Chapter 9: The plot thickens
"SUCK ON MY TAIL NERGIGANTE!" Ember bellowed, jerking in her ps4 controller as she viciously waved her arms up and down in an attempt to stay balanced with the gameplay.
Armen himself was nursing a throbbing headache from all of Ember's screaming, a part of him regretting giving Ember a video game he was so unaware that she would become so addicted to given the current irony that it was a video game about hunting and killing monsters(albeit the bizarrely realistic kind). She took no offense to it whatsoever like it didn't bother her, which was odd because currently she was ranting on about the janky hitbox of a certain extinction dragon, a dragon of all things. She was sitting here on this couch for two straight days, any normal human would collapse around this time, but a dragon...well that's a different story. He moved his locks away from his face, despite his misfortune he was happy seeing Ember so energetic after so long, but concerned at the same time, during his dates with the girls it was clear to him that they felt ousted, even with his attention, he'd realized the sad truth that they would continue to feel this way if he did not intervene or put them at ease in any way, he had to think of something.
"Dude this dragon ain't shit! LOOK AT THAT HITBOX! WHAT KIND OF RIDICULOUS LOOKING WALKING PINCUSHION LIKE THAT HAS THAT KIND OF HITBOX?! I WENT DIRECLY UNDERNEATH IT AND ITS LIKE "FUCK PHYSICS! IM GONNA HIT THE PERSON DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH MY DANGLING SHORT ASS TAIL BECAUSE IM BADDASS!"...fuck this thing, it's a joke of a dragon! It can't even breath fire! All it does it's hurl spikes at you! And it's supposedly be the eater of elder dragons?! I could eat this thing for breakfast if I wanted!"Ember ranted on and on about the dragon ever since she fainted three times in the game and failed the quest her first run through, however it was another eventual dive bomb from the furious beast that sent her over the edge. Ember roared at the screen, a very loud draconian roar, and not too uncannily her flexible tail found itself cracking Armen upside his face flipping him around the couch, landing on his cheek unceremoniously.
Armen sighed and gave the couch a light glare"stuck between a dragon and a hard place..." it was only the he noticed the shadow above him, he looked up to find a smiling crimson eyed vampire eyeing him hungrily, realizing where his head was, in between her slender legs garbed in white leggings, her smirk turned seductive and a blush appeared on her cheeks.
"~Naughty little boy~"she bent down, her flexibility allowing her to bend all the way down to his upside down face."~watch where your eyes wander, you might wander somewhere you'll never return from~..."
"Uhh?...eauh?" He drawled, his eyes snapping shut.
"Back off slut...can't you see he's busy with me?" Ember snarled, wrapping her tail around his leg lifting him over the couch"shouldn't you be screwing a gang of orcs something?"
Stella smirked, tracing a hole in thin air, ripping open a small wormhole, reaching inside and tearing another next to where Armen was on the couch.
"And why would I be doing that's when I have such an adorable willing slave right here?..."she snuggled into Armen's arm.
"Let go of him! RIGHT NOW!" Ember snarled, failing the quest in game, her face then being adorned with a blank stare at the screen and at Stella.
"Oooh...tough break.."she crooned deviously.
"Ember, calm down it's just a game..."Armen spoke softly, trying to get the control she was crushing on her fist out of it.
"MOTHERFUCKER!"She bellowed, hurling it at the television, putting a hole through it, the television screen going blue and crackling as it lost its transmission, going to white noise.
Armies sighs and holds his temples"oh for the love of god...now I need a new TV..."
"Armen..."ember slowly realized what she'd done, and tried to put a hand on his shoulder, to which he grabbed her waist and squeezed tight.
"EMBER SERIOUSLY?! You couldn't control your temper just once today?!"
"I...I'm sorry Armen...I don't mean to—"
"OF COURSE TOU MEANT TO! OTHERWISE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THROWN THE DAMN REMOTE! And destroyed my television! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH IT COSTS?!"
Ember was shivering with the chastising she was receiving, quivering like a 5 year old being scolded by a parent."I'm sorry Armen... I-I'm so sorry...I'm sorry..."
"Stop apologizing and just take responsibility for your actions ember!" He continued to unload on her, not caring that she was on the verge of crying, or the fact that she couldn't say anything and was holding her her with shame.
