I awaken to two things, almost all of my powers mostly malfunctioning, and Lil complaining, “Can’t keep this form for much longer Gal-Pal!”
Luni reassures Lil, “Home’s right up there, that peak, you did great. I love you so much. Thank you for helping bring Reggie home. You’re the best.”
Chipper as ever, Lil quipes, “Yep! Hehe, but really, no, of course I’d go get my pal. We’re not doing that whole mess again, being apart. No more, never ever.”
Nodding, with clouded emotions Lu somberly agrees, “Yeah. Never ever.”
I’m not sure what to say to the pair of my beloved inner circle at the moment. I’m grateful beyond measure, but I have no idea how to express it, beyond hugging and thanking them. I do wrap my arms around Luni and squeeze her lovingly from my position locked beneath her as she lay atop me, pinning me to Lil for the ride home.
Humor in his voice, Lil jokes, “Well if you really want to show gratitude, if you’re not feeling icky about boys, you my best buddy are such a mega hottie, mega mega mega hottie, wink wink.”
Pft, Luni and I both giggle as Lil wheels to take us down into Mount Solace’s feasting room while losing his current empowered evolved transformation. I flash Lil a wink and a nod, indicating what he knows, if he really wanted to, I'd kiss him as long and hard as any of my other beloved inner circle. I make sure all of my equipment is in my quick-change ring, because it’s incredibly uncomfortable on bare skin, and I just hope that my tattered cloak is enough covering as we land, but I honestly couldn’t care less anymore if people see me naked, since I don’t have any parts, anything going on downstairs or anywhere else on my body.
I mean, one of the people I most *didn’t* want to catch me naked, Farzee, did, during a difficult mission. She didn’t make much of anything about it, even on our enhanced emotional wavelength. I almost want to thank her for that, but I think that conversation would be awkward, “Hey, thank you for not trying to seduce me mid-battle while we’re saving the lives of two prisoners even though you saw me naked at that time.” I mean, can you imagine? I’m probably just going to stick to avoiding her like I have been.
There’s a bit of hustle and bustle, and my brain is a bit on the fritz, with my powers not entirely fully recovered. I’m not quite able to reach out to my psychic networks properly, so there’s someone I really desperately need to see, to reassure her I’m alright. I truly, truly feel horrible about letting the Dormir, and Shield and Aegis believe I had died. Out of all of them, there’s one person the most that I want to reassure, that I’d be bonding with telepathically right now if I wasn’t so fritzed out.
Thankfully, Luni either already knows, or can still read my thoughts as she motions and directs me, “This way lovebug. Illy’s hanging out with Te, since Te got back about the same time the Dormir did I think, maybe a bit later. They both got in at some point during the couple hours while Lil and me were away getting you. The Dormir probably don’t even have news yet that you’re okay. Kinzul left Mount Solace after telling me how to find you, so she probably hasn’t told anyone you’re okay either. I’ll tell Te to let Illy know. I think even Kinzul wasn’t expecting that everyone’s missions would conclude before even noon.”
Luni directs me past Aims’s art gallery, and Lil and Lu walk lazily along beyond me, stretching and yawning. I find myself yawning as well, since the nap didn’t really last more than an hour. It’s still early afternoon at the very latest. Something like one pm. At least between eleven thirty am and three p m. I’m a bit disoriented and discombobulated though as we round a corner to a quarters I’ve never been in before. Lil continues on down the hall, apparently interested in meeting up with someone else, likely Ixeyla.
This quarters is a bit lavish, without being garish. It’s at least as plush as Lady Kinzul’s private study, with soft-cushioned wooden funiture, cushioned in deep, yet almost-vibrant crimson fabrics. On the far end is a small reading-table with a vanity mirror and two and a half dozen books stacked neatly on it. The glow-lichen is placed about the room in a manner as to cast the perfect amount of light to give a relaxing yet still well-lit ambiance.
I notice the room extends a bit off to one side, and there’s a bed, in a style similar to the rest of the room’s furniture, around a corner in its own nook. It looks so warm and inviting with its crimson duvet and neatly fluffed surfaces and pillows. I’m fairly certain this is Iylynila’s room. The novels with trashy romance titles on the reading desk alone would have clinched it for me. I feel like Illy would get the wrong idea if I crawled into it, naked as I am, and napped atop the soft comforter, the duvet thingy.
