Walking Disasters and Me-Squabbles – Ch 16

Walking Disasters and Me-Squabbles – Ch 16

I gain a small bit of awareness in the midst of what feels like an endless ocean of inky blackness. I try as hard as I can, but I can't move any part of my body or even open my eyes to try and see where I am due to the overwhelming amount of
weakness
I feel. It isn't like a physical weakness, but a deep down past the skin and bones feeling, like its cutting into my very
being
. The only comfort is that this space feels like... home isn't the right word, but its close. Maybe... I feel like I am... safe here? Comforted and loved, without a doubt at least.
My attention focuses around me until I feel some kind of... tether connecting me to the place where I
know
I belong, where the
love
is so strong it almost hurts. But before I can do much about this knowledge, the sensations pull back from my mind and I start to fade. Adrift into the void again.
I start to feel myself fully wake up from... whatever that was. The fleeting nature of dreams seems to be in full effect as I groggily open my eyes and am only left with the vague sensations of weakness, peace, and... belonging? That must have been some kind of trippy stress dream, my brain trying to comfort me after dealing with being reincarnated, told I'm carrying my sister's soul, tossed against two bears, and then having one of the
worst
meet and greets I've ever gone through.
At least Akiko is making amends on that, and I've already long forgiven her. Another odd thing I notice as I rouse myself is that both of my hands were pressed against my stomach, where I think Sandra is recovering. Huh, what an odd position to sleep in, I must have
really
been out of it.
A familiar and chirpy voice pops into my head as I yawn the last little bits of sleep away, 'Aims~! Good morning sweetie! Or should I say good evening hehe~ You slept for like, 14 hours straight girl. I was honestly tempted to do the whole "You're finally awake! You've been asleep for 4 years!!" bit, but I didn't want to start your second day here with a panic attack!' Ios' pleasant high-pitched giggling laugh greets me as my eyes shoot open.
"Ios! Where have you been?! I haven't heard from you since Akiko yoinked me from the cave out in the forest! And also, thank you for your restraint. I would have been pretty pissed after I had calmed down if you had gone through with that, you fucking troll!" My slightly panicky voice at the start gives way to the good-natured name calling humor that Ios and I had built up back in the forest.
'Aww~ I missed you too honey! And I know, I am the
model
of self-restraint! Hehe~' I would be upset if she wasn't so damn cute.
'Anywho! After you and Akiko worked out your shit, I kept quiet so that you two could get to know each other without me being there as a third wheel or something. Obviously, if you were in danger or called out for me, I would have popped back up instantly sweetie. But! I figured you both needed some time to let the dust settle and build a rapport. Especially if she is going to be training you and hosting you at her estate for who knows how long.
I was keeping an eye on her regardless, I'm still a little pissed at what she did and how she acted in the cave. But that's my own hang up that I'll have to hash out with her, don't let my feelings mess with what you have going on, okay? Letting you guys bond also gave me time to look into what we can do to give you the best path for cultivating and leveling going forward, and what skills and items you may want to buy. Speaking of, you completed your quest when Akiko brought you onto the grounds here, but I think you were too wiped out to give a shit about it hehe~ Here you go!'
[Quest Completed!
Safe Haven. Find a safe, secure place to begin your cultivation journey and start the process of healing your sister's soul.
Reward: 100 Ability Points, 10 Skill Points, and 1000 Shop Points]
Available Ability Points: 240
Available Skill Points: 58
Available Shop Points: 2500
Holy shit, I am
loaded
on Shop and Ability Points right now! "Fuck yeah Ios! Thats what I'm talking about!" I shout happily as I jump up from the bed in all my naked glory. "Already a much better start to the day than yesterday!... Wait, you said I slept for 14 hours, but when I went to sleep it was just after sunrise! Ugh, my sleep schedule is so fucked right now!" I run my hands through my dark red hair a few times, the motion causing all my naughty bits to jiggle slightly.
I finally quit trying to make my hair a knotted mess before giving out a sigh, "Well whatever. Let's hope Akiko is still up and not bogged down by any fallout from her loose impression of the red wedding. I'm going to go take a shower and brush my... Shit. I don't have any kind of bathroom stuff at all here!" Before I can linger too long on that, I see a notification pop up.
You have purchased [Bathroom Essentials Kit (Low Earth Rank)] for 5 Points!
Available Shop Points: 2495
I smile a bit, its nice having Ios back in action. I guess she never really left, but I kind of feel bad she took a back seat to everything so that Akiko and I could work out our shit. "Thank you hun, I was starting to stress out a bit. Nothing worse than being stuck somewhere without toilet paper or toothpaste!"
