Hank didn't waste any time after finding out from Fuji that Anna had gone missing. Since neither Anna nor Aika was answering their phone, he put Rio in charge of dinner and drove to Aika's apartment. The roads around the glade where she once frolicked in the nude were choked with government vehicles, and heavy construction equipment hauling the plane away. Dozens of police milled about on the service drive behind her apartment complex, while officials from various agencies sifted through tons of wreckage.

The air smelled heavy and rancid, like rotten meat burnt on plastic, as Hank walked across the parking lot to the entrance of Aika's building. He patiently buzzed her apartment every couple of minutes until Teek finally appeared. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she wore a simple t-shirt promoting a local rock band, along with her signature bare feet and short shorts.

She squeezed into the vestibule with Hank, wearing a toothy smile. "You could just let me in," he remarked.

Above her smile, her eyes were sad. "Hello, Hank. No. I can't."

"Why not?"

Her smile became more genuine. "Aika sometimes sets specific rules, and today they are 'No Guests.'"

"Then tell Anna to please come down."

Now Teek expressed worry. "What makes you think she's here?"

Hank merely rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm not even supposed to be down here," Teek said with little concern. "I snuck out to see who wouldn't stop buzzing when it became clear they weren't coming out of her room."

"'They' meaning Aika and Anna," Hank guessed.

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Teek's grin grew huge. "I figured it would be you," she said. "You or maybe Rio." Somehow, her grin got even bigger. "Or maybe one of Sehrish's very cute boyfriends."

"Is she here? Maybe she'll let me in. She does still have my clothes, you know."

Teek shook her head and pursed her lips. "No. She's working at Marina Hospital. She's always working, it seems. It's like I have our room all to myself these days."

"Can you bring down my clothes?" he asked, trying to find a way to get in.

Surprisingly, rather than answering, Teek threw herself onto Hank. "Oh God," she said, hugging his stomach. "I wish I could let you in. I've been so sad and lonely. Everything's gone to Hell."

He couldn't argue with that, and patted her on the back.

"It was so much fun having you here before… before this terrible accident. And Anna says…" She stopped, realizing her second faux pas.

"Anna says what?" Hank implored, squeezing Teek with a hug of his own.

She clambored up him like a monkey, showing the kind of arm strength that comes from playing violin for hours every day. She didn't stop climbing until she had her legs wrapped around where her arms had once been, with her arms now around his neck.

"She says you were there when it happened," Teek whispered into Hank's ear.

"I was."

"That the plane almost hit you."

Hearing Teek describe the terror that could have cost him his life made Hank happy to have her around his neck. He placed her small butt on a ledge above the wainscotting, to better enjoy their embrace.

"And a truck almost ran into you," Teek furthered, nuzzling his neck.

"It came within an inch of hitting Rio's roommate."

Teek afforded herself a kiss, brushing her lips near his ear. "Yeah. Leanne, right? That's her? And you were on the bridge when it fell into the bay? And that terrible woman who killed her neighbors?"

Hank placed a big hand on Teek's head, to keep her lips on his neck. "Miss Warugi? That happened at Anna's place."

Teek pressed her cheek to Hank's neck, gripping him with all her limbs. "She killed a cop, I hear."

"He gave his life saving Anna's friend."

"I'm scared, Hank. I'm really scared. Everything stinks around here, and I can't even look out my window. All I see are dead people coming out of Aika's glade."

Her tiny body shuddered with sobs until he calmed her down by stroking her hair. He pulled her face from his shoulder and kissed her on the lips, making her toothy smile return.

"God, you're cute," she blurted out.

"Thanks. You're pretty cute yourself."

She returned her face to his shoulder, hugging so hard he almost choked. "I wanna take you upstairs," she said, "and stuff you full of food."

He laughed. "But Aika says no guests? Right?"

"I'll hide you in my closet. Sehrish probably has your clothes in there."

He again pried her face off his neck, to give her several more kisses. "Tell Anna to call Leanne," he commanded. "Have her give you Leanne's number too."

Teek nodded with vigorous agreement, sending her ponytail flying. "Why?" she asked as her head bobbed.

"I lost my phone, but I know Anna has Leanne's number. Since I live with her, if you call her, you can talk to me."

Teek leaned far back to look at Hank in the face. "You live with Leanne? Rio's friend?"

Hank nodded. "And with Rio, too. She's my PEP Genius sponsor."

Teek gave him a congratulatory kiss. "So you really are a Genius? Oh hooray! And at what?"

Hank made a face. "I still don't know. At getting people to like me, I guess."

"At getting girls to like you."

She unwrapped her feet from his waist and used them to push at the wall, getting her butt off the ledge. With her arms still around his neck, she tried to steer him towards the outside door by dancing on the tips of her toes.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as she was unable to make him move.

"Take me home with you. I want to live with Leanne."

