I wake up groggily, my consciousness slowly drip-feeding into
between slight pulses of pain from my temples and sore eyes. I groan out, now aware of how achingly dry and scratchy my throat is too as I raise my hands up to rub my throbbing head. As I lay there in a not insignificant amount of misery, my fuzzy mind starts recalling the steps that led
to such a ruined state, and my face reddens and burns as more and more mories play out for .
It starts on the last thing I solidly rember, the girls coming ho after Gerra and I had spent the afternoon making them dinner and having drinks and feeling so at peace, at ho. The cloud of interference fades as I recall running up to each of them, starting with Akiko of course, and giving them all a big hug, asking about their days. I even gave one to Samantha!! I can vaguely see the surprised yet teasingly smirking look on her face as I stepped back from her, oh God... Next thing that cos into focus is us all sitting down to enjoy the food, with Gerra distributing more of that sinfully delicious and obviously evil wine.
I finished the food, and a couple more small cups of the alcohol, with the rest of them as we talked about this and that, how so of the returning Shadow Branch mbers weren't too keen on the new changes and such. So, in typical Akiko fashion, she gave them a single choice: exile or death, and they chose... poorly. By that ti, I was sandwiched between Akiko and Jun Li, Akiko was still animatedly talking with her tails flailing around a bit as the wine continued to flow. I rember curling into Jun Li like a comfort seeking tick as we both laughed at Akiko being silly, my head resting against her ample bosom.
The last thing I can dazedly recall is that one more round was passed to all of us as I sipped my drink while leaning against the delightfully soft and warm body of Miss J. I hope to any deity or universal power that I rely passed out after that and was brought to bed, but I know I can get pretty... cuddly... when I drink. Especially if its around people I'm comfortable with or attracted to. I take stock and notice that I'm still dressed, so at least I didn't go streaking or sothing, before I turn over to try and see if more sleep will help my aching mind. As I roll to my side, my arm lands on a squishy yet firm, warm yet smooth sensation.
My eyes crack open wide in an instant to see the slightly smirking face of Jun Li laying down next to , her ears flitting to the side periodically as she seems to take great delight in observing . My mind starts to reel, trying my best to see if any other piece of evidence can clear my na from this obviously disastrous situation, but the panic begins to set in before any progress can be made. Literally:
Gained Active Effect [Panic (Low) (Growing)]. Use Resolute Mind to suppress effect?
I reply 'Yes' as fast as I ntally can, letting the feeling of chaos be chained down and restrained until I know just how bad of a ss I made. Sure, they are all pretty frisky and open to being intimate, but I don't want my first ti with any of them to be so drunken, never rembered event!! Besides, I still haven't really figured out if I'm ready to take that next step yet! What if the other two get jealous and then mad when I explain I may take longer with them?? What if-
[Panic (Low) (Growing)] has upgraded to [Panic (Mid) (Growing)]. Use more Stamina to counter effects with Resolute Mind?
Fuck! Looks like suppressing the effect isn't exactly helpful if I keep feeding it! I select 'Yes' again and close my eyes before taking a deep, long breath, the pain in my head returning to make itself known again with a vengeance. Apparently, the excitent and spiraling only saw fit to worsen the mariachi band taking up space in my skull, much to my dismay as I crinkle my nose in discomfort.
I feel a gentle pressure on the side of my head which makes
startle a bit, before it presses down once again. I peek an eye open to see Jun Li giving
a concerned look, her arm outstretched toward
as her fingers lace through my crimson waves of hair. Her voice, flowing and gentle like a river, speaks out to
softly, "Are you well, Miss Alia? I have sothing if you are experiencing pain after last night's events."
I groan out again at the choice of words, trying my best to not let any more rampant and unstable thoughts make the ntal situation any worse as I bury my face in my hands. Thankfully, I do give her a slight nod, the motion jostling my brain around to send sharp spikes of pain through
once more. With quick movents that I can feel as she shuffles around on the bed, she calls out to
quietly once more, "Here, dear. Swallow this pill and use your Qi to move it around your body, specifically your head. After that, have a drink of water from my canteen."
