Walking Disasters and Me-First Inscriptions – Ch 52

Walking Disasters and Me-First Inscriptions – Ch 52

Akiko smiles down at my enthusiasm, a few tails coming up to stroke my back and pat my head which send shivers down my spine and warmth through my core. With a happy hum, I press my body further into hers, fully enjoying the after-sex cuddling before she raises a question to me. "Ara~ Such a
sweet
girl~! Although I am
thoroughly
enjoying your affections, my dear, I would suggest we clothe ourselves at least partially before we begin the lesson~."
With a startled jump I realize we are both still naked, not bothering to put back on any clothing at all since our lovely shower. A flash of red and dip of my head accompanies an apologetic squeak as I stand up and try to find my battle dress... wherever it is. Akiko laughs gently at my flustered reaction, as I feel the slight bit of shame and frustration bubble up in me. "Ugh where did it even
go?!
Akiko, did you hide it from me or something?"
I turn back to see the fox smiling mightily as she was no doubt watching my frantic search around the room for the one piece of clothing I own. Well, two if you count the training robe thingy, she gave me... and I guess more if you count the underwear... Okay, sure, but my point still stands damn it!
I obviously start to get a little more flustered at being aware just how exposed we are and were. I hadn't even thought about it until she said something, but now it's all that is running through my mind! Like a too wise bull noticing he's naked in the middle of a China shop.
With a playful chuckle, Akiko raises her ring hand and then produces the familiar black, teal and gold trimmed battle attire before clarifying, "I made sure to procure it so that it would not get in the way of our
activities~
, and I could not help myself at watching your frantic antics. My apologies my dear~." The wink at the end tells me there's probably not a lot of
actual
apology in that sentiment, the sexy troll. With a semi-serious huff, I stride my nude form proudly back over to her outstretched hands - don't let the massively crimson hued face say otherwise - and snatch my clothes before slipping them back on and tying the waistband.
Akiko cheats and simply materializes a new plain, purple kimono on her bountiful form, waiting for me to finish up before opening her arms in an obvious invitation. I instantly dive back into paradise, knowing myself well enough to know that while I may still be a little grumpy, I'd
never
turn down more cuddles~. Another giggle of mirth shakes her body against me as I nuzzle back down, giving her a teasing nibble on her shoulder, before raising up and proclaiming wisely, "Meanie. This is your punishment for teasing me~!
Nom~!"
as I bite down once more.
I feel her shiver slightly against my teeth, a small ember of previous emotions flickering in my stomach as I look up to her. She cranes her head back with a beyond amused expression as her soft voice melodically sings out to me, "Ara~ If
that
is a punishment then I must strive to misbehave in the future~! But come, Amelia, we really should be getting to the lesson if you want to accomplish your quest today. I am curious to see just how quickly you can inscribe with all the aid from that system of yours."
Well, I guess she's right. Even if I was putting myself back in the mood again... Jesus, how am I
still
horny?! I shake my head slightly a few times, my crimson strands tickling the skin of Akiko's arms and shoulder, before nodding once to her and shifting to get back into learning mode. Which of course still has me wrapped around her waist, but I'm sitting across her lap instead of sinking into her~.
"Very good, my dear~. Spirit Ios, would you like to be present for the lesson as well?" She calls out after smiling down to me and stroking my hair.
The familiar form of Ios graces us once more, but this time she's donning a true to form Japanese high schooler uniform, her hair done up in twin pigtails with her face having a giant grin as she chirps out, "I would love to, Akiko~! Thank you for inviting me!" I groan into the air as I feel my blood begin to pump harder, her smile only widening as she knows she hit
another
home run. Thankfully I'm saved from having to explain yet another new fetish to Aki, as the fox woman turns back to the tools and begins to teach what she came here for.
"It is no trouble, my friend! Now then, the first step is deciding what effect you want to create and on what material. For the first few symbols, I suggest simply drawing them on paper that has not been infused with Qi, of which I have several stacks." Another thunk of sound signals the arrival of a printer's packet worth of blank, white paper. She continues on, "While this paper is mundane, if the symbols are drawn correctly, the illustrated effect will still briefly take place, and with the level of tools in the kit they will be fairly normal reactions." I pick up a piece of the oddly familiar white sheet, noticing that the quality is actually not far off from printer paper, making me question how in the
hell
they were able to create something like this without industrial chemicals and stuff.
