The morning rose on another wonderful day in New Jersey. Namely, the suburban townhouse Lalu had taken residence in for the night. Alright, it was Virto's place, but doesn't hurt to introduce old settings in a new way…
He opened his eyes and stretched. He was always a bit lethargic when waking up on Monday mornings, sometimes using the opportunity to skip a class if he didn't have to go. He couldn't get away with it in high school, but with college, a lucky roll on virtual lessons, a small lie about technical difficulties, and a key press can garner him another hour.
"Like clockwork," Lalu said a matter of factly, muting the class once he had taken attendance. Among the crowd of virtual default icons, he only blended in. He turned back in his bed (well, Virto's bed), ready to sleep again, when seeing Issia still dozed off beside him. The way her dark, smooth skin glowered in the light coming in, the complex shadows made by bundles of curly, snow-white hair that covered her eyes partly. One of her hands was moving around on the bed, snaking around like she still had the body back in her world, looking around for Lalu's hand.
He almost couldn't believe she was real, reaching out to feel her face. His hand landed softly on the floofy follicles overflowing over her face. Her yellow eyes blinked once before her lamia-like slits faded to soft, pale yellow under black irises. "Morning Lao~" she said, reaching back. She touched her knuckles against Lalu's face, pressing a bit to siphon some heat off of his flustered face. "You were thinking that I was drowsy, weren't you?"
"Oh, I'm definitely a bit woozy right now~" Lalu said, scooting himself closer to Issia. "Morning, Issia~"
"Are you sure there aren't more Bunyips around where you live?" Issia asked, putting her purple-hinted brown skin against her husband's to compare. "Our complexions are awfully the same…more so than a lot of people I come across…"
"I'm telling you, I'm just Nigerian," Lalu said back. "No monsters over here. You don't have black people where you live?" she shrugged, not having an answer. "I don't move around often, and I will admit, you do look different in this world…"
"My friend is still working on it. What about it?"
"Nothing," Issia said, closing the last few millimeters in the sheets. She put her forehead against his, closing her eyes as she pressed her front against his. "I kind of like it more, actually. I get two Laos wherever I go~"
That sounds nice…" Lalu said. He started to fall back asleep, hugging around her back to keep them close. Before he could slip back into his dream, he felt Issia poke her nose. He opened his eyes again, seeing Issia still smiling at him. "Yeees?~"
"Oh, I wanted to tell you something, before we fell asleep again…" She moved her mouth closer to his ear. He could see the soft pink on her skin, her breath blowing through the tight wounds of his hair as she whispered, "Senpai, I'm pregnant."
"So exactly what happened again?" Virto said, using a stethoscope on Lalu's back. Lalu was scooted up against the bed's headrest, clutching the blanket desperately. He seemed unresponsive to finger snaps that happened in front of him, only turning his head to the two people hovering around him, only to go back to his hollowed state. "His vitals seem fine, he passed all the usual doctor checks."
"I don't know! We were just cuddling in bed and this happened!" Issia said. "Could I have done something?"
"If you did, there is only one person I know that could guess better." They took out their phone and dialed Leana, who was also currently sleeping through their 8 am class. Leana lifted her head out of her pillow, brushing aside her bed hair to answer the call. "H-hello? Virto? It's 8 am…"
"You both have classes right now," Virto said. "Either way, are you able to come over with your missed class time? I need your help."
"So, exactly what happened again?" Leana said, squatting down on the bed looking down to Lalu. She tapped his cheek, trying to get him to bring his attention up towards her. "Hey, hey buddy it's me…"
"I don't know. We were just cuddling in bed and this happened…" Issia said.
"I see," Leana said, turning around. "Well if it's nothing physical, it could have been something you've said. Sometimes, undergoing a shocking event or hearing something shocking can render someone immobile."
"Oh! Like when everyone else found out Chase was gay in high school!" Virto realized, dropping their fist in their palm.
"Right," Leana said. "I wonder if that jock ever got with that goth guy…anyways, anything in particular you said?" she asked the bunyip. Issia thought for a second. "Well, we woke up, lovingly…I told him he was beautiful, he told me I was pretty, I said I was pregnant…"
"Woah woah woah, what?" Virto asked, suddenly concerned.
"That sounds like a pretty heavy thing there at the end," Leana said. "You and him…"
"Oh no, I'm not actually pregnant!" Issia said. "I just wanted to see his reaction…was that a bad thing?" Virto and Leana looked at each other, then back to Lalu. Leana was the first to go up to him, whispering in his ear the new development. Instantly he started moving again, looking visibly relieved by the news he was getting. He got up and went to Issia, holding her hands with his own. "So you're not pregnant?"
"Not at all. I guess I just wanted to joke around a little," Issia said with disappointment. "I thought you would be erm…more excited than that."
"I- n-no, I'm still in college," Lalu explained. "I was just shocked because I was thinking it happened so soon!"
"Shocked is an understatement," Virto whispered to Leana, getting a snicker out of her. They both stopped when Lalu turned around, glaring ominously. "Don't you two have somewhere else to be?"
"Smh, alright, Mark Anthony," Leana said, walking out of the room with Virto.
"Really? This is usually around the time when it does happen for me," Issia responded. Lalu turned back to her, his undivided attention back towards her. "That's my bad then, I should have read the room."
"Hard to read a room you've never been in," Lalu said. "Although that was a scare, yeah."
Issia: "Are we still going to go sightseeing today?"
Lalu: "Of course. You couldn't do anything that would stop that, baby girl."
Leana (from outside the room): "Except have his kid!"
"I said shutup!" Lalu yelled to the wall next to the hallway. "Jesus, why do they have to be so annoying sometimes…"
After a quick stop by home, Lalu took Issia on a walking tour, showing her many of the unique things Earth had to offer. Sure, there was no blood-red moons (usually) and there were no mamono…..
"I've never seen so many humans," Issia said, actually unnerved by the amount of people milling around that didn't have any extraordinary bits on them. To the point where she would sometimes walk ahead, using the chance to pat the grass, wave her hand through the air, anything to check for elementals that could be milling around. Lalu could only snicker, watching her tried to start a conversation with a well-looking patch of sod. "I'm starting to understand this humanization spell now," she said. She especially shuddered when she saw a church, walking on the opposite side of Lalu while they passed it. "Where are the castles? What is with all the…odd clothing?"
"It's just what we wear over here," Lalu said, using a finger to hook the collar to his orange shirt up. "No need for all that overhead. Just a good set of cargo shorts and some polo shirts."
