Into the Vanessaverse

In Vanessa’s manor, travel was not an issue. The eldritch nature of the home, coupled with extra-dimensional capabilities, allowed for the manor to materialize wherever, and whenever, she chose. On the rare occasions she actively left the manor to mill about the mortal realms, she could merely conjure a portal to her destination and be in and out within minutes, based on perspective.

Seeing her pack a suitcase, then, was an unfamiliar sight, something that Agent was surprised to witness when he stopped by her bedroom during the mid-day. “Whatcha doing?” he asked, curious.

“Oh, just gathering some of my belongings for the trip,” Vanessa explained. She didn’t lift her during the process. “Gotta pack light so I can bring some of my wares.” Now she mused to herself. “Black skull tops, do I really need twelve of them?…Of course I do.”

“Wares for what?” Agent asked, now even more confused. “I thought you had that magic shop for your stuff.”

“That’s more of a hobby,” Vanessa explained. She stood up briefly. “I’m vending at VanessaCon this year.”

Agent blinked. “VanessaCon,” he said, disbelieving.

“A convention about me, yes.” She gave a dry glance towards her human companion. “Don’t act surprised, darling. There’s a whole market out there for sexy gothic aspiring MILFs.”

“Please never use those words in the same sentence again,” Agent, equally as dry, shot back. “What sort of market are we talking about?”

“A market of me,” Vanessa shrugged. When Agent still didn’t get it, she sighed. “It’s a convention FOR me, BY me. Convention-goers and vendors are all variants of myself from across the multiverse. Infinite varieties and versions of Vanessa…But the parking was limited.”

“Huh,” Agent said. He never would have thought she’d be interested in something so pedestrian, but he was pleased that she was trying new things. “Can I come?”

“Yeah, sure,” Vanessa nodded. “I needed a plus one, anyway.”

“Thank you.”

“You can help me carry my luggage.”

Without effort, Vanessa closed up her suitcase, passing the case into Agent’s hands. The weight was too much, and he collapsed instantly, struggling to keep it aloft. She shook her head at the nerd’s antics.

“Wheels, darling,” she chided. She didn’t bother looking to Agent, concentrating on forming a portal to her destination. A rift in the air developed, crackling with cosmic energy, and revealing what appeared to be a typical convention center on the other side. “Now come on. Registration’s almost ready, and it gets busy quick.”

…

Agent wasn’t sure what to expect. An entire convention devoted to, and staffed by, a multitude of Vanessas seemed outlandish on its face. But it WAS Vanessa, who typically did the impossible before she got breakfast in the morning, so it was certainly not outside her modus operandi.

Still, he didn’t expect the experience to look like an actual convention, the kind he had attended in the past. Beyond being situated on a gigantic rock floating in a timeless, incomprehensible void of swirling energy, it was otherwise a normal-looking convention hall with typical convention necessities.

The duo approached the registration table, staffed by a Vanessa wearing a business suit and a clipboard. She glanced up as they approached.

“Hi, checking in for vending,” Vanessa Prime said, with a wave and a smile. “Occult Cutlery and Cold Cuts, unit five-thousand and thirty-six. Name’s Vanessa, plus one.”

“Just a moment…” Business Vanessa said, inspecting her clipboard. Once her eyes darted through the initial page, she unfolded the clipboard itself to continue reading. Her eyes stopped moving, her finger resting on one such name. “Ah, here we are. Very good.”

Business Vanessa then lifted up a small stamp, encouraging both Vanessa Prime and Agent to extend their hands. “This is to ensure, if you have to leave for any reason, you can get back in,” she explained. “Hold still.”

She stamped on Vanessa Prime’s hand, then did the same on Agent’s. Agent winced hard, not expecting a scalding sensation to ensue from a basic hand stamp. He was vaguely certain some kind of blood pact was made just then.

“Alright, come on,” Vanessa said, already walking past the table towards the main hall. Agent sighed, begrudgingly dragging along the luggage.

It was the inside of the center that amazed him beyond all else. Many of the stands were already established, showcasing extra-dimensional wares from a variety of Vanessas. The Vanessa’s themselves were all so unique, to boot. Yes, some of them were virtually identical to his own, but several either figuratively or literally wore different hats. One Vanessa was dressed as a pirate, another a futuristic robot. There was an 8-bit Vanessa somehow present, a cave-woman Vanessa, a genie variant. There were even some in other species, such as a panther or yinglet, as well as those akin to a mouse, and even races present in video games, or Vanessa-ified cartoon and anime characters.

