Invasion of the Hypnosnakes! (Chapter 4)

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After Remy's little mishap, the hypnosis club crew worry about how to keep themselves safe and hidden. But close quarters can bring about uncomfortable questions~.

A bit of a break in the action, focusing on character interactions and more consensual lewds... but still with plenty of hypno fun!

Story and characters (c) AnubusKiren


Day 6, 11:30am...

The Saint Gerald's University hypnosis club gathered around a television set displaying a freeze frame of a now familiar black-scaled naga. To say that recording this horrible hypnotic message had been difficult would be an understatement, but the local hypnosis enthusiasts had somehow managed to resist the naga's allure long enough to get it done. Now the face of their enemy lay bare before them, in all his serpentine glory. Yet, if he was to be believed, he was only the commander of the invasion--a leader of the local forces, answering to a higher power. Surely there was some manner of supreme leader of the snakes, perhaps up in orbit above Earth, or possibly even light years away. The entire prospect of defeating them seemed as far off as the serpents' home world.

Gone was the serenity of the past few days, replaced by a growing sense of dread. Three other students had wandered outside the same night Remy had, but were luckily intercepted by the others once word had spread of what had happened. One had gone to the parking lot and set off a few car alarms, while the others simply stood outside with their radios on. None had managed to quite match Remy's spectacle. Oddly enough, aside from a few scout ships flying over, there hadn't been a response from the serpents. Time would tell whether this was good or bad news.

Remy sat on a nearby couch, arms and legs tied with rope, and two of the stronger guys remaining in the school sat on either side of him. Not that it took much to restrain the lithe boy, but they weren't taking any chances. While all eyes studied the still frame (mostly devoid of its mesmerizing qualities while not animated), Remy kept his averted, a mix of shame, embarrassment, and unease settling in his gut.

"You guys really don't need to keep me tied up, you know." the jackalope grumped. Just having been the serpentine invader's slave for a few minutes had been violating enough. Now his own friends had him in a rather compromising situation.

Lizzy turned back to him for a moment, sympathy and suspicion equally mixed into her gaze. "Until we're sure there's no trace of brainwashing left in your mind, you stay tied. Sorry hon."

"I'm telling you, all he said was to reveal everyone to the snakes. I did that. Sorry again, by the way. Everything after that was just... 'wait until we come find you'."

"And when we're sure of that, I'll gladly untie you myself. Until then, deal with it." the cat turned back to the screen, brows furrowed in thought.

Beside Lizzy sat a veritable pile of tails attached to a stunning kitsune, her sunset-colored fur shining under the artificial glow of the common room's ceiling lights. Yuriko, formerly the resident troublemaker of the club, now cautiously studied the image before them, her usual kimono replaced by a more practical tank top and shorts. Her soft yet confident voice rose to interject. "From what I managed to watch, the instructions are quite clear. Remy might have a point."

Vic piped up from under the vixen's maze of tails, having buried himself there to ensure he wouldn't chance a peek at the video while it played. "Yeah, but even you started to sway a little while you watched it, and you have the strongest willpower out of all of us. These guys have tech way beyond ours. Who's to say there isn't something subliminal in there?"

"Also true. It'll take multiple viewings for me to be sure." Yuriko gave her forehead a weary rub. "And that will take time. Needless to say, it'll do us no good if I were to fall under their control. I'll have to space out my examinations."

"Which means..." Vic began as all eyes turned back to the irritated Remy.

"I stay tied up for a long time." the jackalope grumbled with a roll of his eyes. "Well! I hope someone's down to feed me. And help me change my clothes. And join me in the shower."

"Wouldn't mind that last one myself." Yuriko remarked with a purr. Uncharacteristic seriousness returned to her tone shortly after. "But perhaps you and I should remain separated while I examine the video. In fact, I suggest everyone who saw it be kept separate, in case Victor is right about subliminal influence."

Remy sighed. The three other victims of the hypnotic broadcast had been tied up as well, so it wasn't like he'd been singled out. Not that knowing this chafed him any less. "This isn't the kind of bondage I'm accustomed to."

"So who's gonna watch him then?" Kaji spoke up from across the room. He'd been a little too sheepish to even look at the paused image on the screen, lest he succumb to further temptations with the snakes' hypnotic abilities. "Someone capable, but also someone he'd be comfortable with."

Lizzy looked around the room, searching for the gaze of any who might volunteer. On a normal day, perhaps, she'd find plenty, but apparently the idea of guarding a potential turncoat turned people off to the feminine jackalope boy. "Well," she began with a shrug, "Vic and I can do it. We're sharing a room now, and we can just grab my old bed and put it in Vic's room."