Still, even on approach, walking in, it’s easy to see Teuila and Illy, they’re obviously chatting and talking about comedic or absurd stories. I can almost sense the tumultuousness in their psychic wavelengths, where they’d been worried about me, and trying to keep distracted with humor. Still, two of the most beautiful women in the Order sit on soft-cushioned chairs pulled up right next to each other so they can lay a hand on each other’s shoulders during fits of giggling.
Illy is dressed-down, her clothing morphed into something like a soft, almost-revealing, alluring evening-robe, or smoking-jacket, the color of the night-sky, like much of the rest of her. Te is wearing a curve-flattering silk nightie that clings tightly to her supple, lithe, strong, slender form, showing off the contours of her body, and well-toned muscles that don’t over-expose unless she’s intentionally flexing hard. It’s a nightie that we’d bought in Autumn Brook, long ago, or one incredibly similar. Teuila’s gorgeous, magnificently teased ruby-red faded undercut hair flops to one side as she reaches for Illy’s left bicep to hang on while laughing.
I overhear Te giggling and relating, “This one time, like, early on in Rayileklia, in Autumn Brook, the Keel Over Inn, I was watching Reggie play with their staff, making it grow and shrink again and again.”
Teuila giggles at the implications while waggling her eyebrows at Iylynila. But, looking confused, Illy mutters, “But Reggie doesn’t have a staff.”
Te grins mischievously and insinuates, “Oh? How would you know that? I think you would have to see Reggie naked for that babe.”
Illy squeaks, realizing Teuila can suss her out. She then blushes, realizing her squeak gave her away. Sighing, Illy comes clean, “Ugh, fine, yes. No. Maybe. Okay. Yes we did and it was fuggin’ amazing. Reggie was mind blowing! Wait— but. Rej said you were all like that. But that means you don’t have a vag—. Have you two not done it? Oh fffff— shhiiii—crap. I, I didn’t know. They said they never practiced before, but they were soooo good, I thought it was another tease. They didn’t let up, and even the teasing was so fuggin’ hot. When we, but in the orb, we— Crap.”
I was going to tell the rest of my inner circle eventually if Iylynila gave me permission. I wasn’t hiding it, but I wanted consent first. Still, my heart’s hammering a bit as the news comes out in front of Lu and Te. There’s a long pause as Teuila digests just what Illy might have been talking about as her eyes widen further and further with surprise.
Teuila’s laugh starts as a giggle, morphs to a chuckle, and devolves into a cackle momentarily as she teases, “I kinda never expected my Airhead to do the deed and boink someone, but meow I gotta say my Air has the best taste, natch.”
Teuila then makes a click with her mouth twice, sounding similar to a gun cocking, while pointing one index finger at Illy and winking. Te ends with waggling her eyebrows salaciously. Illy gulps and raises her left hand to her breast, and her right hand to hide her embarrassed face.
With her heart racing, and her left hand on her chest, Illy shakes her head. Poor Illy is incredulous, and caught off-guard by the absolute lack of jealousy Te displays as she mutters, “Forgot how open you guys are. Just— wow. You guys have never used that orb? I was kinda hopin’ we could go agai—. Schism! Oh you ass! I only just found out you’re okay like three seconds ago!”
Clarifying, Illy continues, “The only reason I’m not crying my brains out is because of your psychic network, Te here telling me you and Sun and Muse were coming, then telling me stupid jokes and stories. She didn’t even understand why I was so freaked out and upset since she just got here. Tried to keep my mind off it while you were walking from the hall. Oh you, you, you ass! How are you not dead? The Damnations steal souls, dragonforces right out of bodies. Stupid impossible gremlin munchkin crimson smurf ass ass. Get over here so I can hate that I love you.”
Grinning like a loon, with her smile a mile wide, Te shakes her head, chuckling while she comments, “Only you Air, only you.”
