***
Woke up in the arms of my girlfriend! Holy shit. That feels weird to think about. She's mine. All mine!
Voiday today, no class, no reason not to laze around. Not to say that I don't have things to do.
We need to make progress on the raid. Shiv and Lillian will be handling the zombie end of things. Which means I, and now, Sophia, will be down in the tunnel to set up the gas trap for the Necromancer.
I really don't like the idea of bringing Sophia. The idea makes my chest hurt. But I can't deny that outside of my apparent amorality, I don't really have any advantages over her. She is stronger and fitter, and her barrier magic is better than mine.As much as I hate it, I have to face facts. Plus, I'm aware that she probably wants to protect me as much as I want to protect her.
So, excepting that, we need to get Sophia slugged up. Which I also don't want to do. Purely for the reason that if she has a brain slug, I will no longer be able to talk to Gestalt about her. Well, not unless I get Sophia to consent to it.
[No.]
'What? That's not bad right?'
[We do not care about the morality of the action. We just do not want to be in the middle of your relationship.]
'awww.'
[Boundaries are important for any relationship. We will not be a breach in yours. You would be so annoying and sad if this relationship fails.]
'Ugh, yeah, that's fair. But what am I going to do without you to talk to?'
Gestalt radiates the feeling of a sigh.
[For you, and only for you. We will offer Sophia the communication services without the payment of her memories. We will leave her sense streams unsorted. We will try our best not to look at what we know about her. We cannot promise this will work, we have never tried it before. But by taking these measures, it should be possible to talk with you about Sophia without compromising her privacy.]
'Really?'
[Yes. But just so we are clear, we will never tell you about her thoughts and feelings, nor will we share your thoughts and feelings with her. You have the messaging service if you wish to do that.]
'Works for me buddies.'
Well, good. That's one problem sorted. Hopefully.
Next items on the list. We need gas, and a way to send it through the escape hatch. We need Sophia to learn the Turn Undead spell. We need to find the other end of the escape tunnel. We also need transportation for both the loot and rescuing those in the cages.
I'm going to have to talk to Maria as well. Both because I'm working on a whole bunch of assumptions here. I should probably confirm that Maria is the Don before I start role-playing a gangster with a heart of gold. But also, we need escape room artifacts for Sophia, Lillian, and Shiv – if we are going to go out and play in the city.
[Quite the list.]
'Yeah, and I should probably get a move on. Else there will be no one left to save in those cages, and you know, the loot.'
[The loot.]
Well, guess I can't laze around after all, way too much to do.
I poked my girlfriend - ehehehehe - awake. "Hey baby, it's time to wake up." I got a face full of adorably cute, just-woken-up Sophia.
"Mhmm?" She said.
"Come on, we actually have a lot to do today."
She just wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss.
Twenty minutes later, I managed to pull myself free of her siren's grasp.
Oh, who am I kidding?
Another twenty minutes later and my lips are starting to get sore. Managed to get a little French, but it's a learning process. For both of us.
I rolled out of bed, commando style. Even stuck the superhero landing. Sophia just giggled at my antics, she didn't get how cool it was. She's still got that look in her eye, like she wants to eat my entire face off.
That look is doing things to me.
I'm glad the trope that the repressed ones are the most freaky is alive and well.
I grab her by arm and pull her out of bed. "Come on, if you are coming on this raid, you have a lot of stuff to do."
We shyly get ourselves dressed and I drag her down into Gestalt's basement, where Sophia has a very bad time, involving slugs and eyeballs.
'Hey,' I thought to Gestalt while waiting for Sophia to regain consciousness.
[Yes?]
'You said that the slug in me was actually attached to you, right?'
[Yes, that is correct.]
'Is it one of those tendrils coming off your body?'
[Yes, this one.] They start wiggling one of the tendrils near the top of the slug part of its body. I feel the slug wrapped around the base of my brainstem pulsing.
'Oh God, that's gross! Please stop!'
[And now you know.] I could feel them smirk.
I rub the back of my neck, even though I talk to Gestalt all the time, I kinda forgot they have a brain slug back there.
'Can I set up a group chat with Lillian and Shiv?'
[Yes. Done.]
Huh, yeah, I can feel it, very weird. I pull at the chat with the edge of my mind.
In the time it takes to have that conversation and drink a cup of tea, Sophia regains consciousness.
"Oh god, that was horrible." She said.
"Yes, it is. But you are past the worst of it." I replied.
That gives me an idea.
The emotional payload floors Sophia. She has to sit down. She doesn't speak for a bit, doesn't even look at me. I'm starting to worry. I know my emotions concerning Sophia are a bit stronger than normal.
She looks up at me with her hand over her heart. "Is this how you feel about me?" she asked.
