She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She was really doing this.

Mary was an amateur journalist, working for a small indie team: KINKSTERS. They were a sex-positive journalism site, giving info on all sorts of kinky activities. Bondage, domination, powerplay, it was all just their 9-5. However, they had been working towards the holy grail of kink information: MAGIC. Magic was difficult to understand, at the best of times. It defied rules or structure, and flowed out of containment like smoke. It was almost impossible to truly contain and control, making it useless for most of the world. Sunbright, however, wasn't like most of the world.

Sunbright had been founded on top of a meteorite collision site, and it oozed magic. The people that grew up there, or lived there for more than a few weeks, tended to change. Physically, they'd change towards their "true form", essentially whatever their brain sees them as. They'd also gain... abilities, of some kind. Information was extremely hard to come by, as travel in and out of Sunbright was... rare, to say the least. Most people didn't want to risk changing into something new, and those who already lived there rarely wanted to leave. Mary was on the train into the city, and it was... eerily quiet. She wouldn't be entirely surprised if it had turned out that she was the only passenger. However...

THUNK

The door to her cabin opened, and walking in was the only other person on the train. She was tall, and unusually so, at least 7 feet. She was thin, and walked with a confidence and grace that Mary couldn't help but admire. Her brown hair was short, and tamed into a bun on the back of her head. What really caught Mary's eyes, however, was... well, her eyes. The irises were bright red, a sign that she was almost certainly a Sunbright local, back from a trip. She looked over, and smiled.

"I thought I heard someone mulling about in here!"

Her voice was like melted caramel, smooth and sweet as candy. Her smile was much the same, a kind and gentle expression, like someone might look just after a good laugh. Mary was... incredibly gay for this woman.

"Oh. Hi."

Her voice didn't show it, though. Mary was incredibly stoic, not out of purpose, but out of precedent. She had grown up in an iffy household, and had learned that showing your emotions is a good way to get yourself hurt. Since then, she has kept a fairly neutral face and voice whenever talking to someone new. A laugh from her was considered by her friends to be a "rite of passage" of sorts. A way of showing that she liked you enough to let her guard down. Thankfully, the woman didn't take her neutrality as melancholy, and swiftly sat next to her, in the chair facing hers.

A few thoughts ran through Mary's head at this moment. First... would all Sunbrightians look this hot? After a second, she realized that, yea, they probably would. The magic was to blame for that. Secondly, this woman looked incredibly rich. Her bag looked like it cost more than Mary's yearly earnings, and her clothes were immaculate. Third... this was a good opportunity for her to... actually do her job.

"How are you doing, darling? It's rare to see a human going into Sunbright. I'm more than a bit intrigued."

Darling. That name sent shivers through Mary's body, that she tried to hide. Something about being referred like that made the woman feel even more powerful and confident. It made Mary feel safe, and comfortable... and more than a bit turned on.

"Oh. I'm a reporter. I'm visiting for a few weeks, just to see what life's like there."

She raised an eyebrow.

"A few weeks? You know what that means, don't you?"

She did. It was why she chose this particular trip, in fact. She was born in the wrong body, and often felt like it held her back. She couldn't feel confident, when she wasn't herself. She had been on HRT for about a half a year now, and so she had some bumps someone could call boobs. But that was it.

"I do."

The woman smiled. She seemed genuinely elated about that.

"I'm so glad! So many people see the magic's gift as a bad thing, as some kind of curse. But it's not! I've never met a person who visited this place and didn't feel better for it afterwards."

Her excitement made Mary shrink a bit. It was infectious, and wonderful... but she had an issue with loud sounds, sometimes.

"Yea. Would you like to... answer some questions? I know that magic is very personal for a lot of you guys, but I just wanted to see-"

"Yes! Absolutely! I'd love to answer any questions you might have!"

"Well, I just wanted to warn you, I work for a bit of a weird site..."

"Don't worry! You can't surprise me."

Mary doubted that, as she took out a notepad and a pencil.

"Ok. What's your name?"

"I'm Aetharial Mandrake."

Mary blinked a few times.

"How is that spelled?"

"Oh, just how it sounds, honey."

She butchered it completely as she wrote it down, but decided to continue anyhow.

"Alright. How did the magic affect you?"

"Well..." She gestured to her body. "I gained about 2 feet in height, and swapped genders. Didn't know I wanted either of those things, before I came here. But, what do you know!"

"And... any abilities?"

Every person who lets themselves be changed by Sunbright also gains an ability, sometimes even more than one. Some are more useful than others, but many of them are explicitly sexual in nature. It leads to a culture that finds asking someone about their abilities to be taboo. Mary researched this ahead of time, but as a reporter, she had to be willing to step over a couple lines, occasionally. She expected a toned back response, but Aetharial leaned over the table between them, and looked at her, intensely. Her eyes burned with a red glow, and were extremely captivating.

"Just one."

Mary felt... strange. She didn't know exactly what was up with her. She coughed a couple times.

"You're really sexy." Mary said, with complete disregard.

...what

excuse me what

She blushed, her face turning red as she practically fell apart in her seat. Aetharial leaned back, laughing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself!"

Mary wanted to run away, and stay perfectly still at the same time. She just kinda... froze.

"That was my ability, you see. Interrogate. I can get someone to tell me exactly what they're thinking, at any moment."