He laughed "And Rio, too?"

"Yes. Everyone. I don't care. So long as it's not here."

Her grabbed her butt to hoist her back up his body, getting her to again wrap her legs around his waist. They kissed for many long moments.

"You tell Anna to call Leanne and also to come home. Everyone is worried."

"Okay." Teek said, again nuzzling.

"You know, she sometimes comes over and lives with me, too."

"Anna? You live with her and Leanne?"

"Sometimes. And Rio, too."

"You live with three other women?"

"If she brings you with her, it will be four."

Teek thumped her body against Hank, with her ankles locked behind his back. "Yes! Yes!" she sang as she thumped. "Take me home with you right now!"

He got her to stop humping him by grabbing her head with both hands, plastering it with kisses. She grabbed his head in kind, to take her turn at doing the same.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" she sang, kissing him while resuming humping.

Rio surprised Hank at the door when he returned to her flat by wearing a sleek silver robe that barely covered her thighs. Her hair was again piled high on her head, this time teased into a bun on the side. She held it in place with an ornamental clasp sporting big blue and white satin flowers. Smaller blossoms made of acrylic hung from the clasp on beaded strings.

She stood a respectful distance away with her hands in the sleeves of her robe. Bowing low, she greeted him with her eyes on the floor.

"Konichiwa, goshujin. You are home."

"Okay," he said slowly, blinking in amazement. "And you look ready for bed."

She giggled. "Hai, but not yet. It is early."

She approached taking tiny steps. Her eyes never left the floor as the acrylic blossoms in her hair tinkled like wind chimes. She gestured at the foot stool by the door and after he sat down, she lowered herself to her haunches to replace his boots with a pair of house slippers.

"Leanne stepped out for a moment," she said as she labored. "We have the place to ourselves."

"That's nice."

Still at his feet, her eyes rose to meet him. "You remember I have dendō dangan. I want to use it for you."

"Yeah," he said with concern. "I kinda don't know what that means."

She smiled coy and rose, letting him peek in her robe. At first he thought she was naked, but he then saw the tiny strings of a red bikini. As he stood, she never moved, and their bodies gently brushed. She giggled again and took his hand, scampering with him into her Japanese bath, her blossoms tinkling like crazy.

"Okay. Hold on," he said, shaking her off. "You also said you wanted to get me sticky and wet, and tie me up or something.

"O shibari retai," she said, reminding him of her words. "Watashi. Me. I want to be tied up."

Hank nodded with understanding. "And then, who gets sticky and wet?"

She held his hands and looked down. As she looked back up, she placed their hands above her breasts.

"Nameru gi. Lick and suck. To shaburu." She rose on her toes and closed her eyes, begging for a kiss. "If done right, we both get wet."

He lifted her up by her sides, bearing most of her weight. "You're naughty," he said into her mouth.

"Mmm," she moaned deep. "It keeps me sane."

He gave her a squeeze and put her down, looking around the room. "When then, we'd better find some rope, because you're acting crazy."

With luxurious content, Rio reached up and behind her head, gripping the doorway between the receiving area of her bath and the shower room on the other side. Conveniently placed high on both sides of the wall were two sturdy towel hooks. She grabbed one in each hand and hung, letting them support her. Her skimpy robe slid up her torso, revealing an even skimpier bikini bottom.

"In the drawers," she said, referring to the rattan desk. "Bring them here."

Hank opened the top drawer. "Bring what here?" he asked.

Rio reached down and untied her robe, revealing her bikini top. "Everything. Bring it all."

The top drawer held mostly soaps and creams, like the ones she had used to give him a bath. The bottom drawer held toys, including a variety of sashes and ropes.

"Well this looks like fun," he said, pulling out a ridiculous pink cat o' nine tails.

Rio peeped at the sight of it and joyfully turned around, hiking up her robe and grabbing the towel hooks to expose her honeyed bum. He obliged her with some gentle love slaps, as she danced on her toes from each one. He put the whip back in the drawer and pulled out a decorative box, heavy with what lay inside. Still holdng onto the hooks with her butt facing Hank, Rio looked over her shoulder to see what he had found. He opened the box and revealed a string of four weighted ben wa balls, each larger than the next, all held together with a nylon cord. The final ball ended in a most convincing plug shape.

They seemed huge. He held them up to inspect them.

"Do you actually use these?" he asked.

Rio wriggled her butt, asking for a few more slaps. When he began tucking the balls under her bikini bottom and into the crack of her ass, she turned around and stopped him.

"I do have a girlfriend," she reminded him. "Sometimes she plays too."

Hank examined the balls again. "Ah. Yes, I see. These look to be Leanne's size."

She took the balls and slapped his hands as punishment for his rude comment. After putting them back in their box and then back in the drawer, she whipped off her robe and attacked, practically tearing off his pants.

