The Tenth Performance

Soon we could all see the clear outline of his erection. And as Noah really got into what he was doing - stroking himself harder, faster - he began occasionally closing his eyes and chewing at his lower lip while he was rubbing.

And then there was a moment of tension, the sense that all of us in the audience were leaning forward, quivering with anticipation - well, Noah paused, gave us another little lip-biting smirk, then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants.

At first he just slipped his big hand inside his boxers, fondling himself where none of us could properly see, but soon he took firm hold of his erection and began sliding his palm up and down its length. He did this with his eyes wide open, breathing heavily, looking around the room to take in the sight of us all eagerly watching him. Just under his strong jawline, Noah's neck was reddening. To the side of his Adam's apple, I could see the prominent ridge of his carotid artery. Noah swallowed. I found myself trembling at his every move.

And then Noah began to speak again, his deep voice sounding much less jokey, much more ragged than it did before: "So, uh ...," and his throat hitched, forcing him to swallow again before he could go on, "... you, uh, you know what I said earlier, about imagining ... but, actually ... well, I do know a spell that would let me see through, um ... certain types of ... things ..."

When Noah paused, it didn't take long for us to understand.

"So, uh ...," Noah went on, "... would that be okay?"

After a beat, Ravi said, "You should go for it, Noah." And then we heard Nicole's voice, too, add chipperly: "Aye aye captain, cast away!"

But Noah waited. His hand was still inside his pants, but at that moment he wasn't stroking. Just earnestly waiting to hear our answer. "Well, if I cast it," he said, "I'd be able to see ... you know ... everybody."

There was a pause. Then Ravi said, "So we can vote. Check if there's a unanimous 'yay.' And if not, you don't."

"So," Ravi went on, twisting his body to address our whole group, "All in favor of Noah using a spell that might let him see through our clothes?"

I went ahead and raised my hand. I mean, Noah was up there masturbating for us - of course I was in, if this would make it easier for him. And it seemed like everyone else agreed. When Ravi asked, "Anyone opposed?", not even chirping crickets voted 'no.'

So Noah had our blessing. He closed his eyes and a few seconds passed while he cast the spell. Concentration lines furrowed along his forehead. Then he re-opened his eyes and the nearby air swirled with what appeared to be a silvery mist. Also, even from half a room away, I noticed that his pupils looked hugely, excitedly dilated.

Noah began touching himself again as he swept his gaze around the room. His eyes roamed fast at first, lightly dancing over all our bodies, before slowing as he allowed himself to really savor the sight of us. Noah was up there, masturbating in front of us, and masturbating for us, and also, as he hungrily ogled each of us in turn - first Cora, then Rick, moving to Yvonne, and Shane, and Sebastian, then even Nicole, then Ravi, both of whose bodies he'd already seen - Noah was masturbating to us.

Soon, Noah's shoulders began shivering occasionally up toward his ears. And he was breathing much more heavily. Then he finally shook his head and muttered something guttural and tugged his pants and boxers down toward the floor. One foot after the other, he stepped out of his discarded clothes. And so there he was, up on stage in front of us, still wearing his shirt and sweater and cape and a pair of calf-length patterned socks. Noah planted his feet firmly, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, then worked up a mouthful of saliva and lustily licked his own broad palm. And then, well-lubricated, he went back to masturbating - forcefully, rhythmically - while staring right at me.

At which point - well, look, I don't know why, I'm not quite certain what came over me, all I can say, dear reader, is that I was feeling oh so tingly warm and wet between my legs - I shifted my weight around, since I'd been sitting on my pillow with both legs crossed while I was watching, but just then, while Noah had his silver-swirling eyes so steadily fixed upon me, I unfolded my legs, spread them, and planted the soles of my feet onto the carpet with my knees up in the air.

And, well, since Noah was still gazing at me - hungrily, almost adoringly - while masturbating furiously, I reached a hand up and ran it down along my own surely-flushed face, starting from my forehead and dragging my fingertips down over my eyes, my nose, my mouth, momentarily tugging at my lower lip ...

And that is when Noah suddenly bucked his hips - his lower abdomen bulging, his penis thrusting into his own fist - and came.

