Little more than a minute seems to pass before Joab and his floating guide find themselves moving down a long stretch of hallway, punctuated by a single set of beautiful mahogany doors at the center. The young man brushes past as Jezee hesitates, her eyes gazing timidly upon the intricate, upscale trim lining the threshold.

  "...a-are you sure you don't wanna reconsider?" She asks, festering anxiety creeping back into her voice.

  "Yeah, I'm sure." He replies assuredly as he grasps the twin handles, throwing the doors open without a second thought.

  Busy, bustling activity greets them as they are met with a large, theater-like setup, rows upon rows of chairs lining the floor up to a large, well-lit stage. Flanked by a pair of drawn, burgundy curtains, small robotic machines swarm the deck as they zip through the air to and fro, some outfitted with makeup brushes, most with what look to be cameras of some kind. Standing proud at the centre of the commotion is another entity, striking poses amongst the barrage of camera flashes as she admires herself, staring amusedly upon her reflection in the many mirrors lining the stage. Much like Jezee, her appearance is rather odd; long, flowing pink hair and a rich, maroon complexion, topped off by a beautiful pair of ivory antlers which almost seem to glow in the spotlight.

  Jezee's silence is nearly defeaning as Joab begins to slowly make his way down the centre aisle, ducking every so often as one of the many swarming drones rips by.

  ...gee, I can't wait to see what this one's all about.

  Only a mere few seconds go by before the tall woman twists and strikes another pose facing out towards the empty seats, her crystal blue eyes widening as she sets sights on the two newcomers.

  A mischievous, almost sinister smile spreads across her modelesque features as she drops the pose and leans in a little,

  "Ha...no friggin' way..."

  Jezee suddenly begins to pipe up, floating closer as she excitedly motions to Joab,

  "It's him, it's really him! I told you it was possible, Lily, I told you!"

  The rather tall woman steps off of the raised stage with an unnatural ease, rudely brushing past as she slowly approaches the young man,

  "I don't recall demanding your opinion on anything, Jezebella."

  "Wh-"

  "So," she begins, looming over the young man, a deep amusement festering behind her eyes, "at long last...the host, the boss, the grand operator finally decides to show his pretty little face...gracing us with his presence, nay, gifting us with it! To what do we owe this highest honor, oh great ruler, mine?"

  Joab gives Jezebella an unamused glance,

  "Is this her default setting?"

  "Sarcasm, Jo-boy, lighten up."

  Almost immediately, he feels his blood pressure begin to rise. For a brief moment, he's certain he sees the woman's skin start to glow,

  "...'Jo-boy'...?"

  The towering woman suddenly drops her snarky facade, straightening up,

  "Alright, look, I'm gonna level with you: I honestly never once expected in my entire life to ever encounter you face-to-face...but now, somehow, you're here, which is nifty and all but I'm a busy gal with plenty on her plate, so let's just cut to the chase: what is it exactly that you're doing here?"

  Determined to keep his composure, the young man stubbornly holds to his chilly demeanor,

  "You seem confident enough to figure it out on your own, so why don't you tell me, you freaky cervid?"

  Lily raises an eyebrow, a curious smile crawling across her face. Joab, now silent, simply stares back. An uncomfortable amount of time passes before the pink-haired woman narrows her eyes, clicking her tongue as she puts on an unsettling, lascivious grin,

  "Y'know, you don't seem half bad in person...I kinda like him, Jez; reminds me of myself."

  His reply is almost involuntary,

  "I'm nothing like you."

  She slowly leans in, her voice lowering to a sultry purr as she playfully taps his nose,

  "We'll see."

  Once more, disquieted silence.

  "...anywayyy," Jezee starts, trying her hardest to break the awkward tension, "we've gotta get going, he's got a few errands he wants to run into, I just wanted to show you that, for once, I was right."

  "...yeah, for once."

  Jezebella responds with a predictable glare. The maroon woman continues,

  "Also, I've decided I'm coming with."

