Overall, I just felt surreal now, laying on the couch in the lounge of one of the barracks cars. Remi sat next to me with my head in her lap, gently stroking, while Exa's projection sat on the back of the couch above me, dangling her paws down over my chest. As usual, whenever things happened really quickly, it took me a while to catch up and come to terms with everything. Still... I honestly never thought I'd be here.
All of us were on the Bastion Guard Train now, heading rapidly north back to Kaldar. I'd passed out for most of the hover wagon trip and didn't remember much about that. Vox and Mirya were in a different car, but Remi was in here with me. Thankfully the cars were engineered for Vulkus with Alpha potential, and the air filtration systems were running already. That was... I was an Alpha Inaga. That hadn't set in yet at all, really, other than trying to get used to my taller, slightly larger body. Well, relatively. Kormir was sitting on the other couch from me and he dwarfed everyone in the room, ear tips practically touching the ceiling when he stood upright. I mean, fuck. No, I was more... normal Vulkus-sized, which was apparently the norm for an Inaga with the Alpha Essence Mutation.
Annah nodded, sitting next to her father while looking her comm over. ``Reports are still coming in. The rockslide wasn't in any populated area, so that was fine, but the collapse of the upper portions of the Demon Spire has caused a huge amount of collateral damage.'' She sighed and shook her head to that.
Despite knowing that possibly not everyone who got killed by the collapsing tower was a complete monster, I also... couldn't really bring myself to care all that much. As I'd realized before, I wasn't going to go out of my way to kill anyone in Nulidia, but I wouldn't save them either. Kormir gave a sigh and nod to that, leaning back on the couch. ``There was no helping it. A Gar moved in and attacked an Alpha and his mate. An Alpha with access to True Alchemy. Honestly, we're lucky it wasn't a whole lot worse...'' It was weird how a Rage incident was almost treated like a natural disaster.
Lilita gave a sigh after, expression softening as she watched me carefully from where she leaned against the wall at the front of the car. ``It's still a concern, though. Exes is a new Alpha now, and almost identically potent as Exir is. We don't want to risk any other incidents happening...'' Right. Guess I wasn't going to be able to wait on that sex thing after all. But... did I even have anyone other than Remi now?
I gave a little sigh, looking over at Lilita and Annah at that. ``Where... is everyone now?''
``Kaldar.'' I glanced to the side at Kyry, who was leaning against the back wall with her arms crossed. ``They continued the journey to Kaldar as the search dragged on. That's where we'd intended to bring you upon getting you back, after all, and they mostly wouldn't have helped much in the search...'' Ah.
Annah shook her head, however. ``Not much has honestly changed, though, Exes. Exia is mastering the Flickerpaw and finishing out basic schooling. Yimir's started training as a mage and also finishing schooling. Kada's dual-enrolled in basic and academy classes. They're still together as a group and... they're just waiting for you to get back.'' Oh... They hadn't...
Lilita nodded. ``The issues with Exir are long over now. That they put an end to within two weeks of arriving in Kaldar, then they both detoxed. Exir has three mates now. You'll undoubtedly meet them soon enough.'' Oh! That was... Huh. That... hadn't been the answer I was fearing. I found myself... well, obviously happy for him... and tentatively... just slightly letting myself hope a little again.
Kyry smirked, however, and I lifted an eyebrow to her. Uh oh. ``His Second is Mari...'' Remi squeaked, then made a choking wheeze, coughing before staring towards her in shock a split second later.
``As in, mah sister?!'' She nodded, and the Illan groaned, sinking down against me softly. Wow... Aion was smaller than I thought, it would seem.
Giving a giggle, Lilita nodded. ``She's a skilled priestess of the Earth Mother, but she's also a relationship councilor. She was helping Exia and Yimir with their concerns, then got... overly attached to Exir in the process.'' Hmm?
``Concerns...?'' I frowned to her at that, and she gave a softer nod.
``Yes. About what was going on before you were kidnapped. It took a toll on them too, feeling like they were hurting you so much.'' Oh, that...
Kormir waved his paw at that. ``That will be talked about more once we get to Kaldar. Don't worry, Exes. The utmost attention will be given to sorting out your concerns, but I'd rather it handled by a professional.'' Ah, right. They didn't want to risk me `raging' again. Heh.
Lilita gave a shrug. ``Regardless, they all know you were found finally and are on your way to Kaldar. I imagine you'll have quite the welcome.'' That was...
