Chapter Thirty-Three: Connection
Monday, September 19, 2005 - Tahlia/Mason
"Tahlia, I'm still in love with you." She said fulfilling a wish I had made a hundred lifetimes ago. I found myself breathing heavily, and for some reason I couldn't look her in the eyes, it was too hard. Then over the course of several long seconds I turned to face her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her face was flush. I leaned in slowly, unsure of my control, and pressed my lips to hers again, kissing her like I had never let myself before. I quickly lost myself, and pulled her into a tight embrace, fully aware of her fragility, wrapping my arms around her back.
"I love you more than I can fully grasp, more than the sunset loves the ocean or the butterfly loves the flower. You fill my heart with hope for a future without loneliness." My words felt heavy on my tongue, and inadequate. I loved her more than I could ever explain, she meant more to me than my life. She intertwined her fingers through mine and squeezed for emphasis.
Soon she was pressing herself into me, and the warmth of her body was overwhelming. I had forgotten what it was like to be so close to a human and it was exhilarating. Her scent surrounded me like a cocoon, filling me with sensations both painful and blissful. But then her hands began to explore me, and in my haste, I let her. Soon we were pushing past carefully laid boundaries, into the territory of lovers. I used every ounce of my resolve to stop and push her away. She whimpered in protest.
"We can't, not yet. I need to make sure this is the right thing to do, we cross this line and we're committed. Do you want this to be the first night of your eternity?" She screamed in frustration and quickly exited the car. She stopped a few feet away and sunk down into the dying grass with a look of defeat on her face.
"Why? Why does it have to be like this? Why can't we just be together and not decide on forever tonight?" She looked at me with absolute anger and dejection.
"I am not rejecting you. Look, this isn't something I know how to deal with. This is entirely new to me, so yes, we could have tonight and decide on the future later. But is it the right thing? I want to be with you now and forever. But do you accept me, all of me? After what I just revealed, how can you be sure of anything?" I motioned towards my body, my carefully chosen suit half hanging off of me and my shoes left in the car.
She looked up at me in confusion. "I love you, accepting this, committing to this thing between us is not my problem. I'm just not ready to be a vampire yet, I need to figure out how to say goodbye to my family first." She winced as if that was a deal breaker.
"Oh." I reached down and pulled her up into my arms. She started to protest, but it was a token attempt, and then she buried herself into my chest. Which was a new and heady experience for me, as she seemed to fit against me perfectly.
"You're upset because you think I brought you here to turn you into one of us?" I asked, lifting her chin so she could look into my eyes as I spoke.
"Yes, isn't that what this is all about?" She frowned, clearly confused.
"No, I thought because of your beliefs, you wouldn't want to be intimate yet. I just want to make sure you have no regrets. You choose when, or if, you want to be with me. Then someday, you can choose when or if you want to be turned. I am not pressuring you to choose that now. I simply meant eternity in a vague sort of way. A commitment to each other. I've never understood the concept of marriage, but if that is what you need from me, I am yours." She was staring at me as I spoke, and then she burst into a brief series of manic chuckles that culminated in her lips on mine.
"For a several thousand-year-old vampire you can be really dense. Yeah, my dad is a Minister who would simply die at the thought I was having premarital sex, but that isn't important to me. As for marriage, well let's give that one some time, this is still very new. I want us to have tonight, let this be us and let us not worry about anything else." I smiled at her happily and kissed her again.
"Okay but first we need to get to our destination, it is far more appropriate than the back of my car." I pulled her up into my arms and shifted back into my male form and took off running through the woods. She stared at me as I ran, and pouted when we stopped and I set her down.
"Here?" She looked around the very small little area separating the forest from the sheer cliff in front of us. I looked up and her face blanched as I held out my hand again, and swung her up onto my back. Then I began to climb the extremely difficult mountain face to my plateau. The natural land platform was large enough for a house, and at the back edge was an ancient waterfall that flowed down the rock wall into a crystal-clear lake that stretched deep into the mountain. The natural spring was warm and had several rocks that formed natural seats. But the real beauty was the view. It was a breathtaking panorama of wilderness, stretching from the nighttime ocean far to the west, then around to the distant twinkle of lights fading as the town of Forks fell asleep.
