A special thank you to Prestige Octopus for editing

—

Julia lay in bed, the sunlight peeking through the gap in her blackout curtains. She still couldn’t believe her luck; her top choice for graduate college accepted her and offered a full scholarship plus a sizable living stipend. The days of dollar store noodles for dinner were a thing of the past. Life couldn’t be better for her right now.

Thinking back to her undergrad struggles of classes, research, work, and social obligations, it’s a wonder she could graduate, much less earn a 3.87 GPA. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. Just past eight.

“Not too bad,” she wondered, “that leaves plenty of time to grab some breakfast and do one more walk off campus before lunch.” She jumped out of bed and walked across her apartment to the bathroom to shower. Before hopping in, she looked at herself in the mirror.

Julia never found herself unattractive. Sure, she wasn’t thin, but she wasn’t fat by any means. She existed in that space beyond “thick,” but still not enough to be considered a BBW. She turned around in front of the mirror, her 34D chest and full hips swaying, while her wavy brown hair bounced against her shoulder blades.

“This will be the year I finally commit to the gym. I don’t have work, class, and research. I can finally focus on myself.” She exhaled deeply and then opened the shower door and stepped in. While the hot water ran down, she mentally ran through her day: coffee, campus walk, and reviewing course materials one last time.

—

Jacob Gupp, a graduate student in the religious studies department, briskly walked through McCrady Hall, dressed in his usual khaki shorts and a floral button-down. He was on a mission; he had an appointment with Dr. Francine McCullugh, Dean of Religious Life and Studies. She also happened to double as his mentor. Known for her no-nonsense approach to education and institutions, she would cause most people to think twice about a meeting, but not Jacob. Ever since his Sophomore year, he and Dean McCullugh gathered at least once a month to discuss his studies and his post-graduation plans.

Upon his arrival, Mrs. Perrum, the dean’s administrative assistant, greeted him, “Good afternoon, Mr. Gupp. Dean McCullugh is running a little behind schedule today. She is terribly sorry for the inconvenience and grants you permission to wait in her office.” Jacob glanced at his cell phone. It’s not like her to be late for their meetings, especially since the new Latin TA starts tomorrow.

Much like her demeanor, Dean McCullugh’s office would be the definition of intimidating, perfectly clean without a single item not tucked away neatly somewhere. The walls were lined with books, sorted in perfect alphabetical order. On the wall behind her desk sat three large, framed displays. Two of her most prized artifacts were in the middle, flanking a portrait of herself. On the left, a set of leather bindings rumored to belong to Rahab. On the right, a metal dowel about a foot long and about two and a half inches across.

In the portrait, the Dean’s jet-black hair was pulled back into a tight bun with not a single flyaway to be found. Her stern look showcased her high cheekbones and long nose. She wore a black blazer and a white blouse. Although not pictured, Jacob assumed her ensemble was completed with her ordinary pencil skirt, black leggings, and simple black heels.

A few minutes later, the door swung open as the click-clack of Dean McCullugh’s heels announced her arrival. Jacob jumped out of his chair as she entered the room, “Good morning, Dean McCullugh.”

She nodded at him and gestured for him to sit down. Sitting down, the Dean began working as if Jacob wasn’t there. After what seemed like an eternity to Jacob, pulled a yellow folder from her desk drawer and looked at him. Her piercing green eyes fixated on him, sending a chill down his spine. She was known to be to the point, but how she looked at him this time was different.

“Apologies for my tardiness Jacob. Due to certain changes, I had other matters to attend to.” The way she emphasized “changes” confirmed Jacob’s theory. Something was off. “But how is our newest grad student and teaching assistant settling in?”

Jacob stammered a bit, trying to compose himself.

“She-she m-m-moved into her apartment yesterday, and looking at class registration, it appears that the Unbrill siblings did as they were told and enrolled in her class.”

The dean relaxed a bit; a small, wry smile crept across her normally stern, unforgiving face.

“Perfect. How long do you think it will take?”

“I expect us to begin within the first week, and she should be ready by the end of the year.”

“Good. Ensure she receives her first ‘gift’ within the week. We cannot afford any delays now that the clock has started.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Before I release you to your other duties, I must remind you of our meeting tonight. It is more crucial than ever for us to be focused and in sync for the coming days.”