I open my eyes again, thankfully the dull light of the crystals not providing too much of a hindrance on my sensitive eyes, as I take the offered little candy ball pinched in her fingers and down it. I swallow, focusing on the energy being released by the pill and then use my control of Qi to do as she said, shifting the healing essence to the places I need it most, naly my brain. I do spare so for the general direction of my liver too, just in case. In no ti at all, the pills energy is gone, and I feel a world of difference, my eyes flaring open in clarity for the first ti this morning. I see Jun Li give a small smile and then hand
a waterskin looking container that I greedily push to my lips.
Several long gulps of precious, divine liquid later, I gasp out as I use the hem of my sleeves to dab up any errant drops that spilled out. "Oh my God, that's amazing~. Both the water and the dicine! I would be dead most of the day back on Earth with a hangover like that, even with regular painkillers. Thanks Jun Li~." I return to laying on my back after thanking her, a relived sigh escaping my lips as I try my best to ease the [Panic] back down.
She gives a small giggle, her bubbling laugh doing wonders to keep the demons at bay, as she says, "Nothing to it, Miss Alia. We all thought you may be a bit... indisposed when you awoke this morning. Seems that Gerra forgot to ntion that you two had already been drinking earlier in the day, your cups running away from you at the end."
I turn my head back over slowly, trying to keep the fear off my face as I take in her reactions. She is fully dressed too, thank God, and if anything, she seems to be in quite high spirits. Which could be both really good and really bad, given how things went last night. I chuckle nervously back to her, the blush of crimson dancing across my face from a little bit of sha and embarrassnt, "Y-Yeah, seems like it, haha! I haven't gotten drunk like that in a while so I may have gotten carried away. Well, this body hasn't ever drank like that before either, so I'm sure that didn't help any. Uhm... you made it sound like Gerra's in trouble for that?"
She smiles down to
once more, reaching out to continue her pampering of my recovering skull, "I believe she and the Madam shared so words, but nothing heated or serious. Mainly just to take more care of her actions around you, since you are so new and have yet to experience such things. Gerra herself took it all in stride, even feeling downright miserable about the affair if her drooping tail and ears were to be believed. She's spending the day in the kitchen to prepare a... well, I guess you would be keen to call it an apology feast, as a way of making ands to you."
Well, shit. I don't want her to be in trouble or feel obligated to apologize for my fuck up! "That's very sweet of her, but maybe we should go talk to her and tell her I'm okay? It was mostly my fault anyway; you had already told
the wine here would knock my socks off and I just kept drinking along with you guys. Seems unfair to have her feel obligated to take responsibility for my mistake, right?"
Jun Li simply shakes her head as she continues her ministrations through my hair, "While that is technically correct, that is not the entire truth of the matter, dear. Yes, you are your own person and are free to make your own choices, but Gerra was the... I don't want to sound condescending, Miss Alia, but she was the one responsible for ensuring your safety and comfort while the rest of us were away. If it had been
alone with you that led to this, I would have received the Madam's lecture instead, just as Samantha would have too."
I bristle slightly, the feeling of not being trusted to make my own decisions and live with the consequences prickling through
as I huff slightly. Jun Li easily notices my discomfort as she just opens her arms in an invitation to . I bite my lip, wanting desperately to go cuddle with her while we talk about our feelings, but I need to get an answer to a very important question first.
"Uhm... Jun Li.. did we, like.. do anything?" I ask hesitantly, my azure eyes peering up into her ruby red orbs.
She cocks her head to the side adorably before a lightbulb... er... light crystal? Whatever. A lightbulb appears to go off in her head as her curious deanor shifts to a slightly knowing smirk. "Would that be so bad if we did~? I recall you being quite interested in my body as you got deeper into your cups~. Hehe~!"
I'm about to turn my back to her as I groan out once again, but her strong tails wrap around
gently as I hear her giggling laugh coax
into stillness, "I am sorry, dear, but you were just being socute I couldn't help it~. No, Miss Alia, we did not 'do anything' as you put it. Toward the end of the night, you indeed decided to latch onto
more and more, much to the amusent and delight of everyone at the table. However, once you started getting a bit sleepier, it seed so hidden lancholy let loose from you."
