Chapter 227

Oxymorons And Other Integration Issues

Fwoom.

With all of the changes that had happened to me, I was somewhat surprised to see that in all that time, the flying motorized bicycle with flapping wings was just now getting to me.

Also, while it was sort of a shock to find out who was driving that contraption, I guess I should have expected it to be them.

Though to my defense their body type threw me off.

As I finally recognize the changing aura of Jhonny. Well Jhonny who is finally having his aura shine through Octavia De’Arcaneri’s form.

This is an odd function that I might need to test out later on, but it seems that the longer an avatar is worn, the more the wielder’s aura slowly seems to break through. At this revelation, I realize that I personally make a number of my own assessments based on the aura of the person that I am interacting with.

First, I generally feel that I trust people more based on their aura. If their aura is solid and mostly stable, they are generally set in their actions. For me, this means that how the person acts at the time when their aura is stable is how they are most often. If they are fun loving, while their aura is calm, then they are generally fun loving, etcetera.

For a second discovery on aura, it means that how the aura is while wild and fluctuating, means that they are not settled themselves. This could mean they are scared, frightened, or attempting to do something malicious or stupid, or both.

Right now, Jhonny’s soul, and it is clearly Jhonny’s soul is in the second phase, namely wild and chaotic. I also make a note that this second, agitated state, might be why Jhonny is beginning to shine through versus the aura of Octavia, which is who he started this process of even having the soul pattern for.

This is all great observations that can and should be tested.

Based on the number of glowing golden threads that are suddenly appearing, I feel that the system apparently thinks there is something more to this. My mind is beginning to go through test scenarios.

For the moment it seems like only I, well Gwen too could help. But the two of us could do a number of tests. I guess I would need to use my avatars on Jhonny and a few other trusted people and see how long it takes for their true aura to show through based on how stressful the circumstances they are presented with are.

While I think that the number of people who could notice the difference between Octavia’s spirit and Jhonny’s spirit bleeding through are few and far between, I can’t help but think that there might be something there.

Floating in space, I see Octavia, well Jhonny piloting Octavia’s avatar quickly. Her legs pumping and turning violently as the amazingly comical flying machine continues to get closer and closer.

Realizing that Jhonny is clearly here for me, likely to bring me back to Mallory, I decide to help him out.

Poof.

Just like that I Teleport straight to the back of the flying contraption that Jhonny is piloting. This takes a bit more skill than one would think, as I am in fact Teleporting onto a moving object, where I could collide with Jhonny if I am too close and fall off the bike entirely if I wait too long.

Plop.

Yet, I stick the landing. Then with a quick toe grab, I find my seat and pull myself down.

Screech.

At least that is the sound I assume these wheels would make against the road if we were on the ground. As suddenly Jhonny stops pedaling and stares vacantly for a second right where I was flying a moment ago.

It would almost be comical, if gravity didn’t begin to overtake us a moment later, as I could already feel the weight and inertia that had been pulling us forward a second ago suddenly stop as we began to almost fall in the same way a brick with large wings would.

“You might want to keep pedaling,” I state.

“Huh, wha?” Jhonny, well Octavia with Jhonny’s speech patterns and intonations states. Hearing him speak, I realize that I might need to give others acting lessons on the person they are inhabiting, so that they can better portray the individual they are posing as. I also mark this down as another possible breaking point for why Jhonny’s aura is showing, as opposed to others. As in maybe his personality overshines the avatar’s original personality so much that he can’t help but bleed through?

When I use each avatar, I try to keep them close to how they seemed to act before their departure, so this might be another key factor to test. Also could this wear and tear ultimately destroy an Avatar?

At that thought, I decide to take matters into my own hands and remove Octavia from Jhonny.

Tap.

Instantly, Jhonny’s body begins to shift and change. Fortunately, his soul bound clothing alters itself to fit his new form and dimensions. Which is good as for a second there, Jhonny had been showing a lot of hair for his cleavage, not a good sight at all. And before anyone says anything, I see everywhere, so of course I would see that change.

“Sorry, I need to take this back for a bit.” I state, but only after the deed is done. In a way I feel sorry as I knew that Jhonny really liked this aspect of my powers, though if his use was causing wear and tear, I would want to check it out to see if there were any problems.

“Oh thank the Gods!” Jhonny said, as he felt at his now much flatter chest and found that he was just a male.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Tilting and falling.

“Um, could you pilot us down to the ground?” I ask.

“Right,” Jhonny states for a second, before turning forward as he began pedaling again.