“Of course, ma’am. I will be there. Should we change our focus should things go well, or do we keep the course?”

“No, that is not necessary. Continue with everything as normal. We know the timeline.”

He nodded, then stood up to leave, shuddering at the wondered of their meeting. It felt like it had been forever since their last one, but knew this one was the most essential.

—

Everything about The Golden Roast screamed school coffee shop. The same green and gold of the college adorned the menu. Several drinks were named for prominent buildings or departmental puns. The baby-faced freshman looked at campus maps draped across the tables and discussed what clubs to join. The line extended almost to the door. It felt like home.

The scene behind the counter could not have been a greater juxtaposition to inside Julia’s head. Several baristas buzzed around in the tight space, careful not to spill any scalding contents on their co-workers or customers. The sounds of spoons clanked against ceramic mugs and added to the cacophony behind the counter. The noise and bustle would have been overwhelming for most, but for Julia, the environment of The Golden Roast put her at ease.

The service was quick despite the unending line of people with increasingly complex orders. After only a few minutes, Julia received her usual order of a caramel latte and croissant. She searched for a moment before finding a spot in the middle of the room and sat down.

Steam rising from her latte, she inhaled deeply to take in the aroma before biting her croissant. As she chewed, her mind began to race again, “What if the students are unruly? What if she and Dean McCullugh don’t get along? What if she isn’t teacher material?” The onslaught of questions and insecurities assaulted her mind for the moment.

She swallowed and cleared her head. That’s just the anxiety talking; everything will be perfect. They wouldn’t have offered a full scholarship and a full living stipend if they didn’t think she could make it. This reassured her and settled all the negative thoughts. She looked around the coffee shop and remembered she was in her element. Taking in her surroundings one last time, she centered herself and finished off the breakfast.

She gathered her belongings to leave, but a fairly fit gentleman seemed to head straight for her. His face was familiar, but she couldn’t place it for whatever reason. She was on the other side of the country; how could she possibly know anyone here? It’s not like he wasn’t attractive; his floral shirt paired well with his green eyes. His smile looked genuine like he wanted to be here, not just some errand boy. He carried a thermos in one hand and waved at Julia with the other, which held a yellow folder.

She waved back, unsure of what was happening. As she did, the man quickly increased his pace and closed the distance. As soon as he arrived at the table, he set his coffee down and held out his empty hand. “Hey! You must be Julie, the new TA. I’m Jacob, another one of the department’s graduate students. I’d like to welcome you to Everspring. Dean McCullugh sent me to show you around and answer any last-minute questions you might have.”

Julia smiled and shook his hand, “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Jacob. Wow, that’s amazing. I appreciate it. Not that there are many places to go, but how did you know where to find me?”

He chuckled and gestured to his thermos. “I was just here to get my refill and happened to see you. As for you knowing it was you specifically,” he opened the yellow folder, her student ID picture paperclipped to the front of a stack of papers. Dean McCullugh gave me this and told me to discover you. Oh, and we had met when you came by last fall for a visit.”

She gestured to the folder, “So, is that like my big brother account from every campus visit?” she said, jokingly.

Jacob laughed, “No, nothing like that. We keep that one hidden. It’s just copies of all the paperwork you’ve already done. The dean wanted me to have a copy should anything arise. No personal information, just access forms and the like.”

“Hurray for bureaucracy,” she quipped.

“So, what’s on the agenda today? As I said, consider me your guide for the day. We can begin with one last campus walkthrough, we can go to your classroom and get it set up, or you can tell me to kick rocks. Your choice.”

“My room? I’m not sharing it with anyone else?”

“Nope, Dean McCullugh gave strict instructions that you’re to have your own dedicated classroom. Not sure what specific research you’re doing, but the Dean doesn’t want anyone to be in your way.”

“Wow. I don’t know if I should be honored or freaking out that she’s putting that much faith in me.

“A little bit of both would be healthy. She’s not a woman of frivolity, so if she’s doing this, that means she has high hopes for you.”

“No kidding. Anyway, I think I’ll take you up on that campus tour.”

“Of course,” He stepped to the side and bowed deeply, gesturing towards the exit, “I’m here to serve.”