Blushing, and trying not to chuckle, I now realize what Induul was referring to when he said, “The things they can do--” I really need to have a hell of a good laugh about it. Soul stealers. They’re soul stealers, against Reggie Shellcracker, the-soul-locked. Bwahahaha. If I’d actually had more resources, I’d have that Damnation’s entire dragonforce. Still, desperately wanting to reassure Illy, and be near Teuila, I do rush to their sides.
Luni’s telepathic avatar smiles, sighs, and shakes her head incredulously, having heard everything as well. She mutters, “You can be such a jerk Hero. I think I can sympathize with Illy, and maybe just a little bit hate that I love you so much. I do though. I love you so very much Reggie.”
My telepathic avatar won’t even manifest at the moment, but my brain is slowly getting readjusted to the psychic network slightly, the eight psychic networks I’ve laden upon it. I try to reciprocate, “I love you too Lu, undoubtedly forever, to impossible lengths and depths. More than just because you’re My Anchor. You’re my world Lu.”
I could swear I hear Luni muttering under her breath, “One of three maybe,” but she makes no hint of reacting at my possibly having noticed, making it seem less likely that I’d actually heard anything.
Still, Illy is freaking out, not sure whether or not to rush to embrace me, especially while Teuila is leaning into her face, purposely waggling her brows more and more. My Wings can be a bit relentless in her flirting and teasing sometimes. I think they’re becoming, or are, really good friends though. I want them both to be happy, and Lu too of course, and Lil, Lucky, Lady Kinzul, Prinrin, Errissa, hell, everyone in Mount Solace right now.
Oh crap! I rush to Illy’s side and hug her tightly, begging, “I’m sorry for scaring you, are you alright? I love you Iylynila, I’m so sorry. Did you make sure to deploy the portable hole? Are the prisoners okay? I promised to keep them safe. Are you okay? I’m so, so, so sorry for letting you worry. The Worldstorm shorted out my psychic network too early. I can’t have my soul stolen. I never have to run from a Damnation. I’m sorry I scared you. I love you Illy.”
There’s a bit of a gasp from Illy as I say the words, “I love you,” to her again, she didn’t have the leisure to respond to them during our mission. There’s also a bit of a pained gasp from my hug, because she’s fairly beat up, and we’re both still sporting the chest injuries we took to—. Wait, mine is gone. Absence of injury from leaning so hard into my Honoris Causa in its second Caliber maybe? Still, I gaze into Illy’s beauteous onyx-orbs, querying her wellbeing, and her consent.
Not ready to kiss in front of Te and Lu, despite having just admitted incredibly intimate details to them, Illy seems flustered so I don’t press the issue.
She does however reassure me, “The four you got to surrender are down in the prison, not exactly locked up, but we asked them to wait there while we figured things out. The one Thunderer, the lady was hoping she could tour Mount Solace, to see if she’d feel safe evacuating her people here. It sounds like a big security risk, but you’ve got that dumb stupidly-big heart.”
Taking a breath, Illy grumps, “I can’t believe you’re out there rescuing Terrorzin’s people from themselves, while still fighting this war. You ass. How the hell do you come back from facing a Damnation, and falling through the storm, looking better off than when I last saw you!? Crimson smurf ass ass. Oh fine come here you ass I can’t stand it!”
Illy brings her hands to my cheeks, cupping them, and tugging at the back of my jaw and base of my skull, bringing my face to hers. She sinks her lips hungrily into mine, and the four of us in the room each go bright red enough that our faces could cut steel with the passion Illy displays. My heart hammers and flutters simultaneously. I’m okay sharing affection, hell, I love it more than doing most other things in the world, but wow, her lips, and tongue.
For someone as shy about other people seeing her share affection for the first time, I did not expect Illy to french me so deeply. I’d sink into the kiss even more to follow the passion to a tighter embrace, and much more, but between my tiredness, and my knowledge that Illy is pushing herself while uncomfortable, and my own embarrassment, I slowly withdraw from the kiss. Our chests are both heaving as we suck down deep breaths, gasping for air. Illy wants to bolt for her room, to hide after the outburst, but she realizes she’s in her room, so there’s nowhere to flee to.
