NOTE: The first few parts of this story are dialogue with no narrative, since I started off writing this while on vacation and just wanted to keep it simple. The later chapters become full narrative, though.   ---   >'Hey, Anon! I'm going to take over the world soon, and everyone's going to be my slave!' 'What? Sonata, you can't just say these sort of things.' >'Why not?' 'Uh, it's not... Okay. Just know that... things work differently in this world. I mean, what you're saying is bad.' >'Why?' '...Because it would cause a lot of, uh, pain for everyone. Even your friends.' >'Oh.' 'You don't want to hurt people, do you?' >'Why would I want to hurt people?' '...' >'I won't make you a slave! I'll... make you a sort-of slave.' '...Let's just go get dinner.' >'Can we go to the ice cream place?' 'Yes, we can go to the ice cream place. After dinner.'   ---   'Hey, Sonata. Why the long face?' >'W-what? I do not have a long face!' 'Er, it's an expression. I'm asking you why you look sad.' >'Oh. Well... it didn't work.' 'What didn't work?' >'Taking over the world and making everyone my slave.' 'Well... I'm sorry to hear, I guess?' >'It's okay, Anon. I know that even though I've failed, there's always next time.' '...Sometimes, you just shouldn't, you know, do some things.' >'But aren't the morals of most shows and moo-vees that you should never give up doing what you love to do?' 'Yes...! Yes. But, uh, do you -really- want to take over the world and make everyone your slave? Doesn't that sound a bit evil?' >'Hmm... I think so. Maybe it is a bit too evil, yeah?' 'It is pretty evil.' >'Oh, hey! I got those moo-vees you told me about. Do you want watch them together?' 'Hey, yeah. That sounds like a not-so-evil activity to do. Your place?' >'Yuppies!' 'Cool, let's go.' >'Yay, snuggles!'   ---   >'So it was all because of the cat?' '...What? What cat--OH! No, Sonata. That was just... like, they saw it repeat its movements, as if the system glitched.' >'I don't get it.' 'I don't expect you to get it, to be honest. Took me a few rewatches to understand the movie.' >'Does that mean that this will happen every time I see a cat?' 'No. This will not happen every time you see a cat.' >'Aww. I want to dodge bullets and stuff, too.' 'Tell me about it.' >'W-well, I would like to be able to dodge--' 'It's an expression, Sonata. Don't -really- tell me about it. And uh, you can let go of my arm, now. I'm gonna put in the second movie.' >'Is it as confusing as the first one?' 'Eh, I don't know, to be honest. I just enjoyed it for the fight scenes when I first watched it.' >'But fighting is bad.' 'It's a movie, Sonata. I don't... nevermind.' >'You humans are weird.' 'Tell me about it.' >'Um, is that an expression, again?' 'Yeah. Hey, go make more popcorn, will you?' >'N-no! I don't like the microwave.' '...I'm not even going to ask.' >'Aria told me to never use appliances ever again, or she'd show me a... goat? Goat and see? G--' 'I would suggest you just stay away from the internet.' >'I've heard of the internet! Adagio is always using the internet whenever I see her.' 'Maybe I'll show you one time. Hey, movie's starting--oof! Ow! H-hey, settle down, will you?' >'Yay, snuggles!'   ---   >'Eee! That looked like it hurt.' 'Taking a mace to the face usually hurts.' >'Have you ever taken a mace to the face?' 'No.' >'Oh.' '...' >'...' >'Hey, Anon?' 'Mmm?' >'Why are you... why are you here?' 'What do you mean?' >'Um... why are you here, with me?' 'Come on, don't be silly like that, Sonata.' >'No, really...' 'Ughm. I like you, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.' >'...' '...' >'...Thank you, Anon.' 'Mmm.' >'I mean i-IT oooh... I-I like it when you... aah... scratch the back of my... mmhh... head like that...' 'Just watch the movie, silly.'   ---   >'Hey, Anon.' >'Anon.' >'Anononon-' 'Nnnfh, what?' >'I've been thinking.' 'Of what?' >'What if... what if I were to only take a few slaves instead of a lot?' 'Ugh... no, Sonata. That's still evil.' >'Realzies? Even only, like, five?' 'Having slaves at all is illegal.' >'Awww...' 'For the past two hundred years or so, yeah.' >'Wait, slavery was legal before?' 