"My outfit doesn't scream 'polo shirt'," Issia said, looking down at her clothing. She wore a light brown jumpsuit, the closest thing that could fit the 80s curls that streamed up and halfway down her body.
"Well, it was either that or finding a way to tie or trim your hair, but I don't know what that will do to your bunyip coat."
"The yeti in me should cancel it out," Issia said shrugging, looking around for anything interesting. She saw a firework suddenly go up over the houses, exploding in an array of sparkles. It didn't look as wonderful during the daytime, but it meant something other than walking down rows of houses! She looked towards Lalu, who saw the explosion after the initial whistle. "Looks like there's a little fair going on," he said, turning to Issia. "I guess we know where we are going next." She nodded as if it was a casual change in plans, but she was glad that he could almost read her mind, as it seemed.
They hopped on a bus that took them across a few more stretches of houses, a mall, and a bridge, but got off just a block away from the carnival. A few rides could be heard from their stop, but the music was loud enough to attract them like moths regardless. 10 dollars, and they were in, the smell of popcorn and frying oil hitting their nose like a boxer's glove.
"This is amazing!" Issia said, feeling overloaded by how much activity was going on around them. There was never a quiet moment, as a ride and a scream could always be heard. If they weren't near the small drop tower and ferris wheel, they were around plenty of party games, where large stuffed animals hung like well-cooked salmon.
"Do you two have tickets?" A lady in one of the carnival worker shirts said. They nodded, and they both received cups full of blue-colored water. "Gatorade, on the house! Everyone gets a free complimentary drink with admission tickets."
"Oh, thank you," Lalu said, waiting till the lady was out of sight to give his drink to Issia. "Here, I know sea creatures need the water more than humans.
"Thank you!" Issia said, drinking the Gatorade. Lalu nodded and waited for the carnival lady to disappear before handing Issia his own drink. "Here, I was wondering if you still needed water for breathing a bit."
"I don't think Bunyips breathe through gills, but alright," she responded back, happily taking the second cup. She loved the taste of blue lemon water rolling around her tongue, sticking it out to Lalu to show the now blue-stained taste buds. "Bleeh!"
He just rolled his eyes and smiled, pulling her along to get into a line for the Ferris Wheel. It was a long line, but by how many people exiting were giggling and goofing along with each other, the experience seemed to be well worth it.
It wasn't even a few minutes later that Issia started to feel a headache. She shook her head a bit while she stood in line, rubbing her temple in distress. Lalu noticed and turned around. "Are you alright?" he asked, placing his hand on Issia's temple. She nodded yes and kept her head up straight. "I think this sun is just getting to me…"
"We're in New Jersey, but I guess the air isn't as fresh as it could be. It's not too hot though…" Lalu said. The line was moving slowly, but now it was steady, as people were starting to get off of the Ferris Wheel. Before they knew it, they were the next group of two up to take their place in one of the carriages. They lifted their hands to allow the ride worker to close the carriage they were in, give a spill on how to not be a dumbass on the ride, and then allowed them to start moving up towards the sky. Issia leaned against Lalu's shoulder, thankful that they could finally sit down somewhere.
"You're not looking too hot," Lalu said, seeing the sweat bead on Issia's forehead. His concern grew the more her state was setting in. She tried playing it off for a few more seconds, but gave up, sweating like a track and field athlete as she collapsed again Lalu. "I'm not, feeling too well…"
"Issia!" He exclaimed, comforting her and taking her temperature. She was burning up, yet the ride was barely a quarter of the way through. Lalu tried waving down the operator, but he was busy attending to the people constantly getting on and off. "Oh fuck…um, hang in there Issia," he said, going back to trying to keep her under wraps. He pulled down the zipper on her jumpsuit, but it did little to stall the damage. "I don't know what happened!"
"I do," went a newfound feminine voice. He turned and saw the carnival lady who gave them drinks earlier, smiling and leaning off one of the supports of their carriage. She used the side doors as a platform to stand on. "My my my, I didn't expect only one of you to drink the potions. Don't you two have mothers to teach you never to accept drinks from a stranger?"
"Who are-actually, how the fuck did you get up here?" Lalu said.
"Typical humans, asking the wrong questions," She said, swinging herself inside. Lalu, not having much space to work with, turned to the side. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her!"
"Oh, I assure you, I don't need to~" She said. "What she drank was…well, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, but let's just say that there is…nothing on Earth that could alleviate her condition~" Lalu, looking down at Issia's labored breathing, looked back up with pure hatred and growled. "What do you want," he asked through tight teeth.
"I'm glad you catch on quick. I only need you to come with me, so we can help your soulmate, and you as well~, she said, looking outside. "And you better hurry too. Once we get down, the commotion in her could bring her to a hospital, and we don't keep the cures in New Jersey." The ride paused again. The carriage before them was now exchanging their passengers, meaning there was only a moment left before they will be back on the ground.
"Tik. Tok," the faux employee said, giggling again.
"Fuck you," Lalu responded to tide him over while he debated. Issia was barely struggling now, only lightly gripping her mate's hand while her eyes slowly lost their vibrant glow. If only he had more time! He could call up the gang and go into the obvious trap on his own terms. There was only one way to go, but without his friends or his weapons…it pained him so much to agree.
The carriage slowed down one last time at the very bottom. The operator slid down his Beats headphones and went to it peering inside, but saw nothing. "Huh?" he uttered. "Swear I put the dude and dudette in there…"
Lao was shoved into a small, 3-star-looking bedroom. His blindfold was taking off, showing that the Gatorade lady was now a blue-skinned succubus. A larger, more muscular orc wearing a leather bra and an open full-body coat was carrying Issia's body, her tail limply dragging along as she could barely lift her head.
"Of course this fucking happens," Lao said, rolling his eyes. "What's next, my hands and legs are bound to chains on the ground?"
"Actually no! I had them change from anything involving bondage after I found out you were dark-skin. No collars, no whips, any punishment or action inflicted on you will be done in good, color-conscious faith!" The succubus said in a very proud manner before her expression switched to being more smug and lewd. "Is that progressive enough for you, snowflake?~" she asked voraciously.
"Girl, I wasn't even gonna take it that serious…." Lao said blandly. "Probably joke about it once or twice…"
"Better to cover my bases," she shrugged. Either way, force fields are the better option. Not like you can do anything with your bare hands, isn't that right I'Xen?" The orc grunted and started walking away with Issia. Lao dashed for the door, only to crash into the force field that was mentioned seconds ago.