"I will bite you if you don't get naked," she said as she played.

He stopped her with a look of concern. "I don't know, Honey Cup. The last time we played, you tried killing me."

She released him and hung her head. "I was consumed with black. The evil tore me to shreds."

I remember.

She kept her eyes on the floor. "How did it not tear you?"

"I don't know. I'm strong. It didn't affect me at all."

She stepped forward and pressed herself to him, keeping her hands and her gaze to herself.

"That woman at Milton's I saw? The one who killed herself with grenades?"

"Yes, my sweet?"

"She put black in me too, but I didn't even notice. Then while scuba diving with Odeya, another man stole it from me."

Rio looked up with soft eyes. "A man took your black? Willingly?"

"Yes. And he took yours too. He took all of it."

"He will use it to kill."

"That's what Odeya says."

"Well there's nothing we can do."

"I disagree. I think I can help if I to talk to him."

Rio grew stern. "He doesn't know what happened. If the black finds you again, it will finish the job it sent me to do."

"I disagree again. I'm not afraid at all."

She clutched at him with fluttering hands, until he held her tight to make hold her still. "Dōzo, goshujin. I am begging. Can we forget about RMing for a while? With Milton gone, I have no one."

He leaned back to look down at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"He is the one I would turn to. So strong and sure of himself."

"I'm pretty stong. I'm pretty sure."

She squeezed him tight and smiled. "Hai. That you are. And better all the time."

"Thank you. And what about Odeya? You know—instead of Milton. I know you talk to her."

"She can be sometimes harsh."

Hank agreed. "And also Aika?"

"Hai. She is easy. I call her all the time. She visits me like a dream."

Hank thought about sweet, silly Aika being inside Rio's head. "I bet that's fun. Have you done so lately?"

"No. Because mahoutsukai is there."

"Mahoutsukai? You mean Anna?"

"Hai. I keep tabs on the witch."

"She is not a witch. And how do you know she's there?"

Rio placed Hank's hands on her temples. "Remember my ball of worms?"

Hank winced. "Let's go back to calling it string."

"I'm not letting her out of my sight. Even when she can't see me, I know where she is."

"She got PEP Tested again and found out she's a Dot. She may soon spy on you."

Rio purred, happy to have her head in Hank's hands. "Mmm. Good luck. I've Prevented worse than her."

They held each other in silence for a while, until Rio spoke in a small voice. "Can we please go back to playing? I swear I have no black. You hold me in your hands. I know you've at least peeked."

"Hai, Honey Cup. Yes I have."

"Look again, only deeper. I'm so happy with you. I know you'll never hurt me, and I'll fight with my last breath for you."

She placed her hands on his, and together they held her head. Her mind opened so bright and quiet that at first it seemed barren. Then, as he got used to the light, he saw her little girl heart, beaming for him like the sun. Space and time rippled like heat waves, making things surreal and serene.

Eternal. Faceless. Endless. I could stay here forever.

I will never leave. Your heart is with mine.

Rio returned to fluttering her hands and dancing on her toes, making her blossoms chime. "Oh please, my sweet. Tie me up." She teased as she play-acted, lowering her voice to a rumble. "I've been so very bad. Teach me a lesson!"

He laughed while squeezing her butt. "I dont know," he said as he waffled. "That's not my style."

She pried his hands off her ass and pulled his shirt up and over his head. With his face and arms trapped inside, she quickly pulled down his pants.

"I will make it your style," she said in her rumbly voice. "Now take off these pants or I'll knock you up and take them where you lay!"

He guffawed into his shirt, at her mangled metaphor as much as at her antics. "Do you want my underwear, too?"

"I'm not gonna bite your ass with you in them."

Hank's eyes lit up like candes as, after he became naked, Rio did exactly that. She gnawed on his butt cheeks while on her knees, hard enough to make them clench. All the while she massaged his penis from between his legs. Once done with chewing on his butt, she crawled on her hands and knees to the drawer from the desk that held lotions, pulling out a bright gold tub covered with words written in Katana. Walking on her knees, she retrieved from the other drawer three electric bullet vibrators—one silver, one gold and one black—each attached to a long cord.

"Dendō dangan," she said. "They're for me."

"I see," Hank said as he stood before her fully erect. "And the jar?"

Rio grinned. "Boner cream." She gave each little vibrator a twist to turn them on, then crammed them deep in the jar. They buzzed mightily until she slapped on the lid, keeping them from escaping. Just before locking them up, she scooped two fingers through the tub and brought out a glob of cream.

She approached Hank on her knees. "And this, my sweet, is for you."

She started at the base of his shaft, gently running her slick fingers around his entire scrotum. She gingerly approached his butt hole, rimming it with a bit of the cream. Then she worked his rod with full force, watching his face turn red.