"So much for privacy, huh." Vic grumbled.

"It's my protocol. I should be willing to take responsibility. Unless you'd prefer I room up with Remy alone?"

"And pass up on snuggling you up every night? No thanks."

"Good." Lizzy smirked. The way to Vic's heart had always been plain and simple. "Any objections, Remy?"

The jackalope shrugged, slumped in defeat against the couch. "If it has to be anyone, I'd prefer someone who isn't gonna fuck with me. And you guys have always been cool."

"Then that settles it." Lizzy clapped her hands together, rose from her seat, and sauntered over to run her fingers through Vic's hair. "It's not forever."

"It'll feel like forever." the silver tabby grumped, but ducked his head into her affectionate touch all the same. The two had roomed up following the fireworks incident, and the rest of the campus largely followed suit. Having roommates again was just safer now that their position had been revealed, as it'd ensure at least one person was aware of any hypnotic ambushes taking place. And while Lizzy may have turned Vic away in the past, she'd become more receptive to his advances in the days following the invasion. The destruction of society as they knew it turned out to be great inspiration for lowering inhibitions. That, and she could more easily keep an eye on the tabby, who found himself so easily led astray by a nice pair of breasts or a plump set of cheeks.

Remy, on the other hand, was generally well-behaved, hypnotic broadcasts aside. The jackalope had no shortage of suitors on campus, but he'd remained largely uncommitted, so there wasn't any awkwardness involved with him sleeping in Vic and Lizzy's room. Hell of a smooth talker, that slender jackalope, and a great dancer. He'd even convinced Lizzy to put on a belly dance outfit once or twice, though the details were somewhat fuzzy. Lost in the moment, perhaps. Maybe if they managed to get through this, she'd give it another try.

With the matter of Remy's momentary incarceration settled, the campus doled out the day's lunch rations, organized the patrols and watchmen for the day, and discussed the harsh realities of hunkering down during an alien invasion. Food would eventually run out, and utilities such as electricity and fresh water might be compromised, depending on how ruthless their enemy was. So far, the survivors had cause to hope that water from the sinks and cool air from the vents would continue to flow--if the snakes hadn't taken out these key infrastructures yet, then they probably didn't mean to deprive their victims of these basic needs. Analyzing their behavior so far, their intent was clearly to capture without doing harm, and causing death by thirst and heat stroke would fly in the face of that method. A small comfort muddled by the truth of being live prey for whatever these serpents intended for humanity.

If their commander, Seros Averin, was to be believed, then this was a mission of mercy, albeit of the strangest sort. Being hunted by mind-controlling snakes was hardly very uplifting. If they truly meant to share their society with mankind, they clearly meant to do so as shepherds, and not as equals. Perhaps it wasn't so strange after all in concept; rarely did explorers journey to distant lands with the sole intent of enlightening the indigenous folk already settled there. Even spacefaring races had their colonial streaks, apparently.

The discussion tapered off as more and more people dispersed. Lizzy and Vic went to move her bed to Vic's room, and Remy was kept under watch throughout the day. The jackalope didn't bother to argue further against having his hands tied; as long as people were willing to walk him around the campus, he'd be content enough with his situation. Not that there was much to do. Classes had been canceled indefinitely, and while some of the clubs kept up their activities, attendance was at an all-time low, and much of the daily grind had been replaced by building up defenses and limiting the area the students and staff had to cover.

In other words, he was bored. More bored than he'd been the day before, even. Remy welcomed the moment when Lizzy and Vic decided to return to their room--the two football players assigned to guard Remy were as dull as they came, and about as intellectually stimulating to converse with as a wall. Finally passed from one set of guards to another, Remy settled in on Lizzy's old bed while she and Vic would squeeze into the tabby's. By the time they'd finished dinner, the sun had begun to set, and everyone on campus had started to feel the weight of the day's labors on their weary bodies.

"Hope you don't get too lonely over there." Lizzy joked, setting down a book she'd been idly browsing while they lounged in near silence.

"Ah, I can always sneak over while Vic's not looking." Remy teased back, earning himself a half-scowl from the male cat. Even with his wrists tied together, arms held up by the headboard, he had plenty of ways to cause trouble.

"Do it when he's sleepy enough and he might not realize you're a boy."

