She wasn't wearing armour. Or anything.

The daggers were a pair of table knives taken from the kitchen box.

Red, not a statue, sat still on the covered log. Kaz was nearby. Mac lay on the ground.

The afternoon was wearing on.

Jon was looking at her expectantly.

"That..." Nat said, taking a breath. "That was so cool."

Kaz laughed. "It really was."

Mac lifted her head. "I have to admit, that was kind of fun."

"Speak for yourself!" Red complained with a grin. She stood and stretched. "You didn't have to pose for an hour!"

Nat got to her feet. "You looked great. And it was impressive how you could stay so still!"

"Magic and mind control helps a lot."

"Plus," Jon added, taking Nat's hand, "you moved when no one was looking. Even if you don't remember it."

"I wanna try that sometime," Nat breathed.

Jon smiled at her. "Why wait?"

"Huh?"

Her feet were rooted to the spot. Her eyes were locked on his. Her muscles were frozen. She couldn't blink, couldn't breathe.

Couldn't think.

"You know the whole story didn't make sense," Mac said, hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

Jon grinned. "Best I could do on short notice."

"Yeah," Kaz said, "if you couldn't use your power except in the throne room or whatever, how did you turn off Red's light spell and separate us?"

He shrugged. "Magic of narration."

"Add it to the list of bullshit powers," Red said. "I need a swim, coming anyone?"

"Be right behind you," Kaz replied.

Mac shook her head, looking up at the sky. "I think I'll put some sunscreen on the new camp decoration and then stroll uphill. Jon?"

Jon shrugged. "How about I give you a hand? I don't feel like swimming right now."

"Sounds good." Even to her own ears it didn't sound like she believed that.

"See you three later, then," Red said, and she and Kaz headed downhill.

Mac grabbed the bottle of sunscreen. "She's alright?"

"She's fine," Jon replied.

"How long will she be standing there?"

"Long as I want her to. Or until her body gets tired. Like I told Red, she'll move if she's getting sore, she just won't notice doing it."

Mac started applying lotion to Nat's shoulders. "What are you getting out of this?"

Jon laughed. "Four beautiful naked women under my absolute control, and you have to ask?"

"Well, it's not like you've been treating us like slaves, exactly."

He shook his head. "I found out a long time ago that it's more fun if everyone's having a good time. For me, too."

Mac couldn't help but smile as she rubbed Nat's breasts. "Is this your idea of a good time?"

"It's a heck of a good start to one, if nothing else."

"Couldn't you do some magic to keep the sun off us?"

"Like I have for the bugs?"

Mac blinked. "Yeah, I haven't so much as seen a mosquito since we landed."

"You're welcome."

"So you are good for something. Is there a reason I'm spending this much time putting sunscreen on Nat's butt?"

Jon smirked. "A heck of a good start."

Mac laughed, crouching down to finish her work with Nat's legs.

"You take good care of them," Jon said, admiration in his voice.

"They're my friends, it's what I do." She stood and started putting the sunscreen on herself.

"And to answer your question, no, I can't change the weather. It's way too complicated, too interconnected, and requires far too much work."

"Pity. Didn't know there were so many limits."

Jon nodded. "Limits like you wouldn't believe."

Mac finished with the lotion. "The list of things that I would believe now that I wouldn't have believed four days ago is actually pretty long."

Jon held out his arm in invitation, Mac took it, and the two of them walked up the hill in silence. Mac was thinking about everything they'd been through, replaying the whole camping trip in her mind. Surprising herself with how little she actually found distasteful. When she pushed past the worry and the ... the offence of having her free will taken away, she found to her surprise that Jon was actually being pretty careful.

"Are you putting thoughts in my head?" Mac asked, when they reached the cliff.

"Would you like me to?" Jon asked in reply.

"Hm. Not really, I just want to know if you are."

Jon slipped his arm around her waist, and she did the same for him. He didn't answer.

She didn't say anything either. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Just one fantasy left," Jon reminded her.

"Mine."

"Yes."

"And you already know what it'll be."

"I do."

She sighed. "What if I don't want it?"

He squeezed her gently against his side. "I always take something for myself."

"So much for the gentleman." But she leaned into the embrace.

"The gentleman I never claimed to be."

"But that you've been. Kind of. Weirdly."

He chuckled. "It's hard not to be gentle with such delicate beauty." Mac slapped his chest lightly at the joke, but he protested. "No, no, I'm serious! You're all stunning, for starters, but you're all breakable. It wouldn't be too much of a challenge."

"Mhmm."

"Kaz can be bent, emotionally. I can see it behind her eyes, and how well she took to the unconditional love of being a pet. Red would be easy to gaslight and confuse, turn her into an abused mess. It would be simple to physically hurt Nat and I can tell how little she would like that."

"And me?"

