I do not own Chaotic nor anything related to it. It belongs to TCDigital.

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The Things We Can Do While Alone

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Five days ago. Sett and Ashley's decision to get married happened five days ago. They haven't actually gotten married yet, that will have to wait until Theb-sarr receives the marriage permit request.

I'm limping up the stairs to my bedroom from training at the barracks. I'm still hurting from the beating Mudeenu gave me the day after I skipped out on training, but honestly, it was worth it.

I make it to my door... our bedroom door, and I push it open. There's Isis, sitting on the bed and holding Hera in her arms, and sitting next to them is Joalle, Hera's orange-scaled wet nurse.

Isis looks up as I walk in and smiles. "Hello, Michael."

Joalle looks at me and suddenly vanishes from sight. I'm kind of used to her disappearing acts now. She's still here, of course, but apparently the best servant is an unseen one. Only servants with jobs requiring being visible are allowed to walk around without disappearing.

"Hello, Isis," I reply. I nod to the empty air next to her. "Joalle." I sit down next to Isis and look in her arms. "Hey there, Hera."

Hera is staring at the place Joalle used to be with wide eyes. Eventually she'll be able to vanish at will as well, but for now it's as mysterious to her as it is to the Humans.

Isis tilts her head towards my desk. "It's here," she says.

"It is?" I stand up, careful not to startle Hera, and head over to look at my list. The only paper there is titled "Marriage Permit" and has Sett and Ashley's names on it. There are some other words, but they're not important right now.

I turn to Isis and hold the paper up. "Sorry to leave as soon as I came, but I'm needed in the ritual room in ten minutes."

Isis nods. "It's better that Sobtjek isn't kept waiting."

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Third review of the words to say. Fussing over the robes I'm wearing. Shears brought in to trim some stray hairs. Ritual meditation.

An hour has passed, and finally I'm standing in front of Sett and Ashley, both wearing plain white tunics. Sobtjek and Shasta sit on the witness bench, Sobtjek in his muge's robes, and Shasta in a black shendyt. I'm wearing a gaudy, gold-colored robe that flows down to the floor. I'm trying to imagine Theb-sarr ever wearing something like this, and I'm failing, it's just too ridiculous.

The floor is mine. "Please kneel."

Sett and Ashley kneel. I hold a hand over both their heads. Since neither is of royal status, I start with Sett. "Sett, son of..."

"Alashaharak."

Oh boy. "Sett, son of..." I sound it out, "A-la-sha-ha-rak..." I glance up at Sobtjek, who motions for me to continue. "And Ashley, daughter of..."

"Emily."

I whisper, "Your father."

Ashley flushes red and quickly mutters, "Oh. Kevin."

"And Ashley, daughter of Kevin," I continue. "Tonight you will be joined together." I place a hand on Sett's head. "Sett, do you accept Ashley as your wife?"

"Yes."

I place a hand on Ashley's head. "Ashley, do you accept Sett as your husband?"

"Yes."

"Good. Please turn to face each other and take-"

Sobtjek motions for me to stop. I wait for Sett and Ashley to face each other, then say, "Take each other by the hands."

They do so.

I say my next to last words for this part. "By the strength of the Ancient Powers, I join you together. By the consent of you both, I join you together." It's not a royal marriage, so "the will of the king" is left out.

Then I stand beside Sobtjek. I take a breath to calm my nerves, then say, "You will now seal your marriage." I then sit down and prepare for the view to become incredibly awkward.

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The ceremony is over. Sobtjek, Shasta and I leave Sett and Ashley lying together in the room. The servants will take over from here.

I was right. It was incredibly awkward to watch. Not that Sett and Ashley were awkward. They were actually incredibly-

Stop. Bad Michael. No thinking about your friends like that.

I need to go to the bathhouse for a cleaning, now. It doesn't matter how it happens, it just needs to happen. I'm probably going to get scrubbed by invisible servants again. I'll never get used to the floating brushes and oil and everything...

Sobtjek and Shasta continue on while I'm herded into the bathhouse. I'm caught by surprise as I see someone already waiting for me in the dressing room.

"You can leave," Isis says as she grins at me. It's obvious that the words were meant for the servants. "I'll take care of things from here."