She rolled her eyes at his grandiose display. “I hope you aren’t expecting a tip,” and laughed a little.

He feigned offense. “Your words wound me, Ms. Julia. I would never be so crass as to brazenly ask for a gratuity.”

“Ok, Jeeves, I mean Jacob. Lead the way.”

They laughed at her joke before heading outside into the warm August weather.

Walking through the historic campus, Jacob made sure to give her time to take in the well-manicured gardens and quads. Not used to the pastoral scenery of a small college, Julia stared in awe and wonder at the ancient, huge trees and lush flower beds. Her previous university’s greenspaces paled compared to the huge quads and semi-secluded gardens. Being crammed in a city didn’t help. Every new development and renovation had to be planned down to the inch to maximize the space on their limited campus. Green space for aesthetics wasn’t an option.

“It’s just so beautiful.” She said as she strolled into one of the many gardens they walked by. She glanced around the high vine walls dotted with a dozen different flower types. The rich purples, pinks, and blues starkly contrasted to the dark green ivy that snaked through the ancient wrought iron fencing. She walked over to a bench next to a fountain and inhaled deeply, letting the intoxicatingly sweet smell of flowers fill her nostrils. “Being at a city school, we never had anything like this.”

Jacob sat beside her and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. We might not have the latest and greatest technology or buildings, but our campus’s beauty more than makes up for it.”

Julia leaned back and closed her eyes, allowing the sun to wash over her pale body. The idyllic scene was completed by a fountain and birds chirping in the background. “I could sit here forever. It’s just so beautiful.” She opened her eyes and looked over at Jacob, who had now taken to poking the dirt with a stick like a child. “So, what brought you to Everspring?”

Caught in his own deep thoughts, he took a moment before answering. Realizing she had just asked him a question, he dropped the stick and looked at her. The confidence he exuded in the coffee shop was nowhere to be found. He lifted his head from the upturned earth, sat up, adjusted himself, and then attempted to capture the same bravado as earlier.

“They were the only school in the country that accepted my research proposal, making it an easy decision. Plus, they offered a full scholarship, living stipend, and an apartment.”

She sighed, “Oh, so I shouldn’t be too excited. I got the same thing.”

“Oh, by no means should that away from your accomplishments. We are the only two grad students Dean McCullugh has authorized for such an arrangement in over 20 years. So, it’s a pretty big deal.”

She nodded, unconvinced by his story, “So you mentioned this is the only place that took your proposal. What is it on?”

“I’m studying the correlation between the occult and early Renaissance religious practices, particularly on the overlap within Christianity. Dean McCullugh made it her mission to collect every piece of literature on religious cults. So, naturally, I found myself drawn to the university and the rest is history. I’ve zeroed in on one called the Peregrinus Flammae. I still have no idea what their end game is, though. They speak out against lust and how it will bring the end of man. But then, preach about how the ‘whores and harlots’ will deliver us to salvation.”

She opened her eyes and looked at him, “You’ll have to show me some of your work. I’m focusing on the emergence of Puritan rituals to cleanse ‘demonic energies.'”

“I think that can be arranged.” He smiled at her and then glanced at his watch. “Well, it’s almost lunch; let me take you to my go-to diner. It’s about a 10-minute walk from here.”

—

Dean McCullugh sat at her desk, eyes glued to her computer screen as she scrolled through Julia’s research application one last time.

“Perfect” she muttered and began to scribble on a sheet of paper, “her puritanical interest is even better than I originally planned.” She closed the lid on her laptop and walked out of her office, smiling. As she left her office, she ran her hands over her blazer and skirt to settle any wrinkles.

At the door she turned to Mrs. Perrum, who diligently worked at her desk, “I will not be in for the rest of the day. I have some things to take care of. Please lock up when you are finished. Have a good evening Mrs. Perrum.”

Without waiting for a response, she left the office, heading directly for the library. When she stepped outside, Dean McCullugh inhaled deeply; two rows of roses flanked the front door and the rich smell instantly flooded her nostrils. The sudden change from musty building to fresh roses sent an unexpected wave of pleasure through her.