Perhaps to make Illy feel better, or perhaps because Teuila does have a small streak of jealousy that rises from time to time, Teuila spins me around. Te grips me in a furiously tight embrace as her left hand guides my face to hers, and our lips meet in an equally as hungry a passion as Illy’d just shared with me. Teuila begins to take it a bit farther, but I shy from advancing beyond what is already turning Illy into a steaming, blushing pile of mush who fans herself exaggeratedly.
As I withdraw, I gaze at Luni, Lu, My Anchor, my beloved Lu. I query her consent, and she hesitates. There’s a kind of jealousy that makes her want to in some small way, punish me. There’s a resentment for not remembering what I need to remember for her. But most of all, what’s in Lu’s eyes are a sad plea, the consent and wish that I show her equal passion and love. Seeing her eyes sparkle, wet with still-forming tears, I step to Lu, tilt her chin up with one finger, and kiss her softly.
Luni leans deeper into the kiss, and brings her body closer and closer, until her chest is heaving against mine as we share a long, loving, passionate embrace that doesn’t have the same hunger, the same desire as the two kisses before. There’s something else, a forlorn longing, a different kind of desire that hints at things I’m not allowed to guess, but need to remember. We both weep several silent tears, and we kiss until we’re able to refrain from crying further.
Iylynila coughs and telepathically sends, “Uh, your uh, brain thingy came back on around the time I started kissing you. You, you really should meet Prinny, and, maybe ask—.”
Grinning, I interrupt Iylynila to respond, “Prinrin invited me to your Friday reading sessions,” and knowing it’s Illy I’m talking to, I can’t help but tease, “Heck, why do you think I fought so hard to make it back in one piece?”
Storming my way, Illy glares and stomps towards me, so I quickly add, “I’m kidding I’m kidding! She really did invite me though.”
Grumbling, Iylynila mutters, “Ooo you ass. Ass ass ass ass. I wasn’t ready, you ass. I’m still recovering from thinking you died you gremlin ass munchkin ass crimson-smurf ass ass!”
I fight it, but I can’t help it, even as I bite my lips and struggle not to laugh or smile, I further pick on Illy for her colorful use of minor vulgarity, “There’s that fixation again. That’s definitely your favorite body part.”
Iylynila seems to both explode and wilt simultaneously as she basically swoons towards me and Luni, being pushed a bit too far emotionally in such a short time. I whisper, “I’m sorry Illy. I’m sorry. Are you okay? Are the rest of the Dormir okay? Shield? Aegis?”
Grumbling, Illy grasps at where my shirt would be, but finds none, then she realizes I’m naked and nearly faints, before remembering there’s nothing to get worked up about. She mutters, “Yeah fine, I’m good. Dangit. Why do you have to be so good at that? Then with all the caring and the stupidly-big heart, and just, grr. I hate that I love you so fuggin’ much. My stupidly sweet, munchkin gremlin crimson-smurf. You’re impossible. Just impossible.”
At that, there’s a round of agreement from Lu and Te, before the sis— before my beloveds begin giggling. I loose half a chuckle and wear a wry, abashed grin as I gaze away. Still unsure, I query, “Really though, are you absolutely sure you’re okay? Any injuries on you or the Dormir or Shield and Aegis that we should check out with Sponge? Do you guys want to have a meeting for like a, debriefing or something?”
The snort of laughter I get is reassuring enough as Illy starts chuckling, shaking her head at the idea, before responding, “You, haha, you think The Paradox Dormir, my Dormir, my Dormies are, hahaha, cohesive enough to do something like a debriefing? A what, after-action report? You are so impossible. Stop making me love you more you stupid gremlin. They’re physically fine, but you should probably check in with all of them. Indy’s three doors down on the left, Farzee’s three doors down on the right, Veril’s three doors down back the way you came, on the right going back. Shield and Aegis share a big kind of party room thing over that way, like a big den with a few bedrooms dug out into its sides.”
My brain hits a prolonged blue-screen of death for some reason, but I nod to Illy, before leaning to kiss her cheek. I embrace, squeeze the hands of, and kiss the cheeks of everyone in the room, whispering my love for each of them. I guess I should go see them in the order that Illy mentioned their directions. I take my leave of three of the most wonderful beings in creation, and proceed to head out Illy’s room so I can float down the hallway towards Induul’s room.