I gulp down a pinch of fear, hoping that my earlier sore eyes weren't from
bawling my eyes out on my first dinner with the group. Sadly, Jun Li finishes her tale, and my fears co to fruition, "You began to shed so tears, not really responding to any of our questions of concern. The only thing you really did at that point was bury your face into my neck and continue crying. That was when it ca to light that you had perhaps partook of too much in combination with your earlier drinks, and the Madam asked
to take you to bed.
I gently picked you up with my arms and tails and brought you back here, your spirit Ios confirming you were just likely letting go of so stress after imbibing the drink. I tucked you in and was about ready to leave you with the dicine and water nearby when you grasped out for my hand and asked
to stay with you for the night. In a non-sexual way, we both knew. So, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to cuddle more with such an adorable and strong creature like yourself, I hopped in beside you and watched over you as you rested."
She opens her arms once more, and I take her up on the offer this ti as I nestle in against her pleasantly warm, earthy slling body. I guess it could be worse, I could have been a horny ss instead of a sad girl ss. At least
not rembering the night ans I get to skip out on that particular breakdown, Heaven knows I got enough of them cataloged as it stands anyway.
I press further into her, my arms wrapping around her as our chests et and squish in a charming sensation as I say, "Sorry you had to see that, Jun Li. Even if I can't really agree with
being strong right now, I really do think I'm okay, holding together and all that, but it would be far from the first ti I've gotten emotional when drunk. And... Thank you, for staying with ." I give her a good squeeze which pops out a few more of her signature chuckles as she begins to run her hands kindly down my back.
"Indeed, Miss Alia, you would hardly be the first person to have that experience~. I'm sure the Madam will want to hear it from you directly, as will Samantha and especially Gerra, but I had assud that to be the case as well. You are a very strong person to my mind, dear. But being strong does not an never showing weakness or having doubts. It ans facing them and learning from them, which you do constantly. Be proud of that."
I feel a dainty finger curl under my chin, lifting it up as she plants a soft kiss on my forehead, her eyes showing a tiny bit of playfulness but mostly just care and compassion which nearly makes
lt. I nod into her hand, tucking my head further into the crook of her neck as I listen to the sounds of her breathing, her tails rustling against the bedding, or our heartbeats being synched ever few beats. We stay in bed for another hour or so, if the clock is any indication, before I feel ready to get up and face the music.
I lean back from the stunning fox woman after giving her another firm hug as I say, "Thanks again, It ans a lot to
that you stayed here. I'll get up and get presentable, maybe you can go tell the others I'm fine?"
She nods with a smile, even though I can tell she'd love nothing more than to keep cuddling all day. Which, honestly sa. But seeing the logic in it all, we decide to be mature and start the day. She lifts
off the bed with a couple tails, making
squeal for a second and then giggle as her other one cos up to tickle my face. She laughs her own cute laugh and then plops
down next to her, both of us now standing in the room as she looks to
and speaks up, "Very well dear. I will let the Madam know first, then the others if they are here. Take all the ti you need."
I give her a grin and a nod, watching her hourglass figure saunter out of the room, closing the door behind her purposefully as she goes. I sigh and rub my eyes, moving over to the privacy enchantnt and turning it on. As I walk back toward the table and sit down, I turn toward the box where I decide Ios lives. Er... Well, physically lives, for now. "Alright, Ios. Tell
how bad it actually was because I think Miss J is too much of a cinnamon roll to lay it all on ." ?????? ?????????? ??????????????s ?????? ??????????s?????? ???? novel??fire
Ios pops into existence in a familiar therapist getup, although it is a bit more toned down and professional from the last ti she wore it, "Eh, honestly I'd rate it a 6/10 breakdown. You were mostly just venting so emotions; I don't think you actually spoke any words to them until you asked Jun Li to stay. Speaking of, do you want to talk about anything? I agree with what you said earlier, about you adjusting pretty well for the most part, but you know I'm always here for you if sothing is on your mind."
I give her a thankful smile as I consider if anything is really burning in , wanting to be let out and discussed. Or if I'm actively trying to repress anything... "Honestly, I really do feel like I'm mostly okay. I an, shit is still crazy and there's a lot of learning and processing I'm still having to do, but I don't feel overwheld by anything. Probably just
getting in a spiral when my mind was all foggy from the wine, couldn't pull out of it in ti." I shrug at the last bit, noticing how Ios nods with .