Perhaps most striking, he found, was how several of the Vanessas bore a strong resemblance to various friends of his own. In other multiverses, it was likely that those variants of his friends found themselves turned into Vanessa—or had started as such to begin with.

The implications were staggering, and it was far too dizzying for Agent, who practically tripped over the last bit of the way to Vanessa Prime’s vending space. Noting his exhaustion, she took hold of the luggage herself, easily lifting it with one hand.

“What’s even in there?” Agent asked, exhaustion in his voice.

To demonstrate, Vanessa Prime merely opened the latch on the suitcase. The entire case unfolded, and a gigantic table shot forth. It landed with a loud thud on the ground, and with the table came a wide display of assorted collectables and knick-knacks Vanessa Prime had packed.

“My wares,” she said. “It’s easier to bring my own table nowadays, anyway.”

“Ah,” Agent nodded. He inspected the display, noting how professional it looked. And everything was in place. “I thought you brought me a long to help set things up.”

“Oh, certainly not, darling,” Vanessa Prime waved off. “I can handle that myself, same with giving these wares out. I just figured you’d want to see the sights for yourself.”

Agent blinked. This was uncharacteristically generous of her to do so, to bring him along without any strings attached. “I’m not sure what currency you use here…”

“None.” Vanessa Prime shrugged. “We give away or trade our wares. Think of it as a swap meet, perhaps. Or a social club. We offer our methods to each other to get new ideas for more magic plans.” An idea struck. “Oh, before you go wandering off, please hold out your arm.”

Recalling the last time he did so that day, Agent reluctantly stuck out his arm. Instead of stamping anything, however, Vanessa Prime merely tied a ribbon around his wrist. She then did the same for herself.

“I doubt the others brought your variants with you,” she admitted. “But just in case, so we don’t lose track of each other in this place. So you don’t go home with another dimension’s Vanessa.”

Agent inspected the cloth, a silky purple color, matching Vanessa Prime’s exactly. “That’s some forward thinking,” he admitted.

“Yeah, I’m pretty great like that,” she chuckled. “Now go have fun. Get plenty of swag.”

Given the nudge, Agent walked off to see the sights. The convention was approaching full swing by then, more con-goers arriving, nearly all of them with the same red streak that made Vanessa a trademark figure. It even extended to a cheerful-looking animatronic towards the front, designed crudely in the witch’s appearance.

“Hi! I’m Vanessa!” it said, simply. After about ten seconds, it repeated itself again, in the same tone. A very simple design of a machine at that.

Agent saw a plaque in front of the animatronic as well. He inspected what it said.

“This animatronic is on loan from Vanessa H18237. Originally a human male known as Mischa, he has since been transformed into a life-size mechanical replica of Vanessa.”

Agent knew Mischa from his own world, and he knew where he was. Though it wasn’t an animatronic that Mischa was turned into; he recalled Vanessa joking that Mischa was “in the gum business” nowadays. He was starting to suspect it wasn’t a joke.

He kept walking.

As he went, he saw more of the Vanessa wares. Some were carrying ancient artifacts from realms beyond, with those venders wearing either fantasy-era paladin equipment or an adventurer’s fedora. Still others sold homemade arcana and crystal decorations that may or may not have been previously transformed individuals.

There was even an artist’s alley, shockingly enough. With an approving noise, Agent directed his course for the alley to see the more creative Vanessa types.

There were yet more Vanessa variants, some brooding painters, some literal beatniks. One was a mime performing for a small bemused crowd of other variants. But Agent found himself gravitating towards what appeared to be a comic display, adorned with several collected copies of a fictional—to him—franchise.

“Like what you thee?” the vending Vanessa asked, far nerdier than the others, and with an audible lisp. “Each ithue ith in mint condition and cuthtom-drawn and written by myself.”

“You made these?” Agent asked, surprised. He peeked at the comics briefly, noting the various genres on display. Some science fiction, some manga. Even superheroes were involved.

“Yeth, but I wouldn’t open them here,” Nerd Vanessa warned. “Thothe books can really draw you in, you know? In the literal way.”

“But still,” Agent smiled in amazement. This would be a fun Saturday activity. “How much for a complete set?”

“Jutht the cotht of word of mouth,” Nerd Vanessa’s smiled back. “Tell all your friendship, and if you like it, be thure to give a good review on Thpellbook.”