Hissing a whisper Illy calls after me, “Three forty-five, the library with Prinny!”
That’s not too long from now. I’m a bit embarrassed, but I do desperately want to see Prinrin as well, to let her know I’m okay in case anyone told her I’d died, and see if she’s okay, if her arm was fixed. My psychic networks still aren’t quite where they should be, so I can’t really reach out, or tell what walls are up or down. My T K grip is loose, faltering, and only a single one is working. My internal electrokinesis is barely able to operate my muscles, in part, from going above my estimated safe S P usage for the day, but also in part because my control over my internal electrokinesis isn’t doing so hot.
Before turning the corner to the open doorway of his room, I knock on the wall next to Induul’s room. There’s a grumpy, “One sec,” followed by shuffling as Induul walks towards the open doorway, and upon spying me, Indy utters, “No fuggin’ way. No. I’m in withdrawal, I’m seeing things, or ghosts. Crap I need to never pipe it up with Farzeee again. Friggin’ hallucination wants to give me a heart attack.”
I can’t help myself as I smirk and deliver a verbal jab, “Hey Indy? Boo!” while poking him in the bicep as he turns to walk back into his room.
Induul jumps out of his skin, and wheels around as he demands, “What the hell? Was the Damnation a trick? Did you even drop into the storm? Are you a clone? A simulacrum? How the hell are you standing, floating here, naked, in front of me. Not cool by the way, if you wanted to convince me you’re not a ghost, bobbing up and down wearing nothing but a tattered cloak and some belt-stuff like that.”
Chuckles that turn into a bout of full laughter overtake me a moment before I can answer, “Sorry, sorry, hah, no, no trick. Adamantite is incredibly resistant to acid, and the bludgeoning of wind, I’m virtually immune to lightning if I let it hit me, or I can just direct it to skirt around the edge of me. The storm turns out isn’t really so dangerous for me in particular as long as I have my spells, and some pouches of metal shavings. I’m bobbing because I kinda achieved a new Caliber of my Honoris Causa, and was a bit discombobulated when the other other six Damnation—“
The widening look of terror and disbelief in Indy’s eyes is ridiculously amusing to me as he barks, “You took down the Damnations!?”
Shaking my head quickly, I clarify, “No, no, the Damnation lived through the fall, just barely, If I hadn’t been knocked loose from his chest cavity on impact, I’d have finished him off. I got a bit of his dragonforce, but couldn’t reach his heart all the way without losing my sword. The other six showed up after the earthquake our landing caused, and they took his body and fled when I recited my titles. I was royally pissed. I was starting to absorb his dragonforce. Sons of crapsacks. Oh, I assume you’re now wondering how the hell the Damnation that I tussled with didn’t manage to at least mess me up. I’m immune to dragonfright as well, and my soul is locked to my body. Plus, it’s pretty easy to keep someone dazed when you’re redirecting natural lightning into their head constantly.”
Indy sinks back against the far side of the doorway to his quarters as he mutters, “Fuggin’ Veril, fuggin’ Illy, they were right. What the hell are you?”
I can’t help myself as I recite, “I’m Reggie Shellcracker, a Hero of the Order of the Onyx Dawn, archmage, Aliased Schism, and I am the Void Dragon Honoris Causa,” though I stop short of letting my Honoris Causa activate.
Slumping to his arse in his doorway, Indy just sits in front of me shaking his head, his knees about a third of the way to his chest, his right elbow on his right knee. After a few moments, he collects himself, stands, and brushes himself off. He seems to be calculating something, considering an opportunity or a reaction.
Indy offers me his hand, and states, “Schism, I’m glad you’re on our side. Thanks for coming back alive. Makes this war seem winnable after all.”
Shaking his hand, I nod to Indy. Before I can say anything though, he mutters about needing a break and turns to walk into his room. There’s no doors in the doorways, but I’d feel rude following him in while he was muttering like that, so I float over to Farzee’s room.
