Waking up to the soft murmurs and subtle adjustments of those most beloved to me, as they all strive to sneak in a last few cuddlesome minutes is pure bliss. Illy is a bit stiffer, since she notices the wakefulness of others, and she’s fighting her own desire to flee.
I lean forward to kiss her cheek, and the bottom of her left earlobe simultaneously, so that I can whisper, perhaps a little hotly in her ear, “It’s okay Illy, you can go if you’re uncomfortable,” perhaps a bit too teasingly, I add, “I *will* see you today, and tonight.”
In hushed tones, as her pulse excites slightly, Iylynila, worrying the others might overhear, mumbles, “Thanks Reg— Schism. I, I promise I’m not ashamed, but I’m nervous of, of too many reactions at once. Also, you’re a jerk to leave your lips and your hot breath there you jerk.”
More confidently, as Iylynila stands away from the bed containing the near-writhing mass of limbs that makes up my party, she states, “Later Schism, behave,” then, more salaciously, with a wink, she adds, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I flash her a derpy grin, trying to keep it from becoming too-wry a smile, since her tease leaves little necessity for imagination. Unlike Errissa, Iylynila doesn’t sashay away, but seems to almost float in a regal manner as she walks smoothly away.
Her current clothing, that she’d been sleeping in, is a slinky dragonscale-silk cocktail dress that exposes much of her back. The dress actually reaches the floor, hiding her feet, and ends up masking their shuffle, and it nearly equally masks the subtle movements of her well-toned thighs and hips by being a pitch-dark blackness upon her midnight-sky skin, in a darkened cavern. The clothing morphs into a dark, midnight-hued cloak, covering her head to toe over time as she departs. Huh, I think I just understood something about her that I probably should have picked up on back in the feasting hall.
Telepathically Teuila asks, “What’d you pick up on? Also, why didn’t you wake me if we coulda got snuggles with Illy? Also, how’d we get here?”
I snort a laugh and can’t help chuckling as I try to respond in order, “I think she’s really actually quite shy around large numbers of people, but lets her guard down when she’s having fun, as she gets excited about teasing if her target plays along, or gets flustered. I didn’t wake you because I love you and you needed sleep at least as badly as I did after the emotional turmoil of yesterday. I brought you here with my brain babe.”
Teuila’s telepathic avatar pouts up until the end, at which point, she dons her closed-eyed mile-wide grin that has her shaking her head slightly towards each shoulder in glee. I forgot to add that Illy’s shyness around multiple people was one of the reasons I didn’t wake Te. In the feasting hall, she’d remained cloaked until Te had introduced herself, and taken up almost all of Illy’s attention. Or maybe she remained cloaked until I arrived, and she had to split her attention between the two of us, while the rest of the feasting hall seemed to gravitate slightly away from me. Maybe my presence gave her enough personal bubble space to be free of the shyness.
I roll over into the pile of bodies that is my loved ones pretending to remain asleep to buy more time for cuddling, and gladly accept the mess of limbs that tug me in several directions. Sighing contentedly, I wish I could bring my beloved inner circle into my paused time with me. To have our accelerated thinkspace back would be heavenly.
As much as I’m loathe to break the silence, or to start the day, I start, “Guys? Tomorrow’s the big day, and we haven’t even identified a fraction of the stuff we have available, or finished the smartphone. I know we’re all pretty confident that we’re going to win, and probably all come back alive, but every advantage we can get beforehand is something we should snag. There could be a lot more advantages in our vaults.”
More specifically, I add, “I want Lucky wearing that glacier necklace that gives him something similar to my frost density defense from Can’Z’aas, I want Lil wearing those fire salamander gauntlets if he’s going to take on that form with the large forelimbs. Lil, you know you’re up with me for the backbone of the psychic network in your mom’s den pretty soon, so look, but don’t take too long, okay?”
Looking Luni in the eyes I plead, “Lu, I beg you to find something you’re willing to keep for yourself to keep you safe,” before turning to Te to joke, “Teuila, I’m frightened for your opponent with those new goldforce gauntlets. Try not to break them, or your hands.”
Sighing, I finish, “If you guys can find anything else for Lil, Lu, and Lucky, please, *please* do. I’ve got five get out of jail free cards, and a whole new dimensional movement available to me, just from this outfit.”
