” Hatch cleared his throat. “I’d like to finish her spanking, then we can go eat. She’ll be getting another one after we get home.” Carla ...aid, “Well I hope we all get to watch that one, too.” “Arch up baby, ask for the next one.” She heard Carla move to the couch, Drake no doubt following her. And very soon, she’d be sitting around a dinner table, all of them knowing her ass was hurting and sore. Why it was hurting and sore. And that she was in for-- CRACK. The Wicked One brought her. Tomorrow, we’ll turn all this loot into liquid cash, and then I’ll pay you each a stipend. The rest will go into a lockbox, which I’ll need to purchase along with a sturdy lock. It’ll provide a secure place for our unused magic items, too.”I gestured at everyone. “You’ll receive less than you would otherwise, but I’ll worry about your needs- clothing, armour, weapons, accommodations. Is that agreeable to everyone?”Voss and Enna looked a little skeptical, but what could they do? They just swore. ’ ‘Even so, it’s something we’ve definitely grown out of, and even at the time it was a little confusing, but nothing to be ashamed of.’ ‘Fair enough. I’m not judging anyway.’ ‘Okay. Good.’ ‘It’s different for girls.’ ‘Exactly.’ ‘But I don’t need the details.’ ‘Oh GOD, I wasn’t going to anyway—’ ‘Just making sure.’ ‘Right. I mean, it was just between us. It was private. But while we’re on the subject, you should know, it was partly your fault.’ ‘MY fault? How the hell do you get that?’ . ” I say clutching the stick of my ice cream. “It used to be all I had to hold onto, you know?”“And it isn’t anymore?”“Yeah, I have you guys, remember?”“Of course.” Axel fidgets slightly. “Hey, Roxas.” Axel gazes at the sunset again. “I bet you don’t know why the sun sets red. You see, the light is made up of many colors. And of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest.”“Like I asked, know-it-all.” I say elbowing him, causing us to laugh.A large amount of time passes, mostly in.