The Zappers Club
Part 1
In a place just a little left of normal time and space, you can find Kersi's. Most find it by accident when taking a highway with a number which can be divided by four just at dusk on Wednesdays when the air is completely still. There are, of course, other ways to find it.
Kersi's, also known as Kersi's Hall or Kersi's Pub, sits on the edge of a road labeled '416' by bright, metallic-blue signs. The road itself is quite smooth and takes travelers to their intended destination twice as fast if they don't stop.
But, if they do stop, they will find the soft-gravel parking lot nearly full. There will always be at least one spot left.
The building, two stories tall and similar in style to old west American architecture, is painted red with accents of blue. Large, saloon-like windows cast a soft, pale light, especially once dusk settles into evening. The entrance to Kersi's is almost in the back, through a silvery door which seems to barely contain the light leaking out from within.
Don't bother checking for hours. Kersi's is always open.
----
The walls played an old song as Kersi pushed back her long, reddish-brown hair and yawned, her arms resting on the counter.
She wore a wide, pink fedora, with a black band, pushed back on her head over a crest in her hair. She had on little blue gloves which covered the palms of her hands but left her fingers exposed to rap a stubby nail on the wood of the bar counter.
Aside from her hat and gloves, the colors on the rest of her clothes were subdued. A white, buttoned-up sleeveless shirt. A pair of gray suspenders which edged around the peaks of her chest and attached to her tan, corduroy pants.
Kersi bent her head down so it almost touched the counter. The main bar stood before her, empty.
She knew Fridays were always the quietest, but the bar was rarely empty. Usually someone would be over by the pool table, wagering whatever could be bet, not realizing she made sure all wagers, no matter how ridiculous, were always kept. She chuckled to herself when she remembered the young CPA who "bet his balls" he could sink the nine-ball.
And the pinball machine. Usually some teenagers who tried to pass themselves off as older than they were would play a couple rounds, clueless that it wasn't your typical machine but rather a device which revealed your true self in how you played it.
Tracing a finger in slow circles, Kersi pondered new ideas for drinks. Something for the experienced drinkers who smiled and said, "Give me something I've never experienced."
The song ended with a long trill on a saxophone. The room gently changed colors from the mellow blue across the walls and the little handle lamps of a moment before to a warm, golden wash. A few of the lamps shifted, as though flowers taking in the new light. The new song was a big band classic. If there were customers, even the quietest beer nurser would be motivated to smile a bit more and say a random word to a stranger.
The shift did nothing to bring in customers. She considered changing the polish on the little tables. Maybe more reddish paneling on the walls.
Still, it wasn't as though no one was about. The dining hall had a handful of guests. A few were ambling about the store, none noticing which items were marked with Nuhaizi logos. And, of course, Lady Mirstra in the concert room, who could sing a tenor/soprano duet with herself, had plenty of listeners.
But no one in the bar. No new visitors for some time. No curious, nervous little faces peering in and marveling at her little place. Which was two inches bigger on the inside than the outside.
She considered pouring herself a dancing soda to watch the little bubble people twist and twirl in each other's arms. The door creaked and opened. She glanced up too quickly and her fedora nearly tipped off.
In the doorway stood a teenage girl with long, fuchsia hair past her back and a large, purple bow at the end. She smirked. Kersi had completely forgotten the Club was meeting tonight. With a squint and a thought, she set up a small banquet hall.
The teenage girl was dressed in a pale-pink kimono which ended at her ankle. A large satchel the same color rested on her hip. Despite the soft sandals she wore, her feet slapped loudly against the wooden floor. Her large, jade-green eyes met Kersi's metallic-blue ones and she said, "Hello. The others should be along soon. Is everything prepared?"
Kersi smiled, tipped her fedora back with a quick thumb, and noted, "All set, as usual, Katsumi. Any special orders tonight…in any sense?"
hnIWm9y.png [https://i.imgur.com/hnIWm9y.png]
Nakagawa Katsumi (Mecchen House) (Art by HandofMidaz )
Katsumi leaned by the counter and pressed her lips together. "So long as there are plenty of targets and tea, I'll be happy!" With a smile, Kersi passed a cup of Katsumi's favorite tea to her from behind the counter. Katsumi sipped and nodded before heading down the hall and through the doors to the banquet hall she'd requested.
It wasn't too long after Katsumi left that the next member of the Club showed up. Her hair was long to her shoulder and jet black like heavy ink. The silky, green dress she wore nearly reached the floor. Its low scoop-neckline accented her significant figure, which was quite the opposite from Katsumi's. Although Kersi knew well never to point that out.
