They all sat down and ate, then the kids were sent to their rooms under the watchful eye of Aegis, whilst Carl, Kyubi and Klaire headed to the bedroom to relax.
As they laid there, Kyubi in between them as Klaire fed, Kyubi stroked their heads. "Can I tell you how happy I am to be here... Even a few months ago I never would have imagined being so happy again."
Klaire raised her head and kissed Kyubi, before returning to her al, unaware that she had left the taste of Carl’s divinity with her.
It was an intoxicating taste, like the purest water found in the middle of a hellish expedition across a perilous hellscape.
Kyubi pulled her back and kissed her again, whilst keeping Carl against her.
"Sorry, but I can see why Klaire said you tasted better. Your divinity is incredible Carl..." She cleared her throat then pulled Carl up to kiss him too.
"Kyubi..." Carl said weakly.
"Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, just a drop was like a barrel of wine."
"No... I’m not annoyed... Just... Weak."
They both said sorry, admitting they got carried away and forgot he was unwell.
"Carl, we’ll be good, get so rest." Klaire said, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead.
"Tails, or blankets?" Kyubi asked.
"Tails please, they are much nicer and not as heavy."
The next day, Carl woke up, spooning with Kyubi as Klaire and her slept face to face.
As Carl blinked himself awake, he sat up just as there was a knock at the door and after a quick situation check, he told whoever it was to co in.
"Master, Mistress’, Young-lady Kitsunoko and Young-master Tiamutael have brought you breakfast as a ans to apologise."
Carl woke you up the ladies and was confused when Kyubi looked round and sulked, until she realised they had company, making Klaire chuckle.
"Morning everybody. Thank you for keeping an eye on the trouble-makers Aegis. You two learn your lesson?" Aegis bowed and they all placed their trays on sobody’s lap.
"Yes Mum. We’re super sorry for playing a an trick on you Dad."
"Co on, they apologised yesterday. Why don’t you get started on your duties Aegis, we’ll be holding a eting at lunch ti instead today."
"Of course Master, do you have any particular duties, or procedure alterations to declare in light of yesterday?"
"No, I had to leave because that blow-hard’s monologue put Squidge, Levi and nearly to sleep." As Carl finished, Aegis turned to leave and Carl asked him to take the kids to Alisha and Leanna for schooling.
"What was his na, did you find out?" Klaire asked as she bit scooped so of the side served cream and fruits onto the pancake.
"Not sure. I learnt a na, whether or not it’s his real one is a different story..." Carl answered as he done the sa.
"Well, don’t leave us in suspense... Darling... Carl... Sorry, I got carried away." Kyubi answered as she mimicked them.
When Carl and Klaire finished chuckling, they all took their first bite before sighing with satisfaction.
"That little trickster of ours is gonna make us all fat."
"At the very least she’s going to make it look like we’re hoarding delicacies."
"We need to get her to teach the other kids before there’s a riot."
The three of them stopped talking as they gave into their sudden bout of gluttony and only when the plates, trays and cutlery had all been compiled did Carl continue.
"...Anyway, his na was Gilgash-"
As soon as Carl said the na, Kyubi began stripping him bare, "Klaire, get his socks and pull the trousers, we need to inspect every inch of him.
"Woah. Woah, Woah. Not what we discussed."
"Carl, shut up and help, we need to check you now and it’s either the two who love you, or Lydia and the others."
"What? Why?"
"Just shut up, I’ll explain when we know you’re clean."
Begrudgingly, Carl helped them strip him off, laying with his hands covering himself.
"Carl, I wasn’t exaggerating, every inch. Klaire can you pull his soul out and check that after as well? I’ll check his mind after."
"What are we looking for?"
"Any sign he was cursed, it will leave a mark sowhere."
After an hour of thorough examination, Kyubi and Klaire both agreed his body was clean, he was given permission to redress and then he was placed comfortably on Kyubi’s lap.
"Sorry Carl, this won’t be pleasant."
"No worries, I kind of figured I’d have my soul pulled out at so point when I married a banshee, I’m just glad it’s to help ."
Carl closed his eyes and steadied his breathing as Klaire instructed, then he felt a pull and then for an instant like he was ripped in half.
Klaire and Kyubi had to cover their eyes for a mont as a sudden burst of illumination filled the room.
"I’ve never seen a soul that bright before." Kyubi said, squinting against it,
" neither, not that I’ve seen that many. Anyway, I need to be quick, I don’t want to have to put it back and start again."
Kyubi remained silent, but the idea of such a bright and solid soul falling apart anyti soon was outlandish.
After another hour, Klaire pushed it back in, satisfied there was no mark or any sign of a curse to be found.
