Archive of Our Own ^beta

I was advancing too quickly. 

I should have done something about this the moment the A-team position was offered, but I let it get so far as an offer from both executives. My tools were impressive, but half of what I had to work with was disposable or depended on a disposable resource.

I was certain that if the company saw an ‘A-rank Darkness that might turn S-rank’, they’d just throw me at it. 

Before it came to that, I needed a permanent solution to raise my survivability. 

Therefore, I needed to raid this little gift shop.

There were a lot of Darknesses that ended up in gift shops, so I lingered around its gloomy corners for a while, but it was all perfectly mundane and honestly a little chintzy. 

-          How long must we linger in such a tacky environment…My Friend, surely you aren’t looking for furniture?!

‘Sorry, Braun. I’m done. It’s here.’

A little glass medical tube that carried a pair of black dice.

The cashier looked confused, clearly not recognizing the strange bauble, but I had pasted a 3000 won sticker on the side. The sale went through without any issues. 

Next, a private place without any people within a fifteen square metre space. 

It took about ten minutes of walking, but I found an abandoned lot with excellent visibility. I could easily check sure there weren’t any other people around. 

I must be the only person to enter this Darkness.

-

Locked Boxcar

:A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>

:Daydream Inc. identification code Qterw-D-512

A pair of black quartz die with gold leaf pips that will always roll pairs. Once rolled, everyone within 15 metres of the roll participates in the Challenge Game. For each person, a new challenge must be met.

-

The danger of this Darkness was its capacity to scale.

If you roll alone, you only have to complete one challenge: Trial of Achievement. The player must simply meet the clear requirement to escape. 

But after that…

Two players. Trial of Subjugation.

Three players. Trial of Blood.

Four players. Trial of Destruction.

Five players. Trial of Agony.

Six players. Trial of ■■.

…The final trial has never been identified, because no group of six has ever been recovered. 

It was an excellent horror story that relied on the power of imagination. The exploration records were curated to balance the fear of the unknown with interesting interpretations of each trial.

For example, the three-player Trial of Blood could be… ‘each player must feed their blood to another player’.

However, it could also be, ‘each player must cut out their own liver in offering’. 

No number was truly safe, and even if you rolled a ‘safe’ challenge, chances are the other challenges would make you experience something horrific anyway. I had a lot of good memories with the cartoony party game based on this story. 

…But I was alone.

A single player only had to worry about clearing an extremely basic challenge. Things like blood, torture, destruction, killing…are all ‘themes’ introduced with more players. Therefore, as a single player, those themes will be absent. My challenges will range from ‘draw a picture of a sheep’ to ‘run from wall to wall for five minutes straight’.

Which is to say: a completely horror-free Darkness, on the level of a Twilight-class!

-          Goodness, Friend, you've come across such a wondrous find! This is making me nostalgic for game shows of timeblocks past…

Even though a single entry was technically harmless and I was only doing it to reap the rewards, a part of me wanted a satisfying challenge, considering I’d have an audience…No, considering the kind of audience I had. It was a very game-show-like premise. Sure, he had no problem airing quiz shows where the contestants always knew the answers, but Braun was always hungry for good material.

The die rattled noisily in my fist. Something moderate and fun, moderate and fun…

The black cubes rolled from my hand…

And stopped. 

⚁⚁

…?

This is…A hard four?

Before I could even look around, I was suddenly sitting in a room covered wall-to-wall in red curtains. 

Sure enough, the only exposed wall was made of solid black quartz, with those dreaded titles carved and painted in with gold. 

| TRIAL OF ACHIEVEMENT | TRIAL OF SUBJUGATION |

I spun around in circles checking the curtains for lumps, but they all lay flat.

I clearly rolled a pair of twos…

…So who was the other person who joined the ‘game’?

-          Oh my goodness, have the stakes escalated? How thrilling!

Braun.

The die counted Braun as a participant!!

I clutched the pink rabbit plush in my pocket, despondent. It hadn’t even occurred to me that inviting a part of the legendary TV host would mean he was technically present. Only I could interact with him, after all.

Okay. Let’s stay calm. There were very few activities a plush rabbit that could only move around when my eyes were closed could participate in. It might not be so dire. 

The Trial of Achievement, the least dangerous command…

[1 hour of coitus]

…How?

Not that it wasn’t horrifying to see a command that’s been abused in countless porn comics on social media, but is that even possible to do with a keychain?

-          How obscene!

As if on cue, my good friend joined me in my horror.

-          It’s being quite presumptuous, isn’t it, Friend? …Normally I could take us to a more desirable set…But alas, this form is sorely lacking!

My scalp prickled with dread. The reason the level of violence escalated so drastically was because the Boxcar always stuck to a single topic. Organs, torture methods, all macabre things one could do to the bones in one’s hand…

I glared at the space where the next prompt would appear after the first prompt was finished. ‘Moderate and fun’ took on a whole new meaning for me. 

-          Sigh…Well if needs must!

Said with such theatrical resignation that I couldn't help but wonder if he truly couldn't do anything. Commenting on it would be more trouble than it was worth.

“Thank you for your great sacrifice. But how exactly would one perform ‘coitus’ with a plush that doesn’t even fill one hand?”