Shaking her head to that, Kyry made a click with her tongue. ``A very high security welcome in the castle. I've already sent plenty of instructions ahead at this point. Nulidia's news has already beat us to the capital, and I've put restrictions in place as to who can even lay sight on Exes...'' Yikes!
Kormir gave a nod. ``Agreed fully, of course. I'll be escorting you into the castle myself, on top of a full contingent of guards. We have your friends and family and pack already there.'' It was starting to sound like they were all taking what happened last time a little personally. But I wasn't about to complain. But... I wasn't entirely looking forward to a reunion either.
After having been through all that, I'd... given up to some degree. I'd accepted that I was never getting rescued and I'd never see any of them again. They'd broken me down and tore me apart, only to put me together again as something wholly unrecognizable. But now suddenly... I was going to go back to... whatever was left of my old life, but as this... new me. A me that was alien compared to who I was before. It felt... They'd only be disappointed.
I closed my eyes again and rested on Remi's lap, just enjoying the sensation of her paws playing with my ears, and Exa's lower ones rubbing my stomach. I didn't want to push Remi sexually, though. If I needed a sexual vent, I knew Kaldar had... facilities for that. Specifically for dealing with Alphas. I wouldn't... force my presence on any of them. Especially not if they weren't comfortable with me any longer.
``Exes...'' My ears flicked, and my eyes opened again as I glanced to Annah curiously. She gave a smile and nod, then gestured to her comm. ``If I got Morrigan on comms, do you think you could... share things with us on everything that's happened? Only in as much detail as you're comfortable with, of course. There's... a lot of blanks and questions on our end as to exactly what happened, however.'' Ah. I was waiting for the debriefing request. Though I could probably share more details than they were comfortable with.
But I nodded, regardless, and she smiled and returned it before tapping her comm and letting it dial through. Well, might as well get this over with. If everyone was here to listen to it at once, it meant I wouldn't have to repeat it a dozen or more times, admittedly. The comm connected through, and I closed my eyes again, preparing the full story in my mind.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It wasn't a short telling, given all the details they wanted. No matter how much appetites dwindled by supper, and how ill Annah had started to look through Atir's part. Kyry had sent message back to the forces still at Nulidia at several points, and now I knew that all of the Agency was going to be thoroughly raided. I already knew that the Garkin and the Demon artifacts were on the train already, but I suppose there were a plethora of personnel and equipment still waiting to be `acquired'.
Interestingly enough, the council of Nulidia sent a message ahead to us instead before we'd even reached Kaldar. Despite me incidentally killing two of them in the tower explosion, those remaining sent intense apologies for everything I'd gone through. On top of that, they sent an envoy out that personally delivered Atir and Callia to the Koramir encampment outside the city. They weren't quite gift wrapped, but close enough really. If I hadn't killed him myself, I wonder if Ignaus would have survived their wrath?
I finally finished the tale well into the evening, culminating in the fight with Ignaus and significant damage I'd caused to Nulidia. And that one random mountain in the distance. I actually sort of felt bad about that one. There were probably a lot of innocent wild animals on that mountain! Morrigan listened rather calmly through the whole thing, only interrupting to ask for specific details. Kyry had also grown concerned around the mention of the other Bloodstalker.
``That sounds exactly like Cirinth, you're right. But she wasn't assigned to Nulidia or the Exes case. She couldn't have been...'' Kyry frowned at that, and Remi tilted her head.
``Yer sure? Exes showed tha memory ta me. Definitely looked an' acted like `er.''
Still, Kyry shook her head. ``No way. She's in retraining at the moment, attempting to rehabilitate her body. She just had her first pup this spring.'' Oh... Well, yeah, that pretty much ruled that out.
Remi frowned at that, then looked to me, but I slowly shook my head, then shrugged. I didn't... know how that was possible. Kyry sighed again, then nodded. ``I'll talk to her when we get back and look into it. Something's definitely off.''
Lilita sighed, watching for a moment before glancing back to me, still looking noticeably uncomfortable from earlier. ``Exes... what you've gone through was terrible. Anyone would need therapy at this point. I know you said you were planning on pursuing it, but... if there's anything else we can do to help in any way...''
Morrigan nodded slowly to that, too. ``Indeed. It's vital that we not only help you through this, but give everyone some faith in their security again. After today, there are going to be... concerns...'' She looked back to the image on the comm from Annah, of the beam blowing through the side of the tower and into the mountain. ``People need to feel safe. You know this most of all. And helping you helps them be assured that you're well taken care of and stable.''
