Walking Disasters and Me-A Brief Reunion, Adjusted Schedule – Ch 98
My eyes flutter open once more, the lingering soreness still sending daggers of dull, aching pain lancing through me as I move to sit up. With a grimace and a hiss, I feel the soft help of hands lay me back down to prone as a lovely and familiar face pops into view. With a confused and questioning flap of her ears, Akiko asks out after she helps me get horizontal again, "Heavens, Amelia, what did you
do
while I was away? I could feel bursts of pain while I was finishing off the last members of the besiegers that I knew was coming from you - our fresh bond - and not them."
I send her an apologetic look as I sheepishly reply, "H-hey Aki... Yeah, sorry about that. It turns out that body cultivation is
pretty
painful on its own, but I may have...
skipped
a few steps and went a little overboard after Ios and I had a talk."
Akiko looks back over to the flutter drone, Ios' form not being projected but her voice still comes from the device, "She used 4th Rank techniques to begin preparing and strengthening her body, and she's lucky she's just sore from it. Glad you're back safe and sound Akiko~."
The kitsune just hangs and shakes her head, seemingly either done with all my constant shenanigans or becoming growingly accepting of them. She turns back to me with a stern look, "Amelia, using techniques outside of your Rank is
beyond
risky, and it can destabilize your growth in the future if you do it incorrectly. Not to mention it can be like spirit Ios said, there are more than a few tales of young and eager cultivators having the stalk of their life trimmed short by the scythe of uncontrolled ambition and recklessness."
I just nod as I turn my head in shame, Akiko's scolding definitely
not
the first thing I wanted to hear right after she got back, even if its completely warranted. "Regardless," she continues softly as she lays a hand on my cheek, "I am glad you are well and that no adverse effects other than bodily pain linger on you. While it will likely take you a day or so for the pain to subside given your recovery titles and skills, I bring good news if you could not glean it from my earlier words. The siege has been lifted, and the new Shadow Branch has been given its first overseen mission to repair the damage it has done with that flimsy attempt at a coup when we arrived. They will be hunting down the rest of the leadership of those rival sects and silencing them once and for all."
"That's... good?" I ask out tentatively, the thought of going scorched earth on those people still a
bit
hard to swallow for my mind, even if I can see the logic and truth behind the action now.
Akiko gives me a little smile as she leans down before leaning down to plant a small kiss on my lips. "It is
necessary
, not
good
. I would rather we all exist and grow in earnest and fair competition, only resorting to bloodshed to exterminate warped rouge cultivators or the dangerous beasts that sometimes plague the land, but alas mortal nature is greedy and self-centered at its core. As part of the mission I have ordained to the Shadow Branch, Elders Julian, X'Cos, and Fei are going to be traveling with the various teams and squads to ensure their success and watch for any signs of renewed treachery. Which unfortunately means that I must return my attentions to more administrative tasks around the Village until
their
return, so I am afraid that for the next month - possibly two - I shall largely be unable to continue your training as we have done so until this point."
I send her a sad, almost heartbroken look, her face turning sour as the emotions undoubtedly bleed across the young bond we have, making her dive down to wrap me in the softest hug ever. Probably on the account of my still self-brutalized body. "Do not fret, my love~. I shall still be home for dinner most nights, and if something urgent arises here at the estate I will come and lend whatever aid or knowledge I can. This is just a temporary interruption in our time together, one that may have to occur from time to time due to my nature as Acting Sect Leader."
She pulls back, a tail coming up to tickle my face and make me giggle as a loving smile returns to her face. "I have ensured that people I trust are in positions of power and control, and that they are competent, so that interruptions like these are few and far between themselves. Now then, as part of this prolonged adjustment, you shall be training with the other girls in my absence. I have already spoken to them about how to proceed, but the plan is thus: You will study weapons, armors, and blacksmithing with Samantha three times a week, with a day between the sessions spent with Gerra to focus on spiritual cooking. Jun Li will have your weekends, teaching you etiquette, alchemy, poisons, and stealth.
In your free time, which you shall have from dinner until after breakfast, you can do as you please, but I would suggest focusing on inscriptions, using your dream state to heal Sandra, and spending time with the girls to get to know them better and in a more relaxed environment than teacher - student. Do either of you have any objections or addendums you wish to suggest?" Akiko asks both Ios and me, the sudden strict schedule making me both anxious and relieved at the same time. Anxious about the...
intensity
of the schedule, but relief at just fucking
having
one, as well as getting the hell out of this room. Eventually...
Ios ponders for a moment, her drone bobbing up and down a few times before she says, "I don't think that's a bad plan. Should keep this little
troublemaker
busy and focused. Can Samantha keep up with Aims if they go to spar?"
Akiko laughs, her head leaning back in mirth at Ios' question before she leans her head back down and wipes a single tear from her eye. "Oh
my
, spirit Ios~. I forget that neither of you have seen any of the girls fight, especially Samantha. Let me just say that some days, when the two of us spar, it honestly takes
everything
I have to best her, and that is
with
our difference in Realm taken into account. Speaking of which, I would suggest that we procure those manuals for the girls as well as myself, so that they may begin cultivating during your off time, and the same for me."
