“Eh?” Joram asked, dumbfounded.
He wasn’t sure if he’d heard that right, so he stuck his pinky into his ear and wiggled it around for a bit.
Jezira actually blushed before she spoke again.
“I’m serious,” she said, keeping eye contact with him. “If you’re the kind of person you claim to be, then you’re a person worth knowing. A person worth being friends with.”
That made him pause and examine her thoughts more, once again having Kinkade relay to him what [Read Mind] revealed. Shockingly, she was being completely serious.
It seemed as though the thought of having a Tier 7 Mentalist running rampant through her home empire had sobered her somewhat. Well, that was an understatement. She’d been scared straight, as it were.
“How can I trust you, though? You spent a good deal of yesterday trying to sabotage my relationship with the study group,” he asked, wanting to get more information from her.
Especially after what she’d done. He wasn’t a Buddha that would forgive at the drop of a hat, but he wasn’t one to hold grudges either. Especially if no lasting harm had come from what she’d done.
“I’ll just have to prove myself from here on out,” she said, sitting up straight as her wings flexed slightly behind her. “Words are cheap, so I’ll convince you through my actions.”
“All right,” he said, still a bit taken aback by her sudden one-eighty.
“I’ll even fully devote my self to you,” she said, then got up, stepped around the table, then slid into his lap faster than he could process her intentions.
She twisted in his lap so that she could drape her arms over his shoulders, her face mere inches from his. He could feel her breasts pressed up against his chest as her tail played up and down his lats.
“Um. What are you doing?” He asked, temporarily re-tasking M5 to keeping his body’s reaction under control.
“I’m showing you how sincere I am about wanting to be your friend,” she said, Kinkade confirming her words.
“As flattered as I am, I’m sure that you also know how many young women I turned away when interviewing for the study group,” he said as seriously as he could with a literal succubus in his lap who was pressed up against him.
“Then,” she said, thankfully drawing back until her hands were on his shoulders. “How should I show my sincerity?” She asked, genuinely at a loss for what to do.
Holy shit, this woman is dangerous!!
Kinkade & M3-M11: No shit!
“How about clearing up your mess from yesterday, for a start?” He asked as he placed his hands on her narrow waist and lifted her off his lap. “Part of showing me your sincerity is trying to right any wrongs you’ve done me,” he said as she extended her legs so that she could stand beside him, her wings flapping slightly to help her balance.
“I will certainly do that,” she said, nodding. “I’ll also strive to help the young master to the best of my abilities when I’m not caring for the Princess,” she said, a gleam sparking in her eyes.
“Ah, I’m good,” he said, once again terrified at the thought of yet another person wanting to share his bed.
As much as his body wanted to respond to her, he very much didn’t want to ruin any of his relationships because he couldn’t keep his hormones in check.
“I’m good whenever,” she said with a smile that could have been entered into an encyclopedia’s entry for a succubus.
“Well, good talk,” he said as he stood up and extended a hand for her to shake.
He noticed again that she was also quite tall for a woman, just a tad shorter than Kassandra and with a body that made her succubus heritage proud. Jezira took his hand in her much smaller, more delicate, and soft hand and gently shook it.
“I look forward to getting to know you better,” she said with another smile as her tail gently swayed behind her.
“Until later, then,” he said, letting go of her hand.
He sat back down on his chair as she walked back to the house and took a sip of cool tea. He didn’t quite manage to not pay attention to his sphere of perception as Jezira walked away. Her languid movements and swaying assets reminding him of how she’d felt sitting in his lap, pressed up against him.
‘Avi?’
‘Yes, Joram?’
‘I think I need your help in the Realm for a bit,’ he sent along with the image of his bed.
‘I’ll excuse myself and meet you there,’ she sent back happily.
*Two hours later*
“OK, ready to continue speaking with everyone again!” He announced happily once he was finished dressing.
“I take it that the talk with Jezira wasn’t easy?” Avi asked, slipping into her combat suit in a way that tempted him to take another two-hour break.
“Succubae are dangerous,” he said, shaking his head as he briefly recounted his talk with Jezira.
“Well, just let me know when you need to relieve your stress again,” she said, leaning in close to kiss him. “No need to stress you out, after all.”
“I’m glad I have you,” he said, pulling her into a firm hug.
“If it weren’t for your bloodlines, I’d have gotten mad at you though,” she said, looking up at him. “As is, you still need to work on your impulses more.”