"Hoo boy," he gasped. "That's hot stuff."

"It tastes good too!" she exclaimed, before nipping and licking his inner thighs. "And there's plenty more. But now it's my turn!"

She scrambled to the rattan drawers and fished out two soft cords, each bright green and two meters long. Rising to stand, she threw them at him, forcing him to catch them. She grabbed a towel hook in each hand and splayed her legs with her back against the door frame.

"Tie me up, you big dick," she demanded. "Have your way with me."

Hank did as he was told, being rough because he knew Rio liked it. "How can you lick and suck me?" he asked. "Your face is way up here."

She snarled and snapped her teeth, acting as if to bite him. "Maybe later you tie my feet and hang me upside down."

"I can't do that!" he scolded. "You could die!"

"Do it! I fucking dare you!"

He played with the strings of her bikini top, now with her at his mercy. "You need a muzzle," he said as she continued to snap and snarl. "You're too dangerous."

"Yeah! Yeah!" she snarled. "Stuff my mouth! Stick your dick in me!"

"Ha ha. I'm not doing that."

He went to the rattan drawers and found a nice big ball gag. She fought him as he tried to insert it, almost taking out one of his eyes with the beaded strings of her hair clasp. Having had enough, he grabbed her by the throat, making her gasp and hold still. He quickly shoved the ball gag in, then secured it to her head with four velcro straps.

Rio's eyes grew wide with false fear as her nostrils flared while she breathed. "That's better," Hank said relieved, and happy to have peace and quiet.

He calmly removed her bikini top and played with her boobs for a while. "You're so pretty," he said while she growled. "I'd really rather have your hands free to help me play with these."

"Fuck you!" Rio burbled.

"You know, I can't do that either, because you're so darn short. I mean look at this."

He stood between her legs, to show how his penis was nowhere near her crotch. She responded by grabbing the towel hooks and whipping her legs up to his neck, resting an ankle on each of his shoulders. She scooted and shimmied about, until her crotch was in the perfect place.

"Well look at that," he said with admiration.

He grabbed her legs and threw them off, then fetched the big tub of cream. He wagged a finger at her before loosening the lid.

"Put them back up here," he said of her legs.

She complied and he unscrewed the lid. The vibrators bounced around inside like giant jumping beans. He grabbed one by its cord and removed it, clamping the lid back on the jar. The vibrator dripped on her belly as he held it high before her, her eyes visibly dilating.

"This little guy goes here," he sang as he tucked it in her bikini bottom. She growled and squirmed mightily, nearly knocking him over. "Stop it!" he scolded, slapping her breasts to make her behave.

He then tut-tutted most plainly. "I can't see a thing," he said before untying her bikini bottom. "There we go!" he cheered, tossing it aside. He stuffed the little monster in, using two of his long fingers to get it in as far as he could.

That was it for Rio play-acting. She writhed and moaned with so much ecstasy that Hank had to make sure she didn't faint. Once he was certain she wouldn't, he fetched a second vibrator and stuffed that one in her too. He carefully positioned the cords to make sure the toys remained deep inside. He watched them slide in and out of her as her vaginal muscles pumped on the vibrators.

Before she lost all strength in her legs, he retrieved the final bullet, screwing the tub shut and tossing it in a basket. He held this one in his teeth by its cord and, as it dripped cream on her, he hoisted her ass nearer to his face, relieving the pressure she was under from having to hold herself up. He manuevered his head to line up the vibrator with her pussy, then held her in place with a single hand spanning the small of her back.

"In she goes!" he exclaimed, slapping the vibrator in using his free hand.

If Rio were not gagged, her screams would have wakened the dead. Hank had to let go of her legs, as she was going to break his neck from kicking and thrashing about. She hung helpless from her bindings and twitched, grunting harder and faster.

"You okay?" he asked as he watched.

She got her eyes to stop rolling around in her head and focused them on him. They filled with love as a vibrator plopped out, buzzing around on the floor. He grabbed it and gave it a twist to shut it off. She began dripping ejactulate, forming a puddle between her legs.

"Holy cow," Hank said as he watched.

With a grunt and a squirt and a shove, she ejected a second vibrator, along with a gush of fluid. She wrapped her legs around his neck as he bent to pick it up, drawing his face to her crotch. Nearly biting through her ball gag due to the throes of ecstasy, she launched the final vibrator at him, along with a geyser of liquid, soaking him from head to toe.

With this final ejaculation, she was done. She hung from the towel hooks, limp and spent. He carefully untied her and cradled her in his arms, sitting with his back against the door frame in the puddle she had made.

"Kirisuto," she gasped after a minute, when she was able to speak. "Christ. You're good."

He pet her hair, making her blossoms tinkle. "And we didn't even have sex." he said with a laugh.

She gave his neck a python aqueeze. "My sweet. Maybe next time. I promise."