Oh shit, right! I quickly put the slightly
terrifying
thought of Samantha somehow being able to possibly win against Akiko out of mind as she reminds me of the manuals, "Of course, Aki~! I want you guys to get all big and strong~. Hehe~. Ios, how much is that going to run us?"
"Well," Ios begins to reply, "in total it'll be 5,000. Each of the body and soul manuals are 500, and the spiritual one for Gerra is 1,000. I'll make sure to turn off and then reactivate Luck when we buy them so nothing too crazy pops out instead. So, we ready to do this now?"
I give her a nod, assuming she can see through the drone still. I wonder why she isn't projecting herself... maybe the drone is running low on power since she's been down here away from the box for so long? "Alrighty then~." Ios says before I'm bombarded by the system messages informing me of my purchases.
You have purchased [Ancestor's Flowing Wisdom of the Soul (Peak Heaven Rank)] for 500 Points!
You have purchased [Frost Laden Fist of the Glacier (Peak Heaven Rank)] for 500 Points!
You have purchased-
...
You have purchased [Crater of Crushing Earth (Peak Heaven Rank)] for 500 Points!
Remaining Shop Points: 39,550
With varying muted thuds, nine bound paper scrolls plop onto the mattress between the three of us, each of them beautiful and engraved in varying ways that match the attribute and names representing them. Akiko's ice manual is teal, a chilly air surrounding it as gorgeous engravings of glaciers, falling snow, and frozen lakes are etched onto the outside of the paper. Samantha's sun attribute has the opposite effect, an aura of warmth that would no doubt burn your hand if you held it too long waving off it as highly detailed pictures of a star, fielded crops, and amber waves of light are drawn into every square inch of it. The rest all follow similar patterns and schemes, their natural energies vibrant and depictions handsome as Akiko scoops them all up in her ring, tails going into overdrive behind her.
"Marvelous~! I thank the both of you once more for giving us such a rare, priceless chance to become something greater. To share in your wealth, as precious as it is to both your recovery, Amelia, as well as your sister's. From the bottom of my heart, I want the both of you to know that I will never forget this kindness, and neither will the girls." Akiko shocks me by giving me a bow after she scoots off the bed and stands up, the symbolism not lost on my still bedridden state.
"Y-you goober! Just get over here and hug and kiss me! You don't have to be all formal and professional about this!" I stammer out, much to the delight of both the other women if their giggles are any indication. Akiko gives me a wide smile as she finally does as requested, laying down on top of me as she nuzzles her face against mine, planting small, soft kisses while her tails dance around us.
"I just wanted to ensure that you knew how much this meant to me, to
us
, Amelia~. I love you, so
very
much. Your selfless kindness, your tenacity to always improve, always push past whatever obstacle might have knocked you down or impeded your progress. Your devotion to those you cherish and love. You are a remarkable woman, and a treasure of a person, and I fear that you do not see that in yourself most days. At least, not yet. But you will, and I will be delighted to see it happen. Until then, I shall always endeavor to always tell you that truth, as many times as is needed, before it settles in certainty inside your wonderful mind."
Not prepared in the slightest for the showering of praise coupled with the loving and gentle kisses and gropes, my eyes quickly start to prickle with tears as I just tuck my head into the crook of her neck after painfully reaching my arms up around her to pull her into me. In a surprised grunt, we both find that I'm able to do so quite easily, her body pressing down into me enough to nearly knock the breath out of me. "What the fuck?" I whisper out in disbelief, Akiko also looking a bit stunned all of the sudden.
"Shit. Right. Aims, the body cultivation stuff is a qualitative force on your base stats, not direct numerical additions to it. Especially since you jumped ahead in the script and forced your muscles to expand and grow with that 4th Ranked technique. You'll find that the 14k value in strength means something
quite
different than what you were imagining when you start fighting or using your body for something."
"Wait, does this mean that I like, can't even hug someone whose the same Rank or lower than me? It feels like I nearly squished Akiko just then!" I say out in exasperation, just one more thing to add to the pile of this chaotic existence.
Akiko finally comes to as well, her lips pressing against mine before she says back reassuringly, "Have no fear, my love, I was more than fine. Surprise took me more than any feeling of pain or discomfort, that was all. I appreciate you being so concerned for me though~."
I just sigh and give her another kiss, the feeling of dealing with yet another bombshell making the mental exhaustion pull at me. "Just... Can you figure out a way to represent it in the status screen? I don't like having something so important and essential to my day-to-day survival be some... random number or effect. Maybe I'm being silly, but I've gotten used to thinking about stuff like this in numbers to represent actions." I say out in defeat.