“I know,” he said with a deep sigh. “And yet you’re encouraging me to take in those beautiful women,” he said, fixing her with a stare.
“They’re different,” she said with a sniff. “Remember, only the ones I approve of,” she said returning his stare.
“And what if Jezira proves to be as sincere as the rest of them? She’s quite loyal, you know,” he asked, making Avi shift a bit in his arms.
“Then she’ll still need my approval. Especially after what she tried yesterday.”
“That’s why I set her to righting her wrongs,” he said, then blanched. “No, I mean, I didn’t get her to do that so that you’d approve of her! I did that to see if she could be someone trustworthy!”
Avi stared back at him blankly for a minute before bursting out laughing.
“I know what you meant,” she said, then tried to pinch his sides, but failed due to his body cultivation. “Hmm, maybe I’ll also need to start on the Adamantium Body Technique,” she mused with a frown.
“Since you’ve yet to step into the 2nd Tier, you should be good to start now,” he said, growing serious again.
“True, but it’s just so expensive.”
“I’d rather you be happy than worry about money,” he replied, giving her a light squeeze as he continued to hug her.
“Hmm, then maybe,” she said, giving it more thought. “I’ll still need your help when I try to condense my Cores.”
“Any time,” he said, then gave her a quick kiss. “But right now, I need to make sure that everyone’s OK.”
“Yeah, take off,” she said, slipping out of his arms. “I’ll continue speaking with everyone. But, Joram? You’ll still need to speak with Bai Lian and Mo Yu about things. They’re still waiting.”
His heart sank again. He was still unsure of how he should respond to their feelings given how they’d initially formed. Was it really the Reverse Nightingale Effect? Or was it more than that?
“Yeah, I’ll speak with them,” he said, then clarified when Avi gave him a look. “One at a time. I don’t want things to get even more awkward with us,” he finished.
“Good,” she said, nodding. “I’ve found that I rather like them, regardless of the circumstances of how we all met.”
“I’ll see you later,” he said, then shifted back to the gazebo and sat down.
Thinking about who he still needed to meet, he was glad that the hard conversations had already been taken care of.
For as much as he avoided confrontation, his meeting with Jezira had gone remarkably well. Sure, he’d needed to leave a few things unsaid, like how he’d never make her a slave just to get what he wanted from her. Or the fact that he wasn’t very likely to go on a bloody rampage, wiping out the Starfire Empire in his wrath because Kassandra’s dad pissed him off.
He just hoped that when Jezira got to know him well enough to know that he wasn’t that kind of person, that she wouldn’t be too angry with him for letting her think those things.
The next few hours proved to be much less emotionally draining for him. That said, it was still a lot.
Gabrielle proved to indeed be quite taken with him. It had taken a lot more conversation to determine that her quiet crush on him was a bit more serious than he’d thought. Gabrielle was unsure is she was OK with a polygamous relationship, and that was why she’d been so quiet for so long.
But she was very much confirmed that no matter what, she always wanted to be friends with him. The well-toned, auburn haired young woman’s dark brown eyes were so full of sincerity when she told him that, that he’d gone in for a hug. Not one of those super close, bodies pressed up against each other hugs, but one of quiet joy and gladness.
It had gone well.
The conversation with Alyraele had been a bit formal at first, the sea-green haired young woman still seeming in the process of sorting out her thoughts after what had been said the night before. After a bit of small talk, she opened-up to him a bit more.
“Coming from a minor house, I was prepared to be politically married off to another house to improve relations with them. Given our relatively low status, I was also resigned to the fact that I’d likely be a second or third wife. Depending on the house, maybe even a concubine,” she said, shaking her head at that.
“I didn’t think that I’d be the one to consider such a relationship,” she said, then looked him in the eye as she continued to speak. “I don’t know if what I’m feeling is genuine love, or something else. But I do know that I want to be close to you. I know that I don’t want to get married off for political reasons. I know that I want to choose my own fate.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“But can being with you help my family? Would they approve of me staying with you? Would they try to take me away to marry me off to someone they think will get them ahead?”
He watched as the normally collected lady grew agitated and frustrated as she spoke. He could tell just how much those question weighed on her as she spoke, opening her heart to him.
“At the very least,” he said, reaching out to take her hand that was clenched tightly on her lap. “I can say that if you want to stay with me, I’ll not let them bother you.”
