladylike, yet absolutely adorable thumbs up. "Still, Wakaba and I had best begin on dinner. I wouldn't want to let anyone go hungry."

"Mm! Let's go!" Wakaba grinned, lifting Adri onto her shoulders and making her way to…a massive fire pit, covered in arcane runes. "Resta, yer comin' too! Possess one of yer artificial bodies and lend me a hand."

"Ah, breaktime's over. Thanks again, Mio! We'll chat at dinner and you can send me your books then," Resta waved, then flew off, moments before a woman who looked much like her, only with ball-jointed limbs, stepped out of the manor and dashed over to help Wakaba.

"Oh, she can be a cute doll, huh?" Mio giggled. "Wonder if we can put you in a body like that, Rina. We can make one that looks like your old body and you can pretend to be cool again before we send you spiraling right back into puppydom!"

"W-wan wan!" I barked. She'd said it so earnestly, and with such a warm, endlessly sweet expression, but her words were cutting in a way only she could be.

It hurt so good.

"Soul transfers are definitely possible even for someone with a corporeal form of their own, but we'd hardly need to go to such lengths. If we truly wanted it, we could give her a body reminiscent of her human form right now. My, a body that slutty would just burst right out of that swimsuit, wouldn't that be quite a sight~?"

"Wan wan waaaahn~!" I barked even louder, telling Mistress Haqua with my eyes that she could do whatever she wanted to me. I love my owners sooooooo much~!

"But you're a bit too overeager right now," Haqua flicked my forehead.

"Geh! H-hey, Haqua…"

"I just don't want to spoil my dinner, dear, and you'd be far too tempting a meal to resist. Wouldn't you agree, Iori?"

Iori looked away, but…shit, was she smiling?!

"You three have fun," she changed the subject, "I think I was a little standoffish yesterday, so I'm going to speak with the other girls for a while. I’d like to get to know everyone better ahead of that festival. See you all at dinner!"

Iori waved and headed off with Yuuki, happily chatting and laughing with the yuki-onna as she made her way to a fairly large group of girls.

"Ehehe, puts all those worries from earlier to bed, huh?" Mio smiled and gently scratched my ear.

"Can't say it doesn't help," I agreed, watching Iori hit it off with several of Adri's wives.

"Indeed, she seems a lot calmer than she did last night. I told you she'd be in good hands with Yuuki. Still, I do hope you'll consider my advice."

"About fucking her?!" I yelled a little too loud, though thankfully, it didn't seem like Iori had heard me.

Hopefully.

"My, you're so pent up… I doubt we'll make it to dinnertime with you as is~! But no, mutt, about spending time with her. Even now, you could be sharing in conversation with her, I'll have you know."

"Yeah…" I grumbled. "And I will, I swear, but…"

Shyly, I pointed down at my crotch, and showed both my partners the slightly damp spot on my swimsuit, stained with my lust.

"Gosh, Rina! You're hopeless!" Mio giggled, her eyes sparkling with desire.

"My, oh my, whatever shall we do with her, Mio?" Haqua cooed, before creeping her tail around my thigh and gently sticking it into my swimsuit, teasing my lips with it.

"Nn~! Haq-mmph!"

"We're in front of company, mutt. Do try to keep a low profile." Haqua winked, covering my mouth with her hand.

You're going for it here?! In front of everyone?!

"I know what I said about spoiling my dinner, but we're on vacation, there's nothing wrong with indulging in a little gluttony, no?" Haqua punctuated her sentence by leaning in close and slowly licking my neck, getting a happy, pathetic little whimper out of me as my body shivered with anticipation.

"Ehehe, we'll be nice and quiet, but will you, Rina? You wouldn't want everyone to see you getting fucked, would you?" Mio cooed, leaning over me and gently sucking my nipple, before applying just enough pressure to force out another moan.

"W-wan~!" I barked, as quietly as I could, and Haqua rewarded me with a firm pinch on my free nipple.

"Haah~!"

"Too loud, mutt," Haqua scolded. "Mio, dear? You know how to really keep her quiet, no?"

Mio happily giggled, nodded, and without warning, pushed her tail into my mouth at the exact same time Haqua stuck hers inside my pussy. My mind instantly flooded with pleasure.

Fuck~! I love you both so much!

My eyes had to look like hearts now. Even in front of all these people, I was sinking ever lower into the abyss of desire. Fuck, I wanted people to see, but if my owners, my mistresses, my everything, demanded that I stay quiet, then I'd be a good little bitch for them, and happily sucked on Mio's tail.

"Ehehe, someone's eager…" Mio giggled so cutely. She was totally unfazed, I was an ineffectual little puppy to her, and I couldn't have been happier for it.

"Mio, dear?" Haqua got her attention, then leaned in close and began kissing her passionately, a gesture Mio was all too eager to return. A fire burned in my belly at the sight of them going at it.

How are you both this sexy?!

