While no longer an affront to limb and sanity, as you walk towards the…house, Aus thankfully no longer needing to be carried, a sensation not at all unfamiliar but, at the same time, quite unwelcome makes itself known.

Ah, shame, thy presence has not been missed.

But then again, who could blame you?

Jaded asshole you might be—

"Mouuu!"

Ok, that settles it, you'll never understand women, divine beauty or not, what's got her to—aaand now she's blushing.

Nope. Not going to try and untangle that mess.

At any rate, even a heart as cold as yours can still feel shame at the thought of bringing a woman that could put supermodel to shame to…

Well…

"Is this your home?"

At that moment, one of the wooden shutters creaks open due to a gust of wind and threatens to make a bid for freedom.

God help me, imma make kindling out of you if you so much as—

Aus giggle is like music to your ears, causing you to blush.

Curse the lack of human contact!

There's little chance of beating the caveman hobo allegations now.

"It's—"

Crude and primitive, yeah, you know—

"Lovely."

Wait what?

"Pardon?"

Turning towards you and flashing a smile to eclipse the stars, Aus' head bobs, the swaying of her long mane once again filling your nose with a delightful if not quite floral scene.

One that makes it difficult to bite back the growl of desire from ripping itself free.

Curse you hormones. Curse you lack of human contact! Think you idiot, think! She can, probably, fold you in half. Yeah. Keep improper thoughts away from the innocent space lady!

And you've little doubt as to that, for during the return trip and a short conversation or two something made itself abundantly clear to you.

Whatever else she may be, Aus, unless she is somesort of Aizen level mastermind…and wow, it's been a while since you thought of anime beyond trying to mix various training ideas as you train what you've dubbed as 'aura'.

Regardless, Aus is, more than likely, pure.

About as pure as this world more than like.

And so…best to keep your dark urges at bay.

Despite how unreasonably hot she is.

Can fold you in half! Focus on that you degenerate.

…crud, that only makes her hotter if she is, in fact, capable of doing so.

Ok, then, perhaps she…has space cooties or something?

"Do I smell bad, Yuha?"

Oh god, why do you tempt me so…

And her blush has no reason to look so cute upon her face.

"N-no but more importantly…" your voice kinda cracked there at the end.

Not important, moving on!

All but running to the door, you throw it open. "Welcome to my humble abode."

"Arf~!"

Another manly shout leaves your lips as Bargh once again tackles you, and Aus' pearl like laughter makes your golden furred friend freeze, before a growl leaves her mouth as she raises her head.

"Barg, no!"

But you needn't have worried for your loyal friend seems to freeze, looking at Aus as she does, seeing something more than your eyes can see and confirming your suspicions that Aus ain't human.

…as if the crater didn't make sure of that already.

A look of utter dejection spreads across Bargh's canine face as she alternates staring between you and Aus before gently stepping off and trotting a few feet to the side.

"Bargh…" But your friend merely flashes you a look that has you jerk back in surprise.

After all its not everyday you see a dog analogue flash you a bittersweet smile or something close to it.

"Poor thing…"

"Aus?"

"Oh! Forgive me, Yuha, tis nothing!"

On the one hand, you could pry. For the woman's knowing gaze makes it clear its not 'nothing' and she clearly knows more than she cares to share.

On the other…

Asking her might get her miffed, or worse, she might actually share what she knows about this world and reality and…

Nah, you are good.

Adventure is all well and good…when it happens to other people.

Sure, you're far from civilization, perhaps very far but…you have some form of superpowers, do you not?

A healthy young body as well.

And you know your tropes well enough.

Whatever this world is, if trouble and adventure intend to find you…they will.

No need to speed up the process unnecessary.

Yes, the fact you're also quite lazy doesn't hurt.

So you choose to do the smart thing.

That is lead Aus to your humble abode.

"Anything I can get you?" you ask as the softly smiling woman lowers herself to the ground, looking quite, dare you say it, cute as she sits on one of the sheep furs.

…suddenly you're thankful you heeded Bargh's insistent barks and made sure that, to the extent possible, you've taken care of the furs natural…'aroma.'

"Not much in the way of amenities, I'm afraid, but, if you'd like I've got some tea…" you blink as you reach for the carved wooden cup with the herbs inside, the herbs which you've found out through trial and error which among their number leads to a pleasant brew and which…helps things move along.

