Sitting in a waiting room with Sky and an awkward looking Nathaniel, we wait for my newly born people to wake up while the doctors do their own work.

Most of our time is spent with Sky and I just cuddled up on a bench, with Sky petting my head while I use her lap as a pillow. Her fingers helping to work my frustration and pent-up emotions out of my head, slowly reducing me into a purring cat on her lap. It's hard to suffer and hate yourself when you are being pampered and loved on. And Sky is very good at doing both of those things.

Nathaniel just sits in his chair, looking a bit out of place as the third wheel in the room. Trying to ignore the obvious PDA going on right in front of him on the other side of the room.

Normally, I would take more care to not openly flaunt my relationship in front of others, but right now I am in rather big need of some TLC from Sky. Plus, I’m still feeling a little protective from when he was ogling her, so I’m being a little petty and showing off a bit…

“So… You really just made a bunch of people out of rats…” He eventually says.

I just nuzzle into Sky’s wonderfully soft thighs and say, “Yup… Mmmmnmnmnnn~” Letting out a bit of a purr as Sky uses her little claws to scratch at my scalp just behind my horns.

Ah, she is so good with her fingers… I’ll have to return the favor later. Maybe give her a full body massage and turn her into a happy little puddle~

He keeps talking even though I am trying to lose myself to Sky’s tender touch. “So, this is just something that you can do? Turn animals into people?”

I just flip myself over, so I am laying on my front. Sky happily switches to using one hand to scratch my scalp while her other hand goes inside and down the back of my hoodie, running her claws and fingers over my back. I rub my face against her thighs to let her know that I love it before turning to look at Nathaniel.

“Yup, apparently. And I can turn humans into Demons. Sky just a little to the left, just under my left should- Oh, that is so good, mmmmmmnnnn~” Sky just gives me a giggle and continues to love on me.

“Well, uhm. Can you make any animal into a person?”

“Don’t know, don’t wanna find out. Because if I do, I am going to have to make a bunch of them. I just made a whole race of people this week. I would like to avoid doing that again for a while. Keep it to just one a decade or something… Hopefully I can keep the urge down long enough…”

“Oh, well, I was just wondering if- “

I interrupt, “Nathaniel, could we please talk about something else? I imagine that this gave you a lot to think about. You might even find it cool or something, I don’t know… But I would really like to take my mind off this for now. Despite how it may look, I have a lot going on right now…”

He just remains quiet for a long while as I lay on Skys lap. She has switched to massaging my shoulders now and my toes are curling in pleasure.

Mmmmmmm….. That settles it. When we get home I am going to make her feel soooo good. Going to break out the lotions and oils that I looted a while back. Give her the best massage of her life.

Nathaniel is still being awkward and quiet, so I just let out a breath. “Haaa… Fine. What was your question? But only the one, then we are changing subjects.”

He just scratches a bit at his horn before asking. “Well, uhm. I was just wondering if you could make Centaurs…”

“Why? And maybe?” I ask in return, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“Uhm, I just always liked Centaurs. Thought they looked cool… Especially as knights in armor.”

“Hmm... Well, again, I have no idea. Would have to catch a horse and try first to find out. And I am not in any rush to go making more people… Also, I like Harpies. Makes me sad that so many stories have them as monsters. I much prefer the ones where they are people.”

Maybe if I catch a hawk or some other big bird? Owls could probably work too… Ah! No thinking about that! I already got enough on my plate as is. I’m not going to start making bird people now. Maybe in a decade or two…

Sky gives me a poke on the head and asks, “What are those? More fantasy races made up for human stories?”

I just nod my head, “Yup. Centaurs are half human and horse, while Harpies are humans with legs like birds and wings instead of arms; typically an all-female race.” I lazily raise a hand and use my shadows to make little models for the two races for Sky to look at. I’m getting better at making things, so it only takes a few seconds to make them. They come out looking pretty good, though being entirely shadows, fine details end up being a bit harder to define. She picks them up and looks them over before returning them to me. Petting my head, she says, “Humans come up with such interesting ideas. Are there any movies that have these in them?”

“Oh, plenty. I’ll have to find some to show you next time.”

“Yes, that sounds like fun.” She says, her tail wagging happy next to her. I grab it and pull it into a hug. Which leaves her blushing and giggling.