"Whoa easy there dragon tamer...I think she's had enough!"still pulled Armen's away from ember who was sniffling and tearing up, wanting to run away from him, somewhere, where she didn't have to be reminded how this sudden explosion of anger from him.
"Let me go Stella she needs to—"he slowly realizes why he'd done to her, he'd gotten so mad at her over something so meaningless, granted, she always had a short fuse, and maybe it was the lack of sleep. Still he shouldn't have acted this way around her, she didn't deserve it, not from a guy like him.
"Ember...I'm sorry I didn't mean to I..-" she stood up, her eyes snot visible and just left the living room, stomping up the stairs past Ariya and Astrea who were headed down after her, they both gave her confused states while she stomped past them, her face dripping with tears, her voice quivering, she slammed her door , audibly being heard wailing behind her door, into her covers.
Armen felt his heart drop, and his expression sink into apathetic depression.
"what is wrong with me?"
"Wow really did a number on her didn't you? I didn't think you could be the irrational one..."
Armen gave her a glare, and huffed out a chuff of annoyed air." If ember isn't the wind underneath my wings you'd qualify as a damn good replacement..."
Stella chuffed as well, licking her bottom lip with a sigh"look Armen, you overreacted...it happens...I think what you did was necessary, ember was getting a bit too complacent with her anger...she wasn't even trying to control her temper.."she looked down briefly at the second smashed half of the controller, the other with itself embedded In the television."look, maybe you should stay put down here...I'll go talk to her...she may not like it or even listen but that irrational, unpredictable fire spitter needs some desperate girl talk."
"Stella...I...are you sure that's a good idea? I-i mean we all know how she acts when she's like this..."
"Do you wanna take your chances tough guy? I'm sure she'd understand by burning you alive...or busting out the window to fly off to who knows where..."Stella stated matter if factly.
"Point taken..."Armen sighed, biting his lip with regret while he massaged his temples.
Stella giggled and pecked his cheek"take it easy cutie...I'll be quick as a bunny!" Stella got up and flapped to the top stair and waltzed down the hallway.
Meanwhile Armen sat on the couch impatiently tapping his foot, looking around his house with disconcerting eyes.
It was a junky mess and something he was never used to, despite having had the girls around for 3 weeks, he never got used to a junky house, living with four super-powered anthro beings was one thing, but clutter was a complete other! And it was even more odd given the fact that they were girls! The only of them who seemed remotely tidy was Ariya, and she barely came out of her room as it was, the noise, the mess, the shirts and bras everywhere and not to mention they were getting really lazy and dependent on him for everything, even grocery shopping was getting to be more than his patience could handle. There had to be something, something they could all do together, something that would help them bond and get to know eachother better not just pine for him, but to get comfortable enough to depend on eachother for a change. That's when it hit, What's one thing people can relate to and bond the most with activity wise? Camping! He could take them out for a couple of days, teach. Them some of the things he used to do with his father and his friends when he was little, go hiking maybe even roast marshmallows!
"Of course! It's perfect! A camping trip! But...how do I fix this situation with ember?"Armen though for a second, but unfortunately came to the realization that at this point she probably wouldn't even want to talk to him because of how upset she was, all he could do right now was trust Stella's intuition and girl instincts and did what he could spread the word of his plan.
Meanwhile Stella took to ember, cracking the dragon's door open it was so clear that she was in some kind of distress, her walls had claw marks raked through them, her dresser was smashed again and her bed was torn to absolute shreds, Stella let out a brief chortle and gazed at ember with a sneer, folding her arms and leaning against the doorway"now I see where this house's expense funds originate from!"
Ember tried not to address Stella and curled heels up further in her bed. Stella pick up on this and let out a sharp breath, biting her lip before it popped into her head. She waltzed up to ember and sat next to her"you know...when I first met him...I honestly didn't think much of him...or if anybody for that matter...I come from a line of bloodsucking monsters who's only end goal was propagation of our race...all because of that damn vengeful vampire ghost controlling the masses of new moon vamps as of late...point is ember!...it's alright that you feel this way, in the perspective of a girl it's hard taking an angered rant from your boyfriend..."
Ember sniffles and looks up at her"since when do you care about my feelings? Don't you want him too?..."