-          Hm? Roe Deer, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten? I can walk on my own two feet…so long as you turn your eyes away.

The prickle of dread dropped like a bead of ice down my spine.

It was true. It wasn’t just that he could move around when I wasn’t looking. Ever since the last bloodbath, hadn’t I heard things like drumming fingers and heavy footsteps? Hadn’t he been casting increasingly long shadows?

But.

“You haven’t been able to touch me. Even when not looking, it was only the rabbit…”

-          Very true, very true, my good friend…I’ll need to exert a little more power, if you want to escape this frightful situation!

Another bloodbath.

I reached for the tattoo with shaking fingers. In order to interact with Braun…in order to meet the requirement of ‘coitus’...

My hand stopped.

Can I do this?

It’s embarrassing to admit this even to myself, but I’ve never had sex.

It wasn’t as if I was a prude, I mean, I didn't have a problem with a casual hookup, but this situation wasn’t exactly casual, was it? I was being forced, and not only that, I had to do it with a ghost story? Not just that, with a plush toy…no, a shadow cast by a plush toy! Would proximity affect contamination, or would the plush keep that from happening? Did Braun even know how to enter the human body without tearing it apart from the inside?? My entire body clenched in revulsion at the thought. 

-          I can hear your thoughts running around in circles from here, Friend. Rest assured, this process will be as formal and painless as possible. I would never put my dear friend through unnecessary strife! But some discomfort may be unavoidable, I suspect. 

That wasn’t reassuring.

I bit the inside of my cheek and took out the bloodbathtub before I could think any better of it. It landed heavily on the thin carpet. My meagre survival pack of bottled water and rations were emptied in the bathtub.

My thumb ran over the silver ring. I probably had it to thank for my ability to approach this situation rationally, but even if I wasn’t panicking, the whole situation was skin-crawling.

Only an hour. That was all. And while it was true Braun’s mindset as a ghost story resident was completely alien to me, he was also obligated to act in my best interest.

It was embarrassing and sad to admit, but…if I had to have my first sexual experience with anyone, thanks to the doll and the trust built over our months of partnership, Braun was the least risky.

I cut my hand open and let blood seep into the bathtub. The coppery smell swiftly turned to familiar aromatic oils.

After a moment, I decided that if he was already manifesting so clearly, he wouldn’t need much more to touch me. I wrapped up my hand and plopped the little pink rabbit into the tub.

-          Ahhh…And here I was waiting for a special occasion. Though, is this not quite the special interaction we’ll be having?

Please don’t make me think about what I’m about to do…

I sat cross-legged on the floor with my back to the rabbit.

“Tell me if it works.”

…Though sitting like this is making me self-conscious. The lip of the tub pressed into my lower back, making me think of the sound of his hard plastic fingertips on the table.

That was another problem. Normally, people having sex had pliant flesh. The most popular sex toys were silicone. Would this even feel any good?

[Anticipation after a plot twist is a wonderful feeling, but if you overthink it, you may rob the reveal of its impact!]

I shivered at the sound of Braun's voice and unconsciously turned my head.

[Ah-ah! You've only filled out a shadow. I'm afraid if you look, there will be nothing there!]

Even so, I felt enormous gloved fingers brush over my neck, making me flinch. The faint high-pitched sound of electricity running through a CRT TV filled my ears, a presence in itself. I stared firmly at the curtains just ahead as the fingers delicately took my tie and began undoing it, knuckles brushing against the delicate flesh of my throat.

A third problem. Can I even get aroused when I'm this scared…

[All that you need to do is stay relaxed. I will take care of the rest.]

Braun's voice was light and soothing, as if coaxing a feral animal. My tie fell open, and Braun lifted it to cover my eyes.

Am I seriously meant to relax in this situation. 

I could hear the water splashing, and a heavy foot coming down. Those gigantic hands took me firmly by the shoulders and guided me to the wall.

[And we don't even get a bed! How crass.]

The fact the room provided no props made for creative and horrifying exploration records. For example, a challenge to disembowl yourself when you have no tools to do so besides your own fingernails…

Ugh. I didn't want to think about this when there's a huge inhuman figure behind me.

Braun gently helped me out of my coat, and began unbuttoning my shirt. 

“Uh, just so you know, if you use enough force, with a big enough object, the organs will rupture…”

[My, what sort of brute do you take me for, my dear friend?! To continuously imply I'd do something so horrible, even with guidance!]

“Guidance…?”

[Why, I have you to tell me if anything goes awry.]

The shirt was peeled off, and my naked back pressed against the tweed fabric of his three-piece suit. He guided me down to sit against him.

Oh right…I communicated with Braun by thinking too. Obviously he'd be able to tell if he was doing something wrong.

“Sorry, I'm just nervous,” I sheepishly responded. 

His fingers coaxed open my belt, and I squirmed as the stale air of the room settled over my exposed legs. My stomach was twisting in knots.

Confronted with my imminent deflowering, my sincere feelings spilled out all at once. “S-Sorry, I've never- I've never done this before, so I'm scared. And since you're a ghost story resident, it's really intimidating, something might go wrong…”

[Sshh. Don't worry. I don't want my dear friend’s first ever experience to be a miserable one.]

For some reason, it felt like the stress on ‘friend’ and ‘first’ switched there.