“How?” She asked as her golden eyes searched his, looking for the answers that she needed.
“I’m strong,” he said with a shrug that got him a glare for his efforts. “If they want to treat you like a trade commodity, then I’ll make it worth their while to let you decide your own fate,” he explained.
“Again, how?” She asked, leaning forward, her golden eyes sparkling intensely.
“That would depend on what they try,” he said with another shrug. “I’ll not let my friends be bullied by anyone, even their families.”
“But what power do you have to do that?” She asked, again wanting- demanding, to know more.
Joram placed his other hand on top of her hand, cupping it between his hands.
“You’re saying that you’re my friend?”
“Always,” she replied, blushing, then murmured. “And maybe more, in time.”
As much as that last statement got his heart beating, he was happier to hear her first word.
“I’m at the Peak of Tier 6 as a Mentalist,” he said, making her eyes nearly pop out of her face. “Not just that, but due to an accident in my cultivation early on…. Let’s just say that I’m still a cultivator, and I’m already in the 5th Tier.”
He waited for her mind to restart after that revelation. The procession of emotions that rode across her face told him almost as much as he would have gotten from [Read Mind] if it were still active. As it was, he enjoyed the adorable show until she regained her composure.
After a few more questions, and a demonstration, Alyraele was much relieved and considerably more comfortable around him. She’d always been serious and proper around him, but never quite relaxed. The change in her demeanor also gladdened his heart.
Then came his talk with Daleira, which went considerably faster than any before it. She was very upfront in telling him how she felt about him, and that she hoped that they could indeed be fast friends like how he’d described until after she graduated. Where, after that, she wanted to take the time to explore her feelings for him, with him.
That she wanted to help her home village, and repay the debt to them for sending her to the Academy, was something that he could understand. After suggesting that she also help with the department store to make some money to help repay her village, she gave him a very “happy” hug in thanks.
She’d been hesitant to get a job at the Academy, worrying that her studies might fall behind. But with how well the study group was helping her to understand the course materials, she was now confident that working wouldn’t interfere with her grades.
It had taken him a few minutes after she’d left to settle down again. Having Daleira suddenly hug him like that had been on par with what Jezira had done. After calming himself, he used [Cleanse] to make sure that no lingering scents remained, then [Cleanse]d again for good measure.
Faenwyn had come a few minutes later at his telepathic invitation. The Silver Wolf beastkin woman strode right up to the gazebo before bowing, then taking a seat.
Amongst them all, Faenwyn was the most straight-laced. She was always proper, always courteous and thoughtful. He would have described her as tsundere, but wasn’t quite sure due to lack of data.
“I will be your friend,” she said with no preamble, her face stiff.
He saw her tail twitching behind her as her ears vibrated slightly.
OK, now there’s the proof, he thought, trying hard to keep the smile off his face.
“I’m happy to hear that, my friend,” he said with his second-best smile, making her ears and tail vibrate faster even as a slight blush started to stain her stiff cheeks.
“Then, let’s get along,” she said, stood up, and presented her hand for him to shake.
“I would like that,” he said, taking her strong, but slender hand in his.
Faenwyn nodded, then drew a dagger and quickly ran it cross the back of their hands, drawing blood.
He blinked at that, staring at the white line on her hand that began to overflow with blood a moment later.
She, too, stared at their hands, specifically his. Her mouth dropped open when she realized that her dagger hadn’t even left a scratch on his skin.
“Um… what was that?” He asked, a bit worried about her.
“In my tribe, sworn friends exchange blood like this,” she said after a moment more of staring at his hand. “We let the blood mingle, then each licks the other’s wound, signifying that they’ll be there for one another through thick and thin,” she said, then got a worried look on her face.
Before she could begin panicking, he retrieved an enchanted dagger from his storage and cut the back of his hand, following the same line that her own dagger had. He quickly stored the dagger away again as she once again gaped at his hand.
“Friends,” he said, then leaned over and quickly licked the back of her hand, shocking her nearly senseless in the process.
It took another minute for her to start functioning again, but she slowly leaned down and licked the back of his hand before her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and passing out.
He quickly caught her as he pulsed healing through his connection to her. He then forcibly added her to the Network, and checked her health. Her heart was racing as her temperature began to rise.
M3 [Delve]d her as he tried to figure out what had happened, then a realization hit him.
It was his blood.
Using what he found with [Delve], he [Extract]ed the blood she’d liked up. He then used [Bend Reality] to try to remove any of his lingering energy in her system.