Knocking on the wall near her doorway, I’m surprised when Farzee simply slides around the corner as if she’d been leaning her back up against the wall of her doorway. She takes an incredibly casual pose as she greets me, “Schism,” the predatory hunger usually found in her eyes reduced to a faint glimmer. That glimmer is accompanied by something more primal, but it’s not passion or lust. I can’t quite place it, I’d almost think it was fear, or grief. Still, she flashes a smile my way and makes no advances on me, so I feel happy to see her.
Chuckling mostly at myself, I’m about to ask if she heard everything with Indy, but her nodding seems to confirm it before she even speaks in that delightfully disarming accent where she doesn’t enunciate the tees or dees near the end of her words, “Heard it all. I’m glad you’re back safe and sound. You uh. Impress me. Thanks for making sure we got away from the Damnation. Indy won’t admit it, but we’d all have died. Souls just gone, snap, just like that. I—. I’m trying to keep myself together here Schism. I’m shook up. I’m not trying to play on your sympathy or seduce you any more, I’m just shook up.”
I offer Farzee a comforting hand on her left bicep, while she continues looking left towards me from where she’s leaning against the arch of her doorway. She continues, still utilizing her accent with skipping ending words with stop-consonants, “The mission was better than flawless because of you. We came home with *more* than we left. That doesn’t happen. That’s not how war works. Way I hear it, we’re getting thousands more too on top of what we got. You got two Thunderers Schism. We didn’t have any. Even if they won’t go out to fight, I feel safer against siege. Can— can I just hug you? No tricks, no fuggin’ around. I know you’re naked, but I’m not trying to, well, you don’t have any pants to get into.”
Nodding emphatically I spread my arms wide, and Farzee turns to embrace me. I try not to make note of how absolutely heavenly her amazing bust feels against my bare chest while it's propped up by her underbust corset within her silken blouse. I fail, obviously, since I just did. Farzee shakes in my arms, trembling, and I realize I hadn’t registered it before, but she’s been shaking the entire time. She really is literally shook up. The Dormir, Shield, Aegis, everyone came within meters of having their souls stolen. I stroke and pat Farzee’s back comfortingly, cooing as reassuringly as I can.
After a long moment, Farzee offers, and I’m slightly endeared to her for it, as she clarifies in her enjoyable stop-consonant-light accent, “You’re, you’re not my type, so I’ll stop. All the things that you didn’t like. You’re my Hero though, our Hero. Veril needs you now too, he was even more shook than me. Thank you, Schism. Thank you. Shield and Aegis feel real crappy too like they let you down, let our Lady down. Check in with ‘em. I’m not used to caring much about other’s feelings. Still not sure I really do, but I want to be on your good side. I— want you to want to protect me when I’m out there. I know it’s selfish, but I do.”
I give Farzee an almost loving, warm squeeze, before letting her go and nodding to her. Drawing a deep breath and sighing softly, I try to reassure her, “That’s my priority, not just you though. I want to protect you all. I’ll do my best Farzhis, Farzee, always. You don’t need to seduce me or romance me to get that out of me. I’m on your side, and I care that you’re safe. I’m glad you made it home, seemingly in one piece. Sorry about the scare. Are you physically okay? The chest hurt much?”
Farzee nods along with my assurances, and in answer to my query about her physical wellbeing, but she offers me the so-so gesture in response to the pain of her chest. She contemplates something, frowns at herself as she looks away in shame, and seems to curse herself out.
Farzee mutters, “Sorry,” before grabbing my face to kiss me once firmly on the lips briefly. I’m about to be upset when she rests her forehead on mine, while still shaking. Farzee leans to kiss my cheek, trying to keep from flashing me her cleavage, and failing slightly. She pulls away, and almost modestly attempts to hide her bust with one arm. It’s a bit too big for that, but she makes the effort.
Our The Blue apologizes as always in her few-hard-stop-consonants accent, “Real sorry Schism, won’t happen again. I just, just don’t really have other ways of showing gratitude. Fug I felt you getting angry, but then all forgiving, with our intimate psychic thing. You’re a hell of a Hero. I’m sorry. Fug I don’t even know how to thank you unless you want to pipe together.”