[Think of it as exploring your body and your intimacy skills with a trusted friend. It will be my first time as well. We're learning something new together.]

Braun hadn't…?

Of course he hadn't. He was a ghost story resident who represented the ‘idea’ of a perfect host. No one would have been able to get close to the real deal, and sex wouldn't have come up beyond softcore gossip.

So we were technically both virgins…I finally relaxed into his chest, pointedly ignoring that the top of my head only barely grazed the underside of his television head. 

Braun had no interest or experience in this sort of thing. Therefore, we were essentially a pair of friends fooling around and experimenting. Since we were both men, it gave off the feeling of something you would do when getting drunk with a college roommate. 

I was still nervous at being forced to experience all of it at once, but maybe it wouldn’t be too scary?

Emboldened by my newfound calmness, Braun slid off my underwear. I was now only wearing socks. I wasn't sure if the garters I was wearing to keep my department store bulk socks from sagging at inopportune times were sexy or not. Well, it probably didn't matter, since an entity like Braun wouldn't be able to get aroused anyway.

“Alright. Let's do this before I lose my nerve again,” I shakily announced.

[And I shall be entering an orifice, yes…?]

Wow. A real virgin.

“If you…through the, uh, the anus…” I was beet red. “The prostate at the base of the part of the penis that's inside…if you press it…it's what, uh, gay people…”

For the record, this is the result of my melancholic web searching when I was seriously considering whether to confirm if I liked men with my college roommate. 

And yet I'm still a virgin. After all that, I didn’t have the guts to bring it up or to cruise while still enjoying my college years, and it remained an undiscovered mystery from then on. Instead of sex and dating, I would clock countless hours of overtime and read about countless incidents of dismemberment and madness in bed as soon as I got home.

Braun interrupted the bleak reflection of my youth with a noise of disapproval. [How…unhygienic. Are you sure you don't have any other orifices that might work?]

His fingers pressed suddenly on my tongue. The silky fabric had a slight texture against my tastebuds. My entire body seized up.

No way. Extending all the way through my organs is horrible, and it's scary, and for that matter, is travelling through my stomach juices and colon any less disgusting than the exit point which can be quickly cleaned out?

[Hmm…yes, I suppose yours is the most economic option.]

Something pressed against my hole. Something? Something?

“Braun, what—”

[Sshh. Just a bit of preparation.]

His arm wrapped around my chest, but something hard and slimy and thin like wires were pushing into me. I jerked back.

“It's not going to poke me, is it— how deep is it—”

[Only as deep as it needs to go.]

You said you wanted to fuck me all the way through half my organs though?!

I held on tightly to his arm — also rigid plastic, but radiating a strange warmth — and held myself taught as something squirmed inside me.

But it didn't reach very far, and just circled around in place. It was uncomfortable, and I was so tense my sphincter burned at being forced open, but nothing grotesque happened.

[See? Just a little cleanup before we start.]

Yet I couldn't relax until I felt the mysterious appendage finally slip out. The burn remained. 

“Wait…lubricant…”

[No need to be shy. You've prepared some wonderful material already, Friend.]

I already prepared…?

The sound of fabric sliding over a surface, and the splash of water.

My blood?

“Is it going to stay oil once it leaves the tub?” I ask sharply, fighting to squirm out of his grasp again. 

[It will.]

“Are you sure?”

[After a thorough massage, what you dried from my plush body was aromatic water, was it not?]

Strangely, I had a hard time visualizing what I saw that night. But I would have noticed if I was pulling out a doll dripping with blood, and I never had to wash Braun besides in the tub…

I could feel his arm returning, and snatched up his hand as it came closer. It was smooth ungloved plastic, just like the frame of his television, radiating a warmth like an electric heater. I brought the fingers up to my face and sniffed.

Chamomile and frankincense.

[I would not lie to you,] Braun said so softly his voice was absorbed by the gentle static hiss of his television. [And isn't it more fun to make things you don't know a learning opportunity? If I say something, it is because I'm sure of it. You can trust in that, Mr. Roe Deer.]

My breathing became shallow under the pressure of his sudden serious mood. I swallowed thickly.

“O-okay…”

And then, as if the heavy mood didn’t exist, Braun bounced me up further on his chest and hiked my legs up with his knees so I was splayed open.

[Now it's time to explore!]

His cheerful curiosity helped me relax at the first breach of his firm, warm fingertips. Thanks to the fact he was hard plastic, there was no friction whatsoever, and I felt almost nothing.

[Have you any experience in such methods, Mr. Roe Deer?]

“Oh, uh…sometimes, with the end of a ballpoint pen…”

Braun's finger swirled lazily, certainly a lot less eagerly than I used to do it. I was quietly grateful; I wasn’t sure I’d be able to speak if he were any more enthusiastic.

“...But I didn't really have the energy to use toys after work, and it's not like I had a pen lying around in the shower, so I haven't done it in a while…”

[In the shower? My dear Friend, have you been hiding yourself from me? How naughty…]

Twitch.

Huh? Did my dick just react to that?

“Uh, do you really want to listen to me masturbate…?”

[I don't want to miss a single moment with you! Am I not your closest and most intimate Good Friend?]

