While Hank and Rio showered together, Leanne rapped on the door. "Hurry up, you guys," she said, leaving before they could ask why.
Rio exited the bathroom first, wrapping herself in a towel. While drying his hair in his boxer briefs, Hank found her sitting in Leanne's big chair in the living room. She wore a glower on her face he knew all too well. He placed his towel round his neck and entered the room to stand beside her while looking towards the front door.
Leanne peeked out from the kitchen. "You guys want somethimg to eat?" she asked. "We're starved!"
Standing just inside the flat, in full view of everyone, was Anna. "It smells delicious," she said to Leanne, before turning her attention to Hank. "But first you guys need to put on pants."
Hank struggled to think of something to say, taking in what he saw. Anna wore a tulip skirt with ruffled edges breaking at her knees. It was tight enough to have come from Aika and colored a creamy yellow, with streaks of muted pink. It made her look like an inverted flower, complimented by the fact that she wore a forest green crop top t-shirt, big enough to have come from Sehrish. Rather than her hair sporting its signature long flowing look, it was instead piled high on her head, with three Japanese hair sticks keeping it in place. Strands stuck out haphazardly, and her frazzled appearance was furthered by a face full of red PEP Dots.
None of this is what kept Hank from finding his voice. Sagging heavy in Anna's arms was Aika's giant cat, Carolus. Anna let go of it as it squirmed. It trotted up to Hank and rubbed itself on his legs.
"What's the matter, Sweet Tea?" Anna asked, her voice bright but her expression serious. "Cat got your tongue?"
"Well, no. Ah… I didn't expect to see you."
Anna slung her purse off her shoulder and placed on the table next to Rio's and Leanne's. "I fail to see why," she said. "You've been looking for me."
"Yes. Well, what I meant to say is, I didn't expect to see you here."
"I went to Aika's and picked her up!" Leanne called out from the kitchen.
Hank walked to where Anna was standing in order to speak to Leanne. "You saw Aika?" he asked. "How is she?"
"I don't really know," Leanne said, distracted by her cooking.
"I met her downstairs," Anna clarified about Leanne. "I also hear you invited Teek to come live with you."
"You're letting people move in with us?" Rio snapped at Hank.
"No. Of course not," Hank said in his defense. "She's scared, that's all. An airplane did crash at her apartment. It's horrible over there."
"Humph," Rio grunted, leaving the room to get dressed.
Now alone with Hank, Anna became animated. She spread her arms out wide, inviting him to take her in.
"Look at me!" she cheered. "I'm a Dot, just like you." She pushed him to make him walk backwards, until they were in a corner where Leanne was less likely to eavesdrop. "I've learned a lot from Aika about what it means to be a Dot."
"Okay," Hank said warily. "And what exactly is that?"
Anna approached close. "Why don't you tell me?" She breathed hot in his face. "You're the expert here. At least, that's what Aika says."
"How is she anyway?"
"Scared, just like Teek."
"I seriously doubt that. Nothing ever scares her."
Anna stole a glance at Hank's body. He smelled delicious and ready for tasting, after having used Rio's fruit scented soaps and lotions.
"You know," Anna said lustily, "I'm really not hungry for food."
"Back down, Tsun Tsun Ma," he said with a smile to his pet.
She responded by snapping her teeth. Their game was unable to continue, however, as a vicious hiss came from Carolus. It had found Bumbles sleeping in a bed Rio had made for the dog in her room, and chased the poor mutt from it. Rio responded in kind, chasing the cat from her room and slamming the door behind it.
"I'll bet your clothes are in there," Anna said, as she noticed Hank's pile of luggage no longer sat in the hall.
"Except for the ones I'm wearing," he quipped, referring to his boxer briefs.
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"I think you look just fine!" Leanne exclaimed from the kitchen.
Hank disagreed. "Leanne, if I may. I'd like to borrow your robe."
"Sure! You know where it is," she replied, busy making egg rousong.
Hank headed into Leanne's room, with Anna on his heels. He glanced at her over his shoulder as she followed him into Leanne's walk-in closet.
"I love this part of our game," Anna said, a serious look again on her face. She kept closing in until there was nowhere for Hank to go.
"Anna, please. We can't make out in here."
"Who said I wanna make out?" She feigned being surprised. "I just like watching you dress."
"I'm only putting on a robe."
"Hmm," she huffed, adjusting his lapels. "Well, I also like seeing you undress."
"I'm not getting naked in here."
"Oh yeah?" she countered. "And who says so, slave?"
"I do, Tsun Tsun Ma. As my pet, you must first do a trick."
Anna responded by curling her hands into paws and hopping on her toes, making her breasts inside her too-big top bob up and down ferociously. She stuck out her tongue and panted as Hank held back a laugh.
"Okay!" he said, grabbing her shoulders to make her stop hopping, as Leanne's closet was too small for such antics.
Anna only hopped harder. "Did I win? Did I win?" she asked.
"You win," he said, giving her a hug and a kiss.
"So you owe me naked time," she countered, kissing him again.