"Sure, honey. I'll see what I can do on the back end, maybe add a little parenthesis multiplier or something to the end of the ability score blocks?... Oh, speaking of which, since you went so hardcore and got so laser focused on expanding and infusing your muscles, you're going to need to do that
exact
process for your bones and skin. Otherwise, you'll likely rip your arm off if you try to throw a punch. It shouldn't force a breakthrough so long as you stop after everything has been brought to the same level as your muscles. Have fun with that~." Ios says out cheekily, making me worried she might still be a little miffed about either my actions after the talk, or the talk itself as well as that horrifying realization about my bones and skin. She deigns not to tell me though, even if she can hear exactly what I'm thinking about it, which doesn't bode well either...
'
*Sigh*
Aims, I'm not mad. I'm just trying my best to not intrude on every single thought you have. Let you have
some
semblance of privacy and ownership of your thoughts. I don't want you to see me as some overbearing thought police or something. Now, give Akiko another hug and kiss. She needs to be on her way to deliver the manuals to the girls and get back to running the Village.' Ios finally chimes inside of my head, her tone earnest if a little amused at the start which does bring some much needed relief to my previously worried mind. It'll still take some getting used to, knowing she can just listen in to any thought or emotion, but at least she's trying her best to give me my space and self-determination.
I shake my head as Akiko looks to me in confusion, a calm smile coming over my face as I lean up to kiss her again, her fresh, clean scent happily filling my nostrils as I hold her against me. "It's nothing, Ios was just talking to me in my head for a second. Well, I'll say this as a piece of advice for when you guys start body cultivating, that shit
hurts!
Be ready to writhe around for a bit when you start advancing..."
The gorgeous kitsune nuzzles into my face for a moment before she says, "I fear that may only be a symptom of your
ridiculous
antics, my love~. While I imagine that reconstructing the body is not a
pleasant
experience, I would wager that trying to implement a means of improvement so far past your current state is more the reason you are now laid here in bed. But, when the time comes, I am sure that all of us will be reaching out to you or spirit Ios for advice on how to advance and cultivate the soul and body paths, since you are both the resident experts on such matters now." Akiko chuckles out before giving me one last hug, tails draping over me before she rolls to the edge of the bed and gets back to her feet.
Oh god, she's right!! I'm going to have to like, teach them about body and soul stuff, aren't I?? With growing horror and anxiety at the prospect, Akiko leans over and pats my head, no doubt sensing the turbulent emotions coming to the surface. "Rest easy, darling. None of us are going to expect you to be some sage or wizened elder on the subjects, just that we may ask for you to share your experiences and what you have learned from time to time, if we run into bottlenecks or obstacles that are foreign to us. Now, I shall go deliver these treasured gifts to the girls and then sadly be on my way to the Sect Hall. I wish to send the kill teams out immediately, while the enemy forces are still disorganized and retreating. Stay here and recover, I will have Samantha come and fetch you when you are healed and ready to resume training."
"Ah, Akiko, can you have one of the girls bring over my comms box from Aims' room? This drone is on its last little bit of power." Ios asks out quickly, just as Akiko has already started moving towards the door. She turns back and gives an agreeable nod, turning to face toward the bed once more as she opens the double doors and steps through them. She sends me a little flirty wink and a blown kiss, making my heart do a flip as the heat rushes to my face before closing them once again, leaving Ios and I alone to our own devices.
"It's crazy how even that little act makes me feel all squirrely inside..." I say out in a huff, somewhere between playful annoyance and downright joy. Ios chuckles from the speaker of the drone as it lands on the bed, likely another attempt to conserve its power until the box gets here.
"I think it's really cute the way you two are
always
so head over heels for each other~. Akiko is a lovely and wholesome kitsune, something you do
not
see very often. Same for Jun Li, of course, but it really is astounding just how loving and sincere Akiko is,
especially
after being hurt so badly in the past, repeatedly..." Jeeze, buzzkill...
"Well!" Ios carries on like she didn't just take the mood out back and shoot it, "I'd honestly suggest you start working on your bones and skin with that elevated technique. If you're going to be bedridden for the next day or so anyway, may as well make sure you don't have to waste any more time. I will be watching over you while you do it this time though, no more pushing yourself like before, got it?"
I cant help but cringe, both at the reminder of my little... episode, and at the no doubt unfathomable pain I'm about to willingly inflict on myself. With a heavy sigh, my voice comes out shamefully as I say, "Okay... Sorry about that, again. But you're right, no point in delaying it, especially if it means that even reaching for the top shelf might tear my skin off or something. Horrifying as that mental image is..."
With a commiserated chuckle, Ios simply lets the drone power down meaning she probably has transitioned to the soul scape. I groan as I sluggishly - and carefully - raise my hands to my face, rubbing my eyes in frustration and weariness before getting comfortable once more and meditating. Soon enough, we are both overlooking the model once more, Ios glancing around a bit before she gives me a worried nod, and the mind-blistering torment of repeating the process for every bone, joint, and my skin begins in earnest.
A Brief Reunion, Adjusted Schedule – Ch 98
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