Still, I couldn't do nothing for them, I had to try and show how happy they made me, so I slipped my tail into Mio's thong and teased her pussy, while I reached a hand up Haqua's sarong and into the swimsuit within, rubbing her lips with my fingers, feeling the both of them briefly shudder excitedly.

I heard a chuckle from Haqua, though it quickly got lost in the kiss she was sharing with Mio, who for her part, shoved her tail in just a little deeper, moving it back and forth and forcing me to suck.

 My eyes darted around, checking desperately to see if people had noticed. My mistresses would be so happy to know that nobody had. I was staying quiet, just like they'd asked!

And so, I was rewarded yet again, as they each wrapped a finger around my nipple rings and gave them a firm tug.

"Mm~!" I tried to moan, though Mio's tail put a stop to that.

Fuck, it's so big~! 

Of course it was, though. When she'd turned, she gave herself the kind of figure you'd see in an ero manga, curvy and voluptuous in all the right places, and apparently she'd been thorough enough to give her tail the same treatment.

My mind was starting to go blank, the both of them working me like this coupled with the thrill that I could be seen at any time was proving far too much for my pathetic brain.

I could feel my muscles clenching, my body desperately trying to hold out, but both it and I knew that release was coming. I was going to cum right here, out in the open, surrounded by dozens of people I'd now consider family.

And that was when I saw it. Iori looked at me, and our eyes met for just the briefest moment.

Fuck~!

"Mmmmm~!" I let out a muffled moan, and my body slowly relaxed, juices splattering drenching my thighs and Haqua's tail.

She…she saw… She must've seen. Haqua and Mio are covering a lot of my body, but…

I looked over at Iori once more, and saw her still happily chatting away with some of Adri's wives without a care in the world. Didn't matter how confident dressing up had made her, she'd blushed over far less than that before, there's no way she'd have been able to just shrug this off like that.

But…but she saw, right? She had to have seen me…

Did I dream that up? Did I just want her to see, so I imagined it all?

Fuck, I'm a mess…

I passed out not a moment later with a smile on my face.

Whether she'd seen me or not, I couldn't really say, but fuck me, Haqua and Mio were incredible…

❖❖❖

"That's…a ton of food, Iori, you really gonna be able to finish all that?" I asked as I took a seat by her side, sizing up the mountain of meat Iori had piled onto her plate.

She looked at it for a moment, looking puzzled by the question, then happily smiled at me.

"It's a lot, true, but it all smelled so delicious while it was being cooked. Wakaba has a gift," Iori smiled.

"I don't doubt it, just…wow, all that and it's all meat. I figured you'd have some side dishes or something."

"Mm, this looked the best, and I guess I'd rather fill up on what I know I'll love, I suppose."

With that surprisingly simple answer, Iori cut off a…frankly kinda massive piece of meat and dug right in. I hadn't shared too many meals with Iori, but I'd seen her take lunch at work more than a few times over the years, and she'd never shown the sheer vigor she had now, tearing into her meal so eagerly that you would swear she'd just found water in the desert.

Then again, that was back during the bad times. Maybe she'd always been a big eater and felt like she had to hide it.

"Mm! That's so good!" she eagerly cried, before diving right back in for more.

"Ohh! Thanks for the high praise, Io!" Wakaba shouted. "Ya hear that, Inumi? I'm two for two on gettin' humans to love my cooking."

"'Cuz meat is super yummy! Of course everyone loves it!" Inumi smiled, before devouring a hunk of meat. "But you cook it so well! Ehehe, you should move in, Iori! You can have Wakaba and Addy's cooking all the time!"

"It's a tempting offer! I might have to take you up on that!" Iori heartily laughed, before taking another bite and-

"Ouch!" she winced, nursing her cheek. 

"Ah, are you alright, Iori?" Adri asked, before I could do anything to help.

"Mm, just bit my tongue. Seems like it's bleeding a little…" Iori groaned, her cheeks turning pink. "It's a little embarrassing, but it's nothing to worry about. I'll eat a little slower."

"My, you've really enchanted her, Wakaba," Haqua chuckled. "Between this and your new look, I'm starting to think Hell might suit you far better than any of us expected, dear."

"Amazing what a vacation'll do, huh?" Iori chuckled, and got right back to her food. To nobody's surprise, it took maybe five seconds tops before she was tearing into it ravenously.

I let out a small, happy sigh, and got started on my own meal. Iori wasn't kidding, it really was delicious.

But maybe, what made it really taste great was getting to share it with Iori at her least guarded. Seeing her eager smile as she tore into it was weirdly relaxing, like she'd shrugged off any need to be elegant and formal.

So I decided to have a little fun and match her pace, and was rewarded for my efforts by nearly choking on my steak.

The playful cackle Iori let out as she firmly patted my back to help me recover was out of step with what I'd known her to be like, but that was OK.

She was having a blast, and so was I.