04-22-2026, 11:09 PM
Beno couldn’t agree more—this felt different. It wasn’t the first time she’d been kissed like that, but something about this one shifted instantly. Her eyes widened, pupils swallowing the color until they looked almost black. Something familiar crept in. The voices around her began to fade, stretching into the distance as her vision narrowed. The world pulled away—and then, just as suddenly, it changed.
Not just what she saw. Where she was seeing from. The next moment didn’t feel like hers. It felt like waking up inside someone else. A new host. Confusion followed, thick and disorienting. And then the memories came.
Warmth first—her mother’s embrace. Safe, steady, real. Then childhood. Simple days, where the hardest choices were which playground to visit and which toys to bring. Her first kiss—a boy, awkward and sweet. Then a girl—softer, better.
The memories didn’t stop. They stacked, blurred, collided. Emotions scattered in every direction, too many to hold, too fast to understand. At some point, Beno didn’t realize she had stopped breathing. For a brief second Beno projected an image of Michael he smiled at her for a second before disappearing again, it was like a final good bye. Time slipped. Then— “I got you.” Alex’s voice. “Just breathe.” Michael’s. Her lungs finally obeyed. The first inhale came sharp and loud, breaking through everything else.
"Sorry about that. Alcohol can play tricks on us all sometimes...even I slip a little once in a while." Her eyes were returning to normal
Beno thought he was being silly, because of course she was safe. She had...well...she knew...well, she...she had what?
That was when Alex answered her for a question she had not yet asked, "You simply used a sense that you never experienced before. The scientist in you understands that, but it might take a moment to wrap your mind entirely around it. Don't think about it too hard, your brain wants to find patterns and it can be like looking at an optical illusion for the first time."
Beno was now hyper-aware of everything around her. She had felt something similar right after being joined, but this was different. What she had felt before had been gradual and controlled, this had been raw and like getting so close to a live wire that her hair had been standing on end before she knew what was happening
Alex said, "It's the small adrenaline spike. Maybe you should sit down and let your heart calm down." If Beno didn't sit down quickly, she would fall. If it were not for Alex propping her up, Beno would already be there. This had been an experience unlike anything else, the level of power from it literally took her breathe away.
Alex wrinkled his nose in a playful way and she could still feel his emotions pouring off of him like a roaring wave that was powerful enough to crush reefs to sand, yet only a delicate wave washed ashore to tickle her feet playfully in the sand. She was still seeing the images in her mind as he spoke, "A heck of a first date so far." He rolled his eyes and joked, "I don't get out much." In that moment, she briefly glimpsed him as a child of about 12, talking to someone, but she didn't know who. She only knew whoever it had been, he had loved them and trusted them...and in many ways, this was very like that, which was something so big to him that he never spoke of it.
Then it was gone. Alex blushed a little and he slowly took his hands and carefully placed them on his thighs. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but for once he was speechless. The feeling was retreating, but it was now more clear before it was gone. Alex had not just relaxed, he had been so caught up in the moment that he had let his defenses down...way down...he had allowed a connection that wasn't supposed to be possible. It was impossible to tell if he had gone too far by choice or if it was an accident, but as it retreated, she could tell that he had dared to be that vulnerable with her. He wasn't sorry that he had been, but he saw that it had scared her and now he wasn't sure what to do.
Beno now knew, much better than simple words could try to say, how Alex felt about her. It was pretty strong stuff for a "first date" As first dates go they were always awkward where both parties had no idea what to do, always fumbling your way through it until it ends in one of a few ways. In every way possible there was always something to be learned from it, the first kiss almost always makes or breaks the end of the night. At this point Beno knew that how she was going to wake up was going to be different, when both Alex and Beno woke up in the morning they will have a smile they cant hide.
"Alex there is something we should talk about at some point, just not so openly. For tonight." Beno was never short for words, and right now Beno had none. all she could do was wait until everything started to stabilize again, she had sound judgment but highly unstable on her feet.
==Tag==
Not just what she saw. Where she was seeing from. The next moment didn’t feel like hers. It felt like waking up inside someone else. A new host. Confusion followed, thick and disorienting. And then the memories came.
Warmth first—her mother’s embrace. Safe, steady, real. Then childhood. Simple days, where the hardest choices were which playground to visit and which toys to bring. Her first kiss—a boy, awkward and sweet. Then a girl—softer, better.
The memories didn’t stop. They stacked, blurred, collided. Emotions scattered in every direction, too many to hold, too fast to understand. At some point, Beno didn’t realize she had stopped breathing. For a brief second Beno projected an image of Michael he smiled at her for a second before disappearing again, it was like a final good bye. Time slipped. Then— “I got you.” Alex’s voice. “Just breathe.” Michael’s. Her lungs finally obeyed. The first inhale came sharp and loud, breaking through everything else.
"Sorry about that. Alcohol can play tricks on us all sometimes...even I slip a little once in a while." Her eyes were returning to normal
Beno thought he was being silly, because of course she was safe. She had...well...she knew...well, she...she had what?
That was when Alex answered her for a question she had not yet asked, "You simply used a sense that you never experienced before. The scientist in you understands that, but it might take a moment to wrap your mind entirely around it. Don't think about it too hard, your brain wants to find patterns and it can be like looking at an optical illusion for the first time."
Beno was now hyper-aware of everything around her. She had felt something similar right after being joined, but this was different. What she had felt before had been gradual and controlled, this had been raw and like getting so close to a live wire that her hair had been standing on end before she knew what was happening
Alex said, "It's the small adrenaline spike. Maybe you should sit down and let your heart calm down." If Beno didn't sit down quickly, she would fall. If it were not for Alex propping her up, Beno would already be there. This had been an experience unlike anything else, the level of power from it literally took her breathe away.
Alex wrinkled his nose in a playful way and she could still feel his emotions pouring off of him like a roaring wave that was powerful enough to crush reefs to sand, yet only a delicate wave washed ashore to tickle her feet playfully in the sand. She was still seeing the images in her mind as he spoke, "A heck of a first date so far." He rolled his eyes and joked, "I don't get out much." In that moment, she briefly glimpsed him as a child of about 12, talking to someone, but she didn't know who. She only knew whoever it had been, he had loved them and trusted them...and in many ways, this was very like that, which was something so big to him that he never spoke of it.
Then it was gone. Alex blushed a little and he slowly took his hands and carefully placed them on his thighs. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but for once he was speechless. The feeling was retreating, but it was now more clear before it was gone. Alex had not just relaxed, he had been so caught up in the moment that he had let his defenses down...way down...he had allowed a connection that wasn't supposed to be possible. It was impossible to tell if he had gone too far by choice or if it was an accident, but as it retreated, she could tell that he had dared to be that vulnerable with her. He wasn't sorry that he had been, but he saw that it had scared her and now he wasn't sure what to do.
Beno now knew, much better than simple words could try to say, how Alex felt about her. It was pretty strong stuff for a "first date" As first dates go they were always awkward where both parties had no idea what to do, always fumbling your way through it until it ends in one of a few ways. In every way possible there was always something to be learned from it, the first kiss almost always makes or breaks the end of the night. At this point Beno knew that how she was going to wake up was going to be different, when both Alex and Beno woke up in the morning they will have a smile they cant hide.
"Alex there is something we should talk about at some point, just not so openly. For tonight." Beno was never short for words, and right now Beno had none. all she could do was wait until everything started to stabilize again, she had sound judgment but highly unstable on her feet.
==Tag==