I use the quick-change ring to don both the ravenfeather coat, and wyverium chestplate. With my Shellcracker lung capacity, I can probably finish entire battles while holding my breath, which grants me a low gravity effect almost as strong as Teuila’s. And if I need to suddenly drop faster out of the way of an attack? I can just breathe. If I still can’t dodge the attack? I transform into an unkindness.
Since my inner circle are offering me confused mutterings at my last line of thought, I explain, “Yeah, an unkindness, that’s the term for a group of ravens. I literally can split up into three ravens, and somehow reform at any one of their spots a few seconds later. If any of them die before I reform? I can just reform in the remaining ones. If they all die? No biggy, I reform in the next safest area when there are no ravens left.”
Low appreciative notes are whistled, and I get slugged playfully by Teuila who then grips me tightly, smiling and shaking me in pride. She elates, “Yes! That’s perfect for you Air! Oh my Airhead, you needed something like that so bad. I’m so worried about you when you get hurt. I want you to kick your dragon’s ass tomorrow, without taking a single hit to your real body!”
Chuckling, I can’t help smiling as I see Lu, Lucky, and Lil nodding in agreement with Teuila. I don’t even mention the fact that, apparently forceful necrotic blasts are going to be common amongst our archmage, or caster enemies, and I can now instantly swap to the necrosteel chestplate that exudes an aura which greatly reduces the force of such blasts.
I think that if I am going to take a hit though, I want it to be on the original Valkyrie gear, because that seems to slowly regenerate, and even if it doesn’t, it’s somewhat replaceable. I’d worry if the newer gear with these exceedingly beneficial enchantments just broke in the middle of a fight because of a hit I took, losing their magic in the process. I’m pretty sure that they’re either semi-indestructible, or my Can’Z’aasian resistances sort of radiate slightly out from my skin, helping reduce the damage certain magical equipment takes. Sheathes crafted by Berinon survived point-blank explosions for example. I’m hoping this trenchcoat will be the same.
I wonder if there’s better vocabulary than trenchcoat for this ravenfeather coat. Hm, it’s sort of like a mix between a tailcoat, and a shearling coat honestly, just replacing the wool-ruff with this very small feather ruff. It’s easier to just think trenchcoat in my head though, since I don’t know fashion style names. Still, I wish Lu would have accepted this. I can’t imagine her taking a pounding like I took in—.
The uncalled-for, cheeky brow waggle of Lu has me burst into laughter, with a pained smile drawn across my face, stretching it too hard. I was going to say the hits I took in Autumn Brook, you butt.
Lu privately telepathically teases, “Not the hits you took last night in the vault?”
Hrk. Biting my lips, my cheeks are squeezed tightly as I raise an eyebrow at Lu, wondering how much she heard. Luni just waggles her brow in meatspace, and refuses to answer. Teuila looks between the two of us, and grumps about wanting to join in on whatever fun is going on.
Luni relents, telepathically stating in private, “I’m kidding, but the topic you two were dancing around seemed to be pretty clear that something happened during a split second when your connection dropped. Like something, really, *really* happened. If you know what I mean.”
Glp. It probably would be pretty easy to piece together a guess that might lead someone to that conclusion, if they were privy to my internal mental monologue last night. I’m unsure if I want to know the answer if Kinzul was still within range, and awake or not, since she’d stopped by to speak with Nala, before attending to other matters. She was in part, setting up today. Speaking of, I need to head to her den fairly soon, where we’ll be for most of the day as parties filter in and out for psychic bonds.
Depending on how deeply Kinzul wants these networks set up, they’ll take either rubies, or diamonds. Oddly enough, rubies give the more, uh, intimate, permanent connection. I’m pretty certain most groups will settle for the diamond connection, and I’m sure it would be less strain on Kinzul’s mind. I’m going to keep the passive listening off for all of the other connections with myself, but we’ll be able to intentionally think at each other, whomever might want to talk to me.
It is going to take more expensive, more refined paste for Kinzul and myself as we layer the enchantment more and more times. We’re bending the rules a bit, since nothing says you can’t have multiple groups of telepathic bonds that you’re keyed into. Layered enchantments do however have requirements for the permanency enhancement enchantment. Luni’s brain is making suggestive remarks about layers, the cheeky booger.
Okay, so, just gotta ignore Lu, as much as I love her, so that Te doesn’t—. Crap.
Teuila snarks, “So that Te doesn’t what babe? My Airhead.”