'Don't mention it sweetheart~! Go get refreshed and ready, I think we need to talk to Akiko about just how unique your position is. If she is going to be training you, she needs to know what exactly you are working with, and how it works. I wont spill any secrets, of course, but I think she is reliable enough to let her in on how the system is aiding you.' Ios responds back in a serious tone, a rarity for the little bundle of chaos.
"Okay, if you think it's best hun. I do agree, not much point in her taking me under her wing if she doesn't know how to effectively help me." I say back as I am already inside the spacious, modern bathroom. Thank you, fellow transmigrator! Your efforts are eternally rewarded, surely!
I take a good half hour, most of it simply enjoying the shower's excellent pressure and water temperature. The little bottle of shampoo and conditioner, which never seems to run out by the way, are scented a lovely lavender and lilac, and they leave my hair feeling softer and smoother than I thought hair could be. The body soap is also a nice coconut scent, and moisturizes my skin while also cleaning it, leaving me feeling like a new person. Well, a doubly new person.
I had a random shower thought while I was enjoying the steam rising from the bathtub though, "Ios, back in the Sect Hall, why didn't I get a nauseous status effect? And why do Arousal and Lust not pop up sometimes when they're being applied?"
'Hmm, I think the answer to your first question is that between your experiences, titles, and skills, the nauseous feeling you had wasn't enough to activate an actual status effect. Yes, you were squicked out beyond normal, but your body and emotions didn't escalate to the point the system thought it was a negative. If it gave you a prompt every time you felt any emotion, it would be nonstop. Especially for you hun~
Basically, you're becoming a bad ass bitch who is getting used to seeing the carnage around her. Slowly but surely at least, hehe~ The second question is that the system doesn't flag positive status effects, unless there are certain conditions behind it. Like back in the cave, Panic escalated at the same time that Lust and Arousal did, so they were all grouped into the message. Also, if someone or something is
forcing
you to feel those effects, the system will flag it. So, unless you consider being horny and wet a negative usually, the system won't flag it for you. Does that make sense sweetie~?' Her reply has its usual bit of cheek, but I can't deny that makes some kind of sense. Even if it gets me in trouble somehow, I would
never
consider being keyed up a bad thing~.
"Ah okay! Yeah I guess that tracks then. Good to know that I can grow mentally as well as physically too then. Maybe I can even get to the point where the threat of panic attacks arn't a thing anymore... What a world that would be." Damn it! No getting sad in the shower after I just woke up! Get it together Aims! I slap my cheeks softly, both the ones on my face and the ones behind me which makes me giggle before finishing the shower and my other morning routine tasks.
Once I'm out and dressed back up in my sportswear from yesterday and the robe Akiko gave me, I go back in and double tap the crystal like she said. While we're waiting for Akiko to arrive, Ios pops back up.
'Aims, if you want you can buy a more permanent version of the communication device I used to talk to Akiko with. That way, I can be there in person to help you go over the system and shed some light on how cultivation will affect you to both you and Akiko. Its a bit pricey at 100 points, but well within our budget of things I want to get for you if Akiko agrees with my assessment of your training going forward.'
"Oh! Sure, that sounds amazing! That way I don't have to play translator between you and her, and you two smarty pants can fight over specifics!" I nod happily.
You have purchased [Quantum Entanglement Communications Suite (ERR Rank)] for 100 Points!
Available Shop Points: 2395
Damn, I was kind of hoping Luck would have triggered on that just to see what crazy sci-fy shit would have come out of the shop! At any rate, a large grey metal-plastic hybrid box plops down with a
thunk
in the middle of the room, pushing one of the chairs against the table with a dull screech from the chair's legs. There are several lights and small panels on the top of it as well as a small round orb in the middle of the top, and the sides look to be sheer flat except for two handles at the long ends. I give it a test, and surprisingly I cant seem to budge it even with my slightly augmented strength!
"Uh, I hope you like where it got placed Ios, this thing is heavy as fuck!" I grunt out after my attempts fail spectacularly.
'It will do fine where its at, the projector can post me anywhere in the room that it has vision to. And don't worry, if you re-equip your Battle Attire, you should be able to move it easily~! Speaking of, here comes our troublesome little fox.' Ios laughs back to me before a tone of annoyance comes across. I really hope these two can make up, I really want us all to get along. Ios was there for me at the start, helping me not become a whimpering mess in the middle of a crater. And Akiko has brought me into her home to help me heal my sister and easily accepts me and my building feelings for her and Sandra. Which... I don't want to get into that just yet today; it hasn't even been an hour since I woke up...
