***
I think my mana and rifts teacher shit a brick when I showed them my bracers.
"This is an abomination." she said.
"But it works!" I said.
"I would say that this is a crutch. But that would be offensive to crutches. They have purpose and value. This is shoving rods into your leg and calling it a splint."
She picked up the bracers between her thumb and forefinger like she doesn't want to touch it. "You are banned from using these… things, in this class. I would also prefer to never see them again."
Everyone is a hater.
So I pack the bracers away and continue to do my remedial studies. Variable output is something that everyone else can do for the most part. Although some are better than others. Lillian, while still much better than me, is at a very basic skill level. Daisy on the other hand has almost perfect control, the same as when I use the bracers but without any of the insane amounts of mana waste.
They are all working on mana mixing, drawing in mana from different sources and then outputting what you want. I, on the other hand, am stuck practicing putting a sieve on a fire hose. It's not going amazingly, but I am making a small amount of progress. Maybe in fifty years I will be as good as Lillian.
[You are being sorry for yourself.]
'I don't like being bad at things.'
[Who does?]
'No one, I imagine. But that doesn't make it any better for me.'
[You are good at making friends, yes?]
'I think so, yeah?'
[Do you think that just happened out of nowhere?]
'I guess, like a talent or something.'
[Throughout your memories you are surprisingly social for an acclaimed introvert. You have gained an insight into people through practice. You were not always good at it, there are many social faux pas in your history - you were just too young to care. It is the same with rune crafting. You already had experience working with an instruction based language when you used to make games, you built on previous success. You are good at these things because you have already gotten through being bad at them.]
[With mana control, due to circumstances beyond your control, you started further behind everyone else. That does not mean your progress is slower, just that you have further to go. You will get there, keep going.]
'Yeah, I know, thanks buddies.'
I resumed training my mana control with renewed focus after Gestalts pep talk. I even made a little bit more progress.
***
I don't know what Bronson did, but around the Academy I'm noticing a lot of people flipping each other off as a form of greeting. I almost died when I saw a group of girls all sticking their middle fingers up at Maria. I think this has grown past the point that I can do anything to stop it.
Will I have to flip off Maria?
I'm not sure I could.
We are currently eating lunch as a class. Everyone is here, including the construct. It looks like Shiv has jury-rigged some tube like netting to its back. Which Ria has inserted herself into. She's riding the construct around like a horse. Well, whatever, it seems happy, or at least not unhappy. Not sure it has a whole lot of emotions going on.
It's basically moved into Ria's room. Not like on purpose, it just helps her to her big water cube and then just waits there until she's ready to get out. Vincent did tell us that all it used to do on the boys side - was just stand in the middle of its room until it was time for class.
The identically weird elf twins are feeding each other grapes. Which is a sexy activity in its own right. They somehow made it so sexy that it came out the other side, and now it's just weird. I don't know how two people that are so extremely attractive - in that kpop femboy sort of way - manage to be so offputting all the time.
Of course I stole some grapes to feed them to Sophia, who do you think I am?
[You are still holding the grapes.]
'I'm getting to it. Just gotta find the right moment you know.'
[Lunch break is almost over.]
'Any minute now.'
Pictures of chickens flood my mind.
You know what!
Fair.
I take a deep breath. "S-sophia." I stutter.
"Mhm?"
"W-would you like a-a grape?" I offer a grape between my shaking thumb and forefinger. Ready for action.
"Ah, thank you." She took the offered grape, with her hand, and popped it into her mouth. "Good grapes." She said.
"N-no problem." I replied, deflating.
[Does this count as one of the steps in your boiling the frog plan?]
'No comment.'
***
Holy shit history of the realms is so boring. something something this used to be a complete realm. Something something wizard war. Something something rift walkers shattered the realm into pieces, yada yada now it's called the shattered realm.
Ugh, lore is so boring you know. Like imagine reading a good book; but you had to read five hundred pages of dumb back story about made up places with stupid names, before you got to the good bit when the girls kissed.
[Honestly that sounds awful, not that we read fiction.]
'Oh I don't blame you, only losers read books. Like we have videogames, idiot.'
[You don't anymore.]
'Why do you want to hurt me, Gestalt?'
[You are right, that was insensitive of us.]
'I'm glad you understand my pain at this trying time.'
I would say I refocused back on history class, but I don't. Because it's boring. Instead I start thinking about how I'm going to deal with this Necromancer.
What is corpse smoke anyway?
I need the layout of the den. Plus an idea of what defenses he has down there. I'm going to guess zombies at least, what with him being a necromancer and all.