“I will,” Agent agreed, eagerly taking exactly one of each issue. “Thank you, miss!”

With a wave, Nerdy Vanessa bid off her newest client, and Agent walked away with his first bit of swag. This was cool, he thought, even if it was disorienting on every other front. There were even things he could enjoy here, it seemed.

As he continued through his walk, Agent kept his eyes peeled around him, seeing how crowded it was towards the end of the lane. It had only occurred to him that the crowds didn’t quite match the size of the venue, but it especially came to be evident that the venue itself warped around him. He could see twenty stalls ahead of him; when he blinked, it was forty. Another blink, and it was just ten.

His head hurt; not even an interdimensional convention was safe from Vanessa’s brand of spatial warping and unconventional architecture that would put MC Escher to shame.

His walking was interrupted when he was stopped by another Vanessa, this one wearing nothing but brightly-lit clothing, and with a prominent blonde hairstyle.

“Oh-em-gee!” this Vanessa, likely the Bimbo Vanessa, gushed over Agent. “You are, like, totes adorbs! I mean, I’ve got a cutie like you at my home too, but you’re, um, more cuter and stuff.”

“Oh, um…” Agent blushed a little at the compliments, but also shirked away at the sheer enthusiasm Bimbo Vanessa was displaying. She practically pushed her breasts into his body. “Thanks?”

Bimbo Vanessa was pulling out a scroll, holding it away from both of themselves as she flashed a grin. “Cutie selfie!”

The scroll inexplicably flashed, dazing and blinding Agent briefly. When he could see again, Bimbo Vanessa was admiring the photo now displayed on the parchment.

“We look totes amazing!” she said happily. “Like, you’re the best!”

Agent had absolutely no idea just what the hell all of that was about, seeing as Vanessa Prime was not nearly as suffocating with her affection. He didn’t get a chance to ask about it when he was pulled away by another Vanessa. He was surprised to see that this Vanessa looked like she stepped off of an anime cell, complete with shading and vibrant color palettes, though also with lower frames of movement.

“Anatatowatashi de shashin o totte moraetara kōeidesu,” she said. Through Agent’s minor understanding of Japanese—and through the use of the subtitles that had spontaneously appeared as Anime Vanessa spoke–he gathered that she said, in a rough translation, “it would be an honor if you and I could take a picture”.

“Hai,” Agent nodded, not even bothering to argue. With a deft movement, Anime Vanessa pulled out her own scroll, taking her own selfie. She gave a pleased look at the results.

“Ekisaitingu!” Anime Vanessa cheered. “Arigatō, dārin!”

Agent weakly gave a wave as Anime Vanessa dashed off, only to be replaced by two more different Vanessa’s. And then even more we’re approaching, drawn in by the commotion.

“Is that really an Agent?” one of them asked, amused. “I didn’t expect to see one here in person.”

“Darling, I’d just love to get a photo,” said another, gleeful at the sight. “You’re like a little celebrity.”

“Um…” Agent was getting nervous, the rapidly increasing attention starting to overwhelm him. Even some of the more unique Vanessa’s were mobbing him. A Vanessa that looked like Rouge the Bat was gently admiring his arm, while Rubbehose Vanessa was silently and exaggeratedly inspecting his lack of muscles. 8-Bit Vanessa was making excited chirps, and Yinglet Vanessa was climbing atop him without any regard for his personal bubble.

“Zhis one wants zhe zhatzing, yes?” Yinglet Vanessa teased, holding a glowing green rock in her hand. “One nibble, one touch, you will make a pretty male and we make zhe woo-hoo-hoo.”

This unwanted celebrity status was overwhelming Agent’s senses, doubly so from how overeager the Vanessa variants were in claiming him for their own. When the crowd closed in, he quickly ducked down, slipping between their legs with deft ease.

The variants were briefly confused at Agent’s disappearance. “Alright,” one of them said. “Which of you absorbed him?”

In reality, Agent had squirmed away from the crowd, calmly yet swiftly making a beeline away from the group. Being out in the open was asking for trouble; perhaps he could invest in a disguise. But there was too much heat out on the convention floor to really act on this plan immediately. There had to be a way to cool things down.

Fortunately the artist’s alley was nearby one of the side rooms, holding a larger panel of esteemed guests. He could sit down in a chair and avoid interaction for long enough that the Vanessa’s would get bored, and he could collect his thoughts. Perfect.