Smirking, I respond, “So that Te doesn’t ask me any difficult questions this early in the morning, before I’ve had a chance to talk things over with relevant parties. Please, please sort through some of the stuff. Later, hang out with new friends and old. I’m serious. We’ve never done anything like this.”
While pouting, Teuila argues, “Have so. You fought a whole army for hours and hours at Autumn Brook, and I joined in for a good bit of it too. And that’s only if you mean only in these bodies on this world. Back home, we--”
I try not to chuckle at Teuila’s pout while I correct, “We fought an army, and lost, barely escaping with our lives, and that’s not even considering the fact that the army we face tomorrow has dragons leading it, and probably spell-casters. I know where you’re going to go next, the mite-hulk horde, and the bug waves, but they were mostly mindless meat machines. The queen mite-hulk didn’t start really learning to strategize until she had respawned a bunch of times.”
I try to couch my words in consolation as I add, “The dragon commanders have super powered Latents, and probably centuries of experience, and one of them is one of Kinzul’s own daughters. Plus, back home, as powerful as we might be here and now, I was exponentially more powerful than we currently are, if I threw everything into it. For the most part, you were too.”
Teuila frowns, grumps, but relents. She knows I’m not trying to play down her strengths, or abilities, or likelihood of winning. I’m trying to remind her, that some of us might not make it home in one piece. I want her to be able to avoid regrets as best as she can. I love her to death, and I feel like a jerk for this little argument.
Feeling guilty, I request, “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”
The jocularity with which Teuila teases me is almost astounding as she jokes, “Yeah, give me some of whatever mojo has you marrying Aunty Zool, bedding Illy, and making sweet memories with the elusive frickin’ Spymaster.”
I laugh at the fact that anyone might still glom onto the idea that I might marry Kinzul, since our Lady has no need to do so any longer. I tense up in the middle of Teuila’s joke, at the implication of bedding Illy, but Te, worried about being misunderstood as teasing me about things that caused me a lot of upset yesterday, clarifies, “You know what I mean, bringing her to bed, but hogging her to yourself for snuggles. Plus, I’m only joking. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a shot with Farzee right now while Induul and her are on the outs, if I want to take it. I’m not sure if I want to though. I like her accent, but she didn’t come off as having a lot of personality on her own.”
Realizing she might have come off as a bit insulting, Teuila explains, “She’s really passive, seems to mostly just go along with whatever. I’m surprised that even a jerk like Induul could figure out something that could drive her away more than once. Um, also Prinrin’s ridiculously cute, and Illy hinted that Prinny is a fun time, but didn’t say how so, so I might try to find out. Boetah looks like a big cuddly teddybear, and Shaylon, well, Shaylon seems kinda like your type just like Illy said. Maybe you and I can tag team Shaylon to see how they tick. I think they’re a they, androgynous, like you.”
Luni grumps, “Must you make plans to seduce half of the Order, when you have plenty of willing lips right around here?”
Teuila cackles and kicks her feet in the air while holding her belly. I don’t bother sticking around to see the slap fight that I know is going to ensue. I blow kisses to my inner circle as I jaunt around underneath Mount Verdimenn to pick up my equipment and packs that I’ve sort of left scattered around. That’s a pretty big security issue. I need to ask Kinzul where our chambers are, or get Lucky to dig us chambers down here. Thankfully we’ve got the logs and lichen started, so the air is getting fresher, so it wouldn’t be too bad if I wanted to make it homey in a private little chamber. I guess I could just put a bed in my vault and a door on it. Hell, I even have a spell that magically locks doors extra tight, and we can make it out of mythical freakin’ metal, and stoneshape the surrounding ultra-dense stone packed by Lucky, around its frame.
Stopping by some of the Draconiac volunteers who are hanging out, processing the resources, I commission a large adamantite door, and they seem plenty happy to oblige, glad to have more projects to work on.
My muscles are a bit worse off than I’d hoped they’d be by this point. I’m mildly concerned. My movements are a bit spasmodic, so I’m starting to use telekinesis as a crutch more and more to correct any spasms from my internal electrokinetic control. That, and my ribs and torso still hurt like hell, but I’m following Kinzul’s advice in preventing my dragonforce from expending itself on needless pain dampening. Speaking of Kinzul, I—.