My eyes lowered at that, and I lifted my paws up, looking at how huge they were now. Stable? I tried not to laugh. I just blew up the Demon Spire and sent it crashing down on a bunch of civilians, and I didn't really care. I wouldn't exactly call myself stable by a long shot. Although... I frowned. I'd... teleported everyone around me out of the first blast. At the time, I'd already been aiming to teleport my group away but... Why had I extended it for so much more energy and grabbed everyone? That was... Maybe a part of me wasn't as far away from old Exes as I thought. My first instinct had been to get everyone around me to safety.
``I don't... know what that means. I'm not even sure who I am anymore. And now I guess I'm an Alpha mutation...? My mind isn't really keeping up well with all the changes going on.'' I kind of just wanted to sleep and not face any of this.
Kormir smiled though. ``Heh, every new Alpha thinks that to some degree, Exes. I know you can remember what Exir went through, upset at his own body's changes, and how his thoughts were being altered by the hormones.'' I frowned to that. But Exir wasn't... well... no, actually, that was accurate to everything I went through. Being disgusted at my own changed body and sick over how my mind was altering. That was before I lost myself the first time.
``I... yeah, I remember. I guess I just don't... feel like an Alpha. I'm... dreading having to vent. I don't... Usually, it's hard for me to even see myself as a male.'' I'd... disassociated from my sexual self; didn't even like thinking about it.
Annah's muzzle twitched lightly, with the right side of her lip curling enough to show teeth. ``After what they put you through, it's no wonder. It's disgusting what they did to you. Even if Atir and Callia's punishments were remarkably like what they would have gotten anyway, they still deserved every bit of it and more!'' Yeah, I... suspected Atir wasn't going to be one of those `redemption' cases if he'd gone through the normal legal system.
Lilita put her paw on Annah's knee for a moment, then gave a smaller nod, before looking back to me. ``It'll take time, Exes. Slowly building up your confidence and ego as a male again.'' I frowned at that, but she held a paw up and shook her head. ``No, it's... The ego is your psyche. Your... identity as a person. It's influenced by your memories and your environment, and changes slowly over time. They forced yours to warp and twist against your will, using Demonic artifacts to accelerate the process. That can be... undone, however, by slowly bending it back into shape. Like a metal bar needing to be reheated and reforged. Even if it's not the same shape as it was before what they did, it becoming something you're comfortable living as is the important part.'' Even if it... wasn't the same as I was before?
Giving a chuckle, Kyry nodded to that. ``Yeah, right now, you're a mess. It's sad and infuriating to even look at.'' I winced at that, then raised an eyebrow to her as Annah shot her a scowl. But she shook her head. ``That said, everyone who sees that... They're really looking at you. There's no need to hide yourself. They see you for who you are, and want you to get to who you want to be. You don't have to be ashamed of the process either...'' Ashamed? I... No, that was why I didn't want to meet everyone again. I was afraid of them being disgusted when they saw me.
Morrigan turned one of the papers in front of her, reading it for a second before slowly nodding. ``It's a slow process though, Exes. Even if you trust in what we tell you, it'll take a while to have that sink in. In the meantime, just try to stay as relaxed as you can. You've been under an immense amount of stress as well, all things considered. Apart from the Garkin, I think you should take a break for a while. Let yourself adjust to your new body and locale.'' Heh, a vacation then? I... suppose I probably needed one at this point. Stress? Well, no, she was probably onto something there.
I sighed and nodded, sinking back on the couch. ``I... right. Sorry. I still haven't caught up with everything that's happened.''
She nodded again, smiling softly now. ``Take your time, Exes. But it's late now, and you should get some more rest. You'll be in Kaldar tomorrow, so just try to relax a little. You'll probably need your energy for meeting everyone again.'' Right. Well, at least she didn't pull any punches.
I nodded to that again, then stood, with Remi hopping up next to me after. ``Yeah... I'll try, anyway. No promises, heh.''
She said goodnight after, and we split off again to different cars. Apart from six rotating guard positions, I was sharing a car with Kormir himself, it would seem. The security was tighter than the last train I'd been on by far, too, with always present guards in the main area and at each entrance. But...
I still put up wards in our private cabin. Anyone wrinkling or projecting into here would be in for a fun time. Remi watched with a smile as I did, then gave an approving nod. ``Ya can never be too careful. Personally, Ah feel far safer with ya guardin' me than Ah do with ah dozen guards.'' She gave me a wink as I settled into the bed next to her, and I chuckled, giving her forehead a nuzzle. This was all...