I had come earlier and prepared, setting up a tent with a small generator for lights, a generously sized air mattress with several blankets and pillows to make it more luxurious. A table and two chairs, and a small cooler filled with food for my planned dinner. I set her down and made a fire in the pit I had set up. The warm light setting the mood more than anything I could've prepared.
"This is beautiful." She was entranced by the view, nearly to the point of tears.
"Yes, more beautiful than I have words for." I pressed myself against her back and put my arms around her waist. Her slight frame shivered slightly at my touch and she looked up into my eyes. That's when she realized I had meant her, and her eyes shut and blood spread across her cheeks in a heavy blush. Then I pulled her around and kissed her, this time not holding back my affections.
We took our time exploring each other, she made a point to ask me to shift back and forth a few times to get the full scope of me, and it made me feel seen and loved in a way I could never have anticipated. She seemed more and more confident as we progressed, happy to be in my presence and clearly grew more comfortable around my true self. She seemed to find my curves a novel experience, comparing her own body to mine.
The intimacy we achieved was more than I expected, not just physical closeness, but the way we seemed to react to one another's touch. I had never known pleasure like I felt with her, and I couldn't fully account for it. She was clearly a virgin, but an eager and curious one as her inhibitions faded away. When it came time for actual intercourse, neither of us was truly prepared for it, since I had never been with a woman as a man before. Yet I knew how to make sure it would be a good experience for her and she seemed delighted in the sensations she was experiencing for the first time.
When it was over I found myself tracing patterns across her bare back. "Are you hungry?" Her eyes were half shut, but she nodded once. "Then I'll make dinner."
"Mmmmm. Sounds lovely." She said in a soft moan, which grew louder as I moved away from her. "On second thought, don't go anywhere." She opened her eyes and reached out and pulled me by my arm back next to her. We kissed again, and we made love for what felt like the tenth time, and after we were finished I finally got up and started dinner. It took a bit longer with the camp stove I had brought, but thirty minutes later I checked on her and found she was sleeping with a contented smile on her face.
"Angela?" I whispered, kissing her cheek.
"Come back to bed." She said sleepily.
"Food is ready." I whispered.
"Fine, since you made the effort." She grumbled a little, but as soon as she sat up her expression changed. "That smells amazing."
I found myself staring at her, not that I hadn't explored her body, but seeing her sitting there naked made me feel alive. Then she noticed me looking, and chuckled.
"Haven't you seen enough?" She chided, covering her chest with one arm. "Give me some privacy as I get dressed?"
"Of course." I looked away to give her privacy, and started to step out of the tent.
"I'm kidding, I have nothing to hide from you anymore." I looked back and she had gotten out of our makeshift bed and I felt myself sigh at her beauty. She stood confidently for a few seconds, and then picked up her dress and pulled it over her head. "Now I'm almost respectable."
"I'd recommend shoes and a coat, the air is cold, and the stone is colder." I suggested, and she nodded once.
I left the tent and she joined me a few minutes later. I had set the table, and her eyes lit up at the sight of it. I pulled out her chair for her and then sat in the seat across from her. She glanced at my plate and furrowed her brow.
"I thought vampires couldn't eat." She said incredulously, with a bit of a playful smile.
"They can, but it offers no sustenance and the taste is dreadful. I am different, remember I was never turned. I still have a heartbeat and my body can still process food." I explained seriously.
"Hmmm. Let's see." She took a bite and closed her eyes. "That's amazing. Is there anything you don't do well?" She smiled demurely and continued eating ravenously, in just a few minutes she was done, and I hadn't even started.
"Do you want more?" I said, unable to really hold back my surprise.
"I was just hungry, burned a lot of calories." She said blushing a little. "So, tell me what do you do? What do you like? I know about your dark past, but I barely know anything about your life." The question was perfectly reasonable, but I wasn't sure where to start.
"I don't work as most do. I've acquired wealth over the centuries, and I have many properties and bank accounts, investments and companies all over the world. My favorite is a bar in London. I spend time there every twenty or so years, long enough that most patrons would forget about me as the owner or write me off as a child of the previous owner. I spend a lot of time in colleges around the world, learning new skills. Speaking of which, what is your plan for further education? You will never have to worry about student loans." I asked her curiously, and she gave a half shrug.
