“First, what did you do with, Ahvra?” Drim’s tone got a bit more serious. “Is she alright? Can we see her?”
“Sorry, that’s a no go!” Valen crossed her arms into an X. “She’s my little trump card to make sure you two play along and don’t do anything crazy. But that’s only a lost resort in case of an emergency. Something tells me that my actual offer will be enough to convince you to placate me.”
“And what exactly could you offer us?” Xard had his doubts that it would be anything of worth.
Valen framed her face with her hands and stated shamelessly, “Me!”
Both boys shared a look of bewilderment and then stared back at the screen. “Oh don’t look so dismayed. I can promise you that I’m something you want desperately. First, I’m a Fiend, and you want to make sure all Fiends are properly supervised, don’t you Drim? The second thing is my Curse. It will be irreplaceably useful to you.”
“If you hadn’t guessed already by the motif I laid out and the heist I did, my power centers around blood. Specifically, I can control it. For example…” Xard suddenly felt the veins in his right hand being tugged, as if someone was pulling on them like they were strings. He didn’t try to fight back immediately, not knowing what damage it would cause.
His hand floated upwards slowly, and he got ready to resist despite the potential danger when it started drifting over to Drim. “Boop!” Valen chirped with glee when the tip of Xard’s finger touched Drim’s nose. Then the power was released and his hand dropped back to his side.
“That will make such a Cosdamn good picture,” their captor was quite pleased with herself. “But boy was that exhausting. Even though I’m not that far away, that still took a lot out of me. Controlling blood that’s still inside people is way more effort than it’s worth. Where my power really shines though…”
Valen started wiggling her fingers and a ball of peach-colored blood rose up into the air. “You’ll probably recognize this as the blood of Rezin Anish. Going after him first really was the smartest idea I could have had. As I’m sure you’re aware, or you wouldn’t be handling your blood so studiously, but Fiend blood contains the same properties as their Curses.”
“And that is something I can control, though to a weaker extent than any Fiend using their powers naturally. The peach blood dissipated into a mist and then shrouded Valen. She vanished from sight for a few seconds entirely until the blood recongealed back into a ball. “So with his blood I can make myself invisible, but that’s all. I can’t make hallucinations or control perceptions. A single facet of his Curse, but still a very useful one.”
“Ah, I can already see the wheels turning in your head, Drim.” Xard looked over after she spoke, and he saw a look that he’d seen only a few times now; one where Drim was entirely recontemplating his plans and their future. That spoke volumes of just how much she actually had to offer, or how much of a threat she really was. Xard was certain now that Valen couldn’t be taken lightly either way.
“So there are basically two paths you all can take,” Valen’s smile turned devious. “You can break out of here and capture me. It would probably be pretty easy for you two. And I know that now that I’ve done this, I couldn’t escape. Hell, that’s why I even committed so far as telling you my name and showing you my face. I know all about what Phon can do with just a name.”
“There’s no turning back for me. One way or another, I’m certain I’ll be taken into your custody. But the nature of our relationship after that is still open for discussion. If you take me by force, and treat me like a prisoner, I’ll fight you every step of the way and never give you what you want.”
“But… if you play along with my game and appease my requests, I’ll come along with you willingly. And not only that, I will use my Curse and my life to help you achieve whatever you’re scheming. I’m not quite sure what it is yet, but I can tell it’s so fiendishly wicked. Just like those machines you put in every body to monitor them. Yes, that’s right. You can’t hide what’s hidden in blood from me.”
“And something tells me that my Curse would be ridiculously valuable to you. Given what I can speculate, Ahvra must be studying Fiend blood for your plans. I’m sure I could open all sorts of new gateways in that regard. So what do you say? A day of catering to my whims for a lifetime of servitude. You can even use a Drazah Demand on me if you like, to seal the deal.”
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“No, I don’t think that will be necessary,” Drim seemed to have dropped his guard a bit. “I’m still a bit confused, though, as to what we’ll be doing here and what you’re getting out of this. I have a guess, but it couldn’t be that obvious, right?”
“I have a feeling you know exactly what I want, Drim, as an avid reader yourself. And it’s probably exactly what you’re thinking. I’m a simple girl. I like what I like, and my tastes may be considered a bit off-kilter to some. So what I like isn’t always the easiest to find. I have to make most of it myself, writing and drawing. Hell, I’ve even gotten pretty good at it.”