  "W-what? Why?

  "Because, stupid, this is an opportunity that we are likely to never see again...to pass this up would be mind-bogglingly idiotic."

  "Yeah, but-"

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  Lily swiftly snaps her fingers shut around Jezee's lips,

  "Op op op, shush. This isn't up you, little birdie; I'm coming."

  The hovering entity frustratedly pushes her hand away,

  "Birds don't float, Lily."

  "You are so right!" She replies, eyes wide with mock realization, "With those thighs it'd be more fitting to call you Blimp."

  Joab wears somewhat of a shocked expression, unsure of whether or not to intervene. His earlier suspicions are indeed confirmed as he notices the maroon entity take on a gentle glow. Jezebella drops into silence, her jaw agape, mortified to be enduring this in front of the young man. Lily then reaches out, grabbing her by the jaw adoringly,

  "Aww, don't look so deflated, love..." She smiles cruelly, bitterly pushing Jezee's head away, "...you might lose altitude."

  Joab looks on in disgust and disbelief as Lily, for the briefest of moments, appears to shift. The pitiless expression on her face seems to give way to what looks like another jaw directly beneath her mouth, baring jagged teeth in a split second rictus before suddenly dissappearing.

  ...what...in the ungodly hell...

  Without another word, the tall woman begins to make for the exit, running a hand suggestively along Joab's shoulder as she slips by,

  "Name's Lily, by the way; your one-stop shop for guilt, pride, mean-spiritedness and all the mindless carnality you could ever want or need...don't hesitate to ask."

  Joab remains silent, looking over to Jezee who refuses to meet his eyes. The maroon woman stops just short of the room's exit, already visibly impatient,

  "We're going, yeah?"

  The young man glances over at her before looking back to Jez, motioning with his head,

  "Come on."

  Her reply is quiet and almost a little shaky,

  "...okay."

  Joab pushes past Lily as he makes his way out, followed closely as the two entities bring up the rear.

  ...good God, what an absolute piece of work... he ponders, trying to ignore the tall woman as she strides alongside him, ...Jezee's a little annoying, sure, but she at least seems somewhat helpful...this one, on the other hand...

  "So, fearful leader," Lily suddenly sounds off, cutting the thought short, "tell me everything! "

  "...what?"

  "What? What do you mean 'what'? I'm talkin' about details, story, plot...either fill me in or fill me up; I'm gorgeous, not patient."

  Joab rolls his eyes,

  "There really isn't much to tell."

  "Ha...yeah, right! You're smart enough to figure out how to enter your own mindscape, but dumb enough that you think you can get by me with that 'I'm not telling you' nonsense? I don't enjoy fooling around unless it's literal, Jo-boy, so either get to it or get some."

  "Quit calling me 'Jo-boy' and I'll consider it." His curt reply seems to illicit another mild glow.

  "My, my...do you kiss your dog with that stern tone?"

  "Do you have an answer for everything, you snarky stag?"

  "Ha...stag? I'm a woman, you moron."

  "Methinks those antlers doth protest too much."

  Lily beams, letting out a mock gasp,

  "Are you hearing this, Jez? I think I may have actually found myself a half-competent match, huzzah! Oh, the fun we're going to have!"

  "I've known you for fewer than two minutes and I already hate you."

  "Get used to it, Jo-Jo, 'cause I ain't goin' anywhere."

  "Not with an attitude like yours."

  "You're living proof that that isn't true- Oh, wait...nevermind."

  "Yeah, believe me, I know," the young man replies with a tired huff, "...it's...why I'm here."

  "Ohhhh, is that so? Care to disclose any more precious details, mein kommandant?"

  "Um, no. Not to you."

  "Aww, why not, lovey?"

  Joab shoots her an irritated side-eye,

  "Because you've made it abundantly clear that you're not safe to open up to."

  The flirtatious rumble in Lily's voice is impossible to ignore,

  "...since when have you ever cared for safety, you frosty Romeo?"

