A Simple Life: Chapter 31 (Patreon)

I walk around to the front of the sofa.  Riley, Cain, and Winona pause their conversation as I come up to offer the drink.  With a smile Winona takes it from me.

“Thanks Sprout.”  She pats the open cushion beside her.  I was going to go back for my tea but I wasn’t about to ignore the invitation.  As I sit down at her side her grin brightens just a little more.

“Sprout?”  Riley laughs.

I grin.  “I-I-I like it.”

“That’s adorable.”  Kayla says as she leans in from behind to pass Riley and Cain their mojitos.  “I still can’t get over you two are going out.”

“J-Just a f-first date.”  I correct her.

“When he asked I couldn’t resist.”  Relaxing back Winona shoots me a little lingering glance as she takes a long sip of her drink.  “Avery’s been such a big help to me.  A one man Ehkolie welcoming committee.  Helping me move in, joining my Fables group, he even helped with my sofa decision.  He is a total sweetheart.”  She hides a grin behind her drink and quips just before taking another sip.  “Plus he’s fuckin hot.”

My whole face warms with a pink blush as Riley and Cain chuckle.  As they laugh I unconsciously scooch closer to Winona, as if from some weak need for protection, and without hesitation she slides her near arm around my shoulders.  For a moment I freeze up at this unexpected show of public affection so soon, but I welcome it and after a moment quickly melt into her side.  Settling into the nook of her arm, unable to wipe the silly smile from my face, I blush even harder and laugh along with them.

Feeling bolstered I look up at Winona.  “H-Hey have you m-met Babe yet?”

“The doorbell?”

“Oh, he’s much more than that.”  Kayla says.

“Babe.”  I say up toward the ceiling.  “This is Winona Crow.”

“Good evening Miss Crow.”  Comes the AI’s melodious voice.  “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Winona gives the ceiling a weird look.  “Uh…hi?”

I giggle.  “H-He’ll talk with you if you want.  Listen.  Hey B-Babe.  C-Can you guess where Winona is from?

“Based on her accent I would guess Miss Winona was raised somewhere in the Northern Great Plains area of the United States, Minnesota, or the Prairie provinces of Canada.”

Winona looks at me, astonished.  “What?”

“Why d-do you call her Miss and not Ms or Mrs?”

“Based on her age, appearance, her lack of a wedding band, and preferences chosen by Kayla I opted for Miss.”  He answers.  “Though I will address you however you wish Miss Crow.”

Winona looks at her hand and back up.  “It can see me!?”

“And what is Winona drinking Babe?”

“Miss Crow is drinking a virgin mojito.”  Babe answers.  “Kayla makes a mean mock mojito.”

Winona looks around at us in surprise.  “It’s listening to us!?”

“Listening, watching, sensing movement and temperature, taking note of preferences, monitoring vitals in case of emergency, and so much more.”  Briar says as she comes around with two steaming mugs of tea.  She offers me mine which I accept gratefully.  “The MD/O AI monitors and manages everything happening within the Meadow.  Babe is just this pod’s expression of the master computer.  Each user chooses their own pod’s personality.”

I look up, taken aback at Briar’s unexpected knowledge of the subject.  “MD/O?”

“Municipality Directing/Operating.  MD/O, Meadow.  Get it?”  Briar forgoes the empty chair and sits down cross-legged right on the floor in front of the television, cupping her tea in both hands.  I catch a mildly weirded out look between Cain and Riley which makes me smile.  I think I liked Briar.  She continues.  “She can direct power for optimal energy usage, water lawns and gardens for minimal wastage, contact authorities in case of unauthorized entry, the list goes on.  And we’re just starting to tap her potential.  She is a prototype for now but if this works out you’re going to see Meadows begin popping up all over the country.”  Briar looks around at the confused faces staring back at her.  “Oh, uh, she is why I’m here.  My field is AI development.”

“Wow.”  I say.  “Can you believe that?”

“I can believe it.”  Winona shifts uneasily.  “Not sure I like it.”

“Well I don’t know about any of that stuff.”  Kayla says as she comes around to settle into the chair to my left.  “All I know is that Babe is a godsend.  I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have him to look after me.  Love you Babe!”

“I love you too Kayla.”  Comes the computer’s warm yet sterile voice.

“Hey Babe!”  Blurts Riley, way too loudly as always.  “Do you watch Kayla fuck?”

“Pfff!”  Kayla throws her head back.  “Ha ha ha ha!”

“I monitor all activity within the pod.”  He says.  “But I assure you that data collected is protected, encrypted, anonymized…”

“Yeah, but YOU still watch.”  Riley chortles.  “You perv!”

“I am a computer and have no sex instinct.”  Babe replies.  I swear I catch a hint of offense in his tone.  “It is impossible for me to be a perv.”