The door was still ajar, and he slipped inside easily. He could see some important-looking Vanessa in front of a projector screen, demonstrating some game that looked well over a decade old.

“Of course, we at Vanthesda have been ironing out the kinks of our latest entry,” Developer Vanessa said to the crowd. “It just works.”

She said this as the footage behind her showed the player character suddenly rotating ninety degrees and spinning rapidly.

Agent for once did not care about the game itself, opting instead to find an open seat, resting between other immersed Vanessa’s. He started to catch his breath, reflecting on the variants and their behavior. That was far and beyond what he expected of Vanessa’s usual clingy nature, as though they had never seen their own Agent variant before. Was he that special to them?

“Okay so, I have a question about the romance paths,” one Vanessa asked Developer Vanessa. “I know we can basically choose our own marriage candidates, but I noticed this somehow extends to monsters and even inanimate objects. Is this a bug?”

“We’re making it a feature,” Developer Vanessa explained. She received a fair amount of applause for this comment.

Agent kept thinking. So far he hadn’t encountered another variant of himself, strangely enough. He did, however, briefly see what appeared to be Vanessa variants that resembled some of his friends. It wasn’t necessarily being male that drew their fascination either; said variants still retained some of their male traits or stuck with a non-binary approach. It HAD to be Agent, it seemed. His presence stuck out like a sore thumb.

He couldn’t help but sigh a little at this realization. Even amongst the bizarre and otherworldly, he was still a novelty.

He was briefly distracted from his introspection when he noticed something climbing up his seat. It was a mouse, it seemed, with grey fur and that same red mark around its hair. Another variant, though at least this one was too small to do much damage. She looked up, briefly startled.

“Oh, hello,” she said. “Sorry, I thought this seat was open.”

“You can sit on my shoulder if you want,” Agent offered. Seeing as this Vanessa was tiny, he couldn’t help but feel bad for her. And so polite, at that…He felt a kindred spirit for this variant.

Mouse Vanessa gave a smile, accepting the offer. She stood on Agent’s hand, and Agent slowly lifted her to his shoulder. She hopped off, gently sitting down in her space, able to see the stage perfectly.

“Thanks,” she said. “I don’t get to see these very well usually. Obvious reasons, darling.”

“I can relate,” Agent said. “Welcome to the short club.”

Mouse Vanessa giggled a little. “You know, my Agent is about my size,” she explained. “Also a mouse. He didn’t come, though.”

“Oh?” Agent was surprised, both at the implications of other versions of himself, and his alternate’s role. “He didn’t want to come?”

“It was too scary, he said,” Mouse Vanessa said. “And I guess I don’t blame him. Everyone is so giant. That’s not even getting into Dragon Vanessa or Kaiju Vanessa outside.”

Agent breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t encounter those forms yet. “It’s a bit overwhelming,” he admitted. “So difficult to maneuver.”

“My Agent’s usually content being in a quiet space,” Mouse Vanessa explained. “I guess you do too?” Agent nodded. “Right, I figured. I guess the quietest spot around here would be the bar. Not many Vanessa’s are drinking right now. I can take you there if you want.”

“Oh, but…” Agent glanced at the stage, with Developer Vanessa still explaining how players could run the eighty-sixth copy of her game on their bathroom mirror. “Didn’t you want to see the panel?”

“I can see it on the internet later,” Mouse Vanessa shrugged. “Besides, you need the support more than I do.”

…

The new duo were able to maneuver to the center’s bar with some effort, not calling attention to themselves in the process. It was difficult; eyes were everywhere, and there were some close calls between wandering Vanessas. But they soon reached the bar, safe and sound.

Mouse Vanessa was right, in that the bar was far more quiet than the rest of the show. There were a trio of Vanessas chatting in the corner, and one other sleeping atop the counter. Noises came from the back, likely the bartender at work.

Agent sat down on a stool, helping Mouse Vanessa down onto the counter herself. They waited for someone to come serve them, and as they did, Agent let his eyes wander. The trio of chatting Vanessas seemed very familiar, taking on similar colors and features of his friend Kyle and his girlfriend Leah—with the third looking like a mix of both.

“Amazing how that works out, right?” said the Kyle-esque variant. “We get a drink, I become me, and Leah becomes the butt of the joke.”