"I can’t believe it didn’t break apart at all..."
"I’d have been more surprised if it did. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful soul before."
They both took a turn kissing him, lost to the emotion of seeing the soul of their love and the purity of it.
"You guys didn’t do anything weird whilst I was out did you?"
"No... I would have tried to sneak another peak, but I could barely see."
"I was a bit too busy, but seriously what the hell? I want to have Faylorna and Nergal look at your soul if you don’t mind."
"Why, not conclusive?"
"Pretty sure it was, but your soul is sothing special and I’m not just being biased."
Klaire and Kyubi then switched positions.
"Now Carl, I won’t lie, this will be far worse. As soone with inversion, your mind will be duplicitous and likely at war with itself."
"You aren’t in danger are you?"
"No, you will still love Klaire, so they will likely fight over her and yet they’ll both listen if she tells them to stop."
Carl sighed and nodded, then repeated the sa steps as he had done before his soul examination.
"Klaire, you likely understood, but minds are far more animated than souls."
When Klaire nodded, Kyubi leant in and pressed her forehead to Carl’s, when she leant back an eye opened on Carl’s forehead.
The eye had two pupils, each the sa as his actual eyes, then it closed and two semi-corporeal beings pulled themselves out and then parted, one going to Klaire and the other going to Kyubi.
"I’m more flattered than you know, but we need to inspect you for signs of a curse can you two please behave?"
As they both turned toward her and did as asked, she squinted. "Our love’s mind is as special as his soul it seems. Both contradicting selves seem to be balanced; one chaotic-life and the other orderly-death, each is balance internally and then balancing the other."
"What about the inversion?"
Klaire’s question was the catalyst for the condition to show itself, the pair both beca desperate to help her figure it out.
"So that’s it..."
"What!? Is it , am I throwing him out of balance?"
"No, they both just want to help that when he has sothing that needs doing they jump on it. When he has many things to do, they likely trip over each other trying to do everything."
"Ugh, so basically he’s such a do-gooder he literally fries his brain trying to do everything so everyone else can do what they want."
"Yes."
"Well, as punishnt for being a dummy, I want you both to kiss anyone in this room you love..."
Kyubi was quietly annoyed at first, then taken by surprised as a pair of semi-corporeal lips pressed to hers.
"...I knew it, the idiot loves you in his head already, he just can’t figure out his heart. Welco to my world Kyubi."
"I’d rather he said it out loud, so we wouldn’t have had to be good last night." Kyubi said as she continued examining the one she had started with until Klaire distracted them.
"Kyubi, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, it took two years post admitting it for us to do more than kiss or cuddle. The first ti he saw naked he threw Squidge at and then ran off and wrote a letter apologising."
"So should I just initiate it..." The mind projections started shaking their heads.
"I think that’s a no, if you push him too quickly he might break. Now I know I’m not alone though, I’ll keep you company while Carl briefs the others. I love you Kyubi, the way you care so deeply about Carl and all of us."
"Klaire, co here, quickly... I need your opinion on this."
Klaire stood up and approached then Kyubi turned the projection’s head, thumbs either side of what could have passed as a slightly bigger than normal bug bite just where his jaw joined his neck.
"That small bump? I definitely don’t rember anything like that."
"Check the other and his body as well.
When their inspections of the others were negative, Kyubi kissed the ntal projection to distract him, then ignited a green fla at the tip of tail and jamd it into the lump, burning it away.
"I’m so sorry Carl, I had to do it for you." She held him tight, afraid he was going to push her away, but he just stroked her head to comfort her.
"Kyubi, if you do that, he’ll just bla himself for upsetting you. Any idea what the curse was?"
"It was a confusing curse, it makes it hard to think, luckily it’s completely useless against soone with inversion."
Kyubi finished her examination without finding another, then sent the projections back.
"I suppose you had to wait years..."
"Yeah and I don’t have soone to keep warm, so I hope I’m not too much of a consolation."
Carl sat up, rubbing his head. "That sucked, but glad you two are in good spirits."
Klaire looked towards him ready to retort, then cocked her head to one side and beca smug. "You seem to have liked the show."
Carl panicked and rolled over. "Yep, okay, if you’re done making sure I’m not cursed... I’m just gonna stay here and hope I die."
"Well while you do that, we’re gonna go get cozy. Last chance to say anything you have on your mind..." Klaire expected the offer to be declined, but he handed them a vial of his divinity infused blood.
"You two seed to enjoy it, have fun, I’ll get everyone briefed on everything..."
"Wait, don’t you need t-"
"Law of mind rember... I was pretty much conscious, but it’s not quite all clear, like a drunk flashback. I love you Klaire, Kyubi... Give so ti for anything more."
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