Vic gave Lizzy's ass a swat, bringing a yelp from her lips. "Yeah, pull a legendary trap on the straight guy in the room. Awesome." he grumbled. "Not my fault femboys exist."

Lizzy smirked. She rose from the bed, stretched wide, and gave the base of her fellow feline's ears a quick scratching. "No one's trapping anyone, don't worry. But I do need you to keep an eye on him for a couple hours."

"What? But it was your idea to watch him!"

"I need to patrol again tonight, since I got... distracted... last night." Lizzy cleared her throat. Was that a hint of red under her cheek fur? "It's not for long. Colette will be up to relieve me soon enough."

Vic groaned. "Well then let me go patrol. Don't leave me here with the why-boner."

"If I let you go patrol, you'll stop and flirt with every girl you see. Nothing will get done, and people will be mad."

"That's..!" Vic raised a finger to protest, but his arm went as limp as his counter-argument would have been. "...fair."

Lizzy swept a hand through her hair and sighed. "Look, I'll sweeten the deal for you. Watch Remy for a couple hours, and I'll sleep in my underwear tonight."

The tabby hummed and steepled his fingers in contemplation. "Mm, mm. Yes, I see. No bra?"

"Sure. No bra."

"Deal."

Lizzy beamed, quickly bounced over, and kissed his forehead. "Great. See you in a couple hours. Behave, you two!"

Out she went. Vic reclined back on his bed, only to frown at the sound of snickering.

"The 'why-boner', huh?" Remy grinned, giggling devilishly.

"Oh shut the fuck up. You know what you are."

"I do, and I love it." Remy crooned, gazing across at Vic, eyelids fluttering. "And you wanna know what else? I think you love it, too."

The tabby scoffed. "Listen, just because I've had a few uncomfortable cases of mistaken identity in the past, doesn't mean I've ever considered swinging for the other team. I like women."

"You," Remy instinctively went to extend his arm and point, but only succeeded in tugging at his restraints. The jackalope groaned, then pointed with a toe instead, stretching out a long, toned leg, "like femininity."

"I don't see a difference."

"Oh! Oh really! You, who took a sneaky picture of my ass while I was dancing, then went red as a tomato when Kaji told you I was a guy, don't see a distinction between women and femininity!" the jackalope jabbed his foot in Vic's direction, toes scrunched up except for the biggest in a humorous attempt at pointing accusingly. "I didn't realize there was a comedian in the room."

"I didn't KNOW!"

"And that's the POINT, you dingus!" Remy rolled his eyes. "Ugh. Vic, I'm not trying to tell you who or what you are, but I've dealt with a lot of boys who thought they were straight as an arrow until they met me. What's holding you back?"

"Nothing! Nothing's... holding me back."

"You really don't sound so sure."

Vic clammed up for a solid minute, averting his eyes. He shifted uncomfortably before finally speaking up, "Why are you?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you? You fuckin'... feminine guys!" Vic rose from the bed and stomped over to Remy. "You confuse my stupid horny brain!"

"Oh. Oh!" Remy laughed, only to be met with another glare. "Well, we just... are! I mean, yeah, I worked on this perfect feminine form of mine, but ideally you have to be born with the right bone structure and--"

"No, you fucking--I mean why do you have to strut around all... all..!"

"Go on, say it..."

Vic practically choked on the word. "HOT!"

"And there it is." Remy smirked. Moving swiftly, he locked his legs around Vic's waist and pulled the now flustered kitty closer. Vic's face stopped mere inches from Remy's, and he sat there, frozen in place by so, so many strange feelings. "Doesn't it feel better to admit how you feel?"

The tabby stammered, his voice a meek whisper compared to his normal boisterous shouts. "I dunno..."

Remy tugged at his restraints, then sighed. "Can you... untie me please?"

"What? I dunno man. You know what Lizzy said."

"And you know that I am absolutely no threat to you, nor would I be even if I was under that creepy snake's control. You aren't even half as big as those guys she had watching me before, and you could snap me like a twig."

"I... well..." Vic mulled it over. Some of his confidence had come back, at least, as evidenced by the frown curling back into his lips. "If you try anything, it won't be me you're gonna regret crossing."

"Yeah, I know, Lizzy will twist me into a pretzel. Now come on, my arms are sore as fuck."

Another moment of hesitation came and went. Vic reached over Remy's head, fumbled with the rather intricate knot Lizzy had made to keep his hands bound, and undid the ropes with the help of some deft claw work. Remy rubbed his wrists and winced a little, then slowly, very gently put his arms around Vic's shoulders, guided him closer, and pulled the cat's head against his chest.