She patted her lower half to demonstrate, earning another laugh from her friends. Agent understood her origins; both Kyle and Leah did enjoy but-related merriment and transformative elements, so it was no small wonder there were versions where Vanessa cam about due to their actions.

As he watched the group enjoy their chat, Agent again felt the slight pangs of loneliness that came about whenever his social battery ran dry but his needs hadn’t been met. The crowd, all this sneaking around, it was all very exhausting. And it wasn’t even noon yet.

He glanced down at his rodent companion, gently smiling up at him. He smiled back a little, appreciative. There was at least someone at the convention that wasn’t being overwhelming, at least.

He was nudged heavily. Turning his head, he saw the same Vanessa that was resting up on the bar top was now prodding him. She appeared heavily inebriated.

“Heyyyy,” she said, slurring lightly. “Hey, you’re lookin’ good…”

“A bit of personal space, please,” Agent asked gently. Mouse Vanessa gave a sigh at the newcomer.

“Aw, c’mawn…” Drunk Vanessa pled. “A cutie like you, me, we’ll have a good tiiiiime.”

There was a clatter from the back of the bar, and still another variant came over, this one far rougher-looking than the rest, but also dressed in standard bartender wear.

“Chrissakes, I told ye ta bugger off!” the bartender Vanessa demanded of Drunk Vanessa. “Yer at yet top and now ye go an’ harass my other guests? Out!”

Drunk Vanessa couldn’t get a word in otherwise, as Bartender Vanessa escorted her counterpart out the door without any effort. Agent and Mouse Vanessa watched with fascination, even as the bartender came back around the bar, letting out a sigh.

“Right, then,” she said. “Sorry for the mess. Proppa mad, like.”

“Yes,” Agent blankly said. He was struggling to keep up with the thick Teesside accent and slang and had elected to say something, anything, to not be rude. He recalled one of Vanessa’s acquaintances, a smoggie named Grey, who had a crass outlook on life and appearance. Naturally, she and the witch hit it off; this was clearly a variant where these two either merged or underwent a twinning process.

Greynessa snapped her fingers. “Oi,” she said. “Fancy a drink?”

“O-oh, yes,” Agent nodded. “Um, one Shirley Temple, please.”

“Make it two, please,” Mouse Vanessa chimed in.

Greynessa gave a small roll of her eyes. “Why am I not surprised…” she said. Despite her comments, she was already in the process of making the non-alcoholic beverage. “Hasn’t been an Agent yet that’ll knock back an ale. ‘Course, hasn’t been an Agent in here EVER.”

“Yeah, I wanted to ask about that,” Agent said, his interest piqued. He supposed it was true that the bartenders were usually the most informed staff in a building, at least second to janitors. “Why haven’t I seen any around? I’d have thought I’d have a few variants around myself.”

“Oh, ye do,” Greynessa shrugged. “They’re right cowards, ‘at. Y’know how many Vanessas asked ‘em ta come?”

Agent shook his head.

“All of ‘em. And you know how many said yes?”

Again, a shake of the head.

“None of ‘em.” The drinks were finished, Greynessa sliding both a normal-sized glass for the human male and a shot glass for Mouse Vanessa. “They get all shivery and nervous, start banging on about their books and games instead of leaving the bloody house. The fact that you didn’t get all knackered from minute one meant the lovelies out there swarmed you. You’re a right celebrity like.”

Agent was midway through a sip when he heard this. He paused in contemplation, noting how that kind of behavior sounded exactly like something he would have done himself. “Makes sense,” he said, unsure. “Honestly I’m not sure why I’m here myself. It’s a bit overwhelming for my tastes, too crowded. Not sure why I asked to come.”

Greynessa had started cleaning glasses after serving her customers. The moment Agent finished speaking, she herself stopped in her tracks, looking at Agent in shock. He blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Ey up,” Greynessa said. “You said you actually asked to be here? You ain’t teking the micky now?”

“Well, yeah,” Agent said. “She told me about the con and I asked if I could join in. What’s the issue?”

Greynessa scoffed, a smirk on her face. “I’ll be damned,” she said. “First I’ve seen this. A right ledge like.”

“Okay,” Agent said. He merely nodded along to Greynessa’s vaguely incomprehensible Smoggie slang.

“If yer lookin’ for advice, have a listen,” Greynessa said. She leaned in and looked Agent straight in the eyes. “Y’are the FIRST Agent I’ve seen in me life that actually spoke up fer himself. The fact yer here jobbin’ at me is steps ahead of every one of yer counterparts. That’s gotta be worth somethin’.”