The Club member's dress had soft, gossamer sleeves which stretched nearly to her small hands. The area around her eyes was painted with the same, icy-blue color as her long nails and wide lips. Kersi admired the color. It was nearly the shade she favored.
With the bottom of her dress sweeping up, the woman smiled a slight smile and said with a soft, almost-quiet voice, "I hope I'm not late."
Kersi shook her head and gestured down the hall. "You're fine, Cassandra. Katsumi just arrived and I assume she's only now setting up."
L2LF3Gj.png [https://i.imgur.com/L2LF3Gj.png]
Cassandra (Art by Ian Samson)
Bringing her hands together, Cassandra gave a blue smile. Little embers of flame curled between her palms and danced along the opening. "Lovely. I was tempted to bring a few of my girls but they were quite tired after their lessons."
Kersi gave a quick frown. "Aw. I'd love to see them."
Cassandra bowed her head gently and promised, "Next time. I know Maike would enjoy it. Though she's still ever so shy about going out in dresses. The dear….she's been a little girl far longer than she was ever a man."
With a nod, Kersi asked, "Anything you'd like to eat or drink?"
Resting a finger with light flames aside her cheek, Cassandra told her, "Blue wine and a bit of chocolate cake."
Bowing her head, Kersi had already conjured up the order to be delivered shortly.
As Cassandra left to join Katsumi, Kersi wondered if she should listen in to the festivities. Instead, the front door swung open and she watched the next member of the Club enter.
This one carried a massive bag over one shoulder to rival even Santa's sack. She staggered and set down her cargo near the counter.
She panted and smiled at Kersi. "Hi! Got new stuff. And I'm sure none of my new inventions will explode this time. …At least, fairly certain. There's never a way to absolutely know. That's why experiments are needed."
With a slight giggle, Kersi answered, "That's fine by me, Gloria. I recently had the banquet room explosion-proofed."
2KDxqbm.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/2KDxqbm.jpg]
Gloria Peizo (Art by Aisaku)
Gloria's deep-brown eyes lit up. "Excellent. That means I can bring out the really big ones."
Kersi gave a slow sigh but smiled. Gloria was a head taller than her with a lean form. She was dressed in her usual way with a long, white cloak which looked much the same as a lab coat. She had what looked like fuzzy-blue pajamas underneath with a soft, loose top, and pants drooped around her legs and pooled at her feet. Her hair was a silvery color which looked less like it was graying rather than it was always that way. It stuck up, especially in the back, like the feathered head of a strange bird. Her shoes, as always, were made of a lumpy block of foam. She'd told Kersi long ago that she was experimenting with a kind of spray-on shoes. They looked more like Gloria's feet were encased in silly string.
Stolen story; please report.
Leaning back, Kersi rested against the wall and asked, "Food and drink?"
Gloria took much longer than the others to think it over. She analyzed the menu, though she knew it by heart. She circled a pasta dinner and a plate of calamari for food and a sparkling orange juice for a drink. Then, she added, "I'd like to get the usual 'to go' for Arjuma. You know…sardines in lime sauce and chocolate."
"Of course. I'll make sure it's ready before you leave."
Kersi helped with tugging the sack the rest of the way into the room, where Katsumi had already laid out a few guns and Cassandra was playing with a little ball of flame in her hands.
After that, some normal guests arrived. She even put in a few quaint video games and made the most enticing one a top-down plane shooter. And there was an adventure game to the side which offered special roles for those so inclined.
Several stayed around the bar as Kersi started mixing the first drink her guests would soon ask for. She loved the looks on their faces when she passed them just what they were about to order.
Following a few rounds of quiet surprise, the door swung open again. It was the new girl who had only been with the Club the last few times. She was tall with narrow, almost-boyish hips. Her figure was still more evident to Kersi than Katsumi's. She had a broad but sleek-looking forehead. Her hair, tied up high and close around her head, always captivated Kersi because it never seemed to exist as a single color. Sometimes, under certain lights, it appeared a golden blond like wheat in the evening. Other times, she perceived it as a rich auburn or nearly black, with the texture of healthy soil.
Kersi noticed that her cheek had the leftovers of a bit of mud. Naturally, Kersi suspected she never wore any kind of makeup.
Upon her back, she wore a quiver full of arrows and a long, sloping wooden bow. Her eyes had the silvery glow of the moon as she looked to Kersi and bowed her head slightly. Kersi bowed her head in turn and asked, "How are you, Cynthia?"
"Tired but a good tired. I chased my last quarry over many miles in the hunt. He eventually fell to my arrow…and in his place rose a new maiden of radiant beauty." Her voice was both strong and tender at the same time.