A full pressure built up inside me, stimulated with insistent movement, distracting me from seriously considering what he meant by that.

“Oh. You found it.”

[Here?]

Why is he asking when he’s been rubbing it the past few seconds?

Well, my reaction wasn’t too strong. I pulled myself up higher on his chest, and he secured me with his arm again. 

“That’s it. Right now it’s not so much pleasure as just…intense. I’m not aroused yet, so it isn’t as sensitive.”

[On the contrary.]

Two warm fingers — his index was still inside, so his pinky and ring — pinched my dick and slid up and down, accentuating that it wasn’t falling back again. I hesitantly reached out to meet them. 

Already at half-mast…

My face burned. Being aroused is the entire point of sex, but I got the strangest impression Braun was inspecting it thoroughly. I blocked what I thought might be his view with my hand, but his pinky didn’t stop running up and down my length.

“O-Okay. That’s good progress.”

[And you’re certain this will be the most pleasurable to you?]

“We can’t expect it to feel good right away. Men don’t normally come in their pants every time they get a prostate exam.”

He was doing a good job getting me there, though. The combination of his pinky and index finger working me was sending a shudder through my entire body that made my stomach clench.

As my breathing quickened, so too did his rubbing.

[And how big should the appendage be?]

“A cylinder about…two fingerspans is average…N-Not too long, please…”

It was an unexpected luxury to have my first time taken by someone who can make his dick to my exact specifications. What an ideal partner to experiment with.

[Then we’ll need to check if your body can handle two fingers, of course.]

He was even diligently applying what he knew about foreplay as he went. 

Well, he didn’t have any urges to act on, and was acting out of both obligation to a friend in need and alien curiosity. Applying what he knew was just part of the fun. While it’s not a perfect comparison, I’m more than aware of the euphoria of puzzling out a new challenge, and seeing people react positively to your performance.

“This is fun for you too, right?”

Maybe I said that too confidently…But Braun only hummed cheerfully in response.

[Of course! Isn’t it exciting to learn new things with a good friend?]

The second finger pushed inside. My nose wrinkled at the burn of the ring of muscle being pushed open. I had to seriously consider whether to grip his arm with my other hand or keep hiding my erection.

…I needed to relax, or it was going to hurt like hell. I tried to go boneless in his grip. He didn’t put the second finger all the way in, focusing on getting the muscles accustomed to the stretch. 

As I got used to it, there was a sort of relaxing, monotonous pleasure to it. A little boring, in a good way. I focused on breathing deeply and enjoying the internal massage. A bone-deep warmth settled in me from the mixture of both erotic and pleasant stimulation. Saliva pooled on my tongue. 

[Mr. Roe Deer?]

“Hmm…”

My head felt foggy.

And then, much deeper.

[Kim Soleum?]

My dick jumped, grazing the palm of my hand. I gasped, and my breath stuttered as Braun’s finger plunged in to press my prostate sharply. 

“Oh—!” 

[Are you ready?]

“Ye—yess,” I hiccupped. 

His finger pulled free, and he took the hand I was using to obscure his view with his two ‘clean’ fingers, bringing it just underneath me.

Hard plastic…

A cylinder made of hard plastic, warm like an electronic that had been left on for hours. His pinky guided my hand to wrap around it. I expected to enclose it in my fist, but it was thick enough my thumbpad rested on my fingernail.

“Wait, isn’t this too big? I said two fingers…”

[Indeed. The exact circumference of two of my fingers.]

Ah.

I couldn’t see him and we were lying down, so I hadn’t seriously thought about how enormous Braun was. At least a third bigger than an adult human, enough to become an extension of any set and draw the eyes of his viewers.

So ‘two fingers’ would also be…’a third bigger than the average dick’. 

[You seem surprised. Have you not been enjoying two fingers, just now?]

Oh. That’s true.

I could still easily hold it in one fist. My palm slid up to the top, feeling out the dildo-like plastic mold. The crease between the head and the shaft was smoothed out, like it really was just a sex toy.

“This is really well designed…”

[Why, thank you! A beginner’s attempt, of course, but I’m sure with a little market research I can think of something even more enjoyable. Stay tuned!]

So we’d be doing this again?

Well, that’s plenty of proof he really was enjoying this. Maybe I could blow off steam with him on the weekend.

Braun’s hand left mine, and his sturdy chest pushed forward against my back as he reached out. I could hear splashing again, and then droplets of water fell on the back of my hand. His fist came down, gently pushing mine out of the way to lather his lovingly crafted member with the bath oils.

He pushed it back towards me, and I obligingly raised myself to give him better access. The smooth, rounded head breached the tight ring of muscles easily. It was a wonder how uncomfortable the mysterious wire-like appendage was in comparison, even though it was thinner than one of my own fingers.

Gently, with as much care as possible, I was pushed onto his warm, thick dick. His natural electric heat filled me completely, exactly the right depth to massage the prostate without needing to move too much. 

My breath stuttered. Felt good…

[See? Did I not tell you this would be a formal and painless experience?]

His voice was low and heavy, yet I didn’t feel any rumble in his chest. Of course, everything he said was being broadcasted from the speaker of his television…

“Mmm…keep going…”

His dick pressed firmly inside, jolting my prostate before gliding the rest of the way through. I brought my hand back up to hide my erection as an afterthought, and let out a hiss at the sensation of pre-come beading at the top of my very full arousal.