It was slowly setting in. I'd used Reset on myself and... it had unblocked whatever was blocked before. My body had turned full Alpha mutation almost instantly. As a bonus, it burned off any remains of the Moondust in my system, healing all damage to me and even turning my fur tan tones again. But at the same time, it also filled me up entirely on Alpha hormones. The fact that I instantly fell into a Rage really didn't surprise me anymore. I... just hadn't been expecting the clarity I had during it. Even frothing at the muzzle with anger, everything had been absolutely clear, and True Alchemy had come so readily. And with complete abandon. Now I... understood intimately why Rage was so dangerous.
But being an Alpha Mutation came with other concerns too, which came to mind as I looked into her eyes. She smiled to me, clearly waiting for me to finish processing what I was thinking about. ``Listen... Remi... We should... talk about this Alpha thing...''
A light smirk at that. ``Yer adorable, Exes. Ya have mah soul, an' ere ya are worried `bout me gettin' addicted ta ya.'' My muzzle scrunched. Well, when she said it like that. Ugh. She leaned forward though and gently nuzzled her nose to mine, before opening her eyes again and locking them to me. ``Ah'm not afraid, Exes. Well, not o' that.'' Hmm?
Her left paw slid down my chest, and she exhaled softly. ``When Ah said Ah knew ya'd be ah big boy, Ah didn't fully expect... this. But that don't mean Ah'm shyin' away or nothin'! Ah know this... accelerates things ah bit.''
I frowned, then slowly shook my head. ``They have facilities in Kaldar for this. We don't have to be in a rush or anything still.''
She relaxed for a moment before smiling again, then giving me a soft peck on the lips. ``Relax, Exes. We'll see. Ah mean, takin' it slow is good, but... Ah think we got an advantage now, no? Our link... helps ah lot. Though... ya should expect yer other mates ta proposition too... Fer both tha Alpha an' Nexus bits...'' Tch.
Right. No, she was... warning me ahead of time. Exia at least I suspected would jump at both, face first, assuming nothing had majorly changed. There was... What would I even say? Marking Remi with the Nexus had been a spontaneous, compulsive, partly accidental decision. But at the same time, was it really right of me to turn the others down now just because I had control over it?
Remi dimmed the lights down, and I relaxed against her, sliding my arm around her side. For now, the suppressant dosage was holding. I had time and a clear mind to think. As... disgusting as I thought the concept was now, soon my body would be fully waking up and thinking quite differently. But this gave me a bit of time to adjust. I'd... be doing a lot of adjusting in the next few weeks, I suspected.
Another nuzzle along my cheek, and Remi pulled me down into a snuggle. Mmm, but some things were more pleasant to adjust to than others. She tucked up close to me, and I relaxed, letting Exa swap out for the sleep part, before pulling both of them down with me. We snuggled up on the new, larger bed I'd put into the room, and sandwiched Remi on both sides as all three of us rested at the same time. Maybe... this would be things looking up? I wasn't holding my breath, but at least sleep had its own way of healing and calming the mind...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Breakfast was more relaxed, at least. It was just Kormir, Remi, Exa, and I, with Exa not eating of course. Obviously, nobody liked the part where she came into existence, but at the same time, everyone had approved of my choice to give her complete autonomy and help her develop her soul. Now I was spending more and more time `awake', without needing to rest anymore, and she was exclusively using the avatar system. I think she was more comfortable with it than in my body, though. Now if only I could get comfortable in my new body.
She'd been shy last night with all the new people, but she was relaxing now, on her back with her legs flopped in my lap, and Remi snuggled on top of her after we'd gorged ourselves on pancakes and syrup. Kormir watched curiously, reclining in the oversized armchair. ``So, you're with both of them, then, Remi?''
The Illan perked, then nodded to him. ``Yeah. Ah enjoy bein' with both.'' Exa smiled and nodded twice to that.
``Yeah! Exes and I share a lot. Though um, I don't know what's gonna change now that he's an Alpha.'' She looked over to me curiously at that, and I shrugged. That was... a good point.
Kormir nodded slowly. ``That's what I was questioning. Normally Alphas are quite possessive of their mates. I figured it might be different with you and Exes, thanks to sharing a soul and all. But if it's not, I wanted to prepare ahead of time...''
I gave a chuckle at that. ``So a repeat of Nulidia doesn't happen?''