Stella take a deep breath and reveals"not in the way you think anymore ember...I gave up on him...because of you...now you're the only of us head gone so out of his way for to make happiest! I can tell that he cares about all of us very much...but he's truly in love with you however, I gave up because I know in the end he'll be so indecisive and just make us angry...so I'm saving him the heartache...besides...I knew it was a stretch to begin with and plus! Heh..came on a little too strong didn't I?"
"Tch...could say that again..."ember muttered quietly, yet sarcastically.
Though this statement made ember even more curious than before, she pulled her head out of her knees to look at Stella"if you know he's not in love with you...why are you still here?..."
Stella looks away for a second, finding interest in the walls for a moment before her wings twitched to get her attention and address the thick atmosphere she'd created with her incredibly heavy statement.
"I dunno really...maybe a part of me respects him for what he did for me, he was the super sweet guy who saved me from myself, for a woman that can speak volumes for a guy's character, especially me and maybe another part of me is still the same territorial monster who wants to court him and keep him all for herself..you can relate."
Ember was surprised by this revelation"yeah..I can...you know for a vampire you're quiet profound when you wanna be.."
Stella smiles"hey I'm just being myself...a cool gal...though I gotta say you impressed me still firespitter...that guy...you were so jealous and open about it when we were on dates! I mean wow! I've never seen you so possessive of Armen!"
Ember blushed and snorted out a smoke plume"can we not right now..."
"I'm serious! It really shows just how close you are, and how much he really loves you...ember... me and the other girls have been chatting...the fact of the matter is we all love him, but in different ways than you...you want him to be your mate don't you?..."
Ember's armored tail thumped against her floor and her chest pulsates with flames"y-yeah I do...really really bad..."
"Well, I'll tell you for future reference we'll give you some hell! But I above everyone will respect your love...because I respect you ember"Stella punched her arm playfully"so chin up dragon breath! Go back down there and be that cocky arrogant dragon again!"
"Stella...y-you're...you're awesome..."
Sells blushed and looked away"cmon don't get all mushy on me! I'm just doing what I have to as your competition and giving you false hope!"Stella muttered.
Ember giggled and responded"yeah sure bloodsucker! I guess I'll believe that for now!" Ember stood up with newfound confidence, looking around her room with nervousness" you think he'll be madder about this?.."
"Eh water under the bridge, I'll smooth things over! Head downstairs!"Stella urged.
"You got it batgirl!" Ember crooned happily blinding back down the stairs, leaving Stella's smile turned to a frown, sighing in ember's room, looking toward the rising sun outside of her window with what seemed like regret"...yeah...water under the bridge...I'm sorry guys...I'm not sure what to do now...I hope this is the right choice..."
—-
Stella made her way downstairs, still stuck in her own head contemplating something that had she stewed over for the longest time, she couldn't forget her mission, why she was here, she couldn't let Armen's charm get to her anymore, she was falling for him, and she shouldn't have been, it ate at her that she was letting herself be taken by his whimsy...she'd gone too soft.
"So yeah that's the deal!" Armen revealed the plan of the camping trip, an elaborate plan involving their collective teamwork.
"Camping you say?..."astraea remarks.
"O-out in the wild? W-with all kind of dangerous animal and rogue liminals?" Ariya whimpers.
"YUP! Just the beautiful rustic wilderness! Cmon girls it could be fun! It's a great bonding activity!"
The snake and the eagle both had looks of discontent and even fear on their faces, not exactly sold with the idea of leaving the haven of glorious technology and pampering.
Ember saw the look on their faces and giggled at the dark idea she was having, what they needed was some motivation, and she knew how to give it to them.
"How about we sweeten the deal? If you girls are willing to leave...and share the duties of setting up camp..."she cradled Armen to her large G cups snuggling him affectionately" then one of us gets to sleep with Armen in his personal tent...!"
Armen muffles out a protest before his pulls himself away from her ample bosom crying our an indignant" What!?"
"OH ITS ON FIRE SPITTER!" Astraea exclaimed, pumping her fists into the air, followed by Ariya with added vigor" YEAAAAAAAH WERE GONNA GET SNEKKY!" She exclaims, blushing beet red whole
She covered her face with her long tail.
"That's the spirit girls! OPERATION: FOREST FANTASY FUN BEGIN!" Ember exclaims happily.
All three girls jumped up for a high five while Armen stood by, sweat dropping while he sighed deeply.
"...seriously...why do I have to be the bargaining chip to get them to do things...?...if I don't get migraines from doing this shit it'll be too soon..."