"Did you say sothing?"
Our driver asks as I take all the control of the body back. Vrika’s improving mood over being responsible for my sightlines quickly fades.
"Just thinking out loud. Nothing worth repeating."
Truth be told, in the corners of my soul that I don’t even let Vrika into? I’ve thought more than once that it would be simpler just to make... ’mistakes’. To crawl out of holes I dig myself rather than running around and hopping over them, like the fox in the phone ga.
I’ve enjoyed so freedom away from what was expected of as a Princess. I’m clearly going to do my best for the remnants of Helene, no matter what. So why shouldn’t I just get involved with soone I’m attracted to?
> Inequality. That’s really the only thing slipping up. Being in her debt when the only leverage I have over her is that she actually... seems to like for so inexplicable reason. <
This life of mine here does not have any hope of being more ’powerful’ than her. While I can still vainly promise to ’take her down with ’, it doesn’t have the sa weight to it. People here don’t care that won are sexually attracted to won in this world.
Not quite the sa way as my kingdom, anyway. She also doesn’t seem like the type to worry about it being known. In fact, she seems like the type that would have fought just as hard as I did, maybe even in the open instead of playing fun gas in the shadows only.
Struggling against the idea of being forced into a mating relationship with a male beast is sothing I feel she may have done . So I think I get it, so - why she is still drawn to , who must seem like her only option. But whether that is its own form of leverage or not-
> It’s not one I want to use. I’ve never used soone’s apparent love against them. It’s not stable enough of a threat, because they can fall out of love at any ti and I’d have nothing over them. Nothing. <
My wolf clearly couldn’t understand all the finer points of my psychology. All it could sense was that I was trying to jump like a ’show dog’... through hoops of my own making.
Brandi eventually slowed the car and peered uncertainly down a rutted dirt road. One that a wood sign hanging from a tree implied led to [One Howl Of A Cup]. In the mirror I could see her eyeing the muddy track with visible reluctance.
"So... this coffee place is down that way? The app didn’t ntion it was off-road. Dam- darnit."
"Is there a problem?"
The heavy overnight rain had transford what might have been a passable dirt path most days into a treacherous seeming obstacle course of puddles and mud. One that had the curly headed blonde shifting uncomfortably.
"It’s just... I just got this car detailed last week. And those puddles look deep."
I understood her concern imdiately, of course. Part of wanted to insist just to tease her, but I was also in a bit of a sullen mood because of my thoughts. So I simply began to reach for the door handle.
"I can walk from here. It’s not far."
"You wouldn’t mind? I’d really appreciate it. I still have all day to try and get other custors, and they might not rate well if I show up in a dirty car. I’ll end the ride here so you don’t get charged for the full distance."
With the door open and a single sneaker covered foot out, I pause as I rembered this detail from the tutorials.
"Right, I believe I’m supposed to rate you as a driver afterward?"
"Oh, yes. Five stars would be great if you don’t mind. The system really penalizes us for anything less. I’ll also leave a good custor review for you."
I wasn’t sure how valuable that would be for or how many tis I might ever use the app in the future. But the idea of a ’system’ penalizing soone was very uncomfortable. Plus it stands to reason that I should not destroy soone’s livelihood - unless they deserve it.
"Well, I did get close to where I needed to be and without any accident. You’ll have your stars."
"Thanks! Enjoy your hike. Be careful and watch out for wildlife."
After getting my backpack and moving off down the path, I waved at her watching in her mirror. The blue vehicle began to do a ’three point turn’ and sped off to probably go make more money.
"Watch out for wildlife? If only she knew. Most of them would run from ."
Halfway down the trail, I stop and do as promised. It didn’t take long to submit the review and gave ti to make a couple decisions. Notably, that I wouldn’t stop at the shop here.
> The sll of that old coffee the whole way here has turned off of it, today. And I don’t need more ti sitting in my head. I just need to get moving. <
The noises of the forest compared to the city washed over as I walked. Silence damaged only by distant birdsong and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. My steps take past the store, with what look to be a few ’mountain bikes’ chained to a concrete post.
And a few cars parked in... what I suppose you could generously call a parking lot. Really just a large muddy clearing. With a logo showing a wolf howling at the moon, on a steaming mug, painted like a mural on the front wall.
"Surprisingly, no scent of wolves. Except myself, I suppose."
I strode off the dirt road and into the canopy of the trees, putting another good half-mile between myself and any potential observers before pulling up the system map. Using the phone app, I’d already confird that I had run approximately twenty miles that night.
After I had buried the old man, I was tired... and the hours I traveled from his hideout to near that hill I slept at had been rough and in the dark. Now, all I had to run was about 15 miles - and I’m quite well rested.
"Thanks to sleeping on... Vrika, I swear if you send more thoughts of how I should return the favor and let her sleep on my chest next ti... you’re getting the scorpions again."
> But with snakes for tails!
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