Kormir closed his eyes, throwing me off a bit with the more muted response. Slowly, he shook his head. ``The worst-case scenario always gets the most attention, and yeah, Nulidia is going to be at the forefront of everyone's minds and tongues for a while, I suspect. Aion's eyes have been opened to exactly how powerful True Alchemy is, and what it looks like during a Rage. But Alphas have never been blamed for Rage events. Personally, that's not what I was talking about.'' Oh. I was taken off guard by how direct he was, and he gave me a warmer smile after.
``Honestly, being an Alpha kind of sucks sometimes. I think you've seen how it can screw you over and make things difficult, though. That's partly why Koramir in particular celebrates them so much. We give honor to them because we know it's difficult and that sacrifices have to be made. I'm intimately familiar with those...'' I nodded, understanding that part. It was just... It made sense. Nobody asked to be an Alpha mutation, after all. Treating them with respect not only helped avoid Rage incidents, but made up for how much it sucked from time to time.
Remi nodded to that, looking between Exa and I. ``What do we do if... uh... there's issues?'' I glanced to Exa, and she locked eyes with me readily enough, not losing her smile.
``What I was planning from the start and going to do anyway?'' Huh? She grinned to me, though, tail swishing under her, before winking. ``We're not really the same person, Exes. I don't care what others think anyway. There's no jealousy issues at all if you just claim me too, right?'' Eh?!
My eyes widened at that, ears flicking to the sides in confusion. Wait, what?! Kormir blinked once, then gave a low, rumbling chuckle. ``Well then! Admittedly I have a soft spot for females who know exactly what they want. Gonna guess that wasn't the first time you'd thought about that?''
Exa giggled, then shook her head. ``I mean, it started off as just sexual curiosity. But the more we... diverged, and I got to know Exes himself, the more I decided that I... Not only did I want something more serious than just sex, I wanted him. A deeper connection is an important concept but... who you share it with is the real question.'' Diverge, huh?
She stayed locked to my own gaze, and I flushed a little. I'd not actually... I never had considered her romantically before, admittedly. She gave me a softer smile, and I relaxed a little. Maybe a part of me had been... disinterested thanks to her being with the twins all the time. I mean, I knew they weren't interested in anything other than just feeling good and sex. Honestly, I think they more saw her as a mother than lover. While disturbing to some degree, it was... blunted by the knowledge that Atir had them mating with their actual mother too. Honestly, growing up with him raising them, they never stood a chance to begin with. Fucker... I wished I could still hear him screaming.
I exhaled softly, pushing the thoughts and stress out again. No, Exa was developing into her own person and I needed to treat her that way. Sadly, she was probably the most mentally stable out of the three of us. That really said something. Slowly, I nodded. ``I... hadn't considered it before, but I suppose if Remi-``
``All fer this! Sounds hot!'' The Illan grinned up at me with that, and I huffed before rolling my eyes. Well, okay then!
Kormir chuckled again and gave a shrug. ``Eh, I tend to take things as they come, so this sounds like a perfect solution to me. Not to say a relationship therapist isn't going to do wonders for you. But, no need to worry about things with you and Remi from now on. Have you considered what the others are going to decide too? Being an Alpha mutation is a more polarizing experience in most cases. Potential mates are either a hard yes or no, thanks to the addiction.'' Right.
I sighed and nodded to that. ``Yeah. Same with the Nexus power. I don't... I really don't think I'm going to be able to undo the Nexus. The more I examine those affected by it, the more I realize how thoroughly it resides in the soul. Removing it... might be possible, but I don't think someone who was still alive would survive the shock of the experience...'' I was pretty sure it would do excessive damage to their soul as a whole. Not enough to destroy them by any means, but...
He nodded. ``But you can choose now, when to use it.'' I returned the nod.
``Yeah. But I suspect at least Exia's going to ask about it too... I mean, there's normally a `wait' time for Alphas as well, isn't there?'' I looked fully to him after, and he gave a relaxed nod, managing to immediately pick up on what I was talking about.
``Yes. If the situation isn't rushed for some reason. Most of the time, anyone who wants to be the mate of an Alpha is required to think about it for at least a week. If they're sexually active, or want to be, with said Alpha, three days between any matings, to make sure the addiction doesn't influence anyone's decisions.''
Wow. Admittedly, they had this thing seriously figured out. I hadn't been expecting such a structured management of things. But I suppose they'd been dealing with it for thousands of years. It was just a normal occurrence to Vulkus. ``That's probably what I'll use for the Nexus too then. I don't have anything against them wanting to be a part of it. It wouldn't be fair after Remi joined anyway.''