With a freshly caught fluffy tail for cuddling, I turn back to Nathaniel and pick up where we left off. “Ok, I answered your one question. Now seriously. Please change the subject. Can be literally anything.”

“Hmm… Magic?”

“No, I don’t play Magic the Gathering. Too expensive to get into. Much prefer Pokémon cards as my gambling addiction of choice…”

“No, not cards… I mean magic. Like actual magic. Whatever it is your doing with your shadows.” He clarifies, sounding a bit exacerbated.

“I know, I’m just fucking with you. What do you want to know?”

“Well, how do you do it? Can I do it?”

“No idea, and maybe?”

“How do you have no idea? You should know how you do it, right?”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“How do you move your arms? Try to explain that to me…”

He stops and thinks for a bit. “I… I just do it? I guess, I sort of tell my body what I want to do, and then it does it?”

I point finger guns at him, “Bingo. Only it's less of a subconscious motion and needs a bit more focus. But it’s about the same. Feels like I am commanding my limbs to do what I want… Have people been telling you that you get covered in shadows in the dark?”

“No, that was one of the first thing that the doctors checked for.”

“Hmm… Then you're not like me. Would have made it easier… Anyways! If you’d like to, I am currently trying to help Sky learn to use magic. If you want, we can set up a little meet-up or something. Have magic lessons where I try to get you guys to unlock your hidden potentials!” I say pumping a fist with a serious face. Although the look is probably ruined by the fact that I am currently cuddled up around a giant fluffy tail, half of my face happily buried into its fluff.

“Uhh… I would like that. Would be awesome if I could use magic. Throw fireballs around or something.

Sky nods her head. “That sounds like fun. Maybe we can get some others to join us?”

“Probably will be after I make more Demons…” I say to myself, hugging Sky’s tail like it’s a big teddy bear. I quickly call out, “Subject change! Nathaniel!” Pointing at him.

“Yes!?”

“Tell me my dear boy! That cute nurse. You got the hots for her, don’t you!?”

He looks like I just punched him in the gut, “Ah! I, I uhhh…”

I just smile, “No need to act shy. I saw you two throwing glances at each other!”

“Wait, she was looking at me?” He asks, looking a little hopeful.

My smile just widens, “Ha, knew it. You're into her! And yes, she was. She seemed excited when I told her that you were single.”

His blush just grows bigger. Embarrassment ripping through him like a hot knife. “Do you… Do you think I should…? I’ve never…”

“Definitely, girl got the hots for ya. I think she might have a thing for big demon boys. Or just tall muscular men in general… Point is, you should definitely give it a shot.”

He just blushes, eventually working up the courage to ask, “How do I…? How do I ask her out? I’ve never done anything like this…”

“Hmm. Honestly? I don’t know… I don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to asking girls out myself… Sky obviously being the exception. Hmmm… Do you know her name?”

“Ah….!” He looks embrace now. “I know that her last name is Hope…” He tries.

I just point at him. “Then that’s where you start. Walk up to her, introduce yourself, and ask for her name. Go from there…”

“Go from there?”

I’m blushing a bit now to, hiding behind Sky’s tail as she plays with my hair. “I don’t know! My first time ended with me basically asking for a one-night stand and then getting friend zoned! Just ask her out and don’t be a jerk. If that doesn’t work, try taking your shirt off and flexing or something… I don’t know…”

He just gives me a deadpan look, like he is judging me. “Great advice from someone that already has a girlfriend…”

Sky cuts in with some advice of her own, a big smile on her face. “You could always try with how Lain got me. Just get her alone in the dark and push her down. Then you – “

I quickly cover her mouth and stop her. “Don’t do that! Definitely don’t do that!”

Sky is just laughing from behind my hands, fully aware of and having already learned by now, that the way we met is most certainly not normal for humans or considered acceptable. She just doesn’t care and is having some fun.

Nathaniel just looks at me and continues to judge. “So, walk up and ask her name. Got it…”

Sky starts to give my hands love bites, so I pull them away before she starts to get too frisky in front of Nathaniel. She just happily gets back to playing with my hair, braiding little sections of it for fun, after giving the point of my ear a playful little flick.

I’m definitely going all in on the massage later. Going to leave her as a mess on the bed. She not going to be able to walk for hours after I’m done with her…

Nathaniel clears his throat, drawing me out of my dirty thoughts, and asks me a serious question. “Are you telling me that I should try asking the nurse out because you want me to have kids? To make more demons for you…?”