'Well, yeah...' >'Wow, you humans are evil.' 'Slavery isn't a thing anymore. At least at this part of the world.' >'Hehe... Maybe I'll only take one.' 'Sonata--mmf!'   ---   >'Anon.' 'Hey Sonata, what's up?' >'My tummy hurts.' '...What did you eat this time?' >'I tried to bake some cookies.' 'Ah. Too many?' >'I dunno, I think so. I ate them raw.' 'Raw. You mean the cookie dough?' >'...Yeah.' 'The whole thing?' >'Yup. I ate them all because they tasted good as cookie dough.' 'That's disgusting... well, eating that much. Cookie dough is pretty awesome, otherwise.' >'Nnugh... I don't feel good.' 'Come in. You can lie down on my bed.' >'...Yaay.' 'Want some water?' >'Yeah. Um... if Aria calls, don't tell her where I am.' '...What did you do, this time?' >'It was her cookie dough.' 'Huh. At this rate, I'm surprised she still lets you in her fridge without supervision.' >'I'm not allowed near her toaster.'   ---   'Sonata, that was great!' >'Anon! You really think so?' 'Heck, yeah! Everybody thought you were good. Lots of people left their seats to stand near the stage to watch you; looked like everyone had a good time at the pub.' >'Heehee... I saw.' '...You didn't use any mind-controlly things, right?' >'Nope! I didn't try to enslave anyone this time, just like you said!' 'Heh. I'm proud of you.' >'Hey, don't you play the guitar?' 'No. Well, a little bit, but I'm not that good at it. I'm more of a drummer.' >'I'm not that good, either.' 'Oh, come on, Sonata...' >'No, really! I think it's just the singing.' 'Won't lie, you have quite the voice.' >'O-oh...' 'Hey, I was gonna go up to my cottage during a week in the summer with some friends, but everybody bailed on me. Wanna go?' >'You have a cottage?!' 'Yeah, it's pretty neat. It's by a lake and we've got a little dock and everything.' >'I wanna go!' 'That would be fun. Let's talk it over some ice cream, yeah?' >'Can we go to the place that doesn't charge for sprinkles?' 'Yes. Yes, we can.' >You neglected to tell her that this ice cream parlour was twice as far, but you didn't mind, did you?   ---   >'Hmm, I dunno... what do you think, Aria?' >>'Looks kinda gay.' 'Gee, thanks, Aria.' >'I think it looks cute.' '...I don't really want ties that look cute. Let's just get out of here, yeah?' >'Wait! I want to buy a hoodie before we go.' >>'Another one? How many of those do you have, now?' >'They're comfy!' >>'They make you look like a hobo.' >'...N-no!' 'As much as I like hoodies, Aria has a point--you kinda do have a lot of hoodies, Sonata.' >'But... but...!' 'As in, 37-too-many hoodies. You really don't need any more.' >'Aaaw...' >>'I'm glad someone agrees with me. Hey, let's go bother Adagio. She needs to see more sunlight ever since our... failure.' >'...She's stinky.' >>'I don't think you have to whisper that. It's not like she's going to hear you.' 'Someone has to make sure she showers at least once a week, though.' >>'You have a point.'   ---   >'Eeew.' >>'Sonata, put down that sock. Damn, it stinks...' 'Where I'm from, we call that the glorious smell of NEET, Aria.' >>'I don't think I want to know where you're from.' >>>'I hope you guys leave, soon. I have a raid in an hour.' 'That's plenty of time to, you know, freshen up.' >'Heehee.' 'Really? You're just gonna cook another TV dinner?' >>>'I require sustainence. Speaking of which, I found a great source of conflict; it's a website called 4--' >'Pew! Adagio, when did you last change your clothes?' >>>'I don't remember. Does it matter?' 'Well, there's this thing called a washing machine for washing clothes. And a shower for washing yourself.' >>'Geeze, Adagio. You're kind of letting yourself go... what's with the pile of empty TV dinner boxes?' >'And ramen cups!' >>>'They are convenient and cheap.' 'Don't you have a job? Do you ever go out?' >>>'Ughm... did you guys come here to give me a life lesson, or what?' >'Actually, 'Nons wants to invite us up to his cottage during the summer.' >>'Wait, you have a cottage?' 'I am known for many things.' >'Yeah! It's by a lake and has a dock... I don't know anything else about it.' 