Kersi gave a little smirk. Cynthia's green tunic dress hung loosely on her to the knee. Her worn sandals were lashed in many loops around her ankle and caked with dirt. In many ways, Kersi couldn't help but see her as Cassandra's tomboy little sister.
At Kersi's question of what she'd like to eat, Cynthia answered quickly with her usual, "Amber wine and nectarines."
Before she left, Kersi reminded Cynthia, "As always, I would appreciate it if you leave some of the men outside the banquet room…as men. For me, at least."
With a calm face, Cynthia bowed again and said, "I shall endeavor to that. For you."
Still listening, Kersi knew Cynthia would come upon a severely drunken old man who would take a liking to her and offer some poorly-considered words before she made it to the Club meeting. The distant sound of a bow being drawn didn't surprise her.
That left only one regular member, so far as Kersi knew. The youngest one. It didn't take her long to show up. And she didn't arrive alone.
Through the door stepped a slender girl slightly younger than Katsumi. She had a lean, angular face with short, dark hair cut close to her head. Her outfit was a bit like a jumpsuit and bright pink enough to turn a few eyes. The surprise for Kersi was her glasses. They were big. Wide, encompassing domes which literally looked more like the ends of bottles than glasses. For a girl Kersi knew depended on lithe skill, speed, and eyesight, it wasn't at all what she expected to see (although she soon intuited why they were there). After all, she preferred to go by the name "Lynx".
0V74omI.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/0V74omI.jpg]
Lynx (Art by MysticSwordsman)
She also didn't expect to see the even younger-looking girl following behind Lynx. Kersi knew what she was. But she didn't feel alarmed. This Aibora certainly didn't worry her. She had gloves on, after all. And she looked far more submissive than the usual ones. A patron or two did notice the massive size of the Aibora's eyes and her long, blue hair that nearly hung down to her feet. She had on a pretty, silver dress as well. The colors made Kersi smirk.
Lynx said only, in a flat voice, "Special guest. I'll watch out for it, keep it tame, and not let it do anything strange."
Kersi raised an eyebrow and repeated, "…'It'? Does this little one have a name?"
With her head down, the Aibora softly told her, "Siana, ma'am. Sorry…"
Dipping her fedora forward, Kersi eyed Siana and said, "That's a lovely name. Now…Miss Siana…do you promise to be a good girl and not cause a cute, mini-apocalypse inside my establishment?"
Siana's massive, greenish-blue eyes looked up at Kersi and she nodded quickly. This wasn't enough to settle the patrons who were edging away from her, but Kersi would make sure to give them her reassurances later.
"In that case, have fun. What will each of you be eating tonight?"
With only a moment's thought, Lynx stated, "Beef udon and carrot juice."
It took the Aibora a little longer and a quick glance at the menu before she said, "I'd…please…like candied apples and grape juice."
That taken care of, Kersi wished them both a wonderful evening. With all of the Club assembled, Kersi made sure the orders were in and the events for the Club's meeting could be properly arranged.
She had a bit of curiosity about how it would go this time. But she had a whole place to look after and it seemed like a few betting men in the bar were starting to get ideas.
----
Back at the banquet hall, Katsumi had already unpacked. At the center of the table she was using, she laid the "zapper". It looked the same as an old-fashioned laser blaster from science fiction serials. She'd painted parts of it pink and lavender from its original gunmetal gray. Aside from the zapper there were her myriad of attachments in all shapes and sizes. Her teeth glinted as she looked down at them.
Cassandra came over for a glance and to comment, "Oh the toys you like..."
Katsumi whirled around to look and glower at Cassandra. She paused to sip from her tea. "As I've said before, they're not toys. They're tools. Only they're not enough to bring down all mankind. Not yet."
Leaning back, Cassandra mused, "Let's assume you got what you wanted. No boys at all…anywhere. Any universe. What will you do then?"
Katsumi rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "It's not as though I'll get there any time soon. But I've given this some thought. After the euphoria passes, I'll enjoy a totally female society and what comes of it. For the rest of my life, knowing I accomplished exactly what I wanted. And I'll make sure all those girls know their true maidenhoods."
Resting a hand on her chin, Cassandra declared, "Well then. You really have given this some thought…"
Katsumi sighed. "I get asked it enough! Everyone wants to know…what then?...bah. This is my life's work! And I will keep at it till every chest has breasts and every form is soft!" Katsumi's voice echoed in a way which almost demanded a fancy stage and a massive Venus mirror-bearing flag behind her. It even seemed like she had more to say, but the arrival of Gloria and her bag diverted her attention.