 [Remember not to tense,] Braun murmured seductively.

Seductive—?

Before I could complete the thought, he dragged all the way out and plunged back inside, too gentle to call it ‘slamming’, but heavy enough it felt like I was being punched through. The stimulation shook up my body until I could feel the weight of it in my chest.

“O-Oh! Ah—”

He didn’t stop, but he did use a little less force. Just enough to fluster me, I could feel him grinding through my insides, driving in again and again, squeezing every nerve ending inside me. I could feel my hole convulsing with the effort of not squeezing around him. 

“Brau— Braun, that’s— ah, wait, Braun—” 

It was heavy. Stretching me to my limit, filling me with his warmth, putting so much pressure on my deepest parts of me. I gave up on hiding my arousal and gripped the arm wrapped around my chest desperately with both hands.

“Bi-Big—Braun, ah, it’s too, ah, ah, ohh, mmmh—”

[Rest assured. I will be diligent in avoiding any unnecessary pain.]

No, my head is a mess…it’s too overwhelming…

But I wasn’t in pain, so he carried on. My head was aching with my rabbit-fast heartbeat, as if I was dehydrated and running a marathon. Braun’s hand mercilessly returned to stroke my leaking erection.

He could see it, how my body reacted to his touch. He could see everything…static roared in my ears like the crash of a waterfall, drowning out my thoughts completely.

[I didn’t realize you could so easily succumb to such arousal…]

“Ah— ahh, ah, mmph, Braun, mm…!”

Shit. Was he hitting me harder every time I said his name?

Did he like that he could make me so vulnerable? Was he looking forward to making me crack all this time? Damn it, It’s too much, but I don’t know if we should stop—

No, we should stop.

“The one hour limit, Braun!” I gasped.

The static died out all at once, leaving my ears ringing.

Finally, both his hand and the dick churning through my insides stopped moving. 

[Ah.]

If he drives me too crazy, I’ll come right away, and if he keeps going through my refractory period, it’ll just end up painful and uncomfortable! I’m not a teenager anymore, it’ll definitely be painful!

[What an oversight! It appears I haven’t been thinking ahead…forgive my beginner’s mistake.]

I sagged in his grip. Braun began moving slowly again, rubbing my prostate lazily as he did with his finger. 

It’s still so hot inside me…Fuck…

[Hm? It seems the one who is having trouble calming down is Mr. Roe Deer…]

Don’t talk to me with such a deep and sultry voice. 

I wiped the drool from my mouth and let my head rest on his chest. To be honest, now that he stopped, I wanted him to touch me again, but that was just my urge to quickly chase down a good orgasm. If I got greedy, we’d have to do it multiple times in a row. I used all my bottled water on the bathtub, so it would kill me for real.

“How long has it been…?”

[Overall, half an hour. But twenty-five minutes were taken up by our diligent experimentation.]

It’s only been five minutes of sex? I was seriously going to die.

“Be very slow,” I ground out.

To his credit, Braun listened. He massaged my insides with his thick, warm cock, giving me plenty of time to catch my breath and cool my head.

It felt nice…and comfortable…

I nuzzled my head into the crook of his arm. Braun paused, and I rolled my hips a little to encourage him to keep going.

His arm pulled back a little to give my head room and to splay his hand over my stomach. It was so big, I wondered if he could wrap his hands all the way around my stomach. Normally this would terrify me to the core, but he was literally inside me already, and he's been treating me as gently as possible.

Nothing to worry about. I enjoyed the gentle heat his entire body radiated, and the easy security of having him grip me so firmly. 

My mind was still a little cloudy, but I felt a budding urge again. My arousal hadn't gone down at all…I wanted to chase my pleasure again, but if I felt his hands on me, I'd come in seconds.

My hand slowly slid off the arm clutching onto me and came to rest on my weeping erection. Not to hide it, but to start stroking it.

Fuck. I wanted to beat off so bad. But I made sure to keep my pace as slow and lazy as possible. I absolutely could not come before the time limit.

Braun leaned forward again, and I shuddered as the angle pushed his dick in as deep as it could possibly go. I groaned at the pressure.

Splash.

He's even careful to replace the lube. What a diligent partner.

He only spared a moment to pour the handful of bathwater before plunging back in again. I couldn’t resist rubbing my dick frantically at the rush of stimulation, a reminder of how passionately he was fucking into me before. But it wasn’t enough.

Surely there was a middle ground between fucked senseless and idle grinding?

I couldn’t help it. With as sultry a tone as I could, I intentionally provoked him.

“Mm…Braun, please…”

He’d obviously be able to tell I was putting it on for him, but for someone who was constantly showering me with compliments for my acting skills, that should be part of the excitement for him.

A layer of static, as delicate as cobwebs, laying over my ears. Louder, and louder.

Suddenly, Braun’s hands were both on my waist, and he was driving into me with force.

“Woah— ow—”

[Why on earth do you insist on instigating? I can’t guarantee your condition when we’re through!]

He took my hand away from my erection.

[Now now, did you not say it was problematic for you to come too early?]