Telepathically, our Lady interrupts, “Yes my Schism, I am here, and yes, I am aware of there being some manner of event with my daughter Iylynila. I trust that you have her best interests at heart, and that you would apprise me if anything might require changes.”
I’m sweating in my mindscape, but breathing a sigh of relief at Lady Kinzul’s discretion, until she adds, “Such as modifications to the nursery.”
After coughing and sputtering, I topple off of my telekinetic surfboard, and barely think to hold my breath as I make sure the wyverium chestplate is equipped, so that I don’t slam my still-bruised ribs into the ground, or go skidding on my face. As I right myself, and return to telekinetically surfing, I remember to start breathing again after probably too long a time.
I figure I should address Kinzul’s concerns, laying them to rest, so I ameliorate by explaining, “Of course, absolutely I would let you know immediately if such a thing could even occur, but it can’t, and won’t. Luni and Lil must have told you by now, that we’re not biological entities. Erm, not that—.”
Lady Kinzul’s telepathic voice has the ever-so-slightest of deadly undertones as she seemingly praises me, “I’m well aware my Schism, both of that nature, and how capable you are at breaking free from seeming impossibilities.”
Thankfully, after what sounds like a thinly veiled threat couched in praise, Kinzul’s telepathic wavelength is filled with mostly positive emotions. I didn’t get to try to deny that I was pursuing Illy in any way. Not that I would have broadly denied it, I’d just have tried to correct that I’m not seeking anything within certain realms. I really just want Iylynila to be safe and happy, like everyone else, but she has certainly worked her way quickly up the ladder of my heart in order of priorities of all those friends that I hold dear.
Of course, Lady Kinzul can hear all that, and I can virtually hear her fighting back saying, “I’m pleased to hear that,” with all that that might imply, due to the broadness of my train of thought. Thankfully, she remains discrete, and seemingly mollified.
I really, really hope Lu, Lucky, Te, and Lil find more usable equipment in our trove. Crap. I forgot to tell them to watch out for that crystalline orb. Crap crap crap crap crap.
Thankfully, apparently Teuila is in telepathic range as she zooms around, running errands. Te asks, “Which orb Airhead? I’ll tell the others.”
Thinking on its position, I respond, “It’s near the really pretty prismatic dress. Illy was eyeing the dress, but you and Lu get first pick on stuff like that. I can sense our wavelength bubbling to the maximum with glee Te, I won’t be able to keep up the connection you goon. Anyway, it’s on the corner of a table within view of the dress near the back of my vault. Maybe throw a cloth over it or something, or grab it with a pillow and hide that pillow somewhere. Just— just don’t touch it while holding anyone’s hand that you’re not really comfortably intimate with.”
I’m pretty sure the amped-up’edness that Illy and I experienced was because of the orb. I think. All of our emotions and sensations were in overdrive during the event. Uh, anyway, I should thank Teuila, but just thinking that I should thank her pleases Te, so I might as well set my mind back on task.
Alright, we’ll get Nala first—. Crap, I hope Kinzul asked everyone’s consent for me to touch them, otherwise this could get challenging, if not downright ugly. I’m fretting as I arrive in Lady Kinzul’s den, but I’ve at least arrived before Nala. Kinzul is lounging with Pawn face-down across her lap, her left hand strokes Pawn’s spine from skull to tail.
I made sure to grab far more than enough gems to make the paste, but I realized I don’t have a binding agent, now that the shoe and saddle glue is gone. Shoot, maybe some honey or preserves from the larder? Maybe they have a store of sap somewhere. I did ask Lady Kinzul to have the supplies to make the gem-paste onhand, in case Lucky Lu Lil Te and I didn’t have enough Can’Z’aasian gems and supplies. Okay, whew, thankfully she has me covered, there are barrels of sap. I loose a sigh of relief upon seeing them.
Taking out bowls, pots, a mortar and pestle, and handfuls of gemstones, I work to calculate number of doses per bowl, and the maximum achievable with the minimum work that doesn’t get wasteful. I actually dive into a moment between moments to double check my math, and extrapolate upon it, making certain that this is feasible without any likely sudden surprises. Everything seems okay, so I make my way back from the non, from the lack of the flow of time.
As Nala arrives, I’m quick to ask her, “Nala, I know you’re a bit averse to my touch. I need to know if Kinzul informed you that this process would require me touching you for approximately eight minutes, against your bare scales, mostly along your cranium, neck, and back, as long as you stay still. I wouldn’t do this without your consent.”