After doing so, her heart rate and temperature began to decrease. Soon enough, her vitals were back to normal, allowing him to heave a sigh of relief as he dropped her from the Network again.
It only took her a few moments more to regain consciousness, and her cheeks to flood with colour as she slowly began stiffening up. He had sat down on the gazebo floor when he started to work, cradling her in his arms, hence her need to look up at him.
“Glad you’re up now,” he said with a gentle smile. “It didn’t occur to me that my bloodline might affect you like that,” he said, not hiding it from her.
“I’m OK now,” she said very quietly, her ears almost laying flat as her pupils dilated.
“That’s good,” he said as he effortlessly stood up with her in his arms. “Maybe you should still go and rest for a bit,” he suggested as he used another [Cleanse] to get rid of their blood.
“Mmnmm,” she nodded, then hurried away, her tail clutched in her hands as she went.
He sat back down at the table and sighed. He really hoped that Faenwyn wouldn’t turn out to be one of those tsundere who turned violently reactive after realizing how much they liked their crush.
‘Umm, Joram?’
‘Yes, Avi?’
‘What happened with Faenwyn?’ She asked, her tone curiously neutral.
He explained their remarkably short conversation, then the “sworn friend” ritual as Faenwyn had explained it to him. Once he was done, Avi was quite for a bit before she eventually spoke, a mixture of exasperation and amusement heavily lacing her tone.
‘Joram?’
‘Yes, Avi?’
‘That was basically a marriage ceremony. She pulled a fast one on ‘ya.”
He took a few minutes to process that before snapping out of it.
‘You really have to watch out for the quiet ones, huh?’
‘Yup.’
After that, he’d needed to take a few more minutes to process everything, then compose himself.
When Renna came out, he could see just how nervous she was. With how she’d blurted out that she liked him last night, he supposed that her nervousness was well founded. Especially after he’d run away like that.
“Good to see you, Renna,” he said with a soft smile. “I’m also sorry for running away last night.”
“N-nothing to apologize for,” she said, trying to look stoic. “I hope that we can be g-g-good f-f-f-friends!” She finally managed to blurt out as she ducked her head low, sticking out a tiny hand for him to shake.
He took the High Elf’s hand in his and gave it a gentle pump up and down.
“I am truly happy to have you as a friend,” he said.
Renna quickly pulled her hand back with a quiet squeak before nodding, her head still down.
He wondered where the cool-headed girl had gone. Had that all just been an act? The stereotypical elven aloofness presented to the world? Or was it that she wasn’t very good when it came to speaking about emotions and such?
“M-m-m-me too!” She finally said, her face going very red.
So, he got up, stepped over to her, then gently helped her to stand. He marvelled at her slight frame, not even half his width, probably closer to a third.
He leaned down and gave her a quick hug, careful not to accidentally injure her. She stiffened again, but soon relaxed enough to give him a couple pats on the shoulder before he stood up straight again.
“I’ll be in your care, my senior,” he said jokingly.
To his surprise, she seemed to take courage from his words. She puffed out her chest, making him quickly look away as she planted her hands on her hips.
“That’s right! I’ll be sure to take good care of my junior!” She said, then laughed out loud theatrically.
He nodded happily, then exchanged a few words before Renna quickly hurried off again. He stood there for a minute after she’d gone inside, then shook his head. Was she just shy, or another tsundere? Either way, he was glad that he’d managed to lighten the mood for her and relieve some of her stress.
Of those that remained to speak with, Sophia was the one he was most nervous about. Given her reservations with becoming a fast friend, he wasn’t sure how their conversation would go. So, instead he contacted Kassandra and asked her to come speak with him.
As he watched her through his sphere of perception, he began regretting not sending for her last. She practically glided out of the back door, all grace, and sensual fluidity. Now that he knew for a fact that most of the study group were interested in him that way, it was very hard not to watch her more closely.
When she finally sat across from him, he heaved a mental sigh of relief.
“I don’t know what you said to Jezira, but thank you,” she opened. “Not only did she apologise to me for her conduct, but she also apologised to the others for sowing doubt.”
“Ah, yeah, no worries,” he said, very much paying attention to her amethyst eyes.
Kassandra had dressed in her body suit today, though wore a sarong to keep… modest? He didn’t know, but the sarong was worn low enough on her hips to allow for her tail, making the normally attractive garment almost criminally sexy.