I vaguely notice the sound of footsteps leaving the bathhouse and slowly fading away, but right now my attention is on Isis. She's wearing a deep blue dress with no sleeves and a low-cut top, and the fabric is so thin that I can almost see right through it. She isn't wearing anything else underneath.

"Hi... Isis..." I say slowly, my eyes not quite making it up to her face.

Isis takes slow, delicate steps as she walks around me, and my head turns almost of its own accord, not letting her out of my sight. Isis drags the curtain above the entrance to the bathhouse closed, then takes one step towards me. She takes a hold of my shoulders and turns my body to face her.

"Do you like what you see?" Isis breathes, the air from her lips wafting around my face.

There's no apprehension for me now. We might not yet know each other as well as I'd like, but Isis is no stranger to me anymore. "I do," I say, a grin spreading on my face. "You're quite stunning this afternoon."

"Evening," Isis corrects before leaning forward and lightly brushing her lips against mine. "You, on the other hand, could use some work. That robe looks absolutely horrid."

I feel Isis's arms wrap around my chest, and her fingers begin to undo the knots holding my robes together. "I look like a bowl of mashed potatoes in this," I agree. "Feel like one, too."

One knot comes undone. Isis chuckles. "One day you're going to run out of words to say that I don't know the meaning of." There goes another knot. "Then you'll have to speak the same way everyone else in Perim speaks."

Another knot undone. My back is exposed to the cool air of the dressing room. A shiver crawls across my skin. "But the day I run out of new words is the day I'll run out of stories to tell," I tease.

"I'll have to deal with it when it happens," Isis counters with a smirk, and she silences me with a kiss. I feel cloth being pulled across my skin, and soon the ridiculous-looking robe flows off my body and falls to the floor in a pile around my feet.

Isis presses her weight against me as we kiss, and I step backwards, towards the curtain leading to the heated room. I fumble for the curtain's edge with my hands, find it, and push it aside. The hot air rushes out, enveloping us.

Isis pushes me inside and forces me down on the bench at the far wall, and our lips part from each other. "Keep your eyes closed," Isis whispers in my ear. I comply.

Moments later, Isis's hands touch my chest. Both hands are coated with cool cleansing oil. I inhale sharply at the temperature, then sigh as Isis spreads the oil around. She coats my shoulders, my arms, my sides, my stomach, my oh! My body shudders as Isis makes extra sure my nether-regions are well covered with oil. I grab the edge of the bench to keep from throwing myself on her, and my arms shake with the effort.

When I am completely covered there are several long, aggravating moments where I don't feel anything but the heat of the room, where I don't hear anything but the sound of my own breathing. Then I hear Isis's voice. "Open your eyes."

I open my eyes. Isis has removed her dress, and she's also covered in the cleaning oil.

Nope, I can't wait any longer. I reach forward a take a hold of Isis's waist. She lets out a laugh as I pull her forward, and soon she's sitting on my lap, facing me.

"It about time you showed some interest in me," Isis giggles. Then she gasps as I brush my lips across her breasts.

I lift Isis slightly, and she holds herself up while I move myself into position. When she and I are ready, I hold her hips steady and thrust my body up...

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How long were we there? I don't know. Isis doesn't know. Frankly, we don't care.

Isis and I lay on the stone floor of the heated bathhouse, her back against my chest, my hips against her rear... My arms are wrapped around her, meeting on the other side under her breasts.

Isis is the first to speak. "Promise never to be too nervous to talk to me again."

I reply, "I promise."

Isis speaks again. "Promise that when there can be time for me, there will be time for me."

"I promise."

Isis folds her arms and presses them against my arms. "Good."

"My turn," I say. "Promise to tell me when I start to become distant."

"I promise," Isis nods.

"Good," I smile.

Isis turns her head. "Only one?"

"I only needed the one," I say, kissing her cheek.

Isis giggles. "It feels like a dream, doesn't it? Like all of this is too good to be real."

Those words feel... dark... "But it's not, Isis... and don't you forget it..."

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Act II: Ascension is complete!

Act III: Invader is coming!

Up next: The Fledgling Talent

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Like I said before, Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.

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