"Maybe, but if that changes let
know. We can setup an actual therapy schedule if you start letting the cheese slide off the cracker." Her form stands up and shifts into a drill instructors' outfit as she barks out, "Well! I declare you safe and ntally fit soldier! Go hop in the shower, sad girl, and let's get back to the training~!" The sudden tonal shift makes
erupt in laughter, proving to be exactly what I needed to get back to more even footing.
I dry a tear as I stand up and give her a fake salute and a crisp, "Yes Ma'am!" before darting into the bathroom in a fit of chuckles. Before the next chi of the clock, I'm back at the table, nice and clean and freshened up which is perfect because I hear a knock on the door as soon as I sit down. With a mild ntal sigh, I go to stand to answer it when it opens on its own, the snow-white haired form of Akiko sliding past its threshold and turning to look at
with soft eyes.
"Good morning, my dear Alia! How are you feeling?" She says as she walks calmly over to . I gesture to the seat next to
with an upward turn of my lips as she takes the invitation and plops down.
"Good morning, Aki~!" I say as I lean over to peck her cheek, "I'm fine, honestly. Ios and I already went over that whole song and dance. I think I just got too deep into the wine and it showed. I know Gerra feels bad about that, but I learned my lesson on it. No more excessive drinking until I'm a higher ranked cultivator!" I finish confidently.
Ios pops in view to both of us with a deadpan expression as she monotones out, "I don't think that was the lesson you were ant to glean from this, Aims."
Akiko simply hides a laugh as I stick my tounge out playfully to Ios, even adding on a loud "Bleeehh!" to really seal the deal. We all laugh for a short bit before I reach out and take Akiko's hand in mine as I look into her eyes. "Really, I'm okay. I promise to speak up if anything is bothering , to either you or Ios. Hell, probably both! I'm just ready to move past it for now."
Akiko seems to study
for a second, her intense gaze drawing a bead of sweat to my brow before she eventually nods back, a tail coming to pat my head as she says, "Very well, make sure that you do! I would be quite cross with you if you kept sothing from us that you were struggling with." She gives
a direct look as she finishes that statent, making
shrink down a bit from the seriousness in her eyes. Damn, I really do have to go apologize to Gerra if this is Akiko barely being strict with !
I nod rapidly a few tis before she reels it back in and then continues on in a much more lighthearted tone, "Good~! Now then, what did you wish to train today? I would be delighted to continue your inscriptions training, maybe even branching out into the other paths so, but if you are feeling in need of more emotional release, we can always begin weapons training. Nothing is quite as cathartic as perfecting your martial art and skills, after all~."
My eyes sparkle at the thought, a large part of their dazzlent due to knowing that if I can burn through those beginner quests for weapons, I'll get a shit load of points! But I also really enjoy learning about inscriptions too... Ugh! Why can't I do both at the sa ti?! I ruffle my own hair a bit to the amusent of both ladies before I turn to ask Akiko a question.
"Do you want
to be studying inscription stuff if you're not here? I an, I'll always have Ios, but we specifically didn't work on anything profession related just in case that's a faux pas or sothing." I say with genuine curiosity.
She turns her head up to the side for a mont, her classical thinking pose showing up once more as she debates before replying back, "I don't see why that would be an issue, at least for base inscriptions. I would like to be present when you are learning the other paths, formations, talismans, and arrays, but if it is just furthering inscriptions as a whole then so long as spirit Ios deems it safe I would be fine with it. Although I do rather enjoy teaching you~."
Perfect~! "Aweso!! I promise not to get too far along without you, because I enjoy learning from you too~. Alright then, in that case let's go do weapon stuff, I think it'll be good to get out of the room for a while. And get a shit load of points~! Hehe~..."
Ios and Akiko laugh once more as I rub my hands mischievously together like so kind of Bond villain, eventually stopping to stand up and head toward the door. With a little wave to Ios' form from Akiko and I, we both turn the corner leading past my room, the white haired fox woman bringing
further and further into the estate.
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