Really I need a way to scout the shop out.
'Gestalt?'
[Yes?]
'Could we put a brain slug in a rat?'
[A big rat, yes.]
'Could we use the rat to scout out the shop? Like a little furry drone.'
[It's certainly possible. Find us a rat and we will give it a try.]
Amazing. I just need a rat then I can scout out the whole shop. Hell with the shop scouted we could probably dream train how the raid will go.
[We could, yes.]
Damn, that's cool. Next up we need to know when the vampires pick up the Fracs from the shop. If we hit it the day before, then that will be the maximum amount of cash to grab. I don't even know if I'm going to be able to carry that much, I might need some sort of transportation. I could try roping the construct in to play mule, but it's not exactly conspicuous.
"Tangerine?" Someone said.
"Tangerine!" Someone said aggressively.
I snap back to reality, oh fuck. It's the teacher, and he's asked me a question.
"Sorry sir. I missed that." I recover.
"Clearly. I asked you to explain why there are so many humans in the shattered realm." He pointed to me, pointedly.
"Err, because humans like breaking things?" I tried.
The elves laugh at me.
"No Tangerine." The History teacher said, voice dripping with disappointment. "Humans discovered this realm many hundreds of years ago."
Ugh he's gonna make me learn lore isn't he. This is the worst.
"The first humans walked upon the realm and became some of the first rift walkers."
This is boring. I don't care old teacher man.
"Of course it wasn't long before the first great rift war and the realm became the shattered realm."
Wait? So I was right! Why are you giving me shit old man?!
"After the first great rift war, the Academy was created to stop other Rift wars from happening. Which it has been somewhat successful at."
Somewhat?
Wait there's something missing here. I raise my hand.
"Yes, Tangerine?" He drips condescension.
"Where did the humans come from?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, nobody knows where the first humans came from. The only thing we know is this is the first realm in all the realms that had humans arrive."
'Oh. Well, good odds they all came from Earth right? We had all that primates evolving into human stuff that happened.'
[We certainly think it's possible. Your knowledge of evolutionary biology is lacking, but there are no such concepts here. As far as people are aware, humans just appeared.]
'What about the other races?'
[They have their own histories. We suggest you read a book.]
'I don't care that much.'
***
Bath time with the girl. I'm starting to get a little more comfortable being naked around the others. Still feels weird and I can't look at Sophia below the neck else I go tomato red. Or Lillian, Daisy and Ria. But I can look at Shiv and the construct just fine. Those teats mean nothing to me.
A week ago I had the best evening of my life. I got spanked and learnt about a whole new drinking kink I never knew I had. I still have dreams about it.
Well I would if Gestalt didn't control my dreams. I begged them, but they refused.
I wonder if I can get it to happen again. I mean with Daisy all I gotta do is wiggle my bottom at her and it will be immediately assaulted.
But as cool and amazingly hot as Daisy is. That's not where I want my spanking to come from. I somehow doubt the same trick would work on Sophia.
She is, of course, sitting directly next to me. Almost on top of me. Definitely between Daisy and myself.
You know what? I deserve a little bit of revenge. The girl force fed me a glass of water. Which was as hot as shit.
I could hug her right. We hug all the time. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. I mean we are naked right now, we have never done naked hugging. I mean I've never naked hugged anyone, it's basically the same as sex. Oh, ah maybe hugging is too much…
No, stop being a chickenshit, Tangerine. You can do this!
I take a deep breath, and try to calm my shaking arms. And then, somewhat awkwardly, thread one arm behind her back and the other across her tummy.
Of course I've fucked up here, we are sitting next to each other, side to side. I can't get my arms to connect. Fuck. I'm in a weird half complete hug where it looks like I'm trying to finger her belly button.
Shit.
This is too weird, I can't pull back now, I would look even weirder. I have to commit, I pull her towards me with the arm around my back, in the water she floats over. She isn't stopping me which is good. Yes! My hands connect, hug seal complete. This is no longer weird.
I mean, the fact she is now sitting on my lap while I'm hugging her from behind, is a little awkward - not gonna lie.
Both of us have gone cherry tomato red, and Lillian is currently dying of laughter.
But she hasn't pulled away, we sit together in the water. If this was a cartoon steam would be coming out of both our ears. But holy shit this is the best day ever!
First time I got a fully naked girl on top of me, and it's the love of my life.
***
***
Thanks for reading. Also everyone that gave me spelling corrections on past episodes, Thanks! I am slowly working my way through them.
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