The Isekai App

Molly zonked out. I'd wanted to meet Adaobi alone, but I was carrying a sleeping child in a second-hand Winnie costume. Her legs around my chest, snoring in my ear. The city on her back blinked with its tiny lights, the Gardeners on wires waving as I walked quickly to the impromptu parking lot.

There she was, following the printed signs through the assorted statues.. Not in her purple skin or floppy jammies with the bonnet, of course, but radiant in sunglasses, jeans and red blouse, skin gleaming like butterscotch. The lovely prime minister of a nation.

She saw me, grinned, waved. Sped up, stopped, smiling. "Whatcha got there?"

"Molly."

"I figured. Parenthood?"

I shrugged. Molly grumbled, went back to sleep.

"It's a good look. I'm hungry," Adaobi said. "But first–" Grabbed the front of my shirt, pulled me forward. I squawked.

She kissed me, then covered my face with smaller kisses. I knew I was bright red, couldn't stop smiling. I tried to kiss back but she was too quick, and I was new to kissing in general. She had the edge.

"Are we clear?" she asked when she was done.

I nodded wordlessly. I couldn't talk. I could smile, though, like a blushing idiot.

"Feed me," she commanded. So I took her and Molly to the barbecue. She mingled like the skilled politician she was. I followed along, watching how she did it. Adaobi was amazing.

Amazing.

She spent time talking to Lir and Schmendrick, who were already in discussions with what appeared to be two interested ladies. Adaobi was now the Head of Caravan's Winnie Council; she loudly thanked Lir for working as her trusted advisor for so long, then left him to it. His audience was more than impressed.

I introduced her to Owen and Mandy. Rather proudly, I'm afraid.

Owen was stunned. "This is your date? This? She's Adaobi Kabanda, dude!"

"I know! Weird, right?"

I realized he was hamming it up, and he kept at it: "How? How'd YOU get HER? This is un-possible!"

"Aren't you married to a goddess? Isn't this on-brand for us?"

"I guess, but…"

Adaobi took it gracefully, grinning at Owen and Mandy. "I've always wanted to meet you guys, thank you for inviting me and my buds."

She waved to her friend across the party: her friend from Halloween, and the little girl, Chantal, who, at my request, had brought the Winnie costume for Molly.

"I'm a hugger but I'll wait," Mandy said, because Adaobi had a majestic pile of food on her plate: grilled fish, pineapple, alien fruit, that better-than-ice-cream dessert. She wore a hat that one of the new Cazadores had made for her at a craft table, a truly ridiculous bowler with rainbow fabric dreadlocks built-in.

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"Excuse us, Mateo," said one of Schmendrick's Cazadores. She seemed to be the spokesperson for the rest, who were hanging back, watching us, eating clumsily with their new mouths. "We're…sorry. Sorry." Her ears went back, she looked miserable.

"I'm sorry too." I was thinking about what Mom had said. "We hurt you. I don't know if we could have done anything differently, either of us. But I really wish things had been otherwise."

She looked surprised. All of them did. "Oh. Oh…all right. We had a question: Todd?"

"Todd wants to not be in a body for a while. Probably a long while. He's safe. He's…doing his best. I want to help him."

She nodded her long head, a Human gesture. "Okay. Okay. Do you know where the President is? If we're all still alive, then…"

I sighed. Brought out my phone, not easy while holding Molly, who was still asleep. The new Cazadores all crowded around me, looking at an oldschool text message:

I AM NO LONGER IN THE SLICE

THE PRESIDENT IS MINE

XOXO VIRGIL

Her ears drooped.

Then her fangs came out. All of them, their fangs came out.

"Good," she said, and fled into the forest of statues. The rest followed her.

I didn't think it was good, but I'd spent time in that artificial Hell. I didn't think it was good but I understood. It would stay with me for the rest of my life. Did I want to rescue the President? From Virgil, did I want to do that? Could I?

Hmm.

"Hungry again," said Molly, suddenly awake. I set her down and she ran for another plate. She met Chantal, who'd loaned her the Winnie costume, and the two seemed to be friends already.

I flapped my arms. "Kid's heavy."

"Chantal's a sweetheart," Adaobi said. "Ava's her mom, I've known her for a couple years. They're good folks. You can trust them. Super trustworthy, Mateo."

Ava, Chantal's mom, knelt and spoke to both of the girls, who ran over to me.

"Dad."

"Yes ma'am Molly?"

"Chantal and Chantal's Mom say I should be on a sleepover tonight. We can play and eat all we want and watch in-propriate media."

"Sounds okay to–"

"What a great idea!" said Adaobi loudly. She winked. Not at me, but at Ava, Chantal's mother. She got a wink back. The girls ran off to ransack the desserts.

"Pretty subtle," Mandy said dryly.

"I'm completely fooled," Owen added.

"Oh, be quiet," Adaobi said. "I just want to watch Star Trek. Have you seen the new captain? New captain!"

She whipped out her phone, showed us a trailer for the new season. There was indeed a new captain; one Lux Interior, stately and statuesque in her Starfleet cosplay. She said the lines and spoke to nonhuman intelligences, and as near as I could tell, didn't plan on biting anyone like the old captain had.

Adaobi zeroed in on me. She was…she was … she had my number, all right? "As I understand it, all you've ever wanted to do is go surfing, Mateo." And I swear to you, readers: she batted her eyes. "I've never done it; teach me?"

I doubted she needed to be taught, but– "Yes Ms. Adaobi, of course."

"I understand there's a dress code. Is that for both of us or just me?"

I swallowed nervously. Mandy and Owen snickered and elbowed one another theatrically.

After the party, Adaobi and I went surfing. And we did other stuff. Stuff that was very good. It was…part of the Human experience. Part of what I'd hated for so long.

I think I can do it. People are counting on me to do it.

Counting on me to forgive. I think I can do that now.

I think it'll be okay.