She shook it off but was immediately met with an equally unexpected feeling; the anxious butterflies that came with the culmination of centuries of work by the previous Matriarchs. Along her walk, she noticed a few gaggles of students milling about, enjoying their last moments of freedom before the semester. She smiled again, thinking that she would be in complete control this time next year.

—

Equal parts drained and excited, Julia plopped down on the couch in her apartment. This college was a dream come true. From the huge library to expansive quads and gardens, Everspring was the opposite of her undergrad years. The memories came flooding back as she lay there, the countless hours huddled in the depths of Welgur Hall, pouring over tomes of religious commentary, most dating back to the 16th century. After the initial wave of nostalgia washed over her, she grabbed her crossbody off the floor. She rummaged around the bottom in pursuit of her phone to text her former roommate.

JULIA: this campus is amazing, i wish you could come see it.

KATIE: oh i’m sure. You wouldn’t stop talking about it all last semester.

JULIA: well duh, this place is amazing.

KATIE: lol you’re a mess

JULIA: there are some things that cannot be helped

KATIE: anyway, outside of the campus, what’s the scenery like?

JULIA: i haven’t seen too much, but there is one guy in my department that is to die for.

KATIE: go on…

JULIA: he’s tall, but not too tall, short brown hair, emerald green eyes, fit, clever

KATIE: so it’s Garrett 2.0

JULIA: omg no. he’s actually interested in my work

KATIE: right…just like I’m interested in reading tomes of case law

Eventually, the texts died as the girls caught up and shared the latest gossip of their friend group. Still, bubbling with energy and nerves, Julia pulled up her Bumble account and began looking for a way to occupy her mind until she could sleep. She didn’t like the odds of finding guys she was interested in, but a closed mouth doesn’t get fed.

Jacob would be her long-term goal, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have some short-term fun until that happened. It didn’t take long before she found others to play with, Hunter and Trent. They were both undergraduates, but that hadn’t stopped her before.

Her main concern was that Hunter was a freshman, which means there was a non-zero chance he could be in her class. Was it worth the risk? He seemed cute enough, in that lost puppy sort of way. He had shoulder-length shaggy brown hair and matching hazel eyes. He claimed to be 6’1, but guys are known to lie about size in her experience. Not like that mattered. At 5’3, he was gonna tower over her either way. Her other target looked to be equally interesting. Trent was quite the opposite, a stocky 5’6 with a mess of hair somewhere between blonde and light brown and blue eyes.

She sent both messages and then looked at the time.

Tonight, her gaming group was playing a one-shot D&D campaign since they had recently finished a three-year campaign and everyone wanted to play around with a new class. She loved her previous character, a Pact of the Fiend half-elf warlock known to have a sadistic streak. This time, she was to be a School of Glamour Tiefling bard. She wanted to go from torturing people to pleasuring them.

However, she still had about 30-45 minutes before they were scheduled to meet which should be just enough time to take care of herself. Moving from the couch to her bedroom, she grabbed her favorite vibrator from her nightstand. Quickly stripping out of her jean shorts and shirt, she lay there with her legs spread. Her freshly trimmed pussy began to moisten at the wondered of having any of the three guys she put on her radar today. Jacob was the focus of her pleasure, but she would be more than eager to settle for Trent or Hunter.

Her empty hand slowly moved from between her breasts to between her legs and onto her engorged clit, closing her eyes and imagining herself being used by all three men at the same time. She pictured herself on her hands and knees, Jacob behind her ramming his cock into her. Below her, a pool of her juices collected on the bed, unable to hide her pleasure. In her fantasy, Trent is in front of her, her face pressed into his groin with every thrust from Jacob.

She picked up speed, furiously massaging her clit. Once she felt ready, she introduced her triple pleasure rabbit to the fray. With a flick of a switch, the toy jumped to life. Two soft silicone tendrils massaged her clit while the main portion rotated and thrust inside her pussy. Finally, a third arm vibrated inside her asshole. Her now free hand moved from her clit to her left breast where it latched onto the nipple. She began to pinch and pull on it, adding to the onslaught of stimulation. As if the toy wasn’t enough, she began to grind her hips while it assaulted her holes. Like in her imagination, a wet spot began to form underneath her from the wetness running down her thighs.