'It'll be fun. What do you say, Adagio? And Aria?' >'I wanna go!'   >>'Huh. Sure, why not. If I'm free.' 'You're a busy girl.' >>>'Eh...' >'Oh, come on, Addy.' >>'If she comes along, I might reconsider.' >'Hey, that's not very nice to say!' >>'I already have to deal with you.' >'But if I don't go, it would only be you and Anon.' >>'...U-uh-' >>>'I believe I'd like to see this world a little more. I'm eager to get out of this city hell hole.' 'But we haven't had a major crime in the past two years.' >>>'It smells, here.' '...Likewise.' >'Yay! We're all going to Anon's cottage!' >>'I bet Anon just wants to get alone with three girls.' 'Whoa, this is nothing like that--' >'Yeah! Besides, he's mine!' >>'...I was joking, Sonata.' >>>'Sure, you were.' 'Uh--' >>>'Anyways, get out of my apartment, you three. I gotta get ready for my raid.' 'I smell burning.' >'Are TV dnners suppose to microwave for that long?' >>>'Fuck.'   ---   >"Anon, what does cunning-linguist mean?" Sonata asks you from your car's passenger seat. "...You mean cunninglus," you correct awkwardly, shifting in your own seat. >"Oh. Yeah, what does that mean?" she continues, innocently. "Eh... where did you hear that? It's kind of a naughty word," you ask casually, adjusting your hands on the wheel. >You've learned to stay blunt when around Sonata. >"I heard some people at a cafe talking about it. Some girl with rainbow hair kept boasting to her friends about getting it... what does it mean?" >Rainbow hair, huh? >You wonder who that would be. >You roll your eyes. "It means eating pussy." >Sonata pauses. >"...Eating a cat? W-why would you eat a poor cat?" "No... eating pussy. As in, vagina," you say after sighing. >The road passes by you quickly as you drive, but you unknowingly press down on the gas a little more while you explain this to Sonata. >"Eew! Isn't that cannibalism?" she asks, putting her hands on her cheeks as she gasps. "No! Not really eating! I mean, oral sex. On the vagina." >Upon hearing this, her eyes widen. >"ooooh! Why didn't you just say that?" she says in realization. "That IS naughty." "Yes. yes it is," you agree. >You never really mined explaining things to her, even though she had inquiries about most things. >Yet, despite her ditsyness, she tends to get things quickly. >You always put that off as her inexperience with your world's slang. >While you're driving, you notice her shift a little in her spot with an uncomfortable look. >"Anon, w-would... would you do cunn--" "Oh look, we're here," you say, purposely cutting her off. >You love Sonata, but you figured you'd... take things slow, with her. >You liked it that way. >"Oh, yay! And just in time, too," she exclaims, pointing to the clock on your dashboard. >5:03 PM, right when the half-price off wings happens on Wednesdays. >You and Sonata made it a ritual to have dinner at this pub every Wednesday. >Sure, it took her awhile to get comfortable eating meat and poultry, but now she eats it shamelessly. >Heck, she can eat more than you can, now.   >An hour later, the two of you sit across from one another with empty bowls in front of you and a bucket full of chicken bones. >Sonata's face is smudged with barbeque sauce and her fingers are all sticky. "Phew, I'm bloated," you say, leaning back after cleaning your face with a napkin. >"Mmmh... that was good. I should try the hot wings, next time," she says, licking her fingers. >You chuckle. "Your face is covered, Sonata." >"I know," she giggles, picking up a napkin and wiping her face. "Uugh, I'm so full." >You decide not to point out that she's still eating her fries while complaining. "Two pounds of wings will do that to you." >You pick up your glass of imported stout and down the rest of it. >Sonata didn't really like beer, but she's developed a taste for the 'girl drinks'. >Particularily, Smirnoff Ice. >You're going to ice the fuck out of her on your cottage trip. >And Aria. >She needs to loosen up. >Looking up, you notice Sonata giving you a very wide grin. >"Sooo.... ice cream?" >You roll your eyes. "Yes, we can go for ice cream." >"And then cuddles at your place," she demands. >You know you wouldn't turn that down.