Remi grinned and nodded to that, clearly not having a problem with sharing either. Though Illan, if I recalled right, were one of the species that were more okay with that than others. I'd heard Gar, Garkin, and Akeerta sometimes had hangups there. ``Yeah! Ah mean, Ah don't mind tha extra company. Though obviously it'll take ah warmup period...''
I chuckled and nodded. ``No, I was going to ask you to make out with them after introductions were over...'' She snorted, then winked at that, and Kormir laughed.
``I'm glad you're rolling with this so well. Really, if there's any questions you have, just ask. I've been dealing with being an Alpha for a long time now so I can probably help...'' He gave me a grin, and I relaxed at that. He was really, really chill for such a... large individual. Although part of me realized an Alpha had to be. I should really start trying to focus on that, too. Especially if I don't lose my capability to use True Alchemy during a Rage, clearly.
I relaxed and gave a softer smile at that, nodding to him. ``It... might take me a bit. I have... trust issues, I openly admit. It feels like... I'm used to dealing with people in Nulidia. If that makes sense...''
His expression softened a little there, and he gave a nod. ``Yes, it does. Nulidia hardens people. Encourages self-service and deadening of empathy to others. It's... I've never liked its existence. If I had the support and supply to do so, I'd take a major campaign to the place and clean it all up. I don't think such a place should exist at all in modern Aion.'' That...
I stared at him for a long moment before slowly nodding. A part of my bitterness stemmed from the fact that people let Nulidia exist at all. But it... More realistically, it was a huge problem that would require a massive amount of resources and personnel to deal with, and probably cost a lot of lives in doing so, in the end. With all the other problems I knew Aion had, devoting to something big like that was... No, being a leader sucked. I didn't envy Kormir's position at all.
``It does. I guess a part of me is... bitter. Both that Nulidia exists, and that it took everyone so long to find me.'' There, I'd said it. Remi's expression softened at that, but Kormir closed his eyes and nodded again.
``You're absolutely right. We failed to protect you. Then it took entirely too long to lock down where you'd gone in Nulidia. It's a painful concept to swallow for a lot of us.'' His eyes slowly opened again, and he gestured to me with his paw. ``You honestly have my most sincere apologies. It's disgraceful to think that it took so long to track you down, even with the Bloodstalkers on the case. Nulidia defies attempts to trace people, but we also pride ourselves in being the best trackers in Aion. Most of the hangups were in all the false positives we kept running into, and the sheer amount of slave intake the place has.'' Yeah, Remi had warned about that.
I exhaled, then nodded. ``I'm surprised Kyry visited me personally at all in that case.''
Remi looked a bit sad at that, to my surprise. ``Ah'm pretty sure she took it harder than most. She... Normally she's ah lot more lighthearted than this. But she's downright disturbed...'' Oh.
Kormir sighed as well. ``She has been for a bit, yeah. Especially the longer things dragged on without finding you. Annah's been bothered too, and still is. She really does... like you, Exes.''
What happened of course affected more than just me. I guess it was sometimes hard for me to see through... how personal it all was to me of course. But they understood that at least and were still insisting on putting me first. I made a mental note to try to pay attention to how it was affecting everyone else, too, though. I... wasn't in Nulidia anymore. It felt... like I needed to remind myself to start caring about others again.
I relaxed, then nodded. ``Yeah. I... think I'll talk to them both when I get a chance. I don't blame Kyry for what happened... but it might help if she hears that directly.'' Kormir gave me a smile and nod at that, and relaxed on the couch again.
``Indeed. Blaming herself a little less is always a good thing. Though also don't be afraid to let people dote on you a bit. Such acts of aid and generosity makes both sides feel better, don't forget.'' Tch. Right. I was terrible at accepting gifts and favors. It was easy to overlook how much I enjoyed helping others and giving them, myself.
I huffed at that, then chuckled. ``That one might be a bit harder, but I'll try...'' I blinked slowly after that, and lifted an eyebrow over to Exa, who was slowly turning pink. I didn't even have to be linked to her to pick out the distinctly naughty thoughts there. ``I don't... I don't think he was talking about those kinds of favors, Exa!''
Sorry for the delay on this chapter, everyone. Ended up having to have a major surgery, and the recovery period has been a lot rougher than I thought it would be.
Feel like giving me a little financial assistance? I’ve set up a SubscribeStar account! I'm extremely thankful for everyone who donates anything they can, be it a subscription or one-off donation. https://subscribestar.adult/kiroberos-entertainment