"Thank you, hon." the jackalope crooned, the earlier naughtiness gone from his tone.

"Yeah... well..." That thought went nowhere. Vic took a long breath and even started to relax a little. Remy's nails gently combed through his hair and neck fur, and the cat quietly purred. "I grew up in a pretty macho family."

"Yeah?"

"Mmh. Most of the guys are military or firefighters, something along those lines. My dad's ex-Navy. He could put you on one shoulder and me on the other, and still run a marathon."

"Damn." Remy smirked. "Can I meet your dad?"

"Oh shut up." Vic rolled his eyes as the jackalope giggled. He sighed against the other boy's chest. "Bet they're all fighting."

Remy's tone lost its teasing edge. "Naturally you're worried about them."

"Everyone's worried about someone right now."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make our individual struggles worth any less." the jackalope sat up straight and ushered Vic onto the bed with him. "So... tell me about them."

The tabby hesitated. Thinking about family wasn't the easiest thing right now. At any given moment, anyone he mentioned could be marching off toward one of the collector ships. An unsettling thought, to say the least. "Mom was Air Force. A pilot, actually. And my brother, he's a firefighter. I've got cousins and uncles in law enforcement, Coast Guard... And here I am, learning to... program."

Remy scoffed. "So because you aren't putting your life on the line, you're somehow not as good? Is that your mindset?"

"I dunno, man." Vic breathed out a quiet sigh. "It's not like they ever made me feel that way. I guess I just feel like I'm breaking tradition. Here's this long line of tough guys and badasses, and then there's the nerd leaning over his PC." He continued, throwing his arms up in defeat before letting them go limp again. "And they're all married, or close to it! Hell, mom and dad are your typical American love story: High school sweethearts, married in the middle of college. It's a bit demoralizing, knowing you won't live up to that."

"Oh, hon." Remy cooed and slipped an arm around his shoulders. "You're applying an outdated standard to yourself! Have you looked at the world around you lately?" A quick pause, and he corrected himself: "Before the whole alien snake thing, that is. Who gets married anymore?"

"A good number of people, actually."

"Yeah, and divorce rates are through the roof, kitty." the jackalope poked his tongue out. "My point is, what's good for your parents won't all be good for you. Just do what feels right!"

A moment of silence hung in the air, heavy with self-reflection and just a hint of tension. Vic snorted, "Doing what feels right is what made me accidentally grope femboy ass in the first place."

They laughed, and Remy put a gentle hand atop Vic's. His deep green eyes met the feline's own golden hues. "Sooooo. What feels good right now?"

That tension in the air pulled taut. Vic held his breath, and Remy watched a thousand thoughts cross the other boy's mind in an instant. Vic gulped quietly before finally answering. "I... you know, I have a thing for Lizzy."

"I mean, duh. What else is new?"

"So this is just... experimenting."

"Of course, hon. No strings attached."

With no words left to waste, Vic dipped his head forward. He waited... then angled his head one way. Then the other. And then back again. Remy, with a playful eye-roll, slipped a hand around the back of the tabby's head, pulled him in, and sealed the cat's first gay kiss. There was a brief struggle, but when Remy released his grip, Vic didn't pull back. He held the kiss, breathed out, and went in deeper. His hands found purchase on the jackalope's waist, and Remy's nails gently combed across his lower back.

"F...fuck." Vic huffed when he finally pulled back. His cheeks burned, heart thumped hard, and everything seemed to tingle.

"Good?" the jackalope purred.

"I dunno. That was... different." Vic's hands explored the curve of Remy's midsection, brushed over his soft tummy, and appreciated his perfectly-groomed fur. "But not... too different."

Remy gave him a teasing smirk. "It's really not. And I didn't infect you with The Gay either."

"That really wasn't my concern."

"Uh huh." he hugged the grumbling tabby and crooned a tantalizing word into his ear: "More?"

"Y...yeah..."

"Good boy." Remy practically felt Vic's cock twitch without even touching it. Slowly, the two boys relieved one another of their shirts, and Remy took the initiative; tiny kisses tiptoed their way down the cat's collarbone to his chest, where soft lips found their mark. Vic hissed with pleasure, his nipples stiffening quickly while the jackalope's tongue lashed over them, the teasing flutters sending electric waves through his nerves.

"Annh... Fuck..."

"Lizzy never do this for ya?"

"I never really asked her to..."

"You should." Remy huffed a warm breath against Vic's chest and switched to the other nipple. "She won't know what you like unless you communicate."