“Wait— ah— ah— I’m sorry, ah, oh, woah—” 

I desperately wanted to cry out his name, but that would surely only things worse for me.

He was leaning forward far enough for my hands to brace against the carpet. The sound coming from our bodies meeting was obscene, strangely loud despite the sheer volume of the static. The wet slide of flesh and oil, his hips meeting my ass with force—

Even if he was pistoning into me harder than ever before, the discomfort didn’t get any worse. Did he make his dick shorter so he could fuck me as hard as he wanted??

My arms buckled, and I collapsed into the floor. I let out a truly pitiful moan, and covered my mouth in humiliation. Fuck, I wanted to touch myself so bad, fuck—

[You seem upset. Isn’t this what you wanted?]

His seductive voice came out crackling, warbled, and tinny, like from a dying speaker.

[Aren’t you enjoying yourself? Let me see.]

Woah.

His dick pulled out to just the tip, and I was roughly flipped over, exposing my flushed and sweaty body. The hiss of static got so bad I thought I would cry if it got any worse. I unconsciously covered my ears, but it seemed to be coming from inside my head.

Braun drove into me again.

“Oh—!” 

Drool seeped out of my mouth. I reached for my erection, but he gripped my wrist firmly to keep me away from it. Damn it, it’s okay if I come early, can’t we just try again after resting, please, please…

[I do love it when you beg,] Braun purred. I could hardly make it out from the growl of noise.

“I’m sorry, I’m—ah— I’m sorry— forgive me, I want it, please, Braun, Braun, B-Braun,” I sobbed, fighting against his hand. 

[Now, now. Weren’t you so very insistent that we must extend this session to the time limit? Punctuality is very important, isn’t it, Kim Soleum.]

A feverish pace.

“No, not— pleasee, no, I want, I w-wa…ah, ah, ahh…”

This worthless fucking ring, aren’t I obviously losing my damn mind?!

[Sshh. It still feels good, doesn’t it? Let’s not be so greedy.]

He pulled me close, squeezing me against his chest, still wearing his suit. My head was spinning.

“Huh…? Dirty…”

[But my dear friend, I’m not truly here, remember? There’s nothing here to dirty.]

Oh. That’s right…

I wrapped my arms around his chest to squeeze him back, and flinched at the sudden sine tone cutting through the static for a moment. 

“Wh—”

His fingers dug through my hair and yanked my head back. Something hard, firm and warm pressed against my forehead. The television screen?

But something also pressed against my mouth, at an angle that didn’t make sense. Slimy, textured, and much thicker than the mystery cord he’d wiped my insides out with. I choked on the taste of alcohol, pineapple, and the slightest hint of cigar smoke coating my lungs. Not just a taste. Something inherent to a comfortable living room in the 70s, pushed into me in a soothing swirl of flesh.

Inside. 

Tongue…? Kiss? 

I opened my mouth wider, unconsciously seeking lips, but I couldn’t identify what I felt outside the confines of this ‘mouth’. Not the temperature, the texture, where it existed in space. 

A sharp pain built just behind my eye.

It was annoying and distracting, so I gave up and allowed Braun to lick inside me, twisting around my tongue, the roof of my mouth. I breathed frantically through my nose, struggling to breathe with my mouth sealed off.

Kiss…want to come while kissing…

He dragged my wandering hand back and pinned my wrists to the floor to keep me from touching myself. I desperately sucked at the strange ‘tongue’ inside me, welcoming in that warm, fuzzy glow, hardly caring at how furiously he was pounding me. 

Just want to…

Click.

Rumble…

[Oh. It appears our experimentation counted for the duration of the challenge!]

“Touch meee, pbleaase,” I slurred. 

He gripped my hair, lifted me up, and finally, finally ran his hand up and down my aching cock. Yes, just like that…

“K-Kiss, Braun,” I whined.

The angle was definitely wrong for something coming from him to enter my mouth, but I was beyond caring. I curled my tongue around his and bounced my hips desperately, whimpering like a dog, until finally—

I saw white. The orgasm flooded through my system, seizing all the way up and down my body, making me squeeze around Braun to the point it was painful. The sine tone filled my head. I couldn’t cover my ears, but there was no point, because it wasn’t a sound, it was inside—

Inside. Inside. 

Not a flavour. Pushing inside. Inside me. 

A beautiful ringing. 

Wiped clean. Crushed.

Can feel him

Filled

Inside

***

I blinked awake lying on Braun’s chest, oozing from every orifice. It took me a second to understand I’d lost consciousness. 

I’d never had an orgasm like this in all my life. Not even as a teenager. What the hell.

I valiantly collected myself and swiped the floor for my jacket. I mopped my disgusting face off and tried my best to act as if I was capable of sense.

“…Are we done?”

[Not at all! There are two challenges, remember?]

The sound was clear and clean, with barely a rasp from the vintage speaker. Was I imagining the distortion because the TV kept making weird noises…?

Wait. Two?

Two! That was the entire problem, there were two of them!

“What’s the Trial of Subjugation?” I asked sharply.

[Let’s see…]

He scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the far wall. What is he doing, there’s no way he couldn’t read it from the floor…

[Yes indeed. The second challenge…to pleasure oneself for the entertainment of others. Our next round of coitus must not involve me in the slightest!]

Huh.