"I'd just have to hurt one of them significantly, and you'd feel like you were a complete failure."

Mac sighed again. "I guess it's easy to read us like a book when we all talk to you at every opportunity."

Jon nodded. "There is that. But I've been doing this long enough that I've learned to read people, too."

Mac took a slow breath, tilted her head up, and shared a kiss with him. It was surprisingly tender.

"I'm running on empty," he said after their lips parted. "This power isn't without consequence. It tires me out."

Interesting. "Should I let you rest?"

"After supper."

She reached up to pet his face. "That's a bit of a pity. I haven't had my chance yet." She kissed him lightly. "Closest I've been is hold you while Kaz gave you head."

He chuckled again. "After supper. I'm sure I'll have some of my energy back by then."

"Hopefully enough to show me what Nat was raving about," she said, pressing close to his front, feeling him respond.

"Mm, with such an offer as that, who could resist?"

The two of them kissed again, and again. It was slow, luxurious. Nothing rushed. No expectations of going further. Just hands and mouths in concert. Touches and caresses.

It was almost like being in love.

"You're manipulating me," she accused him with a smile.

"You don't care," he retorted, running a hand down her side.

"I'm not like Kaz or Nat, I don't want you to do it."

"But you don't particularly mind."

"Once I got over..." She let herself trail off.

He nodded. "It can be harder for some people than for others."

She curled up against him. "Why do you do this?"

"It's fun for me. It's a way of connecting with people." His hand slowly stroked up and down her back.

"I really want to know more."

"And tomorrow..."

"I know."

The two of them stood there a long while. Mac almost felt like she'd turned to stone, now that both Red and Nat had that experience. Wouldn't be so bad. Being here forever. The beautiful sunsets, the view...

Jon broke the spell by yawning. "Mmm, sorry. I really am tired."

Mac smiled understandingly up at him. "Then maybe we should go back down to camp."

"Probably. I think I'll join the others for a refreshing swim."

"Grab Nat while you're at it? And I'll come with you, too."

"Beautiful."

Nat carefully wedged herself between Red and Kaz, lying on her back with the other two each facing away from her. None of them were in their sleeping bags. It was close, and surprisingly comfortable.

"So... we've all had a good time?" Nat asked.

"Mmm," Red mumbled. "Didn't know you were so into... all that."

"It was great," Kaz said with a slow breath. "But real tiring."

Nat nodded. "I never had the courage to go to a larp, so this was... well it was... I dunno what it was but it was really special. Thank you both for being part of it."

"Hey, if you ever do want to go," Red said, turning over, "I don't think I'd mind going with you."

"Yeah?"

"Could be a good time," Kaz added.

"Not sure it'd be up Mac's alley, but I sure wouldn't mind." Red seemed almost enthusiastic at the idea, through the exhaustion of her voice. "A chance to have some fun acting."

Nat smiled in the dark. "Yeah. Yeah it'd really be fun. Thanks, girls, that's..." She tried not to get choked up.

Kaz snored softly. Red giggled. "Might have to remind her tomorrow about that."

"I might, yeah. But gosh, I never expected..."

"Never had the chance," Red said. She kissed her friend's cheek. "Sleep good, Nat."

Nat flushed in the dark. "Yeah, you too."

Jon was on top of Mac, which was just where she wanted him. Inside her, too, which was just what she liked.

His groans were like music to her. His movements were ecstasy. And when he came, she came, too, and she didn't particularly care who heard. Jon had said that his magic would make the other three ignore them, and she couldn't doubt him, but had it been otherwise, she really wouldn't have minded. The four friends were at this point so casual with each other that it wouldn't have mattered.

He rolled off, holding her close, kissing her as she kissed him. She could feel him getting tired.

"Today really did take a lot out of you, huh," she said, petting his hair.

It had been wonderful. Nat was right. And Red, and Kaz. He was an amazing lover, caring, attentive, knowing just where to touch and kiss and caress. Or maybe he was making wherever he touched be just the right spot.

More importantly, he'd been completely responsive to her requests for more, for harder, for faster. He had pressed her right past the cliff edge twice before getting off himself, without any hesitation.

"More than... you might expect," Jon replied, his voice soft. Almost weak.

"You've got all night to recover," Mac said, sliding into a sitting position. "And then more fun tomorrow."

"Mhmm..." Jon's voice slipped off into the slow, gentle breathing of sleep.

Mac waiting, counting the seconds. One minute. Two. Five. Ten. She kept herself awake with a plan, and an intention.

Twenty minutes passed. Jon hadn't moved.

Slowly, carefully, she got to her knees. She opened the tent flap as quietly as she could, moving the zipper tooth by tooth. She put on her shoes, and didn't worry about zipping the tent back up. Jon's magic kept the bugs away.

Step one was complete.