Vic snerked between the little moans he allowed himself to make. "It's not like we have sex a lot. Usually just when we do hypnosis sessions."

"Well still, tell her next time." the jackalope purred as he kissed his way down Vic's chest, over his soft tummy, and between his legs. Deft fingers unfastened the other male's pants and freed his firm shaft, all the while watching his gaze to ensure he didn't cross any boundaries. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah." Vic huffed, eyes wide. His fingers tangled in Remy's hair, nails lightly scratching the boy's scalp. "Go ahead..."

Remy didn't spare a second. A warm, wet tongue slithered along the tip of Vic's shaft, and a moment later his head dipped forward, his velvet-smooth maw engulfing the feline's cock. Remy crooned and purred around that length as he slowly bobbed his head, coaxing all manner of hot sounds from Vic's throat.

"Oh my fucking... nnfff..." the cat huffed and panted, his fingers combing through Remy's hair. He quickly lost himself to the pleasure, sitting there moaning with Remy's head between his legs. Who could have thought a boy's mouth could bring such lewd sounds from his lips?

So lost in the moment were the two boys that neither noticed the door slowly opening, and Lizzy's voice announced her presence before they opened their eyes to see her gawking. "Oh... my god."

"L-Lizzy!" Vic frantically pushed Remy's head back, and the jackalope huffed, licking his lips. "It's... exactly what it looks like, but not in the way you'd--"

"Oh for god's sake, Vic, relax. I knew you were bi even before you did." Lizzy rolled her eyes, then sauntered forward and gave her fellow feline a hug. "I just wasn't expecting to walk in on this. It's... pretty hot."

"Wait what?"

Remy grinned. "I knew you had a voyeuristic side, Lizzy."

"Oh you hush. You're the instigator of this, I imagine?"

"I mean duh."

"So that means you definitely tricked or manipulated Vic into removing your ropes." the cat suddenly had a dangerous smile on her lips. "Bad boy. Guess I'll have to punish you."

"W-Wait, wh--" the words died on Remy's lips as Lizzy brought her phone screen to his eyes. There was the video of the glider, its eyes beaming pure hypnotic bliss into the camera lens where it had been recorded. Remy's eyes quickly began to mirror the pulsing colors as his thoughts drifted away. "W... wait..."

"Nope. I'm horny now and you're gonna indulge me."

Vic shifted uneasily just a foot and a half away from Remy. "Uh... whatcha got there, Liz?"

"Oh, you haven't seen it yet." Lizzy purred. She turned her phone in Vic's direction and held it up to his face. "Take a good look."

Just like Remy, Vic's eyes went wide. He tried to close one, but far too late. Both eyes stayed open, staring helplessly into the serpent's glowing eyes. "L... Lizzy you... where did you..?"

"Kaji."

"Of fucking course..." The maelstrom of colors flowing into his mind was far too powerful to resist. Unlike Kaji and Lizzy, he'd never seen more than a glimpse of the snakes' hypnosis. Having it right in his face like this, even through a shoddy cell phone video, absolutely melted his mental defenses, and he quickly began to relax.

Lizzy took her time going back and forth between the two boys, ensuring they didn't have any time to awaken from the sudden blast of colors. "So, Vic... Did Remy try to convince you of anything other than your sexuality? Or untying him?"

"No..." Vic's voice came as a far-off breath, his body slumped against the headboard of the bed, eyes transfixed upon the video while it was turned his way.

"Good boy." she praised him with a quick ear-rub, then turned the footage back to Remy, whose eyes widened attentively. "And do you feel any loyalty to the snakes at all?"

"No." the jackalope slurred after a moment.

"Good! Man, I should have used this way sooner." Lizzy shrugged. "But now that I have your attention... it's time for some fun."

One quick command had the two boys clumsily wriggling out of their clothes--what little Vic still had on, anyway, and Remy's tank top and shorts. Lizzy sat between them on the bed, the hypno-video set aside as she busied her hands with their cocks. The boys moaned sleepily as she teased them, fingers squeezing and caressing their lengths, the horny cat girl's cheeks flushed bright red.

"Fuck, I thought I'd only ever dream of something like this." she huffed, her thighs squeezed firmly together. If only it hadn't taken a hostile alien invasion to enable this particular fantasy of hers. "Okay... Come here, boys."