"Um, college, yes. Last year I would've talked about my college dreams, but in truth I haven't even started applying to schools yet. I guess when I found out about the Cullens, everything had been pushed aside. Anyway, I wasn't thinking of you as rich, but it makes sense. So, you're gorgeous, multi-gendered, immortal, well-learned and fabulously wealthy. Anything else?" She sounded a little sarcastic, but also clearly a little overwhelmed.
"I have a vast library, including some reproductions of works that are lost to human history. I collected art through the years that caught my eye, some of those artists you might recognize. I have a copy of practically every piece of music ever written. I play twenty or so instruments, and frequently attend live performances. I love to dance, sing and travel." I said as plainly as possible, realizing my basic living situation would seem opulent to someone raised in a small town, perhaps even boastful.
"Sounds like you found how to live with immortality. I don't even know where to start." She paused thinking. "Um… Is there a type of music you prefer?"
"Not really, there are few genres I don't like as much. I've always thought music is as much art as writing or sculpture, and there is no way to judge a piece of music based on objective opinion. Taste is another matter, and I find that modern music is more interesting and expressive to my ear. Especially rock and roll. What do you like?" I said taking a bite of my own food. I had exaggerated a little, while food was palatable to me, I rarely ate and so the process was a little strange to me.
"I grew up on the Beatles and Elton John, so classic rock is my first love. But I love j-pop and blues, bluegrass, jazz and classical. I play piano and guitar, and sing, as you're aware." She took a deep breath and opened her mouth slowly as if trying to figure out how to say whatever was on her mind. "I remember thinking once about asking you what you've seen. I mean the forgotten stuff." She leaned in, pushing her empty plate aside.
"I was in London around the middle of the thirteenth century, a few years before the plague washed over Europe. There was this bazaar that would pop up on random days. The merchants would sell fresh bread, vegetables, clothing, trinkets, fabrics and handmade jewelry. There was this one stand, the woman in charge was old, but quick witted and sharp tongued, and exceptionally talented. Her husband had been a silversmith, and he had plied his trade throughout Europe. She traveled with him until he died and acquired many techniques during her travels. The pieces she made were works of art. I bought several from her over the years, until one day when just walking through a bazaar like that meant death, I found her sitting in a random doorway in another part of town. The shine was gone from her eyes, and death was clearly knocking at her door. If not for her advanced age, I would've considered turning her. I bought what I could and wished her well. A year later the Bazaar opened again after the plague had wiped out so many, and her little stand was gone, along with so many others. The place it had been was erased, the texture of the community of merchants and even the people that shopped there never returned." I had always remembered the woman's face, wishing I had done more for her.
"What was her name?" Angela asked swept up in the story, her eyes misty as if picturing another place and time.
"Rebecca." I said softly.
"I always loved that name, it was my grandmother's, although her's was spelled differently than I usually see it." She said with a far away look in her eyes.
"Yes, I've personally always preferred the old testament version of the name." I agreed with her.
"Oh wow, I don't know why I never thought to ask. Was he real?" She asked with wide eyes.
"I wish I could tell you, I wasn't near that part of the world during that time. I did come across one of his disciples, Mary of Magdala. She was beautiful and wise, and I can say with certainty she had never been a lady of ill-repute. She didn't speak of him directly, but her recount of that time was wistful and sad. She said she had lost a great love." I gave her a sympathetic smile.
"How did you meet her?" She didn't seem to notice my tone, asking with rapt attention, her hands cupping her cheeks.
"At the time she was a speaker, a wise woman. She traveled spreading the word of her god, a true disciple. She had traveled to the south of what we know as France, I was there and heard of her sermons and curiosity got the best of me. She spoke of humanity in such beautiful ways, the core of what religion should be." She had gotten me lost in nostalgia, and I let myself get lost in my storytelling.
"Sounds like she made an impression." She said with a wide smile.
"Yes, but I was just an admirer of hers, but really we had one brief conversation. I may have crossed paths with some important people, but I would love to know who was important to you. Were you close with your Rebekah?" I didn't want to dominate the conversation, wanting to know more about her life.
"She was my Nana. She used to babysit me, and always took the time to play with me even though I was just a small child. I have so many memories of her hugging me, or telling me I was beautiful, or smart. She taught me guitar as I got older, and it hurts to play sometimes remembering her. She got sick at sixty, breast cancer, and was gone in less than a year. I miss her so much." She wiped tears from her eyes, and gave me a tearful smile.