"I literally just said a force field was up!" The succubus said, shaking her head in disappointment. "Honestly, I thought humans have at least gotten smarter…"
"You aren't…going to get away….with this…" Lao wheezed, having knocked the window out of himself when crashing against the field. He still pushed against it, but like a boxy convertible from the 50, it wouldn't budge.
"Oh, but I already have! And unless you want your next visit with your beloved to be your last, I would advise you think carefully about any other foolish…" She looked Lao up and down, clearing her throat. "...monkey business." Lao shook his head with silent disapproval. "Shut up wojack, you at least have to admit that was a good one."
"Ok Frieza," he replied.
"I'm not- you know what, I don't have to take this slander. I'Xen! We. Are. Out!" Lao watched as the succubus and orc left the room, the orc taking one last look at the captive knight before nudging the door of clothes with her foot. "Welcome to the wolf covenant," she said quietly before walking away herself. The surrounding barrier expanded, now filling the entire room since the only door was now locked away. "I wonder how much of her 'recon' was just scrolling through social media," Lao questioned to himself. He hit the barrier one last time and went back to sit on the bed.
At first he sat, waiting for whatever they had planned for him. However, nothing seemed to be coming through the door any time soon. He started digging around, looking for anything he could use to escape the room. However, the only other objects were toiletries and the single book in his dresser, and he didn't necessarily have an alchemist's mind, or a pocket Virto (anymore). To be sure he checked his street clothes for anything, but there were no hidden Mcgyvers stowed away. His phone was also lost somewhere….
He sat on the bed and opened the small book, wondering if this was the Sasha's Inferno that one guy was talking of earlier. After a few pages he figured it wasn't, but he did have a pretty good guess as to what it really was…
"Cult lore is crazy; not going to lie," he said to himself as he turned another page.
Glory to the wolves of liberation, we say! We don't know how many scores ago they came together, but our mighty leaders founded this sanctuary as a safe haven to practice the primal ways of communion. Praise to be the wolves, that defended us against the onslaught of the order! Praise to be the wolves that gave us a second life, a second chance, a second family. A true family, bound by blood and magic, that only moves as one alpha. There is no 'I' in wolf…only in ignorance.
- Wolf Jamie
"Wolves go crazy," Lao uttered, scratching his blonde hair. He ended up using more force than needed and seemed surprised when his fingers weren't getting stuck like they usually do on earth. "Dang…" he uttered, wondering if his hair was 1c or 2a when the door opened once more. It was I'Xen, pounding her fists together to let him know no funny business. "Up, runt," she said, ready to pick him up and drag him if needed.
"Is this the part where you say this was all an elaborate sponsorship ad?" He asked. The orc grimaced and shrugged. "Don't care about that shit. Only thing you will be doing today is gathering."
"What about my wife?"
"What of her," I'Xen asked back. "She is stable, isn't she? Just do what we say, and plugs don't have to be pulled. That is the saying correct?" She chuckled at her remark, getting bored when Lao stopped reacting. "Alright, up!" she said, taking out brass knuckles. She didn't have to show Lao twice. He jumped up, being escorted to an assortment of mamono, all outfitted with gear better suited for capturing prey or school of fish. "Here," a random fennec said, handing Lao a net and rope. "You will make a good trapper!"
"Well, if it's hunting game…" Lao started saying. From what he had read so far, it seemed to add up to a group of extremely passionate wolf enthusiasts. Quirky for sure, did not necessitate kidnaping him and Issia definitely. Easier to handle until he can get Issia back? Thankfully.
He went out with a Ratatoskr and a Siren for his group the two seemed to know what they were doing, so all he had to do was carry equipment and hope for the best.
"You must be the new wolf!" the ratatoskr went. "The founding four foretold of a day where you would join…"
"Don't worry, she says that to everyone," the siren added. "Although, if you are here, then trust me, you are in the right position, wolven brother." The harpy, for lack of being able to do a proper snug embrace, perched herself on Lao's shoulder. "You may be a man, but our guild is inviting to all lost, forgotten, and willing souls. I mean, unless…" she leaned in closer to Lao, her head almost touching his hair.
"I assure you, I'm fine."
"It's a new addition to the ceremony, but we have been able to control the process if you wanted," the siren said. "Although going the other way has proven to be difficult. I hear the founders knew of someone that could figure out the way, but without their presence, all we have to go in are their writings…"
"Hey," the ratatoskr said in a hushed tone. The siren hopped down and started crotching, and Lao did the same. They snuck up behind a bush, where Lao could see the orange light of a fire landing on the small shrubbery leaves. "Bariee, what do we have?" the ratatoskr said, preparing her gear. "Do you wanna try talking to it this time?"
"I could give it a shot! You were always better at the lure though," the siren said back. She flew up to the sky, disappearing above the treeline. It wasn't long until a large crash was heard on the other side of their opaque cover, and the shriek sounded like it had come from something small. "Let's go!" the ratatoskr said, scurrying over to assist. Lao was slower; but when he came around, the sight nearly stole the legs from under him. A little girl, looking no younger than 9, had been ensnared in the trap. She was doing her best to squirm away, but the two mamono kept her limbs pinned down. "Hey, come here and hold her, I need to get to sleep!" the ratatoskr said. Lao stayed planted in his spot, not wanting any part of what was unfolding. He had half a mind to break it up as well. They both just realized, and the ratatoskr fumbled around until taking a small fang out. She pressed it into the child's neck. Almost immediately the girl went under, falling asleep and leaving herself vulnerable in the bag. "Don't worry, you will join our ranks soon," the siren said, comforting her with her wing as she went under.
"What was that?" the ratatoskr asked Lao frustratedly. "The plan was for two of us to hold down the catch while one of us handled the sedation! She almost got away because of your inaction!"
"That isn't a catch, that's a little girl," Lao said accusingly and sternly. "That isn't right at all!"
"Ugh, I knew you were too new for this," the ratatoskr said. "You don't understand at all! Didn't you read the book?"
"I don't need to," Lao said, having made up his mind, tightening the grip on his own net. "Neither of you are getting away with this."
"Then let me brighten your head," the ratatoskr said as the siren came up beside her with the bag held within her mouth. "I'm guessing your wife is still somewhere in our sanctuary? I'Xen told us everything. Just imagine the news that two wolves were hurt during today's hunt…"
"Damn…" Lao swore under his breath. He clenched his teeth, struggling to keep his hands closed as the two passed him by. If only he knew where his wife could be hidden, he lamented inside his head. Of course, without the agency, all he could do was follow along in defeat, looking at the closed eyes of the child they captured.