Kassandra watched him a moment before speaking again.
“She has also, quite vocally, declared her intention to support me should I decide to pursue you,” she said, dropping quite the bomb on him.
“Ah, really?” He asked, swallowing hard. “That’s much farther than I thought she’d go.”
“What, exactly, did you expect?” She asked, leaning forward, straining his willpower further.
“I just asked her to apologize to everyone for what she’d done yesterday,” he said, leaning back to stare up at the ceiling. “I also may have asked her to let you make your own choices without trying to meddle in them.”
He saw her study him again, this time much more shrewdly than before. As a small smile curved her lips, revealing her sexy incisors, he had to concentrate very hard on the ceiling.
“Oh? I didn’t realize that you cared so much about my life,” she said, her voice suddenly turning silky-smooth.
Many, many, things flew through his mind after that statement, most of which weren’t appropriate. So many attacks against his willpower, even unintentional ones, where stressing him too much.
M3: [Barred Mind, Personal A]
Joram: Thank you!!
M3: I’ve got your back.
With the added boost of [Barred Mind, Personal A], he was once again able to focus properly on the conversation at hand, the buff to his Will Save saving the day.
“Like I said, I go a long way for my friends,” he replied as his chin dropped down again so that he could look her in the eyes.
“Ah, I see,” she said, her small smile remaining. “I, too, wish to be your friend,” she said, leaning forward a bit more. “Someone who can set Jezira straight, while also looking out for my best interests, is someone worth getting to know… much better.”
He smiled at her flagrant flirting, but also saw that it wasn’t just her usual act.
“Then let us continue to get to know one another better,” he said, reaching out a hand for her to take.
“I would like that very much,” she replied with a genuinely happy smile on her face as she took his hand.
After a few more minutes of her flirting with him as they spoke of his plans for their quests, she headed back inside. This time, it wasn’t as hard to not pay attention to her walking. With that in mind, he made sure to add [Barred Mind, Personal] to the daily powers he needed to upkeep.
Jae-Eun was next. He was surprised to see that she came out alone, though. But just like Kassandra, she was wearing her body suit. He wasn’t sure if she’d been wearing it all along in preparation for questing, or if she’d changed into it after having seen Kassandra’s attire for their meeting.
The difference was that Jae-Eun hadn’t bothered to cover herself further like Kassandra had with her sarong.
Either way, the princess with long, tied back, black/violet hair and deep blue eyes was a sight to behold. She was the shortest of the study group, standing at probably 162cm or so. Like Renna, she was slender, but managed to be curvier than the already shapely elf.
The look of fierce determination in her eyes as she approached the gazebo had him worried that Aya might wind up coming out, katana in hand.
“Good to see you, Jae-Eun,” he said before she could speak, causing her to mentally stumble a bit.
“Yes, good to see you too,” she said automatically, then sat in the same way before a look of frustration briefly flashed across her face. “We need to talk,” she said, once again serious.
“Please,” he said, indicating for her to start as he poured fresh cups of tea for them from the enchanted teapot.
“I can’t marry you,” she said bluntly through a fierce blush, then continued when he nodded. “Because I’m the third princess of the Maehwa Empire, I cannot marry into a position that might put me at a higher standing than my elder siblings,” she said, staring him intently in the eyes.
“OK?” He said, not quite getting where she was going with that, but still got a tingle on the back of his neck that made him double-check his surroundings in his FoP- field of perception.
“So, when I am eventually paired with someone, I must become their concubine,” she said, her face going even redder.
“I see,” he said, now panicking quite fiercely on the inside, but still managing a calm nod.
“Given the requirements by the Emperor, anyone who can be an asset to the Empire, is strong enough to be a general of the Empire, and *cough*cantreatmewell*cough* is qualified to… have me,” she said, suddenly losing her courage at the end, turning quickly to face away from him.
He took a moment to confer with the Minds, then to get Avi’s opinion on what she’d said. After all that, Jae-Eun had indeed said what she’d said, and everyone agreed with his initial understanding of her words.
“Are you saying that you want to be my concubine?” He asked slowly, paying very close attention to not only Jae-Eun’s reaction, but also to his FoP.
“I accept!!” she yelled out, then got up and ran away so fast that he was sure she’d kill someone if they collided.
“What, was that?” He asked, then looked around to see if someone had put the poor girl up to that.
No one answered.