Lizzy trembled with delight as she undressed, clumsily wrestling her clothes off and throwing them aside, then guided her two playthings to her chest. It took little coaxing to have them suckling on her breasts, their tongues flicking and swirling around her stiff pink nipples. The athletic feline mewled and whimpered, her fingers tangling in the boys' hair, hips swiveling slowly as she rubbed her thighs together. "Good... Good boys... You're loyal to me. Not the stupid snake on the screen."

The pair of hypnotized boys murmured their agreement, dutifully worshiping their Mistress's breasts. Every minute or two, Lizzy would deprive them of their prize and show them the video again, just to ensure they were nice and deep for her. This wasn't the slow burn hypnosis she was used to practicing; the near-instant fixation, the powerful thought-suppressant, and the blissful pleasure that simply gazing into those swirling eyes brought, was something else entirely. The tool of an invader looking to enslave them all... and she liked it.

There would be time for guilt later. Lizzy had her playthings reposition--Vic behind her and Remy in front. She took hold of the jackalope's cock and stroked it firmly, while simultaneously grinding her firm, shapely ass against Vic's crotch. "Good boys. You've been so obedient, so loyal... So it's time for a reward. For being such good toys, you get to spitroast your Mistress."

She couldn't get another word out; Remy's cock pushed into her maw, and Vic railed her from behind. Lizzy's groans and mewls went muffled against the jackalope's invading shaft, which she happily swallowed down to the hilt, while grinding back against Vic as he humped her. Such a compromising position--or it would have been, had she not been in control. A couple times, she tried to speak up and encourage them or give commands, but each attempt was gagged by Remy's dick. Proof enough that further commands were unnecessary.

Vic gripped her ass firmly, and Remy's fingers tugged through her hair. The cat's first threesome was something straight out of a fantasy, her whole body tingling and trembling, muffled sounds joining the mindless moans of her hypnotized thralls. It didn't take long for the two to show signs of nearing their limit, their thrusts becoming more desperate, more intense, their breathy sighs and whimpers rising in pitch.

Lizzy was in no position to deny them their release. She held on, deepthroating Remy's cock and slamming her ass back against Vic's hips, all three moaning aloud as the boys hit their climax nearly simultaneously, and Lizzy followed soon after, a trio of pleasured sounds ringing within the soundproof walls. Lizzy finally managed to get her head free after swallowing Remy's first load, getting a second spurt of seed on her cheek as her reward. "Ghhk... Okay, okay... Stop. Good boys..."

The trio collapsed into a pile of moaning, mewling bliss, toppled atop one another, limbs tangled in their haphazard sprawl. Post-climax clarity slowly began to set in: Once again, she'd used a tool of their enemy for her personal pleasure. Was it okay to do this? Was she just as bad as they were? Vic and Remy snuggling up on either side of her calmed that thought for the moment, and she nestled in between their soft bodies. It took some time for the pair of boys to come back to their senses, but eventually the awareness began to slip back into their expressions, and they began to mumble and question their little tumble in the sheets. Lizzy smirked, having mostly dismissed her worries for the present. "Have fun?"

"I sure didn't have 'male-male-female threesome' on my bingo card." Vic mumbled, his eyes now clear of the enslaving colored rings. "But you know... I didn't hate it."

"Not that you had a choice." Remy giggled on Lizzy's other side. "How long has Kaji had that video? And why..?"

Lizzy snorted a laugh. "Do you even need to ask why? You know what he's about."

"You, too, apparently."

"Yeah... well..." Lizzy blushed. She slipped an arm around both boys' shoulders and huffed. "Sorry about that. I guess I should have asked."

Vic shrugged. "I mean, you've always known I'm open to you doing hypno stuff on me. Just uh... never been quite like that." the cat squirmed a little bit. "So that's what it feels like when they get you. It's... really good."

"Yeah, it's... a thing." Remy added, his own cheeks flushed.

Lizzy's toes curled just at the thought of those flashing colors. She sure hadn't forgotten her little experiment with Kaji. "We really need to make sure this place looks abandoned for a while."

"Is it not odd that nothing has come this way? No gliders, no big naga soldiers? Just a few scout ship fly-overs?"

"Maybe we got lucky." Vic mused. "They flew by and didn't see anyone outside."

No one dared to debate it further, lest they invite further misfortune. The nightly patrols would continue, as would the lights-out and headphone enforcement. If the snakes had truly passed them by, they sure couldn't afford to give them a reason to return. But for now, Lizzy had two cute boys to snuggle up with, and she wasn't about to let the end of society ruin that for her. The three of them dozed off, blissfully lost in the moment and, at least in sleep, unconcerned with matters outside their control.