After they came back to the cult's compound, he was escorted back into his room. No sooner did I'Xen toss him back towards the bed did the barrier go back up around his room. Only she overshot, and Lao ended up going over the bed and rolling onto the floor. "Ow! Watch it!"
"Maybe next time, I will consider aiming," she shrugged, leaving him and closing the door. To double-check behind the barrier, he brushed himself off and knocked while his aura did some healing. Sure enough, he couldn't break through against the protection.
"Issia, hang in there…" Lao said, flopping back onto his bed. He decided to do some more reading up on the cult. Maybe if I keep reading, I can find something to exploit… he thought, his mind going back to the first time Ola taught him how to steal people's data.
"The key is to be patient and wait before action," Ola said, as he showed him all the packets of data that were coming in through his computer. They were sitting in a Starbucks, as their mom made him take the three friends out. Lalu had already gotten his hot chocolate, and Virto and Leana were still standing in line for their drinks. "Mostly because I'll get arrested if someone happens to catch us and complain, but because there is always some weakness in every laptop here. And if you see one immediately, there's usually a better one."
"I suppose I could say the wolves have decided to give me a pardon, but that probably wouldn't work…" Lao thought, coming across another testimonial…
Four is the greatest number a sister wolf can come across. Legends have it that the founding wolves were of four. Four beings of the highest power came together to create the very sanctuary that saved me to this day. I remember standing in this very spot, among the first of initiates to receive the blood of exodus. The third eldest poured down my gullet, while her personal disciples chanted the song of invigoration into my soul. Even when recalling this, I can still feel that hand reassure me on my head…
- Wolf Paulina
He was a bit confused, but right then, an idea found itself building itself in his head.
"HELP, HELP!" Lao yelled, frantically banging on the doors. He took breaks here and there but did his best to keep up the franticness until someone came across and, tiredly, knocked back. "Shut up! We have better things to do than to listen to you!"
"But I need to use the bathroom, there's no bathroom here! Please!" He kept banging and banging until a snarl stopped him. He waited a few minutes, and was about to start again when he heard a group of footsteps come closer. The barrier came down, and the door opened. Immediately, two members came around him, pointing weapons as a third came with chain cuffs for his hands. "Hold out your hands, demon," she said, Lao slowly lifting them up. He had questions about why he was being called a demon, but he decided to hold off until he was actually in front of a toilet.
The trio escorted him through the halls. He was able to see that the moon had come out now, and that the trees looked weirdly tropical for where he usually roams. "Stop staring at the garden, it is rude to gaze your eyes upon it!" Said one of the weapon-holding members. Lao gave them a weird look, and they stared back until letting a smirk slip through. "I am playing with you, but focus, you look like you're planning something, demon."
"I'm not a demon but ok…"
"Yes, you are," said the third member. "Your presence threatens the pack hood, thus you are a threat to us. We have no idea what you could be planning at this very moment…"
Oh you have no idea, Lao thought sarcastically. One of the doors he passed had a lot of candles inside. It was for a split second as they walked by, but he also thought he saw….
"Stop him!" the third member said. The two tackled him before he could get inside the door, although Lao only intended to reach a good view of the inside. He was dragged away however, leaving him with only another 2-second thought to piece together the room. "He musn't interrupted the ceremony!"
"What, are you trying to summon? Satan?" Lao jokingly asked, wheezing when the "wolves" on top of him pressed into his lungs.
"Of course you would say that demon," the third member said with more disdain than usual. When they paused, Lao almost found himself tripping over the coat. "Hey, you could at least watch your clothing!"
"Induction is a very serious thing, and onlookers are not welcome," they continued, not bothering to answer the last line. Lao nodded silently. Besides, if he was right, that was the same girl his group had captured earlier, now forced to wear a robe that hid her body, while other hidden figures did who knew what to her. I'll have to come back for her later, Lao thought, being taken the rest of the way to the bathroom. He was sure he could escape right now, but he needed to play the long game. For Issia's sake.
Two waited outside the communal bathroom, but one would go in with him, and be directly behind him while he did his business. It helped that he really did have to go to the bathroom, but the amount of awkwardness he felt from a cult member watching him pee made him want to crawl into the walls. They were a silent camera, the sound of their feet not even visible as he rushed through everything and finished washing his hands, coming back out to put on the cuffs. He was hesitant though; he knew he needed more time to figure out a way to roam free.
"Say, you have any other things I could do around here?" Lao asked. He figured being straight up would get the best a-
"As if we would trust a demon to not mess anything up around here!" was the answer awaiting him. Drat…well, time for plan B.
"I just figured it could use a New Order touch right?" Lao said as he was getting escorted back to his room. To the worst place to be. "I am very skilled with combat, I'm sure I could help in defenses!"
"That would give you access to weaponry," went one of the weapon-wielding members.
"You must think we are dumb, don't you?" went to the other.
"I'm just saying, it doesn't have to be that either, it could be training, it could be…" a light bulb went off in Lao's head. "Education!" All three of the escorts looked at each other, confused.
"It never hurts to have a teacher on hand. You don't need to give me any real weapons, but I can teach whatever you need me to!"
"That idea would never go, and you just want to escape!" the leader guiding him by the cuffs said. Lao smirked, and chuckled a bit, only to feel something sharp point at his shoulder. "Well, I could prove it. For one, notice your surroundings. Imagine if I was merely sleepy and…" Lao faked a yawn and took an abnormally large step towards the escort leading, his foot landing hard on the tip of her robe. However, instead of turning around irritated, they yelled in pain as she fell forward. Lao then kicked one of the escorts behind him backward into a wall. They hit it and slide slowly down the wall, until landing in a crumple on the ground.
The third was the only one to be able to parry, Lao just trapped their hand in the cuff and kicked them in the shin, they went falling down to one knee, where he unveiled the blue-skinned woman behind the hood. She had dark blue wolven ears sitting on her head, and her eyes were slowly turning into silts. "See? I proved it."
"Unhand me from your cuffs, that isn't normal!" She said, struggling to stand back on her feet with Lao pressing her down into the ground. "We took away your weapons, your strength, you shouldn't be able to move like this!" He shrugged and switched his hands to her neck, forcing her on her back. All of a sudden she was able to move her own arms again, but she was quickly losing the air she needed to do it.