I drop everything going through my head and look at him. Sky even stops playing with my hair as she can sense how serious I immediately become. Sitting up, Sky’s tail still laying on my lap, I look him the eyes and tell him, “Nathaniel. I want you to be happy. I don’t care what purpose my weird instincts gave you. I want you to be yourself, to live your life the way you want. If you want to have one kid or raise a hundred, that’s up to you. Hells, you could even decide that you’re gay now and only want man butt. I will not judge you. I will not order you against your will on this. I will not tell you how to live your life. If you want to, you are free to date anyone you want. Go for one-night stands. Build a harem. Dedicate yourself to one person for the rest of their life. It is up to you. Not me. I want you to understand this, Nathaniel. My chains may bind you, but so long as I remain sane, your life is yours to live as you please.”

He just watches me for a long while, eventually lowering his head. He nods, shaking a little bit. “Thank you… Thank you for giving me my free will back…”

“Don’t thank me for giving back something that I should have never stolen. Never thank me for that. You can thank me for saving your life, for giving you power, and even for making you so gods damned beautiful. But never thank me for that.”

He slowly nods his head and then the three of us sit in silence for a long while. No one really knowing how to pick the conversation back up from there. Sky, bless her heart, pets my back in silence. Silently reassuring me that she is here for me.

After a while, and as my nerves start to calm again, I feel a little pull from one of my connections. It doesn’t take long for the cute nurse from earlier to show up, pushing Adam along in a wheelchair. He immediately lights up with a smile when he sees me, and I happily return it.

“Queen! Queen!” He calls happily.

I quickly school my discomfort at being called that and keep the smile on my face. Getting up from my chair, I walk over to him and kneel before his wheelchair, taking one of his hands. His smile somehow seems to grow even brighter at this. I’m only able to keep smiling because I know that his happiness isn’t the result of brainwashing. He is pure and fresh. His happiness is his own. I’ve already made sure that his instincts aren’t what is pushing him to love me. He’s just a happy little man.

“Adam, I asked you to call me Lain. L, A, I, N. Lain. Please?” I ask hopefully.

He just thinks for a moment, letting the freshly developed metaphorical gears in his head turn for bit. Eventually, he comes up with an answer that seems to work perfectly for him. “Queen!” He says with a big smile.

“Haa…” I just drop my head and give him a hug. “Good enough for now. Thank you, Adam.

He just happily and awkwardly returns the hug. Still learning how to use his new limbs properly. Adam really likes hugs.

The nurse, who I catch throwing a look at Nathaniel again, smiles when she sees me look up at her. I ask her the obvious question with a look.

“Ah! Yes. The others should be waking soon. We thought it would do some good to have Adam be there when they wake. Let him know that he isn’t alone.”

I focus on the connection I share with the others, but it is weak compared to Nathaniel’s. I get back a fuzzy feeling that tells me that they are indeed waking up. I just nod my head.

Standing up, I wave for Sky to come over and move to take the wheelchair from Nurse Hope.

“If its alright, we’ll go ahead and head on over that way. I’ll bring Adam with us.”

“Miss Lain?” She asks, looking confused as she watches Sky and I walk away with Adam.

“Nathaniel had some questions about the medical field. My mom is a nurse, but I could only answer so much. I was hoping that you could answer some of his questions.”

Before I pass her, I lean in and whisper, “He likes you. Good luck.”

She just stands there blushing as Sky and I walk away. I give Nathaniel a wave and call out to them both. “Have fun! Nathaniel, lets meet up again. We can see about having a group session for learning magic. Should be fun!”

We leave, the both of them left rooted in their spots and blushing as we walk out of the room. Sky gives them a happy little wave and then shuts the door, effectively sealing off their ability to easily run away, at least not without introducing themselves to each other first.

Giggling, I look down to Adam as I push his chair down the hall. “Now then, how about we go meet your new friends?”

He looks up to me, a big smile on his face. “Friend!”

I return his smile.

Mhm, I think I will spend my first decade focusing on caring for my Gremlins and Demons. At least until they can care for themselves. I will give them my love and I will not let myself forget my three rules. Even if I end up making more races in the future. Even if I change again. I will never let myself forget my three rules.