"She sounds lovely. I wish I could've met her." I said hoping that she understood the sentiment.
"She would've loved you, she loved history. If she had known the truth, she would've bent your ear with endless questions about the past." She settled herself, and sniffed a few times from the cold.
"You'll find that history when it's happening is far less impressive. In retrospect, my past is replete with wonderful accidents, like how could I have known when standing in the back line with the doctors tending to the soldiers after Gettysburg, that President Lincoln would deliver an address that was so eloquent it caused half of the men to weep over their fallen friends. We thought it was just going to be a political speech. You can never know when something important will happen... Like tonight." I said looking into her eyes, glistening from the firelight and recent tears.
"Take me back to bed." She said, holding out her hand. I nodded without hesitation.
Morning came far too quickly, as sunlight crested over the horizon in the eastern sky. The brilliant hues created a cascade of colors which also threw rays of diffused light through the tent canvas across Angela's body in ways that accentuated her skin. Her light breathing was rhythmic and somehow hypnotic. She had fallen asleep in my arms several hours before. It was a wonder to me that even after spending so many nights thinking about her, I could watch her sleeping next to me, as close as I could've ever hoped.
I imagined our future, and the endless days before us. I pictured our adventures together, and my happiness sharing my life with her. It was a joy I had never believed would happen. I could've spent the rest of the day watching her, resting in my arms. But the sun had other ideas, when a strong ray of sunshine hit her face and caused her to stir. I sighed in resignation, and gently shook her out of her slumber. She opened her eyes and yawned, while smiling widely. When the yawn ended the smile did not, leaving her to look nearly blissful.
"Good morning my love." She moaned softly and snuggled up closer to me.
"I like that, say it again." I chuckled and kissed the top of her ear.
"My love." She said, sighing contentedly and turned to give me a kiss. Then she stopped just before we touched lips and quickly covered her mouth.
"Oh god my breath, oh god my parents. They'll be getting up soon and I didn't come home last night. Crap I was supposed to get back before eleven." I was at a loss as to why it mattered, yet nodded anyway. We moved quickly back to the car and spent the next forty-five minutes or so driving to her house. I parked about a block away and listened for movement. When I was sure it was safe, I took us in through her bedroom window. We lingered in a long kiss before she had to pretend to get up. I waited patiently for her to excuse herself from breakfast, and then watched as she drove her car towards school. I followed and she met me in the school parking lot.
"They had no idea, thank god." I nodded as she got into my car. "Hey, do you think we could go to your house?" It was my turn to chuckle at her, as I started our trip towards my make-shift home. Halfway there Angela's cell phone rang.
"Angela, tell me Mason is with you." Alice asked, sounding worried.
"Hey Alice! Yes, he's right here. Feeling any better?" Angela was so happy from our shared experience, that she was practically bubbly.
"I'm sorry about yesterday, and yes I feel a bit better to a degree. I can imagine why you're in a good mood." While I didn't have context for the conversation, Alice ended on a tone that was easy to read, she knew quite well why Angela was in a 'good mood'.
"Well, it was a great night last night." She blushed and looked out the window.
"That's good to hear. Someone deserves to be happy right now. Look, I don't know how much Mason told you, but there was some movement with Victoria. Edward and Emmett are gone, and Carlisle took off with Charlie for a long hunt and to discuss the reality of his new situation. Charlie is somewhat stable, but nowhere near as controlled as Bella. We were hoping, while he was gone you could have a short visit. Bella is really anxious to see you again... oh fine, take the phone." There was a soft rustle on the other end of the line and then Bella's soft soprano filled the void of white noise.
"Hey Ang, I've really missed you." Bella said, sounding sad, "I really need to talk to you." Angela shook her head slightly and a lopsided grin upturned the right side of her mouth.
"We'll be there soon." Angela looked over at me, and I nodded once passing the turn off for my house onto the road where the Cullen's lived. Bella paused for just a moment and then responded quickly.
"Perfect, I'll see you soon… um just a sec... I think Alice is having a vision. I have to go." Then there was a click, with this new information I started to accelerate. Once we got there Alice was waiting for us outside, her eyes wild and desperate with grief.
"I'm so sorry." She was looking at Angela, but somehow, I felt like she was directing the sentiments towards me. "Mason, I don't know how to say this."
"Just start at the beginning." I said as I felt my heart sinking, more bad news was coming, and I didn't want to hear it.