"It's all simple really," Lao said, noticing a nick of blood on her shoulder blade. Believing it was from the cuffs accidentally scratching a bit of her skin off, he licked it up, rolling it around his tongue before continuing. "Your 'leader' if I could call them that, was either a dragon or an inari. Either way, stepping her tail seemed like a good way to keep her stunned for a bit. And your partner right there, was definitely some type of bird. She was way too light following me around, so I figured a good kick would do well either way. You seemed to be the only wildcard, so I needed that step to get away from whatever you were digging into my back with," Lao said, narrowing his eyes. He stopped talking, watching her struggle under his grip. Looking down, he could see the dagger she was wielding. But…
"In fact, I don't think you're struggling at all," Lao said. Even with the firm and certain chokehold, he had kept his face out of range of any surprise attacks. Even after the explanation as well, the cult woman he had under grasp was still squirming her body, long after the point of slowing down. Lao saw how she seemed to realize, and slowly, stopped moving until it became a staring contest. The fear and desperation in her eyes left as she realized the act was dying, her eyes stood as still as her body.
He saw something wriggling in the corner of his view, but even with the suspicions, he ended up being too slow. A blast of slimy water hit his face, burning his eyes as he got up. He staggered back a few steps before falling on his own ass, holding his hands over his eyes while he moaned in pain. "Pointless, pointless, pointless…" she said, getting up as emotionlessly as a zombie from a graveyard. More squirmy blue appendages appeared from her back and torso, tossing drops of slime or water down to the ground as they shifted around like cutworms.
"Your striving is pointless!" Her head turned upward, her eyes now akin to the small black pupil against gray-yellow he would see in a wolf. Veins pulsed in her head, as tentacles rushed out and pinned him against the wall. He collided against it, feeling a small shock go through his body as hit it. "It doesn't matter about anything you said, if you can't even harm an undine!" she said, casually walking up to him. She picked up her dagger, stalking closer like she was seeing cornered prey. Lao turned his head and tried picking up his arms off the wall, but the grip just got harder and pinned him in place. "Please, I ask for forgiveness!" Lao pleaded. "Just don't rape me!"
"Rape? That is only something for you demons to do," the cult undine said, her eyes wiggling in anticipation. "No, we have something better that you could do. If you can't be controlled, then another lifeless body for rituals wouldn't be too bad of a return."
"Hell no, that's way worse!" Lao shrieked. He turned his head as she got within embrace distance, the knife showing no signs of slowing down. "Although," he whispered through a strained, panicked breath. "You would need to keep your hands materialized to hold that knife, wouldn't you?"
"What?" she said, as he hooked one of his feet around her ankle and pulled her even closer. The knife, with no force put into it, nicked him and then went flat against him as her body would awkwardly morph around him. He couldn't get the pin, but that was exactly what he expected.
"AAAHHHHHH!" went her shrill voice as her body made contact with the barrier. He could feel it hurt him too, but he fought to endure it as her body was racked with wave after wave of magical shocks. She eventually went down in a sloppy puddle, Lao finally released from her clutches to fall forward onto the ground. He held his chest, hoping his heart wouldn't stop beating before he could catch his breath. "The last thing you should have paid attention to," he said, "was how close were to my bedroom jail."
"Abatha!" he heard another voice. He looked around and saw the blue succubus from earlier, coming around with a small platoon of weapon-wielding cult members. They stopped just before the dragon, seeing her still shuddering on the ground from the hard stomp to her tail. Lao saw and got back on his feet, still ready to fight, even with the handcuffs squirming and chafing against his wrists. "Don't you know you have a wife at stake! We can cut off her healing right now!" Lao's body turned into a blur, zipping from where he was to right behind Abatha. He crossed his arms and put them around her head, letting the chain connecting his hands fall over the struggling dragon's neck before yanking them back tight and pulling her up with him. Now she was the one struggling to breathe, unable to get her claws under into the links to pull them away. The succubus, seeing his eyes, realized how he had been moving so fast. His eyes had changed to those of a wolf, probably from the blood he found from earlier.
"I don't believe she is another undine like puddle-sama over there," Lao said. "If I stay in that room, nothing is going to change. So either I do something different, or you're about to watch a very unsettling death." Lao pulled on the chains tighter, a tweak away from crushing Abatha's neck. Abatha reached out to the blue succubus, tears streaming down her face as her eyes began to roll up into her head. "El…der…" she struggled to say, losing life in real-time.
"Wait!" the succubus said, Lao stopping his vice grip against her neck. "We will hear you out…but if you think that you're going to get out of here like that alive-"
"Oh don't worry," Lao said, fully standing up straight. He still kept the chains of his cuffs around her neck, but now they weren't leaving imprints as they were before the dragonwoman could feel the burning in her lungs start to leave, going slump in his grasp from how weak she was at the moment. "I have other plans. I simply just don't want to trap anymore, that's all."
Lao was escorted to the succubus' office, seeing the old grandeur aesthetic he had seen so many times before. He started to wonder if these places also had contractors come in for specific models when he was pushed into his seat, in the middle of the room. Guards stood on both ends, making sure he could be swarmed from the front and back if he tried anything.
"Alright, you have won your decision, albeit from unnecessary means," she said, walking up to Lao. She even had her own weapon on at the ready, just in case. "You could have just asked."
"After you locked me up in that room the second time, I think that we were beyond communication," he responded, looking around the room like he had just gone over to his friend's house. "Wow…you have so many holes in here."
"Of course, we also recognize that you seem very perceptive," she said. "To discard three of our best guards while handcuffed…you obviously have experience." Lao looked down on the New Order emblem on his shirt, looking back up at her. "Gee, you think?"
"Quiet," she said, kicking up his chair a tiny bit, as if she was going to flip him backward. "I'm trying to say we could use a teacher like you!" Lao cocked his head as if he did not expect such an answer. "Go on…"
"You will be allowed to freely roam the sanctuary under supervision, then should room in your bedroom once the sanctuary calms down for the evening. Your new tasks will be as a combat teacher to the youth, so they can learn to defend themselves and guard this location from the outside world. Anything else will not be required of you."
"That sounds perfect," Lao said. "Except…I want to be able to see Issia."
She seemed on the fence about that from the moment they entered the room. Giving him free access to his wife was like letting someone know what they were getting for Christmas. One wrong move, and he could be very well out of here, never to return again. She weighed her options as Lao stared blankly. Like a marionette, his eyes were blank and unassuming, waiting for her to play her card. It was offputting…
"Under heavy supervision…" she said, talking slower so she could read him in real-time. But he never budged a striation from his posture. "...we could allow such visitation."
"Then the deal is done," Lao said.
"It's not done until I say it's done," she corrected. "You are still very much bound to that chair, and I can always change my mind and use your body for a sacrifice." Lao, not buying it, simply lifted his hands. The ropes that had been tied around him fell instantly to the ground, to the dismay and weariness of the crowd of guards around him.