Nala grumbles, “Yes yes, well, no, our Lady didn’t explain the precise process, only that it involved touch, and time, and that she figured even I would benefit from being able to call for help or sharing discoveries and such. I agree with our Lady, and I offer my temporary consent to your ministrations. I reserve the right to revoke it at any point post these, hrm, applications, most likely immediately after.”
I nod rapidly, breathing a sigh of relief, phew. Okay, so for the most part, everyone will be aware, so by showing up, they’re implying consent. I hope Kinzul doesn’t find it insulting that I offered Nala an out, in order to respect boundaries that I wasn’t certain if they’d been addressed.
Our Lady’s telepathic response is, “On the contrary. I’m glad of your wisdom in respecting the wills of others. There may come a time when you find yourself in a position—. Forgive me. I don’t think we quite need to worry about the eventual hierarchy quite yet.”
I flash a curious glance at Kinzul with a raised brow. Was she just implying that I’d be at her side, administrating and guiding the Order, leading it? Our Lady remains silent across our telepathic wavelength on the matter.
Careful not to talk down to her, but also aware of her youth, I ask Pawn, “Are you also okay with me touching your back and neck a lot Pawn? I see Kinzul rubbing it, and your open-back dress is very pretty. We talked about how important your position is, and how this helps that. Do you remember?”
Chipper as ever, Pawn chirps, “Yep! Our Lady and you talked about it, and I want to help the Order every bit I can!”
I flash her a smile as I say, “Thank you Pawn, I’ll try to make sure it doesn’t get too uncomfortable for you. You let me know if anything feels off, or if you need a break. Kinzul told you we’d get you a break before noon for lunchtime, right? Okay, good.”
It doesn’t take long to begin, though I’m actually a bit surprised at Nala’s lack of modesty. After she doffs her robe, and divests the armor she wears underneath it, and the padding that she wears beneath that, Nala stands topless as any other reptile or serpent would be, with no regard whatsoever for my accidental glances. I’m grateful for her ability to forgive my few short bouts of wandering eye, though I am trying not to laugh that she did disrobe before I started any effects, and she remained seated, bare, throughout the others’ permanency enchantments as well. Despite being a bit of a stringbean, Nala is quite fetching beneath the bulky robes hiding the armor that then hides her form. I don’t think I’d ever tell her this though.
Lil and Pawn are pleasantly placid during the whole arrangement, just sitting comfortably. I can tell Lil is alternating between dreaming about Lu, Te, and Ixeyla. Sometimes he can be so simple to please. I’ll always love him, no matter how much of a goon he can be sometimes. He’s so innocent, and sweet for the most part. I’m glad my best buddy is here with us, despite Rayileklia being a mess, and wanting to get back home.
Oddly enough, Kinzul leans into the application of the permanency runes as if receiving an expert back, neck, head, and shoulder rub, despite my hands making minimal contact with any of those during the application. The only things that do take a bit more expert touch with longer, more careful contact, are the vertebrae along her spine. There’s also undertones that I’m unsure of across her psychic wavelength. She’s testing some kind of waters in which she attempts to mask or display certain emotions to one individual privately while displaying other emotions to others, across the network. Her Latent allows her to multitask in fascinating ways. Oh well, onwards we go.
Next up are Vylon and Vyela. I’m not on the best of terms with them, but they are guarding our Can’Z’aasian shop, and our personal vaults, when they’re not here. I’m glad to get them networked sooner rather than later, so that they can inform any of my inner circle if there are any issues. They’re sure to notice things like disagreements between various Draconiac volunteers, or other such things. Regardless, other than some dubious eyeing I get from Vylon as I’m applying the permanency enhancement enchantment to his sister, nothing remarkable or untoward happens during their session.
Keeping up with Kinzul, myself, Pawn, and Lil as the backbone primary network across all these telepathic subnetworks is going to become increasingly challenging. I’m more than a little nervous of letting anyone down, especially Lady Kinzul. The permanency mixture has to be perfectly balanced for each of us, and we’ll all have different numbers of subnetworks by the end of the day. I’m glad I brought a bunch of the bowls and pots and stuff, so I can keep the mixtures separate.
Up next is the Vivant, and Illy told me basically to only talk to Prinrin, but I’d like to be on good terms with as many members as possible. Well, here goes nothing I suppose.