The sliding door opens with a soft scrape of wood on wood as the beautiful form of Akiko saunters inside. She's wearing a black kimono today, with purple highlights that seem to complement the tone of the whole ensemble well. There are faint, stitched in patterns on the dress, but they don't seem decorative. They remind me of the symbols and shapes I saw when the orange bubble was up around the Village. I put two and two together pretty quickly, as Akiko turns around to slide shut the door.
"Is everything okay? That kimono looks more... loaded up than the pretty white one you were wearing before. Also, hello!" I say with some concern before giving her a small smile. She looks a bit surprised at my greeting, which, fair. I did kind of skip the whole greeting part until the end.
"You can see the runic markings on my attire Amelia? Truly?" She walks up kind of quickly, which makes me take a step back before she gently holds the sides of my arms with her hands. She doesn't look upset, more curious and confused than anything. Her beautiful white hair is done up into a bun, with two metal sticks poking out of it and her tails seem to be still except for a minor flick in one or two as she stares down at me with her amethyst gem eyes. Shes close enough now that her clean, fresh scent starts to flood my nose, and the feel of her body pressing slightly against mine begins to bring a blush to my face.
"Y-Yes? Kind of? Am I not supposed to? They look like bumped stitching or embossment maybe. I can't tell what they mean obviously, but there are a few that look similar to some of the shapes and patterns I saw on the protective dome. Thats why I asked, I was worried you were geared up and needed extra protection or something." I quickly say, not able to break eye contact with her intense purple sight leaning down on me. Those eyes are evil, they are too easy to fall into!
She stills a moment before whispering almost under her breath, "Fascinating." After that, she notices the position she's put me in and backs up slightly with a small cough. "I apologize my dear, but you apparently hold great skill in runic arrays if you can see such detail and patterns as a mortal. I cannot fathom the skill you may possess with inscriptions, talismans, arrays, and formations if you decide to pursue those paths, but it will be legendary I would wager.
However, that is further down your road and we have time to discuss it still. I am safe, as are the girls and the estate. I just returned from cleaning up a few... less than pleased individuals from various Branches that were not too happy about the changes about to occur. The dress, admittedly, was overkill but it sent the message I needed it to. Namely, that they were ants and I was the boot that squished them. With any luck, the only other objectors will be the returning Shadow Branch members who are unaware of the situation until they arrive back in the Village. But by then, we should have means in place to handle them without my direct involvement.
But enough about my day, my dear. How are you? Did you sleep well?" Akiko asks me after she gives her explanation. I guess that makes sense, change is never universally liked, and even less so when its from a *ahem* tyrannical regime change. Oh well, at least their new tyrant is a bonafide stone cold beauty!~
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that Akiko, I know that there will probably be some road bumps further ahead for you too. Big sweeping changes like the ones you're making get people pissed, especially if they think they're important or it threatens them or their money. Hopefully you don't have to put up with it for too long, seeing as how you are more... direct in responding to their complaints." I laugh out at the end before continuing, "I'm fine! I slept like a baby, and I feel a lot more in control of my emotions! Well... I did before you... never mind *ahem* I'm good."
I see her quirk an eyebrow at me and then adopt her classic smarmy grin and knowing glint to her eyes, but before she can go on the attack I keep going, "Ios had me buy this big old thing so that she can talk to us more permanently! She wants all three of us to go over the system and cultivation stuff, so that you know what you're getting into when you're training me and the best ways to train me!... That sounds wrong. Damn it." I blush again and hide my face away behind my hands. Despite my preemptive attack, I ended up only hurting myself further! Maybe another 14 hours of sleep will put a stop to this madness...
About this time the box comes to life and I hear a voice from behind me, one that only makes me crouch down to the ground after I hear what she says, "Jesus Aims, you are a
mess.
It's so adorable and cutesy that I honestly wonder why you never got a ring put on you back on Earth. Those bitches missed out, you're literally giving me diabetes right now."
I turn from my feeble position to take in the full color display of what I assume is Ios. She is a wonderfully cute creature, with blonde curly hair like Samantha's but a bit longer, and her face is almost Grecian with a soft smirk on her lips as she looks down at me and her body has a beautiful sun kissed tanned tone. What throws me is that she has a pair of arms across her ample chest and
another
pair that are cocked on her full hips! She can hug twice as much as any mere mortal, its not fair!