  The young man suddenly stops, nearly causing Jezee to bump into him as he faces the maroon entity,

  "Okay, are you a flirt or a bully? Pick one. I don't enjoy being jerked around."

  "We all know that isn't true."

  "You don't ever shut your yap, do you?"

  Lily creeps closer, eyes half-lidded,

  "...not unless it's stuffed."

  Joab lets out a tired groan, raising his hands in annoyance and disbelief as he continues down the hall.

  "Come on..." Lily pleads, "Just tell me! I promise I won't bite!"

  "That's a lie."

  "He hasn't told me anything either, Lily." Jez states flatly.

  She throws her a bored look,

  "Well, did you offer him a good time?"

  A barely visible blush begins to spread over Jezee's pastel complexion,

  "...u-um, well...no, I-"

  "Well, there's your problem!" Lily interrupts, looking back to Joab, "Hey stud, remember when I said 'don't hesitate to ask' ?"

  "No."

  "Come on, Joey, I'm literally your libido in the flesh; nothing arouses you without me knowing about it...just sayin'. There isn't a single detail about your desires that I'm not already privy to...I mean, now that you're here, things have become a bit murky, but if memory serves-"

  "If I tell you, will you shut up?"

  The entity's glow flares up ever so slightly as she smiles, nearly satisfied,

  "I can't make any promises."

  The young man breathes deep, taking a moment to calm himself,

  "I'm here to resolve personal issues."

  "...and? "

  "...that's it."

  A mixture of genuine bewilderment and disappointment begins to cross Lily's face,

  "...wow...that was...so anticlimactic I almost wanna go back to my room."

  "Yeah, well, no one's stopping you."

  "Wh...what do you mean by 'resolve'?" A tinge of worry sprouts in Jezebella's tone.

  "All either of you need to know is that I'm here to confront my problems directly and get rid of them by whatever means necessary."

  "...I'm...not one of those problems, am I?"

  Lily rolls her eyes,

  "You're his insecurity, Jez...so yes."

  "Wh- I'm more than just that! "

  "Sorry, insecurity, apathy and ADHD, whatever."

  "And sensuality!"

  "Oh, you mean discount lust? Yeah, that doesn't really count."

  "It absolutely does!"

  "Hey, hey, it's alright...not everyone can be as tantalizing as I am, and that's okay."

  Joab shakes his head,

  "There's just no end to it with you, is there?"

  Lily's smirk is practically automatic,

  "Nope."

  The young man once more stops rather abruptly, his irritation barely held in check,

  "Look, I don't know what resolving my problems is gonna look like, I don't know how long its gonna take, I don't know if it's going to entail 'cleansing' or genociding you all or what, but..."

  He pauses, allowing himself a breath,

  "...all I know is that I've been given the opportunity to rid myself of issues that have plagued me for years, and I'm not about to waste it. If that bothers either of you, then leave."

  Lily's smile morphs into a sneer,

  "You can't scare me with speculatory threats; I'm staying."

  "I-if you have to kill me..." Jezee starts, looking up with big, pleading eyes, "...please make it quick."

  For the first time since encountering the floating entity, a pang of sympathy shoots through Joab's chest. His expression softens a little, suddenly feeling remorse for his brash choice of words,

  "I...I don't think there's going to be any killing. Don't worry about it, Jez."

  "...okay..."

  A few seconds of awkward silence pass before the young man clears his throat,

  "In any case, the first and arguably the worst issue that I had planned on confronting was...well...anger. It is easily one of the longest-standing issues I've dealt with...once that's cleared up and I'm a little more level-headed, then I'll worry about the rest. Now, you two know the layout of this place better than I do, so if you wouldn't mind pointing me in the direction of the angriest guy in this building, it'd be much appreciated."

  Lily exchanges an apprehensive glance with Jez,

  "That's going to be an issue."

  Joab narrows his eyes with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion,

  "...why?"