She seemed to expect Mary to respond. To her credit, Mary did try. But it just sorta came out as a whimper.

"Aw. You're adorable, darling."

An alarm went off in her brain, big red signs lighting up in the nonexistent space that was her mind.

GAY. GAY. GAY.

Mary was completely and entirely flustered. Aetharial smiled.

"Tell me if I'm going too far, my dear. I just like you, that's all."

"NEXT QUESTION!"

Mary expertly changed the subject.

Uh. Um. She looked around for her notepad, finding it on her seat.

"Yes. Question. Uh. Fuck."

The next question she had been dreading. They were a kink site, after all.

"Uhhhhh haveyouusedyourpowersinasexualwaybefore"

She blurted it out incredibly quickly, forcing her mouth to say the words as quickly as she could, so she wouldn't have to dwell on them. Aetharial leaned in a bit, gently holding her free hand.

"Of course I have. And I'd hazard to guess... You're interested in that in more than a business sense, hm?"

"Yes."

The answer left her lips without her brain having any say in it. She felt small. Helpless. She fucking loved it.

"I thought as much. But before I do anything else to you... are you okay with it?"

She almost expected her mouth to betray her again, but it didn't. She wasn't using her powers this time. She was asking, genuinely, if Mary wanted to have her thoughts laid out in front of this woman. She was asking nicely if Mary wanted to be embarrassed and toyed with.

Her answer surprised no-one.

"Y-yea..."

"Good. What is your name, darling? I never caught it."

"Mary."

It wasn't something she'd have hidden, but she said it without thinking. And that turned her on. Even if it was something so simple and inconsequential as her name, it still felt so amazing, somehow, to have the choice taken from her.

"Where are you staying, in town?"

She didn't use her ability this time. Probably because it was private info Mary might not want to give up. She had an aura of power and confidence, but underneath that she seemed to be... very nice, actually.

"Oh, uh... just a little apartment/hotel. I found someplace cheap enough for me to stay a few weeks and not drain my bank account."

"Oh dear, you're not going to Rere's, are you?"

That surprised her. The place had good reviews, and was very cheap, she hadn't expected a negative response. She nodded her head.

"The lady who runs that place is... a bit of a rival of mine. I don't actually dislike her... it's a friendly sort of rivalry, I hope you understand."

She took out a business card, sliding it across the table. It read AETHERIAL APARTMENTS, in big bold letters, with her name and a phone number underneath.

Aetherial Apartments was a rare sort of business, in that it operated both inside and outside of the city. It wasn't a particularly big company, but it was impressive nonetheless. Mary hadn't noticed the connection in names, until now, and suddenly understood why she seemed so rich.

"You're... the CEO."

"Yes, I am. Rere has opened up a competitor to my business right next door to our headquarters, and I'm fuming over it. Sure you wouldn't like to stay in one of our hotels?"

Mary struggled to find a way to say "I'm horribly broke and can't afford it" that wouldn't make her sound pathetic.

"Uh... Rere's is closer to where I need to be... so..."

"Oh, it's fine, darling, I'm just teasing."

She patted Mary on the head. This elicited a response from the reporter that is best described as a verbal keysmash. Aetherial chuckled.

"Oh, you're a fun one to play with."

And just like that, Mary was back to being completely flustered. This woman was... incredibly good at that.

"I like your boobs."

Mary heard the words come out of her mouth and blushed, making a fairly commendable attempt to hide in her own shadow. Aetherial opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by an intercom. The voice sounded almost liquid-like, with bubbling sounds and a strange cadence.

"To our... two passengers, we are pulling into the station soon. Please stow any belongings, secure any tails, wings, or antenna, and stay in your seats."

Saved by the bell. Mary looked back up, to see Aetherial smiling, and looking out the window. She followed her gaze, and... wow.

The train line into Sunbright was raised above the forests it ran through, in order to preserve the natural wildlife below. The train station was also raised, and on the outskirts of the city. This had the side effect of giving it one of the best views of the skyline. Sunbright's skyscrapers stretched high above the clouds, and most were painted gold, the sun reflecting off of them to an almost blinding degree. It's what gave the city its name. Apparently the gold paint had some purpose, something about protecting the concrete from magical erosion, but Mary didn't look too much into it. The important part was that it created a skyline unlike any she had ever seen, and she loved it. Looking closer, she saw air trams levitating between buildings, built on ephemeral rails of magic energy. There were even a few silhouettes flying above the ground, lit from behind by the shining lights of the city. It was... breathtaking.

"I remember when I first saw the city. Back then it wasn't quite so big, but it was still brilliant."

"It must have been."

She felt the inertia of her body as the train came to a slow, rolling stop, into a cute little train station. With how few people came in and out, it didn't need to be particularly fancy. The doors opened with a swish as the intercom came on again.

"Alright, last stop. Well, technically both stops are the last stop, so there isn't really a last stop."

Mary stood up, walking through the train car, and took her first step off the train. Aetherial followed closely behind. Aetherial walked off swiftly, clearly in a hurry. She looked behind her, at Mary for a moment.

"Hey, don't forget that you have my number! Call me sometime!"

Mary nodded.

"Also, do you like getting fucked in the ass?"

"Of course!"

Mary paused for a moment, as Aetherial walked away.

She was... going to enjoy this.