With this I finally see the design. There is a small thermal engine in the back that provides a minimal amount of propulsion forward. Not enough to continue flying the entire system, but enough that by Jhonny stopping his pedaling it doesn’t cause an instantaneous force downward that will snap the wings and cause us to go into a death spiral.

Not the best of inventions, but it does seem like a good way to get a workout in while viewing the countryside.

Of course, I am pretty sure that I would be safe, even if we fell into a death spiral, but saving Jhonny would take a second or two longer.

I’m also fairly certain that Jhonny would be more than capable of surviving a fall, even from this height. Well, let me rephrase that, he should be more than capable of surviving a fall from this height. In fact, now that I am looking for new tasks to push us all through our training, That might be something I have the cultivation classes work on, namely high diving from extreme heights.

While I am thinking about this, I realize one thing. Namely the fact that Jhonny is okay with my taking away his avatar form of Octavia.

With that realization, I ask, “wait, are you okay with my having to take away Octavia from you?”

At that I notice the muscles in Jhonny’s shoulder tense up for a second, before ultimately relaxing.

“Actually, it was a lot harder than I thought,” Jhonny finally admitted.

“What was?”

“All the attention, the stares. Everyone who found you attractive stared at you longingly, while all those who weren’t attracted to you, but knew you were attractive, they were the worst as they all just stared menacingly at you. In the end, I decided that I’d rather be boring and overlooked than have that level of constant scrutiny.” Jhonny stated, a clear look of sadness in his eyes.

“Let me guess, it didn’t help that Rahul, the creepy Necromancer made a pass or two at you?”

Shiver.

“Yeah, he definitely didn’t help matters. Though his being around was helpful, as he did scare away a few of the other suitors that would have otherwise drawn ire from more people,” Jhonny admitted.

With that, I could only nod.

“Yeah, sorry about that, I should have warned you about the creep.” I admit, feeling that my absent minded approach to life might not be the best for others. Even those wishing to help out.

“No, it was…” Jhonny began, but then trailed off, as he began slowly descending and letting us get closer and closer to one of the landing fields for flying craft. “It was a real eye opener.”

At that I could just nod.

“Well glad you learned something,” I state.

“Oh I did. I also have a lot more respect for you, Mallory, and Ms. Penelope.” Jhonny stated.

“Oh, is it Ms. Penelope now?” I ask, seeing his special inflection on her name.

“What? No, gah.” Jhonny stated, as I clearly caught him in something.

“Oh, do I need to put in a good word for you?” I ask slightly teasingly.

“As if, we all know she only has eyes for you.” Jhonny stated.

Smack.

At least that is how is words felt to my brain.

“What?” Was all I could manage to ask at that, and this was mainly so my mind could catch up.

“Come on. We all know that Ms. Penelope only likes women.”

“We do?” I apparently did not get this memo. Though to be fair, I try to stay out of relationship areas, particularly as my libido won’t actually be released into my body until my character’s age is 18, so three years and change at this point.

“Yeah, it was how Mallory managed to recruit her to the guild in the first place.” Jhonny stated.

With this, I feel that I have a bit more insight into Mallory’s ruthless recruitment strategy. Honestly, I have to say I am impressed, well more impressed with the boss than I was previously, as Penelope was amazing. To be able to seduce her into joining the guild, I mean, bravo!

For a moment, I wonder if I am another one of her conquests, but then ultimately discard that idea as we have never even been close to intimate. Well unless carrying my sleeping form for a few dozen floors in the Arcanarus Tower counts. I might have to check on this, though I feel I’ve been adopted, rather than seduced. Especially, with Mallory going for my daughter and all but locking her into a relationship to keep me closer. You know what, if she did that, then even more impressive. Though I think I won in this deal, as it means that I get to be the spoiled adopted daughter. Which I kind of am?

Before I get too lost in that thought, my mind makes another connection, one that sheds light on this whole situation, and why Jhonny was so happy to be saddled with having to pose as Octavia.

“Wait, so you wanted to be Octavia so you could pick up Penelope?” I ask.

With that question, Jhonny shrugs his shoulders in slight defeat as he can only nod limply at the comment.

“I take it, that it didn’t go that well?”

“You could say that. At first, she was all excited, especially with me being bashful and telling her that she was pretty. Then she seemed to realize something, as her entire posture seemed to change.” Jhonny began, but then paused as if recalling the memory.

“What happened?” I asked, suddenly intrigued by what happened while I was gone.

“She just looked at me and then shook her head and seemed to realize something. That’s when she said, ‘you aren’t her, are you?’ She asked it as a question, but it was more a statement of fact.”