"I….well you're still su-"
"Surrounded?" Lao finished for her. "There's a roof-vent-like thing up above. One jump and I'm already gone. And let's be honest, those three guards you had were not your best."
She clenched her jaw but didn't say a word. "All the more…why you should be teaching these young ones. We could use some more adult figures around this sanctuary regardless," she said, playing off the under-the-radar sneer. "Guards, take him to the classroom, let him get situated. I don't need to see his foolish arse no longer." Lao smiled like brimstone, keeping his eyes locked onto the succubus until he was out of the room. Since the new arrangements would need time, he was still taken back to his bedroom. As an act of goodwill, the barrier was taken down, allowing him to leave and go as he pleased, but now he had an around-the-clock rotation of guards that monitored him until shuteye. As he sank back in his bed, he was in a brighter mood, opening the little booklet he had been using to pass the time. He came across yet another entry in it that caught his eye-
The wolf of grace was like no other. Between the founding wolves and wolves of honor, the wolf of grace was most knowledgeable. If you needed guidance, the sanctuary's archives contain writings compiled by her and the other three most high. If only I could have been around to hear the words as they were spoken.
- Wolf Jabs
"So could I," Lao said, continuing through the entries. He wondered who the wolves were. They sounded pretty down to earth, so he wondered if they could be anyone he knew….
All of the wolves were equal, but the wolf of death always instilled the most fear into the hearts of us all. One would rather find themselves on the opposite end of a cyclops' skewer than gain her wrath. I remembered hearing stories from my elders of how her howls would summon creatures of her bidding. They rose out the water like the morning sun, and would tear anything that threatened to harm a hair on us. They even say that rather than bestow blood to drink, the wolf would bite your neck, wringing you to near death for the sake of glorious salvation…
- Wolf Juana
Nevermind.
As children were gathered into one of the sanctuary rooms for Lao, he was taken to the public eating house to get his food. It had just occurred to him that he hadn't even smelled a whiff of food, but smelling what was coming from behind the doors was about to get him to yank the cuffs off his hand. In five minutes, he had scared down to plates, calling it quits when he had gotten one of the steaks to try. He had only a quarter of it left, but it became more painful to push down another bite than it was worth savoring the taste.
"Heed, heed," One of the guards said, urging him to get up. "We do not need you falling into a meat coma the first day!"
"Urrrr…." Lao said, the area around his mouth a mess. After willing himself to the bathroom to freshen up, he came out and went into the class, the guards taking off his cuffs before he went in. He was changed into one of the robes of the cult, a burgundy red garment that gave him the strange, yet understandable urge to howl. Secretly hoping this wasn't a trap, he went to the front, seeing all the little children that had gathered about. Many of them had already been inducted, as evident by the face paint adorning their faces, but some were new and were in line in the meantime. "Welcome to..uh…Weapons 101!" He said. "I am your new teacher for the day, and…" he looked to his left, seeing the guards motioning him to continue on. "We…are..going to learn…how to defend yourself from outsiders?" The guards held thumbs up. Lao, seeming to have found something, decided to roll with it. "Alright, so can anyone tell me what is the first thing you have to do?"
A hand shot up from a robed kitsune first, wanting to take a stab at it. "You use your dagger!" I was not kidding, she quite literally wanted to take a stab at it.
"Nice try, but wrong. Anyone else?" A small boy went next, having his own answer. "We surround them and-"
"I don't mean to interrupt you, but you're already wrong," Lao said. As he looked around for more answers, his youth were alot more hesitant. "Anyone else?" he asked, to no more hands being offered up. "I wondered if you all would get anywhere close, but it seems like you guys aren't thinking logically enough. Because why would I be asking you all to be defending in the first place?" He caught the looks of the guards in the side of his peripheral vision, who seemed frantic. Guess that bit wasn't in the curriculum.
"But, member Gracie said that all Wolves must come to help if the sanctuary is threatened," a honeybee girl said to him.
"Well, that's stupid," he responded as a matter of fact. It was then that a hand was placed on his shoulder. It was one of the more seasoned cult members. "She requests your presence."
"WHAT ARE YOU TELLING THE CHILDREN?" The blue succubus yelled to him. "We give you the ability to move and you're already steering them off course?"
"Steering them off- wait, you actually send those toddlers to battle?" Lao asked.
"That isn't the point! From entering, we must ensure that our children know the importance of our group!" she said. "We all must be willing to die for what we want! For if we can't count on each other…" she looked up at the vaulted ceilings, as if almost reminiscing. "Then we will have…nothing…"
"Alright alright, I get it," Lao said. "Togetherness, cult stuff, yada yada, but by telling them they are the front lines? Doesn't that seem a bit too much for kids?"
"Well…" the blue succubus thought of it, her ears wiggling back and forth like they were werewolf ears. "No one has really opposed it the way you are now."
"So then, teach them to let the adults know first," Lao said. "Of course, it doesn't hurt to know a few things, but the first should be to get the elder members of the pack! Or however, you put it."
"Very well then. I'm sure that the founding wolves wouldn't mind such a change to the curriculum," she said. "But if you ever dare of trying to inspire a revolt from the inside-"
"Trust me, the last thing I want is to get involved with this place," he responded back.
"Well, once you have contributed sufficiently, we can let you and your significant go. But, just know we always have her as collateral in case you decide to waltz out of line."
"When will I be able to see here again?" Lao asked once more.
"We….are still working on that," she said, for the first time looking away. Lao narrowed his eyes but didn't press further. "As long as we both have an understanding…"
"Of course!" Lao said, crossing his legs. "As long as we both have an understanding."
That game of cat and mouse kept going for another week and so. The only problem was, that neither of them were too keen on being chased by the other. Lao would dodge teaching many aspects of the four wolves that he didn't like, while the succubus was weary about letting him too close to Issia. For now, they both met in a purely contractual middle to keep the piece. However, it didn't go on forever, as Lao was quickly running at the end of his patience.
"And remember to answer these sheets of paper before coming back tomorrow, alright?" Lao said, ending another class. As everyone went out, he handled out homemade worksheets full of additional problems he scribbled in his room. "Especially you," he told a harpy. "Are you sure you don't need help writing? I know you're still getting used to wings." She nodded along and went out, holding the paper by her mouth. He hesitantly nodded back. "Alright then, I trust you," he said with a thumbs up and a bright smile.