“This whole day is being funded from commissions I’ve done. Let me tell you, people with other unique tastes pay the most money. They’ll give anything to see their imaginations come to life. I’m just the same, but I’ve hit a bit of a block recently. That’s why I decided to make my tastes reality and witness it in person.”
“Then you’re…” Drim had a look of understanding and slight reluctant acceptance on his face.”
“That’s right! I’m a Fiend Fanatic as they call us. I love everything Fiend! Well, more specifically the Fiends For Hire. The Central Peace and Above just don’t hit the same for me. But there’s some decent crossover pairs. When people ask me why I’m so obsessed with Fiends, I just tell them my motto: ‘Fiends are Undeniably Just Oh So Hot and Infatuating!’ Nothing compares to them in this world!”
“You all just about killed me with your Fiend TV station. I basically have it playing nonstop. I almost died from binging all the new content. Thank you for the meals. But outside of that, I love talking about them on the forums—I operate six sites myself. Love speculating and discussing your adventures.”
“I’m just so obsessed with the culture. Have you all seen some of the fanart people have done of you guys?! It’s just fantastic. And attending Fiendcon is a blast—hopefully you guys will come to the next one. But… most of my joy comes from reading and writing Fiend fanfics.”
“I can understand if you all haven’t dabbled in it. I’d find reading about myself a bit awkward too. But there’s just something for every taste. For the more normal and boring people, Drim x Kada is the most popular. But for people who love a good rivals-turned-lovers then you’ve got Drim x Jaid.”
“Then as we break away from that, you get into more specific tastes. Most of these aren’t as popular except for the girlslove ones. Phon x Kada wins that by far, but ever since the raid, Kada x Laurim has been soaring in popularity. They get in fights a lot with those who write Kada x Alk. And pretty much anyone paired with Nachi is a hit.”
“For some more obscure ones we have Chorus x Roque, Niloy x Rezin, and Drim x Creti has been building up steam lately for more rivalry. Drim x Phon is popular for some reason I can’t explain and is probably the worst we allow. Of course, we had to ban some outright like Itsy x Crucion for obvious problematic reasons. But for the most part, we’re pretty welcoming of everyone’s tastes.”
“As for my own personal inklings, you probably could have guessed it. My moniker is The Boyslove Bloodletter! While it’s also my Fiend name, most people just think it’s an online handle. Drim x Tize was really good recently, and Xard x Dura was fun to dabble into after the raid. Lieu x Xard has also been coasting steadily for a while.”
“But my now-and-forever OTP will always be Drim x Xard! There are some people who write Xard x Drim too, but sorry Xard, let’s be real…” Valen laughed to herself. “So I think you can understand now why I’ve captured you. I just want to play out my fantasies in real life!”
Xard’s jaw dropped, not from anything he’d heard, but his unbridled confusion. “I… I didn’t understand a single word she just said.”
Drim shoved his face into his hand and shook his head. “I did…” he groaned. “Just trust me on this, Xard. It’s better if you just forget about it. This woman only wants one thing.”
“And it’s disgusting?” Xard’s eyes tweaked in curiosity as he tried to prepare himself for absurdity.
“I’m sure some would put it that way,” Drim admitted. “Though I’m not sure I would. It really comes down to each person’s tastes and outlooks. Most of the time, they don’t hurt anyone, so it’s perfectly fine. Valen’s just gone a bit overboard with her obsession.”
“But that said, I think we should play along for now. I don’t think we’re in any real danger, though things might get a bit uncomfortable. But if she goes too far,” Drim raised his voice, as if he was warning her. “Then we’ll have to change course!”
“Hehehe, I knew you’d see it my way!” Valen had turned inconsolably and erratically excited, practically vibrating in her seat. “And we’ll see what the limits are. Who knows what you two will be up for after the mood is just right.”
“Now… while I wouldn’t mind seeing you two like that for the rest of the day, it wouldn’t quite fit the next scene.” The wall slid away in two places. “I’ve prepared changing rooms for both of you. Drim you’re on the left, and Xard you’re on the right. Don’t keep me waiting!” The monitor clicked off.
“Wait…” Xard was worried about one final thing. “If she’s the one that stripped us down to our underwear. Then do you think she…?”
“It’s probably best not to think about it,” Drim sighed one more time before heading into his changing room.