When Noah's semen spurted into the air, Yvonne basically squealed. But I don't think Noah's cum actually reached anybody. It certainly didn't reach me, even though he'd been angled precisely in my direction. But I was sitting too far away. Which - for a moment, in that moment - felt like such a pity.

And then, just like the shadow figure whose prompt he had been emulating, Noah dropped down to his knees and let his chin loll forward, his shoulders heaving as he gulped air greedily. It took Noah a few moments to catch his breath. Then he leaned forward more and slapped a palm down to the carpeted stage. His gesture resounded with a surprisingly loud WHUNK.

Ravi started to clap.

Within moments, the rest of us joined in.

And Noah used one arm to make a graceful gesture of acknowledgment, continuing to suck air while basking in our applause. It took a little while before he actually looked back up at us. By then, the silvery swirl had vanished from his eyes - apparently his spell had ended and Noah was back to perceiving us all as being fully dressed.

"Thank you," Noah said, smiling almost wearily, "thank you all, my adoring fans. Although, I have to warn you: you've gotta give me at least a couple minutes before anybody even thinks about shouting 'encore.' "

I wasn't the only one who laughed.

#

THE FOURTH PERFORMANCE

#

Three minutes of bad jokes later, Noah claimed that he was sufficiently recovered. He pulled on his boxers, then his pants, and soon enough Noah looked like his dapper self again.

Also, Noah gave me a little wink as he was stepping off the stage.

After Noah sat, his shimmering radiance of moonlight began to fade. His turn was ending. And as Noah's body dimmed, Shane began to glow.

By then, we all knew the routine. Shane stood, walked up onto the stage, and put their hands onto the crystal ball.

After only a few moments, Shane let out a laugh. Shane has a beautiful laugh; their voice is husky and rich like a sumptuous chocolate cake. And Shane kept watching. For another minute, flickering light from the crystal ball played across Shane's face, until finally they stepped back and gave us a shallow bow, gesturing with a little sweep of their arm that it was time for the shadow figure to appear.

The shadows obliged, first coalescing into their standard androgynously anthropomorphic figure, and then, after giving a preparatory (though silent) crack of the knuckles, the figure lowered itself to its knees.

At the other edge of the stage, more shadows gathered into a second human form. This second figure appeared to be naked, and was sporting a dramatically priapic erection even as it ambled toward the center of the stage.

The kneeling figure placed both hands upon the standing figure's hips, pulled the standing figure closer, and promptly took the entirety of that (large!) erect penis deep into its mouth. The kneeling figure's hands roamed the back of the other's head. The kneeling figure's head bobbed back and forth at the other's front, with a portion of the latter's penis visible each time the kneeling figure pulled briefly backward. And then - after such a brief encounter! - the standing figure began to sway, attempting to steady itself by clutching the kneeling figure's hair, and shuddered, coming, coming, coming into the kneeling figure's mouth.

Shane was talking even before the pair of shadow figures had fully dissipated. Shane was smiling, and their voice was wry.

"So, okay, want to know what I'm thinking? I'm pretty sure that whoever prompted the fantasies that Nicole and Ravi were performing, they've taken their clothes off before. Whoever prompted Noah, I'm going to guess they've masturbated. I think the thing that people were thinking would make those things extra exciting would be doing it in front of a group of people. And I get it! I bet it's hot, having so many people watch!"

Shane was unbuttoning their plum-colored cape.

"But this fantasy? Look, I'm not going to judge. That's the thing, right? We're all in this together, we're all haunted, we're all stuck here, and I'm so grateful you all came to my rescue, to help Sebastian and me earlier today. You can tell I think you all are great, right?"

I was nodding. Who doesn't like being saved?

"And we've all got different ideas about what might really get us off. And that's okay! More than okay! But, also? Well, my assumption is, just based on the look of that fantasy we just saw, that, well, whoever you are, you've probably never given a blowjob before, right? Because that shadow puppet started so fast! You don't want to take somebody that far into your mouth right away! You've got to work up to it, build the scene together, get your minds and bodies ready. And then if you want to show off that you've got no gag reflex, by all means go ahead!"

Shane rolled their shoulders one after the other as though they were limbering up.

