:Peer Pressure:

"Whelp. That's that," Amel'issa said with a sigh, "Back to the summoning grounds."

Reed bristled. "Hey! Don't write me off that fast!" Realizing that was a dumb thing to say, he turned and kicked the door open to make a break for it. He didn't know where he was going, but the woman with bat wings was flying through the hall after him.

He skidded around a corner, hit another straight-away, and booked it toward a set of glass doors at the end. Throwing his arms up to cover his face, Reed burst through the glass, hit a roll across the patio, and was on his feet again, sprinting over a flowerbed. Maybe bringing her outside wasn't his smartest move, since she now had freedom to falcon dive at him, but he didn't want to endanger the innocent servants in the palace either.

The lawn just behind his heels exploded in a blast of energy.

"Can't we talk about this?" Reed shouted over his shoulder.

"Die scum!" she shrieked in return.

Tripping in his distraction, Reed tumbled into the flowers, narrowly avoiding getting his head chopped off by another blast. It did clip the ends of his hair, though. Rolling to his feet, Reed changed direction, charging across a bridge spanning a small pond.

The bat-winged demon woman shot higher into the air, and Reed knew he was in for it.

Skidding to a stop in the middle of the bridge, Reed stared up at her. "This isn't necessary!" he shouted at her.

She didn't hear him. Folding her wings, she shot toward him like a bullet, hands outstretched like claws.

Reed breathed.

Eyes focused, he waited.

Her hands caught his shoulders, claws piercing his flesh.

Throwing himself backward, Reed grabbed her wrists and pulled her with him as he went over the side of the bridge.

He hit the water first and wrapped his arms around the woman, pinning her wings and arms. She flailed, her movements changing from attack to desperation. Bubbles burst from her mouth in a rush.

Reed quickly realized that she was drowning. She went limp even before he got to the surface and dragged her head out of the water.

People had gathered on the shore, watching in silent shock as Reed emerged. Struggling with the woman, he pinned her wings again so they wouldn't get in the way and started swimming toward the bank. It was difficult. The long tails of his over-shirt got in the way of his legs, as did her wings and dress.

As he pulled her onto the shore, everyone backed away.

Lying her out in the grass, Reed considered his options. He could let her die... but the idea of that left him feeling disgusting.

No. He couldn't do that.

Kneeling next to her, he started CPR. Checking her pulse, he found she still had one, but barely.

First, he adjusted her head and leaned down to give her air. He knew normally he should've started with chest compressions, but her problem was that there was no air in her lungs.

As his lips touched hers, the mark on his chest burned, making him breathe out in an uncontrolled way.

Suddenly, the woman convulsed, spewing lake water into his mouth.

Reed sat back, spitting the water out as she coughed.

Everyone backed away further.

Sitting forward again, Reed pinned her to the ground by her wings. "While I've got your attention," he said to her face. "How about you stop attacking people? Maybe a calm talk might fix whatever issue is happ—"

She dragged a gasp in and shoved him away. "What have you done to me?!" she screamed. Staggering to her feet, she gripped her hair, then her chest as she stared at him. A blush crept up her cheeks. She spread her wings, and Reed expected to get struck down.

Bursting into the air, she quickly became a tiny dot in the distance.

"Well, shit," Meg'ante said, shading her eyes with her hand as she squinted. "You got her to retreat... but uh... why did you kiss her?"

Reed took a moment to inspect himself, then his surroundings. The kings and queen of the respective countries had chased after him. They still had shards of glass stuck in their hair and clothes, though they looked unharmed. Servants and knights had followed. The knights carried pikes or swords. Reed wasn't sure if that marked different ranks, or if it was just how things were. In any case, he determined that his own body was alright.

Where the demon had sunk claws in, she'd ripped his shirt, but his flesh seemed to be alright. He was sure she'd broken the skin, though. Maybe he'd been mistaken. In any case, he was soaking wet.

Wiping his hair back from his face, Reed gathered the tail and squeezed water from it. "That wasn't a kiss. That was CPR," he explained.

"See-pee-arr?" Amel'issa asked, moving closer. "So that's how you cast magic on her?"

Reed looked down at her. Scratching his chin, he said, "I dunno."

"You don't know?" Saffron demanded as she stomped closer. "You foolish boy! You let the Demon Lord go! That's what you did!"

He blinked at her. He'd suspected that was the Demon Lord... "Well, I thought maybe there was some reason they're attacking?" Also, calling him a boy confirmed Reed’s suspicions that the last Astralitar had been a kid.

Saffron slapped him, catching his mouth. He felt hot pain briefly, but it quickly disappeared. Reed licked his lips in thought. No, she'd not caused damage, he determined. Or, perhaps Snow had put some kind of regeneration spell on him? "That was rude."

She lifted her hand, "I'll show you rude!"

Reed caught her wrist and, on impulse, silenced her with his lips. Maybe this magic thing would make her less hostile?

This chest burned.

Saffron staggered back from him, face turning bright red as she stared at him. Tears welled in her eyes as she backed away another step.

"Well! That's not fair!" Amel'issa huffed, suddenly pouncing on him, legs wrapped around his hips as her lips slammed onto his.

Again, that flash of burn.

Amel'issa shoved back from him, eyes wide as she searched his face. Suddenly, she grinned, laughing as she slid down and stumbled away. Her cackling only grew louder as she grabbed Snow and dragged her over. "Her next!"

"This is—" Reed started to say, but Meg'ante swept in to kiss him, grabbing his chin and turning his face toward her. The kiss was rough, and Reed suddenly realized how unpleasant that must have been for Saffron.

She backed away, covering her mouth in shock. "Oh!" Lowering her hand, she grabbed Snow before the young woman could get away and shoved her forward. "Only fair!" she insisted.

Reed sighed. Snow stared up at him with wide, sapphire blue eyes. She looked as pure and innocent as her name and he suddenly felt bad about this. This was likely her first kiss and he was about to do it in front of a crowd, practically on a dare. But he didn't think Meg'ante and Amel'issa were going to let him not do it.

Since he was hesitating, Snow unexpectedly stepped forward, grabbed his shoulders, and stood on her tiptoes to steal his lips for herself. If he'd thought she was going to melt into the ground with embarrassment before, after she stepped back, he was sure her mortification was going to destroy her.

Snow's hands flew to her cheeks as she stared up at him, her entire face red. She collapsed to her knees and sat on the ground.

Saffron clenched her fan so hard that it snapped. "Bastard!" she shouted, turning away to shove through the crowd. "You'll pay for this!"

Meg'ante chuckled. "Oh, she's mad now."

"Did the magic not work on her?" Amel'issa asked coyly, her tail curling. She licked her lips, gaze roaming Reed.

"It worked," Snow whispered into her hands.

"I—uh..." Reed suddenly remembered that there was a rather large audience, including the parents of the princesses he had just kissed. They looked irritated.

"Which one are you going to choose?" the giantess queen demanded. She cracked her knuckles.

Reed backed up a step. Nope. This situation has not gotten any better.

Meg'ante stepped in front of him. "Run," she whispered. Her tone was threatening, her gaze was lustful, and his instincts shouted DANGER.

"Nope!" Reed turned and booked it, kicking clods of dirt as he fled. Again. He didn't know where he was going but anywhere was better than where he was.