I just nod dumbly, nervous that I have emotionally u-hauled her.
She smiled and opened her arms for me. "Come here," she said. I lowered myself down to join her embrace.
[No. Nope. Matters of the flesh are distasteful. You are not sullying my lab with your deviences. Go do that somewhere else, please.]
We giggled and left Gestalt in peace.
***
I left Sophia to study up on the Turn Undead spell. I caught a train towards Maria's house, which isn't too far from the Academy.
I'm not sure how I feel about the conversation I'm about to have. I originally thought Maria was a cop. Now I think Maria is closer to a mob boss.
But neither role fits her 100%. The Maria I know is kind and loving. She went out of her way to help me. But I have seen her calculated side. The city is a gang-infested shit hole, and Maria sits at the top. But she does care. Maybe she inherited a shitty position and is trying to make the best of it? Though I doubt she inherited it. She probably fought tooth and nail.
Well, I guess I'm about to find out soon enough.
I knock on the main doors of Maria's house. Which is kinda weird, it feels like my house too. But I don't have a key… Maybe I should ask for one?
The maid Susan opens the door. "Hello? Ohhh it's you Tangerine? What are you doing here. Are you here to see Emily?"
"Hello Susan," I smiled. "Maria, actually, is she in?"
"Yes, yes. Don't stand on airs, follow me."
I followed Susan up the main stairs towards one of the upstairs lounges. Maria is sitting there, a glass of wine in one hand and a bunch of boring-looking papers in the other. Looking like quite the fucking mommy. Damn. Wait, is this cheating on Sophia? Nah, appreciation is fine, right?
"Ma'am, someone's here to see you." Susan announced.
"Yes?" Maria said, looking up from her work. "Oh, Tangerine! It's wonderful to see you. Are you having a good time at the Academy? Are you eating enough? You are looking very thin. Susan, would you be a dear and set up an extra plate for Tangerine?"
"Of course, Ma'am." Susan said, before scurrying off.
Maria stood up and pulled me into one of her famous hugs. I'm not even sad anymore, and I still feel the sobs building up. I swear her hugs have magical powers.
"We haven't spoken in so long. How are you doing with everything?" she asked me.
"Things are going well. Err, really well, in fact?" I said.
"The nun?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.
"How did you know?"
"You do have a bit of a one-tracked mind, Tangerine."
Fair. "Yeah, I guess that's true. Um, yeah, I think we are courting now? Like, exclusively."
"Oh, congratulations, Tangerine! I do like her a lot, I think she will be good for you. How did it happen?"
"I don't really know. I knew she liked me for a little bit, but I wasn't really making any progress. But then she had one conversation with Daisy, and that seemed to change everything."
"Daisy?"
"Yeah, Daisy, honestly, I was as surprised as you are."
"She is an extremely switched-on girl," Maria seemed to consider something for a moment. "Well, it is certainly wonderful news. Did you not bring her with you? We could welcome her to the family.""
Welcome her to the family? Woah! A: I'm family. B: They really don't play around with courting here, do they?
"Ah no, Sophia is working on a turn undead spell back at the Academy. That's part of the reason I'm here."
"An interesting spell choice," she said, making herself comfy on her seat and offering me one opposite. "Please."
I take a seat. "I need three more of those safe house coins."
"What for?" she asked.
"Actually, it might be better if I just show you."
'Gestalt, can I like, zip up all the plans and yeet them across?'
[That's certainly novel. I don't see why not.]
I refocused back on Maria, "Here, take a look at this."
"I don't see anythin…" Maria started.
"Ugh," Maria finished. "Oh, what the hell's that tangerine?"
"A zip file. Did you get it all?"
"You're planning a raid? Gestalt can do this?"
"To be fair to them, this was the first time we tried that. Seems to have worked okay, though?"
Maria rubbed her face. "There is so much untapped potential in that hive mind," she mumbled to herself. "Okay, I see, you need coins for Shiv, Lillian, and Sophia." She paused for a brief second. "You are bringing a nun on a raid?"
"I'm not in love with the idea, but she's right. We need a light mage to stop whatever undead backup plan the Necromancer has."
"I must say, you have taken to life in the city far faster than I ever thought you would. It normally takes Rift Walker students a year or two before they understand their real roles. We still have a number of fourth years that still don't get it."
Oh, thank God. I was right.
"Well at least they remain safe in the academy. But you, I see, already want to spread your wings. I commend that. Come to my office tomorrow, I will prepare your coins. But Tangerine, for now please keep all your activities inside the city. Also, the Academy will claim a thirty percent cut of all spoils.
"Your first raid. You are growing up so fast," she said with a smile.
***
I had a lovely dinner at Maria's house before heading back to the Dorms.
I ended up having an early night.
Many kisses and much hugs were had.
***
***