“I…guess it does,” Agent said. Greynessa’s words struck him intensely, realization setting in. This new perspective helped immensely, knowing that he had taken steps to improve himself and use his voice. He started to smile a little.

“Now don’t go getting’ your trousers too tight,” Greynessa added. “That just means you spoke up. You’ve still got a far distance to go, mate.”

“Of course,” Agent nodded. He looked towards the doors, outside of which he could see the convention still in full swing.

So what was he doing in here?

“Thanks for the advice, miss,” Agent said, standing up from his seat. He inspected Mouse Vanessa’s stance; she had finished her drink rather quickly, and was ready to leave herself. “I’ll take it to heart.”

“Cheers, darlings,” Greynessa raised an empty glass in mock salute. “Keep it between us, right? I’ve got a reputation, ‘at.”

…

Vanessa Prime wasn’t expecting Agent back so soon, and definitely wasn’t expecting him to be with a variant of herself, the both of them laughing together. But he was, and they were.

“You’re all done already?” Vanessa Prime asked in confusion. “It’s only been a few hours, I’ve not even sold out of everything yet.”

“Oh, no, we’re not done quite yet,” Agent waved off. He was still smiling. “No, I was just hoping you could hold my comics while we go check out some more stalls. I saw some neat décor that might look good in the bedroom.”

He gently passed his stack of magical comics to Vanessa Prime, who took it with a look of utter confusion.

“So you’re actually having fun?” she asked. “Not too stressed or anything?”

“I mean, I was before,” Agent nodded. “And I still kinda am. But I’m with a friend, and I know I’ve taken a step farther than any other version of myself ever has done before. So I’m okay with it.”

Vanessa Prime stared at Agent for the longest time. She could see Mouse Vanessa on his shoulder, pleased as punch to be socializing with her own Agent. She couldn’t help but smile herself, her heart blooming.

“I’m very glad to hear that, darling,” Vanessa Prime said, with utmost sincerity. “It’s good to get out of your comfort zone. Though it’s equally okay to find your balance by trying new things with old friends.”

“Oh, but this is a new friend,” Agent explained. Vanessa Prime merely shook her head, pointing past Agent. No sooner did she that someone tapped on Agent’s shoulder, causing the human to turn. He could see yet another variant of Vanessa, this one wearing a red polo shirt, hands out for a hug.

“Glad to see you here, buddy,” the new Vanessa said with a grin.

Agent glanced at the polo, then at the face. “Wait…” he said, in surprise. “Ace?!”

“Yeah, I’m as shocked as you are,” VanessAce said. The two gave each other hugs in response. “Guess I’m an honorary Vanessa because I’ve turned into her before. And I wasn’t about to pass up another con.”

“And I was just invited,” another voice said. Agent turned his head to see his other friend Alex nearby. They looked otherwise the same as they always did, though their usual hairdye was instead colored exactly like Vanessa’s, complete with the large red bangs. “Keynote speaker, you see. My panel’s at seven, by the way, if you wanna stop by.”

“Heck yeah I do,” Agent said happily, pulling Alex in with his and VanessAce’s hug for a triple friendship support. “I’m glad you two are here. Nice to see familiar faces around the con.”

“These other Vanessas have really been creative,” Alex agreed. “Multiversal theory is pretty cool. They’ve suggested shapeshifting techniques I haven’t even considered.”

“I’m on a waifu overload,” VanessAce admitted. “Seriously, there’s so many, it’s great.”

Mouse Vanessa poked her head out to see the newcomers. “Oh, are these your friends?” she asked Agent. “I think we have our own Alex and Ace too. They’re mice in my world too. Everyone’s mice, actually.”

“Ooh,” Alex noticed Mouse Vanessa instantly. “Pleased to meet you, miss. Yes, we’re Agent’s friends. Glad to hear we’re friends to yours too.”

They all laughed together, reassured by each other’s presence. Having an additional social system really helped Agent to branch out a little, after all. They started off again, merrily pointing out stalls that they wished to inspect.

From her own stall, Vanessa Prime watched as Agent and company wandered the convention floor, having fun, smiling, laughing. It was liberating to see.

“You’ve really grown,” she said to herself. “I’m proud of you.”

She resumed her organization, tidying up her table for the next onlooker to inspect.

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