“How did she know?” I ask, trying to wonder if Penelope first noticed the change in Jhonny’s aura at this time.

Jhonny for his part just shook his head. “I asked her the same thing, and she replied that ‘the real her, wouldn’t be so you.’ That was it, then with that she turned around and left.”

With that, I could feel the pain that Jhonny was shouldering. I gently place a calming hand on his back and gently cycle in some golden Qi to help soothe his aching muscles and heart.

The Qi seemed to do the trick as Jhonny began sitting up a little bit straighter.

There was a moment of silence as we began getting closer to the ground and then finally landed.

Jerk, thump.

There was a violent impact as we hit the ground, but overall a smooth landing. Having personalized wings would have been better, but no one’s perfect.

“Thank you,” Jhonny finally states as he has his legs out and slowly begins walking the flying bike to a rack.

“For what?”

“For giving me the chance to see what it was like. To let me know not to commit myself to any course of action when I never even had a chance,” Jhonny stated.

With that, it is clear that he is talking about the lost chance of being with Penelope, a person that he clearly cares deeply about.

“Hey, none of that now.” I state, while fluttering up and holding Jhonny’s face with my hand as I force him to stare into my green eyes. I can’t see, but it is still an effect that I am going for. “You are too strong and powerful to let one set back define you.”

“But I…” Jhonny begins, and I don’t know what he is going to say but I stop it right there.

“You of all people should know what it is like to not quit or give up. You were counted out of the cultivation class, but you worked your way to being my bodyguard and then my full-time student. You weren’t allowed to attend my magic classes, but then, as my bodyguard, were forced to attend. Now, you are saying that because you couldn’t get the girl you are interested in because she didn’t like you for being someone you weren’t you are going to quit?” I ask.

“You think I should try again?”

“Yes, but this time be yourself. Don’t hide behind false bravado and illusions. Be yourself, at the very least if she still turns you down, you know that she turned you down for you and not for you pretending to be someone else.”

Nodding.

As he nods his head in understanding I remove my hand from his face.

There is a pause, as he then looks at me and then his eyes seem to go wide. It takes me a second to figure out why he suddenly looks surprised by my wings flapping.

Only after a second do I realize that I dismissed my Divine Double Wings a while ago to save mana, and that I reflexively used my Phantasmal Wings on reflex.

Pausing for a moment, I realize this is kind of a big deal, as this is the first time I summoned my Phantasmal Wings from the spirit realm and made them manifest in the mortal realm.

“Whoa?” Was all Jhonny could say as he took in my wings.

“You like them?” I ask, somewhat nervous about them. I still can’t see them for anything other than dark golden dust particles that flicker and form in the shape of moving wings.

Jhonny just nods his head for a moment, then realizing he is being quiet, he responds. “Yeah, they are so cool, can I touch them?”

“Yeah,” I reply why nodding. I am kind of curious about this, to see how they deal with touch while in the mortal realm.

Tingle.

My wings pass over and through Jhonny’s outstretched hand. Then pulling back his hand I see that it is covered in my golden glitter. I also feel the slightest drop in my own mana and Qi reserves as my body instantly replenishes the lost golden glitter.

“Wow!”

“Wow is right,” I respond, as I realize this will likely leave a magical residue pointing straight towards me if I use these wings on any heists in the future. Then I wonder if it is bad that my first thought is on how to hide this effect while stealing? Though as the new Thieves Guild leader, this should be something that I am constantly thinking about.

“I get it now. Well, I guess I always understood why, but now it is irrefutable.” Jhonny states as he mutters to himself.

“What is irrefutable?”

“The fact that I never stood a chance with wooing Penelope away from you.”

“What? You can’t not woo someone away from something that doesn’t exist. That doesn’t make sense.” I state.

Jhonny opens his mouth as if he wants to protest, but then ultimately closes his mouth as he fully takes in my new form.

“What exactly are you now?” Jhonny asks, a note of confusion filling his voice as he seemingly tries to mentally place me into a category of known species.

“I am now what would be referred to as a Colossal Pixie.” I state, and then still floating in the air give a slight curtsey.

“Right, a Colossal Pixie, how did I not guess that one.” Jhonny states, then looking at me he cocks his head to the side as he tries to take me in from a different angle. “The sad part is, you probably aren’t even joking about that are you?”

“Nope, I never joke when it comes to this world trying to make me look ridiculous.” I reply.

As we are talking, I feel Mallory and a few others converging on us.

Sighing, I brace myself for the string of questions that are bound to come from my not one, but two World Announcements.

Yet, what actually happened next was something that I would have never expected, thought admittedly I probably should have given everything that had happened.