“They make the people who vowed them do them and they can’t fight against it.”

Toulnaria quickly shook her head at that, “There are vows made this way, but not so for vows between equals and friendships. The vows only help maintain themselves, but if you truly wish to reject them, you can break them. It is… not a pleasant experience for the one who wishes to break, but it can be done.”

“But it does reinforce itself.”

“To an extent, but… it is an acceptance of the reinforcement, not an impinging on the will of the individual. If they truly do not want it, the vow does not form. If they truly do not accept it after, the vow withers and dies, no longer supporting the person in their efforts to maintain their vow.”

Joe relaxed at that, “Oh… it helps those who want to keep it, but stops when people want to quit.”

“Yes. When it is broken, the vow is broken and the mark is lost.”

“Huh… interesting. Hmm… the mark?”

“The mark of the vow.”

Joe found himself nonplussed, staring, and Toulnaria quickly caught on and asked rather curiously, “Your vows are not visible?”

Joe froze in a bit of thought. Some kind of symbol? Uh… Think fast! Think fas… ooh. “Well, the symbol of our vows is visible, but…”

Toulnaria nodded, “Then our peoples are similar. Our symbol is visible as well. A lit mark of mana over the liver.”

“Liver?”

“The seat of love.”

Joe blinked at that and smiled, “For our people, the heart is the seat of emotions… and love.”

Toulnaria laughed at that, thinking Joe was joking, then paused when she saw he was serious, “Truly? Your people see the heart as the seat of love? But that is the seat of life! Without the heart, you would die!”

Joe shrugged, “People are strange.”

Toulnaria shook her head, “Only your people.”

Joe felt his eyebrow rocket into his brows and a smile grew, “You mock my people so easily.”

Toulnaria shrugged, “You seem… comfortable with such humor?”

“We are, but if you are not, I can restrain myself. Many of the clans on my plane find mockery and sarcasm to be… inappropriate.”

Toulnaria smiled, “It is… enjoyable.”

Joe smiled back, “It can be to give it but if you are not used to it, it can be… jarring and offensive to receive it.”

“I will make sure to not be so… offended.”

Joe nodded and bowed a head. When he looked back up, both Kilniara and Garnedell quickly opened their mouths to speak, talking over each other, but Garnedell proved the gentleman and allowed Kilniara to speak when she paused for him. She nodded her head and offered her thanks.

“Thanks, Garn! Joe! What is the symbol for a vow amongst your people?” Garn? Really… no… focus!

Joe smiled and looked at her, “Amongst my people, it is a ring made of precious metals topped with a jewel. Some people have different types, but the traditional symbol is a gold ring with a diamond atop it.”

Kilniara seemed incredibly excited about that piece of information, and Joe grinned to himself and set that to the side although he asked.

“What symbol do you have, besides the mana mark on the liver? Is there something like flowers or a gift of some kind?”

Kilniara shook her head, “Amongst commoners, no, but… I know little of the clans,” Kilniara ended before looking towards Gwenvair.

Gwenvair grew excited at that and began to explain clan ritual while Kilniara listened on with excited wonder. Joe extricated himself from the conversation and turned back to the two boys with some relief.

After the clamor had died down a bit, Joe turned to Garnedell, “What were you going to say?”

Garnedell paused, then shook his head in consternation, “I… I don’t remember. Sorry.”

Joe smiled, “It happens, sometimes. If you remember, let me know.”

Garnedell shrugged, not really concerned and the three started talking with one another with relaxed joy although Joe wasn’t able to really escaped the conversation of the women since they began to regularly question him on how Earth people performed their marriage ceremonies. Joe ended up describing two or three different examples that he knew of and that set Gwenvair and Kilniara off on wild thoughts and preparations for their own weddings.

Joe found it amusing that Gwenvair was preparing for hers before she even met a guy, but wasn’t too surprised by it. But Kilniara’s excited plans made Joe quite a bit more uncomfortable. Luckily, their conversation began to exclude Joe and he escaped with grateful relief, turning back to the other two guys. Allanar also joined them at that point, and they moved off across the way. At one point, Allanar spoke to him with some nervous agitation, and Joe grew worried, then laughed when Allanar reminded him to repay his Matriarch’s missing taxes. Joe grabbed him and took him into the room where he pulled out a couple dozen of his ‘broken’ cores and handed it to Allanar. Allanar seemed relieved, even excited, although Joe really didn’t understand why. He was just happy. So, Joe was happy.

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The day ended well, and Joe truly enjoyed it, heading back to the living courtyard where the party continued on. People were once again visiting his home after their meal was done, and the party grew rowdier and rowdier. Joe enjoyed it for a time until evening turned late and his exhaustion began dragging his consciousness away once again. He stayed as long as he could before finally escaping to his bed. He walked down the hallway, making it about halfway to his room before he paused and headed back. Gotta talk to Kilniara.

Joe walked back into the living room, heading to Kilniara. Kilniara was chating with Gwenvair and Joe came to her side, interrupting the two, “Sorry Gwenvair. Could I speak with Kilnaira a bit?”

Gwenvair smiled up at him, “Sure.”

Kilniara turned to him, “Yes?”

Joe shook his head, “Could we speak alone?”

Kilniara glanced at Gwenvair then back to Joe before nodding. Gwenvair’s face blanked, becoming quite neutral and Joe wondered at that but let it pass, the two heading back down into the hallway, stopping outside his door. However, the closer he got to the door, the more disconcerted Joe became, uncertain of how to bring the topic up.