"I figured out what was missing. Why things changed when you convinced him to stay Angela. There's something in Volterra, maybe someone. Except, Mason, you need to do something else while you're there. Something you wouldn't normally do. I have trouble seeing things revolving around you Mason, especially while you are there, but I have an impression. A path forward. It has to do with Aro, and his lies." I couldn't look at Angela, she gripped my hand tightly and pressed herself into my side as tightly as she could.
"I don't quite understand, why should I go? If they learned our secret about gifts, they could roll over the world in weeks." I was not sure how to react.
"Because, if you don't go, we all die. It isn't good, or right. But I still can't see another way. What I do know, is if you go, you can uncover one of Aro's secrets that will turn the tide. It's a glimmer, a possibility so I can't fully see it. That's what I meant. The risk is worth it." Alice's explanation was painful, but it didn't leave me with much choice.
"That's more than I expected. I was afraid this would happen, that I would have to face him. I guess it's time." I reasoned reluctantly, despite the fact that I didn't want to leave Angela's side.
"Wait, there is something you need to do before you go." Alice said, shaking her head. "When you helped Rosalie find her gift, did you do something to unlock it? In my vision, Rose said she tried to teach Emmett, but it didn't work."
"My own gift makes it simpler, but, if you had someone who could feel gifts or a mind reader like your Edward, plus someone with a gift like Rosalie, it may be possible. Everyone is different though, and the trigger is not always obvious. For Rosalie, it was tied to her internal hatred of her own existence. So, I had to make her embrace her thirst, her beast to bring it out. It's an intuitive process that has to adapt to the individual." I attempted to explain, but thankfully it was as if a light appeared over Alice's head.
"That makes sense, and totally explains why it wouldn't have worked on Emmett. Thank you, Mason, we'll work on that." Alice reached out and shook my hand.
"Please look after her." I asked, feeling my emotions starting to overwhelm me. I pulled Angela around to face me and forced her chin up so that she would have to look at me.
"Take me with you." She asked, although was shaking so violently, and the tears were flowing so steadily that I thought she might faint any second.
"I have to go; I have no choice now. You are more important to me than anything else, especially my own life. I will not risk that on selfishness." I spoke passionately, I needed her to understand. She shook her head, but I caught her face again and kissed her gently.
"I love you." I said as I pulled away. I felt my eyes react, and tears began to fall again. We pulled apart and the warmth of her felt like fading embers on my lips.
"Then promise that you'll come back to me!" She begged, and I nodded easily, the promise implicit, despite being unsure if it was an empty promise.
"I love you!" She said desperately. I replied by kissing her again, deeply, and then left her standing like a mannequin posed to dance without a partner. I couldn't look back; I knew that I wouldn't be able to go if I did. For all I knew that would be the last time I would ever see her, and the last time I would ever touch her.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 - Tahlia
I was in Volterra for the first time in centuries and I could almost feel fate fucking with me. Not that I really believed in fate, despite my recent turn of luck. I finally find a life, and love, and the world decided to stand up and shout fuck you to my happiness. I had evaded this exact situation for centuries. I had lived happily knowing that I would never have to stand before my own child in judgment. Of course, the Volturi were famous for not giving second chances, and I had already rejected them before.
Their home had changed, and not for the better in the intervening centuries since I had wandered these halls calling them home. It wasn't the age, no, it was more insidious. They had stained the stones of their home in blood. The smell was nauseating and pungent, despite my internal beast growling in hunger at the scent. More than the smell was their guard. Dozens of men and women whose souls had been shattered by some form of shared trauma. I could see it in their empty expressionless eyes, and a distinct lack of curiosity.
The only exceptions seemed to be Felix, Dimitri, Alec and Jane. They had a hatred in their eyes that gave them some semblance of life. I wondered though, what could possibly keep them sane year after year? What had Aro done to instill such loyalty? I was led through the twisting corridors of Volterra by Felix who had a strained expression on his face. We had been friends once, before I had left.
He risked a backwards glance, "You should've stayed away."
"I had no choice." I replied, shaking my head slightly.
"Caius wants your head." He elaborated.
