Kota's mouth was already open, ready to shout something that would finally shut down Corey's relentless teasing and Carter's wide-eyed misunderstanding, when the second knock sounded sharp, insistent, cutting through the room like a lifeline.
He seized it instantly, using the interruption as the perfect excuse to bolt. "I'll get it," he said quickly, voice a little too loud, already pushing up from the velvet sofa and stepping around Corey, who was still kneeling on the rug with that dramatic, fake-ecstatic expression frozen on his face.
Carter blinked at him with glittery confusion, but Kota didn't wait for questions. He crossed the newly furnished apartment in long strides, the deep purple LED strips along the walls casting shifting violet shadows across the black rugs and the massive flat-screen still looping its hypnotic spirals. The incense smoke curled lazily in the air, mixing with the faint ozone hum from the LEDs, and for a second Kota wondered how Beckett had managed to turn an empty loft into a full-blown ritual den in just seven hours. He didn't stop to ask. The knock gave him an out, and he took it.
He reached the door, twisted the handle, and pulled it open. The short, long-haired lanky femboy on the other side didn't even pause for breath he launched straight into a super long run-on yap that poured out like a firehose of pure bubbly energy, words tumbling over each other so fast Kota could barely track them at first. "hi im charlie nice to meet you your so tall and wow this place looks amazing already with the purple lights and the big tv thing is that like a hypno video omg that's so cool i love trying new stuff like this i saw the ad online and i was like yes this is totally my vibe because i'm super into exploring energy and crystals and all that spiritual stuff even though i'm not really goth or anything i just like the mystery and the connection and beckett sounded so interesting in the message and i'm guessing your the semen producer right because beckett mentioned that and it sounded really intriguing like super scientific and hot at the same time i mean not that i'm assuming anything but wow you're tall and built and i bet you have so many stories about how this all works and i'm just so excited to be here and learn everything and maybe even help with the attunement or whatever it's called because i read the whole thing twice and i have so many questions like how does the onyx crystal actually work with the chakras and do we all have to meditate first or is it more of a group energy thing and oh my god your eyes are really pretty up close do you get that a lot because i feel like you do and i'm just rambling now but i can't stop because this is all so new and exciting and i'm literally vibrating with anticipation right now like my whole body is buzzing and i hope i'm not talking too fast but i get like this when i'm nervous and happy at the same time which is basically always when i meet new people especially when they're as tall and strong-looking as you and i can't wait to see what happens tonight because beckett said there would be rituals and i'm so ready to try anything once even if it's weird because life is short and we should experience everything and oh wow is that incense i smell it smells amazing what kind is it because i love scents that make you feel grounded and i bet this whole night is going to be life-changing for me and maybe for everyone here and i'm just so grateful to be invited and i promise i'll be good and follow all the rules even if i talk a lot which i do but i'm working on it and—"
He sucked in a huge, gasping breath after about thirty words, chest heaving like he'd run a marathon, cheeks flushed pink under the long flowing hair that framed his lanky frame, then dove right back in without missing a beat, the yap accelerating even faster. "—and anyway like i was saying i'm super curious about the whole semen retention part because beckett explained it in the ad and it sounds so intense and powerful and i've never done anything like that before but i'm open to it because new experiences are the best and you're the one who's supposed to provide it right and that's so cool like what an honor and responsibility and i bet you're really good at it because you look like you know what you're doing and i have so many questions about technique and how long it takes and whether we all get a turn or if it's more of a group thing and oh my god i'm talking too much again but i can't help it because this is literally the most interesting thing that's happened to me all month and i'm just so bubbly right now i feel like i could float and—"
Another massive breath, lungs filling so hard his narrow shoulders rose dramatically, hair swaying with the motion, before the flood continued without pause. "—and yeah i'm guessing you're the semen producer because beckett said you were and that's fascinating like scientifically and spiritually at the same time and i read online that energy transfer during rituals can be super intense so i'm ready for whatever happens and i hope i don't mess it up because i sometimes get nervous and talk even more when i'm nervous but i promise i'll try to be quiet during the important parts even though quiet isn't really my thing but i'll learn and i'm so excited to meet everyone else and see the onyx crystal up close because it sounds huge and powerful and i bet it feels amazing to be around and i have crystals at home but nothing like that and wow you're really tall up close did i say that already because it's true and i feel tiny next to you but in a good way and i can't wait to see how this all unfolds because this could be like a total turning point for me and i'm just so grateful and happy and ready to dive in with both feet even if it's weird because weird is good and—"
Kota finally couldn't take it anymore. "Enoughhhhhhhhh," he said, exasperated, dragging the word out like a sigh that had been building since the first knock. His head was spinning from the nonstop verbal assault, the rapid-fire questions and compliments blending into one endless bubbly stream that showed no sign of slowing.
Charlie blinked up at him, long hair falling across one eye, then immediately launched into the next part without missing a beat. "sorry i talk too much a lot of people say i do which might be true but i'm not really trying to be annoying it just comes out when i get excited and i'm super excited right now because this is all new and fun and i promise i'll tone it down but sometimes i can't help it and people tell me to slow down but then i apologize and that makes me talk more and it's like a whole cycle but i'm working on it i swear and—"
Kota didn't wait for the rest. He turned and walked off, leaving the door open behind him as the yap continued floating after him like an unstoppable podcast on fast-forward. The lanky femboy's voice trailed him across the room, still going strong even as Kota moved deeper into the apartment. Mort, still lounging on the bean bag in the corner, snorted loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Lots of weirdos today."
Kota dropped back onto the velvet sofa, dread settling heavy in his chest like a stone. He was really going to have to cum for all of them. All six—eight if the last ones showed up—strangers waiting to take turns, expecting him to perform like some kind of living ritual tool while Beckett watched with that blank clinical stare and took notes. The thought made his stomach twist. Seven hours had already slipped by since Khalil left for that double shift. Dad was gone for twelve hours total, which meant Kota had maybe five hours max before he had to be back downstairs acting normal, preferably four to be safe so he could shower and change and erase any evidence of whatever was about to happen up here. He sighed, rubbing his temples, already calculating escape routes in his head while the distant yap from Charlie near the door kept drifting through the room like background music that refused to end.
Mort's sarcastic voice cut in again from the bean bag, dripping with fake sympathy. "Oooh how sad, you work sooo hard ejaculating. So sad, am I right?"
Kota mumbled an insult under his breath—"asshole"—but kept it too quiet to actually reach Mort's ears. He was too scared to say it out loud, not with the way Mort had threatened to step on balls earlier and the switchblade comment still fresh in his mind. Beckett, still standing naked by the now-closed door after letting Charlie in, turned to face the group with his usual emotionless calm. "We are now six out of the eight. Most are here right now. We will commence in five minutes."