“Time limit…?”

[None. I am simply not allowed to participate.]

No way.

I collapsed into his shoulder and laughed pitifully. 

“An easy one…Thank god…thank god…”

[I’m excited for my personal show! How soon shall we start, do you think?]

I thought about it. I still felt pleasantly syrupy, and there was a dull, comforting buzz inside and out. I wasn’t sweaty anymore, besides the side that had been tucked in Braun’s arm. I probably slept off my refractory period already.

“Let’s start now,” I said decisively. I was only supposed to be inside the Locked Boxcar for ten minutes, and we were pushing two hours at this point. “Let go of me,” I added.

[Oho…I was worried I might have discouraged you. My friend is indomitable as always.]

My feet touched down onto thin carpet, and I stretched out my aching body. It hurt to stand, and my hips felt bruised. After my shower, I’m going to sleep like the dead for sure.

“Down,” I told him, and shoved his enormous form to the floor. Definitely over eight feet. I purposefully blocked this horrifying idea from my mind, focused purely on my friend who was as careful as possible with my body. There was nothing scary about a gentle giant, nothing, nothing scary…

I followed the sound of the electric whine of his TV current. My ankles brushed along his sides until I found his hips, and my toes bumped against his hands splayed over the floor. Was he propping himself up to look at me?

I touched my stomach, and felt self-conscious at the dried fluids there. I didn’t want to be stared at naked in just my socks and covered in dried ooze. Should I cover myself again?

What was the condition? He didn’t say in exact words, but I’d bet it was to the tune of ‘masturbate in front of an audience’. Which would mean he had to look, right?

“You must be happy,” I groused, but I still fell to my knees in his lap, and patted around to find where his dick had disappeared to. As if bidden, it appeared in my hand, perfectly clean.

I know it’s gross, but don’t clean it off when you know we have to have sex again. 

I stretched over to feel blindly for the tub. Braun tapped my exposed ribs, and I twitched and shot a scowl at him. 

My fingers bumped into the edge, farther than expected, and I tilted on a knee to cup a careful handful of water. As quickly as I could, I brought it back to pour it over the warm plastic phallus.

“I kind of wish this could turn you on,” I muttered as I rubbed the oil up and down the shaft with alternating hands. 

[But if I lost my sense, I would lose my ability to observe you with full faculties, so as to better cherish every moment of this rare opportunity.]

Smooth-talker. 

Bullshit also. “Oh? Rare opportunity? You said you were going to improve on this thing’s design. Doesn’t that mean we’ll keep doing this?”

A long silence. With the persistent, even sound of his electric current to fill it, it was almost comfortable. 

[...I do yearn to know how much such activities could be improved by the comfort of a bed…]

I laughed faintly and shuffled closer to him. “Okay. Challenge two. Try not to stare.”

His dick glided inside without much issue. I’d given up on hiding how I felt and carelessly let out a groan of contentment at being filled. Braun’s hand rested on my thigh, and I could feel it stretch all around, all firm and rigid plastic, like he could easily break—

It wasn’t scary. It wasn’t scary. Why worry about how easy it would be to do something he’d never do? 

I slowly bobbed in place, thinking of doing that gentle prostate massage myself. Unfortunately, I realized the issue with this new position; there was no way I had enough strength in my legs to keep this up for longer than five minutes.

So I wouldn’t bother. I settled down in place and just rolled my hips. My anus was full of sensitive nerve endings too. No problem. 

And now the embarrassing part.

Haltingly, my hands reached down towards my crotch. I could feel Braun’s gaze searing into my skin. My hand gripped my dick tightly, coaxing it back into hardness. With the help of the pseudo-dildo, it swiftly jumped to attention.

Fuck. He was staring, he was staring, I could feel, looking at me— I needed to come quick—

My other hand reached up to my chest and flicked at my nipples. 

[What’s this!] Braun cried out, which did not help my case at all. [Surely you have no illusions that milk will—]

“Nipples are sensitive,” I interjected before he could run away with it. “Some people are more sensitive than others. It helps in the shower. Keep quiet or we won’t clear the challenge.”

[Won’t clear? That would imply you find my voice arousing enough to be considered participation, wouldn’t it?] 

I rubbed my flushed face. Dried fluid flaked off there too. Did I come on my own face? Good lord… “Because I won’t be able to get off. Stop it.”

[I like this assertive side of you as well, Mr. Roe Deer!]

I bounced forcefully on his dick to silence him and proceeded as if he wasn’t there. 

My nipples weren’t that sensitive — most men’s weren’t — but they were enough to keep my arousal climbing steadily. Braun was quiet and his gaze felt more feathered, watching the process with detached interest. At times I could feel it scorching over my face, as if an electric current was running directly over my skin. 

I could feel the pleasure rising, even from my exhausted and fucked-out body, and my fist picked up speed. Braun’s fingers dug into my thigh as my breathing grew heavier, and I began bobbing up and down properly this time, confident it wouldn’t take five minutes before I’d reach climax. 

I moaned higher and higher as I could feel my release nearing — mostly for the benefit of Braun, who seemed to enjoy the vocalizations — and my eyes watered at the crushing grip on my leg. The ringing tone again…

“Ah…Ahaha…Are you happy?” I laughed, and with a shudder, spilled all over Braun’s front.