"Only Caius, well that's better than I hoped." I smirked; I had no illusions I would survive the afternoon. Felix frowned and turned back, and soon we were in their central throne room. It was circular and opulent, and just as barren as I remembered. A table off to one side held books and scrolls, but beyond their three overly embellished chairs, it was a blank cold space. The drain in the center was still partially crusted with blood. Demetri grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and forced me to kneel.
"Tahlia, my mother. How lovely to see you again." Aro said as he stood and clasped his hands together.
"Aro." I said simply in response. "The pleasure is all yours."
"Quite. Now what brings you back, after so many years?" His eyes widened and a playful smile circled his lips.
"I'm done running. I'm here, to face whatever judgment you seem intent on delivering upon me." I said feeling more than defeated, but it would be worth it as long as my family remained intact.
"I hear you have joined Carlisle after all. Does he still resist his natural appetite?" Aro popped the T on that final word to accentuate the question with a touch of implied violence.
"He learned on his own, what you will never understand." I shook my head at him in disappointment.
"Your beloved humanity. I hope they were worth it dear mother." Aro's expression fell into a sneer.
"Do with me what you will, but know this, if you go to Forks, they will destroy you." My only hope was a threat, but I wasn't sure if it would simply provoke them.
"My my, has Carlisle amassed a force that would rise against us?" Aro said with an excited glint to his eye.
"Carlisle would never seek war, but he would defend his family. They will never challenge the Volturi if you give them a choice." I elaborated, realizing I had made a dreadful mistake.
"Perhaps, but we will deal with Carlisle and his… family soon enough, it is time we finally bring Alice home. But, what shall we do with you?" Aro said, looking at Caius and Marcus.
"Aro, get this over with, you know what you're going to do." Marcus said with a dead tone of voice, yet I could still detect a touch of impatience in the dull monotone.
"I believe we have more to discuss, mother, I hope you'll like your new accommodations, they have a splendid view." He said with a toothy grin, the fury in his expression tempered only by the coldness of the vicious look he was giving me.
"Demetri, take her to the tower." Caius said with a small chuckle.
Demetri, who had been holding me down, picked me up roughly and along with Jane and Alec forced me through an adjoining hallway. As I crossed the threshold, I heard Aro call for Felix.
"I don't understand, what did I do Aro?" I heard Felix ask desperately when I was five steps away from the doorway.
"You have shown to have poor taste in friends, we overlooked your mistake once. However, as you well know, the Volturi do not give second chances." Twenty steps down the hall and I heard Felix scream in agony, only for that scream to be cut off abruptly.
"Why? He was loyal." I asked of the three escorting me, curious if any would respond.
"He… he broke the rules." Jane answered, but I could see doubt in the way her brows were set and her jaw clenched. "It is your fault, you rejected us. Your true family."
"Is that how Aro feels? That I rejected him?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't shut down.
"Jane, do not be fooled, this one has a silver tongue. Be careful, ancient or we'll cut it out." Alec said, sneering at me with open hostility.
"Then how would I be able to answer questions? The threat is an empty one, child." I knew it would provoke him and braced myself for the likely violent response.
He nodded just once at Demetri who halted us in place and attempted to bend me back to force open my mouth. He was skilled, but overly confident and I could see weakness in his movement. I decided to play along and act as though I was helpless. Although in truth I could see he relied on brute strength and his companions for an edge. He gripped at my jaw and tried to pry it open, I was tempted to use Jane's gift against him, but instead I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue for him. Demetri took hold of it and began to pull. It was a painful sensation as I felt it begin to pull away from my throat, then Jane put a hand on Demetri's arm.
"Enough." She said and he obeyed her command. I already knew the general hierarchy, but to see it in action was a different matter. They were clearly all terrified of her.
"Thank you." I said after a few seconds of healing offset the pain.
"I didn't do it for you." She said coldly and motioned for Demetri to continue with a flick of her eyes and a small nod of her head.
He shoved me through a low door, which was clearly as old as the structure itself, and then practically pushed me up a spiral staircase to the top of a tower that rose above most of the rooftops in Volterra, and Aro was absolutely right, from the tiny window opposite from the wall they chained me to, the view was glorious.
Author's Note:
To clarify, when Mason/Tahlia is in each respective form it has the full capabilities of that body. Mason is male, Tahlia is female, it isn't just a different shape.
Next Chapter: Interrogations - Jane
Thank you for taking the time to read this far into the story, please leave a comment to let me know what you think about this chapter or the story in general.