"So, look, I'll do it. I mean, I am enthusiastically ready to enact your fantasy. And also, I'll try to ... I don't know. I mean, I'm not trying to position myself as the world's greatest font of blowjob expertise, but I'll try to share some tips? So that maybe you'll feel more ready, whoever you are, whenever you go out to fulfill your fantasy."

Shane grinned.

" 'Cause you should totally do it! We're learning magic here! How to alter reality with our minds. We should all be wayyyy past worrying what any hottie's body might be like. You think somebody's cute? Then go for it, just ask 'em out and see whether the two of you end up hopping into bed!"

So, personally, I didn't need much encouragement - I already liked giving blowjobs. But that still felt like quite the pep talk!

A moment passed without any of us saying anything.

And then Ravi started clapping.

After that, all of us joined in, clapping too. Shane blushed a little, but they were still smiling. They took a deeper, more dramatic bow as they basked in our applause.

"Yes, yes," Shane said, "perhaps some of you did feel like you needed my permission, didn't you? So go get 'em, tigers! Find a chance to kneel in front of somebody! Just swallow your pride ..."

Oh, I found myself thinking, oh, Shane, no, that joke is too terrible!

At least Ravi was laughing, and gave another round of applause.

Then Shane tipped back their head, spread their arms wide as though in supplication, and spoke toward the ceiling. "Oh mighty spell, though I might be a bodacious hottie, there is but one of me! Please, oh mighty spell, with your luminescent signaling, do suggest someone who might join me in this performance!"

And, honestly, it seemed ridiculous that Shane's request would accomplish anything - most spells seem as though they're constantly teetering at the edge of failure, and you have to manage your intent so assiduously lest the magic overwhelm the boundaries of what you'd wanted. I'd never before cast a spell that could change midway through its casting. That could respond to me as it unfurled.

But this spell was different. It was as though our magic had let the room become a living, breathing thing. And now the room itself wanted wholeheartedly to help us.

Because when we turned our heads, we saw that Sebastian, too, was shining. Not with quite as much moonlight glow as was spilling forth from Shane, but a softer, cooler halo. And, just ... the fact that the spell had picked Sebastian ... it felt really nice. Like, I was beginning to understand what Gunter had said about this being a good spell. Because Sebastian and Shane probably did have some lingering tension from when that astral creature had lunged at them both in the morning. And, really, even before that, the two of them had spent much of our semester flirting.

I mean, this performance would end up being way more intense than any of the flirting that I'd seen them do so far, but if the two of them really were interested in each other, this could certainly speed things along!

For a moment, it looked as though Shane - always so sure of themself, even in a crisis - might have nearly lost their cool. I guess Shane couldn't have known that the spell would pick Sebastian. But that flicker of surprise lasted only for a moment. Soon Shane's lips quirked up into a little smile again, and they said, "Sebastian, my friend" - Shane's voice was steady, but I noticed that they were blushing - "it seems that the magic bottle has stopped spinning, and now it's pointing your way. So I have to ask: would a blowjob, now, on stage, from me, be something you would want?"

Sebastian, still seated, illuminated in that soft cool light, was turning a rather more dramatic red. Even if Sebastian liked Shane, I imagine it would've felt totally reasonable to consider saying "no" just then. Maybe especially if Sebastian liked Shane ... because wouldn't it feel even more overwhelming to stand up there in front of us, for their first time doing anything like this together, if there were strong feelings involved?

But also, if Sebastian felt that way, would it be hard for him to watch Shane do this with somebody else?

Sebastian swallowed. All our eyes were on him.

And then Sebastian nodded. He said, speaking rather more shyly than I'd ever heard him before, "If you're going to give a demonstration for, um, for everyone, I'd be, um, honored to help with your performance."

So, yeah. Sebastian was blushing. A lot.

But Shane just beamed, looking tremendously pleased with themself, and waved their arm in a big beckoning arc. "Well come on up here!" (Only a few of us snickered at the presumably unintentional pun.). And Sebastian flashed one more shy smile, then shook his head, letting his sandy bangs fall over his eyes, and hopped up to make his way onto the stage. When he got there and was standing next to Shane, Shane leaned in close, rising up high on their tip-toes (Shane was at least half a foot shorter than Sebastian), and whispered something in Sebastian's ear. Sebastian laughed, and then Shane was laughing, too.