Joe’s pause went too long and Kilniara quickly noticed, stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder before speaking, “What’s wrong?”

Joe looked at her, glanced away, then sighed and turned back to face her, “I… want to ask that you … we don’t spend the night together anymore.”

Kilniara blinked at that, confused. Joe grimaced.

“Could you … not come into my room at night anymore?”

Kilniara flinched, her eyebrows knitting at that and Joe struggled to hide his sigh, realizing he’d hurt her somehow, “Kilniara. I’m not… rejecting you, but… the Matriarch was pretty clear. It’s not good for you… for your image with others. I’m not putting our relationship on… hmm… the relationship isn’t changing at all. I just don’t want others to have a poor opinion of you.”

Kilniara’s hurt faded at that, and she stared up at him, staring into his eyes for a bit before her eyebrows knit again, “But… I don’t care.”

Joe grinned, “But I do… I care about you… for you.”

Kilniara looked to fight the issue, replying quickly, “But, I d…”

Joe shook his head, “Please… I am doing it because I care for you, but… it’s also… hard for me. Very hard.”

“Hard?” Kilniara asked, confused.

Joe looked at her and flushed a bit, “It’s… getting harder to… restrain myself with you.”

Kilniara frowned, “I don’t understand?”

Joe grinned but shied away a bit in embarrassment, “I’ve… been able to hold myself back, but it’s getting harder… a lot harder.”

Kilniara’s frown grew, then suddenly her eyes opened incredibly wide in shock, then her grin grew even as she flushed a bright red. Joe felt relief that he noticed but also grinned to see her embarrassment.

Joe chuckled, “Yeah. I want to wait. I really do, but… you are very beautiful and very hard to… resist.”

Kilniara’s flush of embarrassment shot straight to mortification and Joe stepped forward to wrap his arms around her, “Trust me. I’m not pushing you away because I don’t want you. It’s more… the exact opposite problem.”

Kilniara’s shy embarrassment faded and turned to a restrained joy and happiness at being wanted before she sighed deeply and wrapped her arms around him in response.

“It’s a better rejection than I initially feared.”

Joe laughed, “It’s no rejection, actually, just my admitting defeat. You are too strong for me. I capitulate to you.”

Kilniara looked up at him with a bit of shock at that, then chuckled and shook her head, “I accept your defeat.”

“An utter defeat.”

“To defeat an eccentric so easily.”

Joe grinned, “Women certainly have a natural strength in this.”

Kilniara grew a bit cocky at that, saucily slipping her hip out to the right, dropping her right hand on her hip, “I am your superior?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure about that!”

Kilniara laughed along with Joe, then slipped forward quickly to slide into his arms. She wrapped him in her arms, kissing him deeply and smiling up at him cheekily before turning and fleeing back down the hallway, a giddy energy infecting her gait that had him watching her retreating figure with a mesmerized gaze. Wow… OK… He sighed deeply with relief, an incredible amount of tension flushing from his system. The fear of how she would take it and the tension of maintaining iron control all released almost instantaneously, but he didn’t care to really think about it, only grateful for the relief. Hmm… let me try to do something… yeah… do something to make it up to her… make sure she knows I’m still willing to explore... pursue this.

Joe thought on that as he stumbled into his room but his exhaustion quickly had him rapidly seeking out his bed. He practiced his skills and some of his magic exercises until he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Kilniara went back into the common room with a big grin on her face. She paused on her trip across the room back to Gwenvair to bow towards the Matriarch as she left the room, then rushed up to Gwenvair with excitement. Gwenvair seemed distant, and Kilniara grew concerned, sliding up next to her sister.

“What is wrong?”

Gwenvair stared at her for a time before her blank aloofness cracked a bit and Kilnara quickly noticed a hurt look flicker across her face. Kilniara’s concern grew.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Gwenvair’s stare grew less defensive and subtly more open, “What did he wish to speak to you of?”

Kilniara quickly noticed Gwenvair’s worry, her vulnerability shining through and Kilniara quickly stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.

“It was nothing. He simply admitted defeat.”

Gwenvair jerked back at that, eyes searching hers with concern, “He was defeated?”

Kilniara’s smile grew, “Quite formidably.”

Gwenvair grew worried, then narrowed her eyes when she noticed Kilnaira’s obvious joyful smile.

“What!” Gwenvair asked flatly.

Kilniara began to flush in embarrassment, “Uh… I… he,” Kilniara sighed and shook her head before continuing, “He asked I do not … sneak into his bed anymore.”

Gwenvair blinked, her face fluctuating through shock, surprise, then disbelieving humor, “He what?”

Kilniara quickly stepped closer, “Shh! SHH!”

Gwenvair calmed at that but she began smiling with humor, “So… you have defeated him.”

Kilniara’s embarrassment quickly shifted to humor as well, giggling, “Quite decisively!”

Gwenvair giggled and the two began chattering with one another in excitement.

* * *

After the eccentric left for his bed, Toulnaria felt comfortable enough to leave the party at Joe’s house. The tide was ended, but there were so many oddities with this tide, she was quite concerned. It wasn’t unusual for the clan council to meet and consider a tide when it occurred, but this tide would lead to a very, very long council meeting. And Toulnaria, Matriarch of Clan Coushar, sighed with exhaustion as she marched towards their clan meeting.