Click.

Rumble…

It was done. I cleared the Locked Boxcar.

That felt amazing, but nowhere near the orgasm from before. But that just meant having Braun as a partner meant a selection of both amazing and mind-meltingly good sex. 

Would I even be able to masturbate without him from now on? Damn it…

[You look quite pleased yourself,] said Braun’s voice, warm and heavy with fondness. 

“I’m so tired…”

[You performed spectacularly, my Friend. Reap your rewards.]

The blindfold slipped away, and I was alone.

Not alone. I looked down to see the little keychain, resting against my thigh, which was developing a dark, ugly handprint bruise.

“Ow…You gripped me way too hard.” 

-          Oh, my deepest apologies, Mr. Roe Deer! I don’t usually touch guests, so I was unfortunately oblivious to the limits of the human body!

I really had a hard time believing him at this point, so I just ignored him.

Two rounds was too much, and I doubted I had the strength to stand. I crawled feebly to the exposed quartz wall.

The commandments were gone. In their place was a little alcove featuring a dice shaker made of black quartz with and inlaid red velvet, just like the curtains of this room. I held it up to the light in admiration. 

-

Hard Luck Cup

:A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>

:Daydream Inc. identification code Qterw-F-2222

A black quartz dice shaker. Always rolls pairs. Number increases based on the number of people present within fifteen metres of the roll. The luck of the roller increases based on the final roll.

-

A must-have in the kit of any high-risk player. Though I’ll usually be working with two other people, so I’ll get ‘average luck’ if I use it in most situations, not to mention I’d have to turn it over if anyone gets nosy about it…

But in emergencies, it’s a must-have item! 

I’d gone in expecting a common ritual-based item, but got the Locked Boxcar’s best possible reward! It was a pair-themed Darkness after all, so two and four players got the most satisfying payoff. 

As for six…well, nothing six players went through could possibly be worth whatever reward they got in return.

Not to mention…

I crawled back to my clothes, and uncovered my collector. It was filled. 

…With C-rank fluid. All I had to do was fool around with a friend for two and a half hours, and the points practically fell into my lap. I felt pleased with my incredibly lucky haul. I barely had to lose any blood too!

But I was sore as hell.

I remained on the floor as I got dressed, and tucked Braun gently into my front pocket. The doll was now clearly radiating its own heat, and felt like a second heart over my chest. 

- It seems this has been a bountiful venture!

I turned to the bright light at the opposite end of the boxcar. Usually, after a nightmarish Saw trap torture game, the participants would fall over themselves to escape, not even realizing that there was a reward for them to take.

I stood on shakily legs, prize locked away in my tattoo, and hobbled into the light. 

***

He was late.

Baek Saheon didn’t normally keep track of that bastard’s schedule — it was hard to do when hiding in his room — but he at least knew when he ate, because he had to wait until Kim Soleum had finished before cooking dinner for himself.

But he was late. He didn’t hear the door, or any plates. 

He waited twenty minutes, and nothing.

Was he not coming back…?

Baek Saheon shuffled out of his room. It was dark and quiet in the apartment. Kim Soleum’s door was shut. He pressed his ear against it and heard only silence. 

Fuck this. If he just waited around for his roommate to get back, he’d starve.

As quickly as he could, Baek Saheon put a pot of instant ramen on the stove and threw in an egg to boil with it. His foot tapped impatiently, and his eyes danced back and forth between the pot and the door, like the freaky eye would light up through the wood. 

No. It did. 

Even before he heard footsteps, the centre of the door turned red and warped. Baek Saheon felt the impulse to hide behind the counter, but he couldn’t hide his cooking.

The key turned in the lock. He wasn’t doing anything wrong! He was cooking at the same time he usually had dinner!

Creeaaak…

Kim Soleum’s silhouette slid through the darkness of the entranceway, toeing off his shoes with a lazy roll of the body. 

Baek Saheon tried to look casually occupied with the bubbling water, though his neck was beading with cold sweat. 

Step…step…

Kim Soleum limped into the light, and Baek Saheon sucked in a breath.

The entire lower half of Kim Soleum’s face was covered in dried blood.

Not so much grievous blood loss as much as a great big smear of it, spread thin and flaking all over his neck, yet strangely not extending to his shirt. The dried streams were thickest from his nose, but there were thin lines coming from his ears too. The capillaries in his right eye had all burst, making the entire eye a glittering near-black.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Baek Saheon blurted. 

“Hm?” Kim Soleum gave him a curious little frown, and then it slowly turned into a smug, self-assured smile. He lifted his jacket to show off the filled collector with a smug look. “Work, obviously.”

Could a C-rank fuck him up that badly, though…?

“I need to shower. Goodnight.” He yawned carelessly and sauntered to his room.

No…this Darkness shit tends to bleed into itself, doesn’t it? It was easy for one to run into the other. 

This junkie must have filled his collector and kept going onto some crazy A-rank Darkness for kicks! His collector was full, so he wouldn’t have to report it!

Baek Saheon wanted no part in this psychopath’s sick thrill-seeking. He drained his noodles and ran off to eat it in his room. 

He wouldn’t leave until he was sure he wouldn’t cross paths with that deranged freak again!