“Bet he pops a virtual boner.”  Riley lowers her voice to normal volume as if that would keep Babe from hearing.  “Total perv.”

“I don’t care.”  Kayla says with a devious grin.  “I’m glad he watches.  Makes it more…nasty.”

Winona shakes her head.  “Kinky Kayla hasn’t changed a bit I see.”

“She’s only gotten worse.”  Cain says.

“Worse…or better?”  Kayla quips.  “Whose to say?”

“Who isn’t to say?”  He retorts.  “Besides Briar you’ve had the rest of us.  Or has she gotten you too?”

“No.”  Briar shrinks small, blushing just like I had moments ago, hiding her bashful grimace behind her tea.

“Not yet.”  Kayla winks, causing Briar to squirm.

At my side I sense Winona tense up.  She laughed like the rest of us but her body told a different story.  It must have been hard to hear about somebody that you fell in love with sharing themselves so freely, even if you were over them.

Wanting to provide a distraction for both the embarrassed Briar and uncomfortable Winona I say.  “Hey!  Um, B-B-Briar plays FoF.”

“Oh really?”  Winona sits up.

“Yes!”  Briar says, clutching to my welcome lifeline.  “Avery mentioned you might be looking for a player?”

“Players.”  Winona confirms.  “So far I’ve only got Avery.”

“Well count me in.”  Briar says.  “If you’ll have me.”

“Heck yeah!  Welcome aboard.”

Briar sits up tall, a huge grin on her face.

“Hey!  FoF?”  Riley cuts in.  “That’s what that Cryptical Soul group you watch plays, isn’t it?”  She looks to her boyfriend and pats his hand.  “He acts like a bad ass but he’s actually such a geek at home.  He watches those game streams.  He tells his buddies he’s watching soccer!  HA!”  She grabs his arm and gives him a shake.  “They just sit there talking for hours!  It’s so BORING!  I don’t know how he can stand it.”

“YOU watch CS?”  Winona guffaws.  “No way.  You?”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Cain rolls his eyes.  “It’s your fault.  I started looking into Fables after hearing you talk about it.  Seemed kinda cool so I looked into it.  Caught the show live once and…I got hooked.”

“Nice.  Well, do you have a group yet?”

“Nah.”  He shakes his head.  “I don’t actually play.”

“HEY!”  Shouts Riley, a step behind the rest of us.  “Winona’s making a group!”

He laughs.  “I heard Riley.”

“YOU could join!”  She shakes him again, harder.  “You’re always watching.  You could actually play!”

“I’ve never played.”  He says.  “I wouldn’t even know how honestly.”

“Bullshit.”  Winona says.  “If you watch CS you’re way ahead of the game  Besides, Avery is new too.”

“I’m pretty damn busy with work nowadays.”  He says.  “Besides…”

“I’m playing too!”  Riley insists with a flounce and a jiggle.  Social creature that she was if there was one thing Riley couldn’t stand it was to be left out of something going on.  “If he’s playing, I’m playing.”

“I haven’t even…”  Cain protests, only to be cut off again.

“Kayla.”  Riley says.  “Join us!  Don’t leave me alone with the nerds.”

“Me?”  Kayla glances behind her as if someone might be hiding there that Riley was talking to.  “Me!?”

“You always said you’d try it some day Kay.”  Winona says.  “Nothing saying you have to stick with it.”

“I don’t know.”  She says dubiously.  “FoF?  Elves and dwarves and shit?  Not really my kind of fantasy.”

During the brief pause in the conversation I slip in a jest.  “You could p-p-play a succubus!”

Winona grins and Briar snorts tea from her nose as she laughs mid-slurp.

“A suck your butt!?”  She jokes right back.  “What kind of game has ass suckin?  I just KNEW those weird dice had to be anal beads.”

“NO!”  I peep.  “Succubus!”

“What are you talking about?”  She looks up.  “Babe!  What is a Succabis?”

“A succubus is a demon or supernatural entity in folklore, in female form, that appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity.”

“A dreamy sex demon!?”  Kayla perks up, not only not insulted but deeply flattered by my suggestion.  “Now you’re talking my language.  I could totally do that.”

Briar and I are killing ourselves with laughter.

Kayla looks across to Cain.  “I’ll do it if you’ll do it.”

“He’s doing it!”  Riley exclaims.

“What do you say man?”  Winona asks him.

“HE’S DOING IT!”

Cain looks around at us…and quickly caves.  Deep down he wanted to play.  “Alright, fine.  I’ll give it a try I guess.”

“I told you!”

“Well.”  Winona says happily.  “That was easy.”  She looks at me.  “I guess we’ve got ourselves a group Sprout.”

“B-Best group ever.”  I smile.

“Sexiest group ever.”  Kayla adds.  “That is for damn sure.”