Abashedly rubbing the back of my head, I shake my head about the offer to pipe together while blushing. I’m not sure how I’d handle any sort of drug, with my poison resistance from Can’Z’aas and whatnot. Still, I mumble, “I, um, you don’t have to. Like, at all, you don’t have to show gratitude at all. I do actually incredibly enjoy hugging and kissing, as long as there’s a mutual understanding of consent, and where we stand with regards to romance or lack thereof. I’m even okay with it being spontaneous, and not having consent sought explicitly every single time, but I’d want to give it in advance, like I’m sort of doing right now. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, so—.”
Farzee comments, “I won’t pursue you, romance-wise. I— might touch you sometimes. Um, affection. Embraces, a kiss, here or there. No more games, I swear. Even that just now, it wasn’t. I’m sorry, again. Kinda not used to anyone not wanting this,” she offers a casual flick of her wrist to wave her right hand guiding my view from her neck down her body, “or at least—. You get it. You’ve got a big, soft, forgiving heart, and I’m sorry, and I won’t abuse it.”
I struggle extremely hard to continue *not* wanting the body of the incredibly beautiful woman before me, so I cough, and nod as I turn aside, indicating I’ll be heading to Veril’s room. Farzee requests, “Tell prettyboy if, if he needs to talk, or something else, I’ll listen, and maybe—. I’m not sure yet. Maybe. Please? Thank you again Schism.”
Nodding towards Farzee as I take my leave of her, I wait til I’m a ways down the hall before heaving a sigh of relief and panting momentarily as I’m lightheaded. Of course now she sounds like she has a strong conscience all of a sudden, and wants to respect all my wishes. Dang crazy-gorgeous stupidly-sexy utterly-beautiful shook-up woman. Phew. Still dangerous. At least I know she knows not to pursue me romantically, and that there’s nothing to chase below. Huff, phew. Still, wow did she feel nice in my arms.
Poor Farzee, shaking like a friggin’ leaf on a tree. Not a Rayileklian tree obviously, since they’re adapted to the Worldstorm. It’s another part of how Kinzul’s dragonforce is spread across the entire world. She Administrated a change to help the plants adapt when she created the Worldstorm. My beloved Lady Kinzul. I need to see her soon too after checking in with everyone, but I think it might have to wait until after going to the library, since I desperately need to see Prinrin, to check on her and assure her I’m okay, and I might not know where to find her or get a chance elsewhere while my psychic bonds are screwed up.
I knock at the side of Veril’s door, and he shuffles out towards the hallway, sullenly, looking down. His brow furrows as there’s nothing at ground level, and he slowly lifts his head, and immediately screams upon seeing me. Veril flails and falls backwards onto his rear, and clutches at his chest with his right hand, and his head with his left hand, trying to determine if he’s having a heart attack or a psychotic breakdown.
I quickly offer, “Woah woah Veril, Red, it’s me. It’s me bud. I’m okay. I’m okay. Damnation went down, but before I could finish the job on his nearly-dead arse, his buddies came and stole his body away, ran away when I recited my titles. I’m okay, look, no harm. Yes you can feel me, yes I’m still naked.”
Veril, quivering, absolutely trembling, begins to explore my torso, front and back, with his hands, with his eyes and mouth agape. He tries to ask, “How?” through a series of shaky stutters.
I almost feel like teasing him and just reciting my titles, but he needs reassurances. I offer him my arms wide for an embrace and he virtually leaps forward into the comfort of my arms. While I’m patting him on the back, I explain, “You know that I’m basically immune to lightning, highly resistant to acid, and that adamantite is almost immune to acid, and virtually immune to blunt force. My soul is body-locked, so it can’t be stolen. It was *easy* to survive the storm with the Damnation. It’ll be okay. You’ll never have to fear them again. This one was too disoriented from several explosions and then a constant brainblasting of lightning to really try anything against me. I’m sure he’d normally have been tougher, but he didn’t know I was immune to his basic tricks. It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Trembling in my arms, Veril’s hands claw repeatedly at my back, still in disbelief, trying to keep me as tightly embraced as possible. I ask, “Veril buddy? Are you physically okay? Any injuries? Should we see sponge?”
Finally finding his voice, Veril coughs out through a choked near-sob, “I, I’m alright. Ph-physically fine. Illy was right. Illy was right. What am I doing!?”