I decide to shelve any tangential questions until the lesson is over, don't want to be rude after all~. Akiko picks back up after selecting the normal looking quill pen and a small vial of ink and handing them to me, "Now then, since you are a special case and we have slightly overshot your tasks requirements, I will leave the choice to you, Amelia. Do you wish to make inscriptions of your choice, or would you rather I assign some to you for your first attempts?"
"Uhm," I mumble out as I think. It would honestly kind of be better if she just gave me a task list to do, but I know I'm going to have to get pretty free form and creative with this stuff down the line... With a still slightly hesitant voice, I respond back to her, "How about you help me out here at first, and then when I get more comfortable, I can try branching out?"
She nods and smiles, "That is perfectly acceptable, darling. Most apprentices will have a strict regimen of what they can and cannot create until they reach the journeyman level of talent, so don't fret. In that case, how about you make a workable inscription for Light, Sound, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Weight Reduction, Weight Addition, Qi Gathering, and Qi Storage. Those last two will be considered your final test, of a sort, same as learning the symbols for them in the first place was."
She leans over and produces a sheet of paper, laying it flat against the desk before looking down to me and nodding for me to start. I feel a bit of anxiousness about wanting to do it right the first time, no doubt my perfectionist and anxiety about school and learning things coming back into the fray, before I breathe out and just let the emotions wash over me. I center myself, reaching down without meaning to and lacing my fingers into Akiko's, her slightly cool yet still warm presence further grounding me as I push away those distracting thoughts and emotions.
I open my eyes with renewed purpose and begin sketching out the symbol for Light, since it is a fairly basic one consisting of a circle surrounding the letters of the word for "Light". Much to my mind's frustration, I don't end up succeeding perfectly on the first try. Or the second. The first time saw me poke a hole straight through the paper after I completed half the circle base, and the second was right when I used too much ink and blotted out the lettering inside the symbol.
I do finally achieve some level of success after that though, the paper in front of Akiko and I definitely holding
something
resembling the symbol for Light. Before I can see if it works, Akiko shakes her head in a nonjudgmental way as she scoops up the wobbly looking glyph, its edges not uniform in the slightest and tosses it away with the previous two attempts. I huff out in annoyance, turning my head to the side before taking a deep breath and picking up the pen once more.
It's not until the next chime on the clock, which makes me nearly jump off of Akiko's lap in surprise when it gongs out, that I have actually finished a passable inscription for the first time. I know so because I've been checking my quest after each one that wasn't an obvious failure, and it ticked up by one when I was done~! Like a child that just got done with a crayon drawing of the family, I hold up the usable inscription to Akiko and Ios, both of whom look at me with a deep sense of pride.
Ios is the first to chime in, her flighty voice staccato-ing through the room, "Well done honey~! I knew you were getting annoyed, but you did so well sticking with it! Gold star~!" Okay, well, that doesn't feel as good as I think that
she thinks
it does, but I'll take it I guess. She does seem genuine about it, but the phrasing is just a
little
too much like I actually
did
just make a crayon drawing for my liking.
As expected, Akiko's praise is much more satisfactory to all my trials and tribulations, "Indeed, my dear~! You succeeded far faster than I thought you would! The first time is always the hardest, whether it is on a new material, new symbol, or in your case new to the entire profession! While likely far from the best work you will accomplish from here on out, take pride in the fact that you created this." She lifts up the paper as I feel her flow a bit of Qi into it and suddenly the room brightens up considerably. It's almost bright enough to make my eyes hurt, but it quickly fades out as the paper burns to ash in her hand, the soft white light of the hanging crystals above us filtering back into the room.
"Whoa, that was almost a flashbang level of power, and I didn't even add any kind of modifiers to it! Thats crazy!" My eager voice shines through, eyes shining with excitement and anticipation for future attempts as my mind begins to whir. Think of the possibilities! Flashbang pebbles! Flashbang sticks! Flashbang panties in case some perv tries to do something! Okay sure, I'm stuck on the flashbang part, but it was cool damn it!
Akiko's soft laugh breaks me out of my luminescence-based thoughts, "Indeed, that is why inscriptions can be a powerful force multiplier for a smart and talented cultivator~. If you are able to sequence the symbols in intricate and strong ways, then the sky is literally the limit for what you can achieve. Any sky-ship that can still function these days is all due to the inscriptions placed on its hull and structures, as well as the float crystals in its core room, but make no mistake. There is no crystal strong enough to overcome this world's Laws without the aid of a talented master in these symbols and glyphs."