Hank steered Anna out of the closet and stood with her by Leanne's bed. "I'd like to talk about being a Dot," he said to change the subject.
She responded unexpectedly, twirling around in circles. "Oh my God! It's so nice!" She grabbed him by the shoulders, a wild look in her eyes. "You never told me being one was such a wonderful prize."
He made a sour face. "I didn't think that it was. Not at first, anyway."
"But you do now, right? You believe?"
"Believe what?" he asked.
She twirled again. "That being a Dot is special. We're very special people!"
"Well, that's what some people say," Hank muttered to himself.
Anna looked him straight in the eye, dipping her head low to get him to raise his gaze from the floor. "I know Aika showed you things, just like she showed me. I know how to see people dream!"
Hank averted his gaze again, this time looking past Anna's head. She continued staring straight at him.
"No," she said convincingly, knowing what he was thinking. "I didn't spy on your dreams."
He managed to return her gaze. "There are other things Dots can do."
"That's why you took me to the house of that billionaire friend of yours, isn't it? He knows what Dots can do."
"Milton?" Hank confessed. "Yes. You're right."
"So show me, Hank-sama. I command you."
"I can show you how to make the Dots on your face disappear."
"Iie iie! I don't care! Show me something better!"
"Okay." He took a deep breath. "Close your eyes."
He placed his hands on her temples and entered her mind. Inside her, it was a carnival. Bright white glass-eyed stallions pranced as calliopes played. Strongmen did feats and acrobats tumbled, while dragons flew high overhead, trumpeting like elephants whenever they breathed fire.
My God, girl. Calm down!
I can't! I'm so excited!
He took her to the bazaar, like the one where she and Leanne had shopped while laughing at the clothes. Tapestries abounded, entrapping them in color. The Hindu god Shiva danced upon them, twirling like a dervish while thousands called out his names.
Mahadev! Ashutosh! Natraja!
His arms split as he danced, first in two, then four and then eight. He reached out to embrace Anna as the thousands chanted one name.
Rudra. Rudra. Rudra…
A flame flickered near Anna's face, flitting as if alive. It grew to embrace her as well, until Hank appeared, enshrouded with her in the flame, and in Shiva's arms.
Anna he said as they kissed.
Hank let go of her temples and Reality returned. He smiled as she blinked and stuttered.
"Did you… just… kiss me?"
He tapped one of her temples with love. "No. I just said hello."
She danced again on her toes, her breasts bobbing with might. "Do it again!" she cheered, grabbing at his hands to try to put them on her head.
"It kind of freaks me out," he explained, resisting her advance.
"Well, I command you, slave!"
"Anna. We're done playing games. I'm sure the others are wondering what's taking so long for me to put on a robe. Plus, I'd rather put on pants and a shirt."
Anna huffed. She turned on her heels to storm out the room, but stopped when she heard Carolus yowl, and Bumbles snarl in kind.
"Get off my chair, kuso neko!" Rio hollered at the cat.
"What going on?" Hank asked as he entered the living room.
Rio only glowered, having reclaimed her spot in the big chair. "Oh, they're getting to know each other," Leanne said with glee, referring to the cat and the dog.
Bumbles slunk up to Hank, seeking sympathy and protection, as Carolus stalked it from behind. Hank crouched to be at the dog's level, staring at the cat to make it back off.
It sat on its butt and returned his stare. "We have to keep you two separate until you can get along," he said to the pets.
"Where's mahoutsukai?" Rio asked.
"Who?" Leanne asked, as Hank looked at her bedroom door.
"Anna," he explained.
He entered Leanne's room with her not far behind. When they found it to be empty, they entered her home gym. Still seeing no sign of Anna, they went through the door connecting it to Rio's bath.
"It smells like a barn in here," Anna groused, rummaging through the top drawer of the rattan desk. She examined the soaps and lotions, pulling out the bright gold tub. "Use for male and female enhancement," she read, translating the Japanese. "Achieve giant success!"
She eyed Hank with disdain. "Is this what you guys were doing? Achieving giant success?"
"Ah…" was all Hank could utter, as Anna unscrewed the lid to the tub. She sniffed its contents.
"Be careful with that," Leanne warned.
"This is what I smell," Anna confirmed, scooping out a big glob.
Rio entered the room from her half of the apartment, glowering at Anna while saying nothing. They stared each other down, until Anna pulled open the hem of her skirt and placed the hand with the glob of cream inside her panties.
"Oh dear," Leanne said with a grin as Anna's face turned as red as her Dots.
Anna clutched her crotch, trying not to whimper as her lips drew to a tight line. She used her other hand to hold the first one in place, grasping herself on the outside of her clothing to keep her juices inside her.
Leanne approached with care. "It's going to get worse," she warned. "You used way too much."
"Mmm," Anna cried as her eyes began to water.
Leanne showcased her weightlifter strength by picking Anna up and cradling her like a baby. She carried her into her bedroom, leaving Hank and Rio behind.
"You two go ahead and have dinner," she said as she passed. "I'll take care of this."