Veril thrusts himself away from me, and gazes at me in a new terrified light. I offer a sad frown, waiting for him to settle on an emotion before trying to address him. He grips both sides of his skull, messing up his auburn hair as his fingers sift and claw at it. Veril’s chest heaves with labored breathing of fear. He’s having a panic attack, about me. I feel awful, so I levitate myself to a seated position on the floor.
After a while, Veril stops spasming and clawing at himself while hunched in on himself and trembling. I slide my hand across the floor near enough to his, that he can reach out to take it if he scooches an inch, so that I don’t invade his personal space right now while he’s recovering. Veril does scooch closer and take my offered hand, shaking his head.
Still trembling, and rocking back and forth while holding my hand, he mutters, “Indy said Damnation, and that was it, we were done for. I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I swear to gods I didn’t know. You signaled, and, and I didn’t breathe. But you did it anyway. You blew up Indy’s gas. I let you down. I let everyone down, and you still saved the day. I didn’t know. I— I thought we were going down, and I didn’t want to see you die like that. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know.”
Taking a shuddering deep breath, I let out a slow sad sigh as I try to reassure him, “I know, I know. It’s okay. You didn’t let me down, you cared about me. You didn’t want to hurt me or see me die. I’m glad of that. It makes me feel loved and appreciated. I’m okay though, and I’ll keep doing my best to protect everyone. That includes you. You didn’t let anyone down. Okay? I love ya pal, we’ll get through this, together. All of it, the war, the emotions, everything. I got some kinda maybe good news for ya if you’re interested?”
Veril cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow curiously, so I relay, “Farzee said, and I quote, ‘Tell prettyboy if, if he needs to talk, or something else, I’ll listen, and maybe—. I’m not sure yet. Maybe.’ End quote. Your team cares about you. I care about you. What you’re feeling? What you felt a second ago? It’s hard, it’s scary, but it’s easier with those that care about you. Trauma— well, it sucks. It probably always will, but I'm here for you, especially when my brain stops rattling from the tumble I took. I'll get my psychic network open sometime later tonight probably. I’ve gotta go let Shield and Aegis know I’m alright, okay pal?”
Nodding a bit numbly, Veril stands and hugs me as I turn to leave. I return his hug and he whispers a curious query, “She really said that?”
Flashing him a grin that turns into a smile, I nod as I begin floating and bobbing away. Here’s hoping that it’s beneficial for both of them to have each other to care for and listen to right now.
As I find my way towards the room Illy’d mentioned for Boetah and Shaylon, I don’t even get a chance to knock as the two Rock Dragons rush out of the room and embrace me from both sides. Both elatedly crying out, “Schism!”
Hugging them both back, accidentally mimicking Shaylon’s delightful hissed esses, I ask, “Are you two okay? I’m sorry about the scare. So sorry. Did—“
Shaylon immediately offers with that spine-tinglingly pleasant hiss, “At first we had felt as failures, arriving home after seeing your supposed loss. Stopping for a while to think of the situation as I had learned some of your skills, I had surmised you would survive the storms shocks and its falls. When you hadn’t immediately succumbed to the Damnations abilities, I knew you would be victorious, but they travel in packs, so I was unsure you would return safely so soon. Shield trusted my sagely surmisings. Impressive feats dear Schism. I assume you have others to see. Please stop by sometime soon when you are free.”
Well, that was easy. Shaylon is sharp. In more ways than one. Part of the reason Tinth was taken down was because Shaylon’s serpent-dragon rock form grows almost like razorwire. I hug Shield and Aegis for several more moments before nodding.
I offer my gratitude, “Thanks for the faith in me, after figuring it out. I do have somewhere to be in a few minutes. I’ll definitely be back sometime before our next engagement together. Rest up you two. Thank you for making it back safely, and making sure the Dormir and the prisoners did too. I owe you a lot for that. I knew I could rely on you. You both have my love and gratitude. If you have time, and you’re interested in making friends, you could guard Atter and Shiz while guiding them on a tour. We need to get Atter’s people evacuated here as soon as possible.”
They nod appreciatively as they free me of their embrace, so I wave towards them as I bob along towards the library.