The rest of her body is attractive and fit, with seemingly enough give to still leave an imprint. She notices me checking her out and says with the smirk still on her face, "Like what you see honey~? I'll admit, this form is much more appealing than what we have to do in the 4th dimension. That gets... complicated. Anyway! Get up you goof, we have work to do hehe~."
I begrudgingly leave the comfort of the fetal position, my home away from home, and stand back up to see Akiko wearing the most shit eating-est grin she has had yet. Thankfully she just gives me a wink and moves her attention onto Ios' projection.
"Spirit Ios, it is a pleasure to see you again. I welcome you to my estate, and hope that we can put the... unpleasantness of our first meeting behind us. I was in the wrong to both you and Amelia, and while I feel she has forgiven me for my transgressions, I know that I have also wronged you and I once again sincerely apologize for that. As Amelia's benefactor, I hope we can put the past behind us and work toward giving her the best future she can have while here on Mara." Surprising both Ios and I, Akiko gives her a deep bow at the end of the statement. I look over to my spirit guide, apparently, and see she has a complicated expression on her face.
After a good handful of seconds of letting Akiko stew, Ios finally says with exhaustion, "God, you make it impossible to stay mad at you, do you know that Akiko? Fine, whatever. If its for Amelia, then I'm not opposed to working with you and making the whole thing as stress free as possible for her and Sandra. However, Akiko, know this. If you fuck around again, you will be finding out.
Get me?"
For the first time since I've known the stunningly gorgeous fox woman, I see a look of pure fear on her face. It reminds me of what that new Shadow Branch leader did back in the hall. This is pure, unadulterated fear from the strongest being around these parts. I feel the sweat start to form on my brow and neck as I look back to Ios who has a glacial stare pinning Akiko down. I look between the two before speaking up, annoyance morphing into anger coming out of me.
"Alright! Stop it! Thats enough Ios! Yes, Akiko fucked up big time. I know that, you know that, and she knows it too. I'm beyond grateful that you are sticking up for me and looking out for me. You honestly have no idea how much that means to me and how much I value you, even when you're being a troll. But Akiko deserves the chance to make amends right? She is sticking her neck out for us, protecting us, and is going to try her best to help me heal Sandra. I get that you're still pissed about the cave, and I love how protective you are of me, but stop scaring her half to death! It's obvious she isn't willingly going to do anything to piss you off again. I don't know what you did to make her so scared, but its making me angry that you keep feeding into it when she is trying to apologize!"
I huff out, the flush on my face not from embarrassment or lust for once as I feel the sting of tears begin to poke through as a soft sob escapes me.
God, I hate fighting with friends and family, its always obvious we care for each other, but stupid fucking emotions make us dumb and fight and UGH! I step back mentally and close my eyes while I force myself to take a few deep breaths like my last therapist taught me. The calming motion eventually sets in, and I can feel my frustration and anger fading away.
I open my eyes again to see soft concerned looks from both women, and before they can voice out any concerns I tack on, "Sorry, I just really hate when the people I care about fight. Ugh... I get that this world is violent and crazy, and filled with bastards around every corner, or people who think they are more important than they are. But that doesn't mean we can treat each other like that. Akiko, you are willing to risk a lot and devote a lot of time into helping me. Ios, you are my guide and companion in this world, and I cannot do this without you. Please, seriously try to work together and be friends? For me?" My pleading, desperate voice shines through causing both women to look to each other.
Eventually after a few seconds Ios is the one to break the silence by softly speaking out, "She's right, I'm sorry for being such a bitch. It's my job to protect Amelia until she's strong enough to protect herself, and I failed when you were able to sneak up on us and now I'm using my failure to abuse you. We all agree that what happened after was bad, but I was the only one holding on to it." Her avatar continues to hold Akiko's gaze for a moment before she gives a slight bow, "I apologize for being so aggro on you Akiko. I will believe your words and actions are genuine, and work with you to help Amelia."
Akiko takes it in stride, her slightly stunned face only lasting for a fleeting moment before she responds, "Not at all spirit Ios, your reaction and treatment of me was restrained by all measure. We are both lucky that our fates are tied to such an extraordinary soul like Amelia and her kind, gentle heart. Let us both protect it to the best of our ability and work together to bring her to her brightest future." She ends her words with an equally measured bow to the projection of my eldritch being.
"Alright then," Ios says with a soft smile after rising up from her bow with Akiko, "Let's get down to business."

Squabbles – Ch 16