On the way out, some of the children ran into the blue succubus, to which each bowed and hugged before continuing on their way. "Awoo, mother Gracie," each one said as they passed her. "So, you're name is Gracie?" Lao piped up after the last one left the room.
"Right, I was hoping you wouldn't notice that," she said, fiddling with her tail. "But I suppose you can put a name to a face now, can't you? Knowing you, you probably already have some crazy plan to exploit from it, don't you?"
"I'm not thinking that far ahead…or maybe I am!" Lao said, faking a rush towards Gracie. She initially jumped back, then nervously laughed it off after realizing it was a ruse. "Oh, oh you're hilarious…" she said, rubbing the side of her head. "...right? You are joking right?"
"Oh, of course I am," Lao said waving off the question. "To be honest, I'm starting to like it here. Of course I want to leave but…I don't know, maybe there's something to this cult after all…"
"Well, if you decide you wish to fully join, it is always good to have another member willing to guide the next generation of wolves," Gracie said. "Would you say you happen to have a favorite so far? I know with all the teachings of our past, you see members coming in and out often."
"Well…" His mind drifted back to the harpy girl that had just left earlier. He always felt a certain investment to the winged children, or at the very least ones that felt like they needed help with some dexterous tasks. Although…
"There's this one fennec I believe, she seems pretty lost when she's going through the defense lessons. I don't know, maybe if I had more time with her, she could do better with the lessons…" Gracie seemed to smile, nodding along as she put back on her cape. "Well, I'm glad we could find some favorites already. Keep doing the tasks, fellow wolf," she said as she backed away, assimilating herself into the traffic of moving caped members.
"Oh I will," Lao said, cleaning up his desk items for the day. "I'll do every single task that will lead me to Issia." Not bothering to hide his face at all, he too went into the crowd. Of course he still had the guards that followed from a distance, but with the right moment to put on his hood, he could make them lose focus and get away for a bit. It was how he was able to make progress searching for Issia, although he only had enough for one hall at a time before they would check his room.
He acted like he was milling around with them until getting off at an unusual-looking hallway. He had been trying various walkways around the sanctuary, seeing where he could find a place that looked like somewhere to keep someone in a coma. He had stumbled upon a garden beforehand and had already gotten rid of multiple paths before going on this one.
Just his luck! He saw something medical like a cross etched into one of the doors. It could honestly mean many things, but it wasn't a bad guess to take. He opened the door a tiny bit and looked around in the sliver of dim light he had. He saw an assortment of beds that lined a wall that curled around. Opening the crack wider, he was able to poke his head through and scan. He could see the circular room of the infirmary. In it, were mostly empty beds and empty bedside tables where unlit candles sit. Only one was one, in which a body appeared to be laid under a fitted blanket.
Lao gently closed the door behind him and quickly made his way over to the only full bed. In it, he saw the familiar soft hair that had left him back at the carnival docks. Her dark skin glowed warmly in the quiet candlelight. He held a palm up to her cheek, slightly relieved when he felt warmth.
"You dirty liar," a sole voice said. Lao turned around, seeing Gracie standing at the door. She idly swung her tail around like rope, keeping a close eye on every movement the knight made. "And here I thought you were finally coming around…"
"What happened to all the preparations?" Lao questioned, feeling betrayed himself. "I see not one thing in this empty ass room."
"Work in progress."
"Don't bullshit me," Lao said louder. "You never actually intended to let me see my wife." Gracie made an awkward grimace, not able to lie against the claim. A hooded figure walked in behind her, holding a tray when both Lao and Gracie looked at them. The hooded figure looked back and forth between the two, not understanding what was happening.
"Who's that?" Lao asked.
"RUN!" Gracie said to the hooded figure. Lao instantly started rushing Gracie, the succubus swinging her tail at a wide angle to dissuade him from coming any closer. "Stay back!"
"They were going to wake her up weren't they!" Lao said, putting up her fists. "Call her back!"
"Of course you would want that. They all want that!" Gracie said, retracting her tail and going back to swinging it idly. "No one ever comes to the pack by choice! It's always by tragedy or desperation! But you…you have the chance to be part of a family!" She said pointing to Lao. "One that would never leave you!"
"I was already part of a family!"
"And we brought it with you, and much more!" she responded. "All the little ones look up to you. You help out so much with growing food. Everyone has their place in communion, and yet you wish to leave all that for what?"
"Bi-Gracie you kidnapped me!"
"Whatever it takes to right us who were wronged in the past." The markings on her body began to glow. Claws, a bushier tail, all features of werewolf-kind began to show on her. Even her eyes became more yellow, looking more like a hunter of the night than a cult leader. It was the most distinct and brazen on her, and she wasn't even a werewolf. "All wayward fellows, human or naught, are welcome under this sanctuary. Yet the ones that have it all never wish to extend their aid. You're not the first, and you won't be the last!" She started dashing towards him herself, cracks and harsh imprints left behind on the floor as she stomped with each step. "You will stay, and help us raise our youth, by the second wolf I degree!"
"Raise? What are you o-" Something then clicked in Lao, as if many strings were finally connected together in one coherent story. Scavenging, the lessons, that time they captured a child…was she-
"...it is always good to have another member willing to guide the next generation of wolves…"
'Praise to be the wolves that gave us a second life, a second chance, a second family. A true family, bound by blood and magic, that only moves as one alpha.'
….Almost immediately the girl went under, falling asleep and leaving herself vulnerable in the bag. "Don't worry, you will join our ranks soon," the siren said, comforting her with her wing as she went under…
Now that he thought about it, he saw her again in one of his lessons. There were no signs of distress, only a pretty unimpeded smile. Especially as she left to go to the sleeping quarters with an older cult member. Now that he thought about it…
"You will stay, and help us raise our youth, by the second wolf I degree!"
"What is the purpose of this cult?" Lao said under his breath. Wanting time to think, he now had a reason to end this fight quietly. Gracie was still charging, bringing her claws up to Lao's face. It was terrifying, to say the least, but at least it was predictable.
Lao tripped himself and fell backward, Gracie now soaring over him. Before he completely fell, he kneed up into her stomach, forcing the wind out of her and a very queasy feeling into her torso. "Hurghk!" she uttered, landing unsteadily. It turned to a race to get back on their feet, Lao rolling himself over and holding his butt as he stood back up. Unfortunately, he landed awkwardly on his tailbone from the maneuver.