My mind soars at the idea! I
definitely
chose the right profession to have a connection and fascination with~! Thoughts of marvelous and epic effects race through my brain, and with a renewed vigor, I stick my tounge out of the side of my mouth in concentration as I dive back down to make the next glyph on the list, Akiko gently stroking my hair as I get back to work. I find that she is 100% right about it getting easier as I keep at it, which makes sense in hindsight since that's true for almost anything, but it really does hit home when by the time I get to Air.
The previous assignments were created faster and faster, with this one not even taking me 10 minutes to fully produce. I lean back as I wipe an errant bead of sweat from my forehead, no doubt forming from concentration alone. It feels like I kind of lost myself in the art there for a minute~. I lean back against the squishiest and most amazing body I've ever felt, my azure eyes lighting up with accomplishment as I say, "This is fun~! How am I doing as opposed to how folks normally go about this, Aki?"
Akiko's gentle upward curve of her lip sinks down to give me my own a long, powerful kiss. A few strands of white landing softly against my cheeks as she leans back up using a hand to tuck the errant hair behind her ears again. "You are progressing amazingly my dear~! It has only been about three hours since we started, and you are already nearly done with the assignment! Your system may be aiding you in quickening your hands and sharpening your mind, but it cannot be denied that you have real talent for this craft, Amelia. Even if someone were to have natural talents and advantages, inscription is a difficult craft to gain entry to, much like spiritual cooking.
It takes dedication and desire to pay attention to every minute detail of the ink and material you are working with, as well as thoughtful planning in how the various symbols and frameworks will interact with each other. I dare say you have both of those ambitions in full, and I cannot wait to see what you can achieve once we find you a suitable pen and ink." Her praise makes me glow with happiness, and I'm sure if I had fur like her I'd be fluffed up beyond recognition! I instead opt to smile brightly, the blush crossing my face for a different reason this time as I give her a hug and rub my head against her shoulder.
"Aww~! You say the sweetest things, you know that? Hehe~!" I burrow even more into her clean, faintly coconut smelling skin, since we both used my shower gel, and bask in the feeling of security I feel there. I don't get to stay long, as I hear Ios snicker off to the side of us, opening my eyes to take in the queen troll in all her glory.
"You're adorable Aims~. I'm actually kind of jealous that we don't have enough points for a suitable body for me yet~! Speaking of, we have several options for pens and ink and such in the Shop when we get to that point. Considering how in tune you are with this profession so far, I figure we may as well make sure you're set up properly for it. Can't use system points on real world currency after all~!"
Huh, she actually does make a good point. I know we are being sparing with our purchases right now, but buying something decent to use for the
profession
part of this crafting profession makes sense.
"Hmm," I hum back, "Why don't you pick a few options, and we can all look at them later. I want to finish the list with the tools here first so I don't feel
quite
as much of a cheater~."
Akiko laughs as she looks down to me and says, "Worry not, my dear~. No one here would begrudge you for using every advantage you can, but I do admire your continued dedication to progressing things 'in the right way' so to speak. I shall be more than happy to look over whatever spirit Ios selects with the both of you later. Now then, on to Weight Reduction~!"
I nod back happily, excited to get back to the grind so to speak. I find that I progress even faster with a happy and clear mind, like my emotions are actually impacting the quality and speed of my work. Well, maybe they are? I remember both Ios and Akiko saying that cultivating in general needs to have a still and focused mind, so I guess that would translate to anything dealing with Qi like these professions. I mentally shrug, adding the question to the ever growing list of stuff I keep meaning to ask Akiko about today.
By the time the next hour is signaled by the tall, dark, and handsome clock, I have made it all the way to Qi storage, my pen lightly depositing the last flow of ink which connects the letter to the outer ring of the slightly more intricate system. With a small breath, I wipe my brow again and hold up my efforts for the two women to inspect, although I doubt Ios really has to as I get a ping from the system as soon as I hold it up.
[Quest Completed! Become an Apprentice Level Inscription Creator!
Gain enough knowledge to be considered an apprentice level inscription creator on Mara.
Reward: 75 Ability Points, 250 Shop Points, 10 Skill Points, 50 points into Dexterity, Intelligence and Wisdom
Rewards will increase as your crafting rank increases.
Remaining Tasks: None.
Completed tasks: Learn at least 1,000 different glyphs, symbols, or structures. Create 10 viable inscriptions on any material.]
