𝕄𝕀𝕊𝕋ℝ𝔼𝕊𝕊(es)* Ⓢⓔⓐⓢⓞⓝ ①

Ep. 21b: Lessons in Pleasure

"Oh my god," Ariana spoke with a full mouth, "This is so good; is this seriously what ice-cream tastes like?"

Cleo and Abby looked on in horror as the spy scooped from the bowl like an animal, somehow not freezing her brain with how fast she was consuming. The excursion to Cleo's kitchen started as a small detour for a stress easing snack while Ms. Westcott carried out the ritual upstairs, but when the girls learned that Ariana had never had ice cream before, it became a much bigger event.

"Damn, they really never let you have this stuff?" Cleo asked.

Ari shook her head, "The board limits how many pleasurable things we can do for our own safety. If we don't know certain joys, they can't be used against us if an enchantress tries to seduce us.

Cleo gave Abby a subtle look of horror that she absolutely agreed with. This poor girl had given her life to complete lunatics. That begged the question...

"Um, hey Ariana, since you went AWOL on your group, what's going to happen when you go back?"

The question was finally enough to snap her from her sweet induced frenzy, and she set her spoon down. Wiping her mouth, she looked shyly to the counter and spoke softly, "Well, it depends. If we seal Eros and Aphrodite and the Boss approves, I'll be welcomed back, but probably still on thin ice. That's best case. Worst is that I get terminated."

"They kill you!?" Abby gasped.

"No, like my agent-hood." Ariana clarified, "I'll be taken back to HQ, and they'll put me through intense brainwashing. I can't remember anything about the organization or the enchantresses, so my memories will be scrubbed clean until I'm a blank slate. Then, they'll release me into the world as a normal civilian."

Abby and Cleo looked extra horrified now.

"Um, so, yeah, they kill you," Cleo winced.

Ariana casually took another bite of ice cream and shook her head, "Nuh uh. I just become normal. They at least give me money and arrange a job so that I can slip into civilian life more easily."

"Yeah, but Ari, your whole life has been the resistance. If they take all that away, they're basically erasing you."

Ariana shrugged, "It's what I deserve for betraying my people. I knew the risk when I helped Skyler."

"Why did you?" Abby asked, a look of concern on her face, "You gave up so much for someone you barely knew."

Ariana shyly looked to the side, "I... don't know. I've always been told that our agency existed to do good, but the plan to kill someone... that didn't seem good to me. Another core belief is always act in the best interest of the resistance, and if I wanted to save our group's integrity, I had to look for other options." Ariana looked longingly out the window, "It also didn't help that Skyler was so sweet to me..."

"Yeah, he has that effect on women," Cleo grumbled, leaning against her hand and falling into a daydream herself.

"Well, I know he's super grateful for what you did, Ari," Abby shined.

Ariana sighed and shook her head, "I'm glad he's going to be okay, but I don't think so. I lied to him before deciding to help, and almost backstabbed him after he trusted me. He hasn't really talked to me since; I'm pretty sure he's upset with me."

Abby and Cleo looked at each other than burst into a fit of snickers.

Ariana looked a little offended, "What's so funny?"

"No," Abby said, shaking her head, "Skyler is not mad at you. He doesn't really get mad."

"I think the total number of times I've seen him yell in all our years of knowing him is one, and that was when he heard me call myself stupid."