"Tell us!" Ravi called out to them.

But Shane waved him off. "I'll follow the spell. You'll get a good show. But you don't get everything." And they winked.

Sebastian was still smiling from whatever Shane had said when Shane suddenly reached out, planted a hand upon Sebastian's chest, grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and tugged Sebastian forward. Startled, Sebastian stooped as he was pulled in close. And Shane leaned in too, tilting their head back ever so slightly, as though they were about to kiss him. Sebastian's eyes went wide. But at the last moment, Shane pulled back and turned to address the rest of us in the audience.

Poor Sebastian! That moment must have felt like quite the emotional rollercoaster! To so nearly kiss and then ... just ... not.

Shane was stringing him along.

"So there are a lot of ways to play this," Shane said, projecting their voice out to all of us even while they held Sebastian so close by the scruff of his collared shirt. "I'm talking to you, our secret 'I'd like to give a blowjob but so far it's always been just a far-off fantasy' contestant out there. You can take it fast or slow, dominant or submissive, sultry or romantic ... or both. All. But as you start, you'll want to ..." and then Shane paused and glanced at Sebastian to ask, "... is it okay if I kiss you?"

Sebastian nodded - honestly, it looked like a wave of relief had just crashed over Sebastian's entire body, setting him at ease. And then Shane's and Sebastian's lips finally met and it was romantic and sweet and also so, so obviously what Sebastian had been waiting for.

And then, when their kiss broke off and Shane finally let go of Sebastian's shirt, letting Sebastian stand again to his full height, Shane had another question: "I know it's not your turn, but ... would you be willing to take off your clothes?"

Out in the audience, we waited. Sebastian was cute, in a tall, lanky way. Reasonably confident, and punctilious - I'm fairly certain he'd planned to specialize in surgery for his residency. And although he definitely didn't seem like the wild, uninhibited sort, well, maybe the scare he'd had earlier that day had added to whatever sexual tension was building between him and Shane, because Sebastian glanced out toward us, in the audience - I saw Ravi shrug, perhaps acknowledging that getting naked in front of everyone had been the entirety of his performance - then looked back at Shane, then gave a little laugh.

Sebastian blushed, glancing down at the floor, and just unfastened his cape, letting it fall to the ground behind him. Then he set to work unbuttoning his shirt, sliding it off both shoulders ... then pulled his undershirt over his head ... then reached down toward the button at the front of his pants ...

Shane reached out and took hold of his hand.

"May I?" Shane asked, and Sebastian laughed again, and nodded; this time it was Sebastian who bent in close to whisper something into Shane's ear, and Shane laughed too, and they kissed again, more briefly this time, just a light touch of their lips, before Shane dropped to their knees in front of him and undid the button, unzipped his slacks, and pulled them down his legs. Then Shane leaned in close to gently nip at the bulge in Sebastian's plaid-patterned boxers.

Shane turned to us and said, "So I like to start slow, like ..." and hooked their fingers over the waistband of Sebastian's boxers, sliding them down his legs. His penis wobbled out, long but not yet fully erect - poor Sebastian must have felt nervous! But Shane looked delighted to greet Sebastian's penis, and Shane leaned in with an open mouth, wrapping their lips around him, not yet taking him in fully, instead sliding their lips up and down along the underside of his length before easing their mouth back to his tip and taking him in, and Sebastian's penis was definitely perking up by then.

And with Sebastian's penis still in their mouth, Shane glanced our way, mumbled something, then pulled off to say, "Okay, so this is hard ..."

Ravi laughed, again.

Poor Shane with the unintentional puns! If Shane weren't usually so perfectly calm, confident, and cocky, I'd probably feel sorry for them!

"No, I ..." Shane said, then shrugged and started chuckling too, their shoulders lightly rolling with each laugh. "What I meant was, while I'm doing this, it's hard to talk. So I'm just ... I fear that this might not be as instructional as I'd thought it could be, for all of you out there."

"Do you want a narrator?" Nicole asked, perkily.

Shane and Sebastian both looked surprised.

"I mean," Nicole went on, "I've had a lot of practice with these, too. So I could explain the things you're doing. While your mouth is full. If you wanted me to join you two on stage."