[Progress: 100%]
Dexterity is now 610!
Intelligence is now 265!
Wisdom is now 417!
Available Ability Points: 675
Available Shop Points: 4,575
Available Skill Points: 110
[Quest Started: Become a Journeyman Level Inscription Creator!
Gain enough knowledge to be considered a journeymen level inscription creator on Mara.
Reward: 250 Ability Points, 1000 Shop Points, 25 Skill Points, 100 points into Dexterity, Intelligence and Wisdom
Rewards will increase as your crafting rank increases.
Remaining Tasks: Create 50 viable inscriptions on any material.
Completed tasks: Learn at least 2,500 different glyphs, symbols, or structures.]
[Progress: 65%]
Wait, how the hell do I have so many points in every category?! Ios seems to instantly know I would react in confusion, as before my mouth can even hang open in shock she answers my internal question, "It's the sexy time quests, honey~. Your first tussle with our lovely fox and this latest one netted you a combined 600 Ability, 1000 Shop, and 32 Skill Points. Not bad for a couple days work~! Hehe~!"
Oh. Right. The knot of unease creases through me again, even though I try my best not to think of it like me using Akiko. I guess after what I've gone through its hard not to draw parallels, even if they're unwarranted... I look back up to the woman in question just to be sure. She also seems to have picked up Amelia Training 101, as she gently leans down to kiss my forehead before saying, "It's more than alright my dear. I'm happy that our joining gives you pleasure as well as power~. Do not forget, I am a Berserker too, and having strong, capable partners is quite the 'turn on' for me as well~."
The saucy wink that punctuates her claim finishes the job of melting away my own mental hangups about all of this, at least when it comes to me and her. I flash my teeth in a slight grin, the heat of my cheeks rising as I nestle into her once more. Before I can show her my thanks, which would involve several sweet words and kisses to her soft, smooch able neck, Akiko looks off to the side of the room in alertness. A drop of panic at the sudden mood change makes me flash my eyes over to Ios, who simply shrugs and then points to her head as she nods toward Akiko. Ah, she must be getting telepathically messaged or something~! Neat! Sucks it ruined my gratitude though...
After a few moments where I just rest my head against her, I notice her ears and a few of her tails flick out in what I have deemed "aggravation", her chest rising with a heavy inhale then followed by a large, elongated sigh that escapes her lips. She looks down to me regretfully, the little bit of fear and panic at the changing situation giving way once she begins to inform me, "It seems there are some
complications
with a few returning members of the Shadow Branch that need my oh so
delicate
touch. I will have to oversee things there for a moment, likely not longer than the rest of today. I am sorry, my dear, but we will have to call today's lesson short. A fact that I will be emphasizing very,
very
heavily with Elder X'Cos."
I shiver as I feel the wetness start to seep once more between my legs, as even though her words are polite and proper, the tone and hostility she says them in sends icy hot flashes through my shivering body.
Fuck,
battle lust is no joke, no wonder she is fine with me essentially power leveling off of her.
I swallow the lump of arousal stuck in my throat, sending it back down to the pits of my stomach as I try my best to stay decent, "I-It's okay! I understand, you're in an important and delicate position in the Village right now. I totally get you having to go take care of business like the bad bitch you are~!"
She gives me a kind look, planting one more kiss between our lips to draw out a soft moan from me, before she stands with me in her arms and then gently places me standing on the floor. "I am thankful for your kindness, Amelia, like always~. I will ensure that the issue is resolved quickly and further interruptions like this are few and far between, you have my word on that."
I lean in to give her a hug, the care and protectiveness from her seeping into me like a summer breeze, "I appreciate it, but again, I know how demanding your position is right now. I'll be okay, don't let me stop you from putting down the law!" I lean back from the hug as I flex my arm mightily in a show of force, drawing giggles from both of us to lighten the mood.
"Very well then my dear, thank you." She gives me one more peck on the cheek, her hips swaying in motion as she turns to walk toward my door. With thoughts about how those hips were doing something else even more fun to see earlier, she turns around after opening and then stepping past the plane of the doorframe. "Oh~! I shall send Samantha to keep you company, we still need to get your measurements for additional clothing, after all~! Have fun~!"
Without waiting for my rebuttal, even if I had one which I don't, she slides the door closed with a pleased look and pleasant hum that I can hear bouncing off the walls of the hallway as she retreats out into the world once more. Fuck.

First Inscriptions – Ch 52