"You…" Gracie said, buying into her adrenaline and rushing back over again, pushing more anger into each step. However, now Lao wasn't as scared to take her head on. Waiting until he was mere inches away, he through a sudden jab right towards the jaw of Gracie. Claws dug into his chest as his fist struck with the speed of a piston. He started bleeding through his clothes, but the force in his knuckles was enough to knock her off balance. As her eyes went in and out of focus dazed, she saw two more fists fly through her line of sight. One straight to the chest and another hitting her again, square on her cheek. The latter one knocked her out. She quickly went unconscious as she fell slumped on the floor. The last thing she heard was her familiar orc second yelling something…
I had a chance to see the wolf of youth before she left one last time. Adaptively, she was the longest-lasting in terms of presence, even after the other wolves left us. She was also the friendliest. The youth would always attract the children and even some older brethren. Even the eldest wolf fell to second fiddle. Oh to be graced with the benevolence of such a novice leader…I hope I could even approach what she meant to the community.
- Wolf Gracie
"I'm sorry, oh fourth wolf," Gracie said, closing her book after she read the quote. The fire was slowly building up around her, filling her office and blurring the view of the scenery behind the blaze. As if she had been through this scenario before, she went around her desk, not bothering herself to protect herself against the flames of her room. She walked into another room without leaving the door, coming into a log cabin that was just in as bad of a fiery condition.
"HELP, HELP!" She heard a child yell. Following the voice with no tenacity, she went around to the corner of the cabin, where a kid clutched the slowly shrinking safe corner she screamed from. Her edges were starting to catch fire, or at least getting too unbearably hot for her to handle. "PAPA, PAPA!"
All of a sudden, a large foundational piece of plywood fell right in front of him, the whole cabin shaking as its last legs were getting turned into charcoal. "MAMA, PAPA!" she continued to yell, hearing a creek above. She turned her head up as the entire cabin began to collapse over her, screaming and jumping away with all her lungs as the heavy logs and wooden planks began to fall around her. One after another, her vision quickly goes dark…
Gracie's eyes then shot open. She was no longer in the cabin. She was laid out on the floor, rolled onto her back and staring up at the unseeable ceiling. Lao was sitting next to her, holding a candle wick. He had raided the room and found bandages to wrap around his claw wound. She then saw that the orc was knocked out and lay down beside her, snoozing with a big bump on her head.
"What…what happened?" Gracie asked. Lao didn't answer but looked down at her once he realized she was awake. "Have you changed your mind?" She then asked. Lao shook his head, Gracie looking back down. The air grew quiet once more, the knight staying by her side as she continued to lay there.
"You run an orphanage."
"W-what?" Gracie said, looking up at Lao. She sat up but then clutched her body, her head and stomach throbbing after the two-piece she was given. "Urk…I-It's not that, it's"
"You run an orphanage," Lao repeated. "This…this isn't a cult. What you said earlier…it all started to make sense. This is just an orphanage that roleplays as a wolf pack. And you're also…"
"Shut up," Gracie said lamely.
"...sorry," Lao said, looking away. "I didn't realize that would be a sore spot…."
More quiet air.
More quiet air…
"The wolves….the founding wolves," Gracie said. "I made a promise to them…we all did, that we would never abandon the pack, and that it would always grow…but not matter what we did…you all just kept leaving." She could feel her lower garments stretching as she balled up her first, scrunching up her clothing hard.
"Mmm…" Lao said. "So that's why you said papa in your sleep."
"Yeah I-WHAT?" Gracie started to blush, caught off guard. "I….I…."
"I'll stay," Lao said, standing back up. He put the candle down on one of the empty tables, walking back over to Issia. "But I want my wife back. And I want to be able to leave this place as I wish, and come as I wish." He cupped Issia's unconscious face in his palm, feeling an emotion akin to mourning.
"But then, the children will-"
"I'll come back," Lao said, turning back around. "I promise, Gracie. But that's my final offer."
Gracie, conflicted, started on. She was afraid to say yes, afraid that another guardian would leave, and that once again, more children would go through the loneliness she had experienced. However, she knew he wasn't giving her much of a choice. And besides…
It's worth the risk to have his presence around.
"I can't believe I'm making a bunch of flyers for a cult," Virto said, having bought a high-grade home printer. Shooting out of it were piles upon piles of flyers, which Issia would carry to Isuka, who was in the living room imbuing the papers with teleportation magic.
"It's not a cult!" Gracie once again yelled, back in her human disguise. "It's-"
"A cult," the four others said, even Isuka from the living room. Gracie sighed and sat down, holding one of the flyers in her hand. On the front was the street address where a new orphanage would be created, courtesy of the deep pockets of some of our story's cast. "Are you sure this will work?"
"Hey, it's certainly better than kidnapping people," Lalu said. "You can have some of your members go to various locations around the world, and you can get many more members and workers and interns the right way. Some of them may even be willing to do work in the sanctuary as well."
"As long as they are able to go home if they want, yes," Gracie said. She rolled up her flier, keeping it in her pocket. "Have you given thought to my last request?"
"Right, the adoption…you want me to take one of the little ones, right?" Gracie nodded. "Part of the whole idea was to also find parents, but between the-"
"Cult activity," Issia snuck in as she came in and out with another pile of flyers.
"-That focus sort of fell to the wayside. But with your help, we can get back to finding parents willing to adopt."
"In that case," Lalu said, shrugging. "I heard Issia wanted to raise someone."
"In that case," Gracie said, "There is someone I want you to meet. Lily!" Just then, a little blue fennec girl came out from behind Gracie, adorning a blue dress. Her hair was tied up in two buns, with two ears that slowly rose up as she looked up at her new father.
"Is that-"
"The student you spoke of earlier?" Gracie said. "I thought there wasn't a better way to give you two some one-on-one time. I know you mentioned a harpy as well, so I thought that-"
"I'm fine with Lily," Lalu immediately said, holding out his hand. Lily came to him, holding onto his hand with both of hers. They were soft yet tight with a firm grip that quickly tightened as she explored his hand. She looked up at his small smile, and smiled back the best she could.
"Yeah, I'll be fine with thi-"
His words of connection was interrupted by the ring of his phone. It got louder and louder, until Isuka rushed in, holding the ringing device like uranium. "Help! This device started buzzing. "Mom" is contacting you, but the buttons wouldn't respond to my touch!"
"Oh, that's just fingerprint lock." Lalu took it and tapped it, bringing the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"
"Fola! Where have you been!?" his mom yelled. He looked around, Virto and Leana's faces as horrified as he was slowly feeling. Isuka didn't know why the room had frozen, and neither did Gracie.
"Um…" Lalu started. In all the fuss and kidnapping, he had forgotten….he hadn't been home for a week and a change. "I-It's a long story…"