"Err, that is if you can drink tea." Right, she is an alien you idiot, for all you know what helps you sleep might very well help her…move things along. "Or, know what it is…" you add as an afterthought.

"Silly, Yuha, yes, and yes," Aus says with a giggle that makes you smile despite yourself before you remember to frown. "And please~"

"Very well, just a moment if you will." Herbs in one hand cup with water in the other, you make your way outside towards the nearby campfire you make certain never goes out, akin to the home's hearth but, given that the slightly less as of late of an abomination you call house is, for the most part made out of wood… Well, it'd be a bad idea to keep it inside for now.

Sides, next to the fire is the primitive anvil, the fire also serving as primitive forge and, were it not for you aura and how it seems to enhance flesh beyond the ken of humanity…

Well, making the crude, primitive set of bronze and iron tools would have been quite a bit more difficult suffice to say.

Herbs and water inside the, thankfuly clean…ish iron mug and a few minutes of waiting later, you grab it with aura infused hands and pour the tea like substance into a wooden cup, although any self respecting native of Japan from your old world would seek to throttle you if you called this swirl tea in front of them, you trod the steps back inside.

"Thank you!"

And are rewarded with another blinding smile which fills your belly with what feels like butterflies.

You are not a teenager, you're an old ass man! Act like it dammit!

Still…why does Aus have to look so…so…

"Beautiful…"

"Pardon?" she asks with a blush as she lowers her cup, and the way she swallows…she could very well swallow something—

"Your clothes, I mean,"

"Oh, ah, thank you!" she says and sways side to side some. "I made them myself!"

"Is that so…"

"Yes!"

Well, you won't pry. Still, if nothing else, you go towards one of the rough looking cupboards and retrieve a bit of curred dry meat.

You must observe the customs of Xenia.

Both because custom demands it, and, for all that you know and given how…quirky the woman has been so far, for all that you know she is some sort of goddess and if so…

"Eek!"

Blinking you gaze behind you only to find Aus coughing as bits of tea stain the front of her attire, making her wince.

Sighing, you grab a flax towel, the one that doesn't seem like it's about to fall apart at the seams and looks the most clean of the bunch.

"Here," you say, offering it to the surprised woman, who takes it with a smile, followed by the jerky.

"Thanks!" and at her smile you can't help but despair, for if she is to stay here for any length of time…

Well, uncultured barbarian you might normally be but, still, you have some standards.

I'm going to have to weave new towels aren't I…

And curve less rough rooking utensils and perhaps see about trying your hand at glasswork at last…

Crud…

Then again, you've been meaning to do all that as is, and have just been…putting it off.

So yes, perhaps taking advantage of Aus arrival and using the chances of her people deciding to probe you if they find her living in such a, well, such a hovel when they come to get her as motivation to do something about it is not such a bad idea.

Sides, winter is coming, the wind has started to carry a tad more chill as of late.

Yes, the idea sounds better and better by the minute.

And besides.

If you manage to somehow make glass, besides windows you can start the long and difficult road of trying to figure out something akin to a spyglass.

Which'll prove quite useful.

But which you also have little idea as to go about, the memories regarding its make faint to say the least.

"Yuha…"

Blinking you glance at Aus and as the smile fades of her lips, so to does your own mood seem to plummet some, as if her joy lights up the world and its absence makes reality drab and dull.

Definitely superhuman and most likely some form of supernatural.

"Yes, Aus?"

"Is that, meat?" she asks, wrinkling her nose as she stares at the bit of cured meat passed alongside the cup of tea.

Oh. Oh no.

Dread fills you heart.

For Aus words confirm her to be something worse than some sort of alien monster or Fae creature.

Much worse.

She's a vegetarian!

"Yes."

"B-but why?!"

Despite normally harboring nothing but scorn for the buggers, you can't quite meet Aus watering eyes, her sniffles seeming to dig deep into your chest akin to knives and cut at your heart.

Curse you loneliness!

"Because…I need it to live?" you say with a sigh, staring out the door as you do instead of meeting her puffy eyes. "But…I suppose," you say at last, having to fight to slowly get out the words. "I don't need it everyday…" that's a lie, or it normally would be, protein is needed by the human body, and lots of it. But, with your aura…well… "And I have some fruit, both dried and fresh if you'd like…"

"Yes! Thank you!" she all but squeals, jumping to her feet, cup and jerky forgotten as they slip through her hands.

And as she hugs you, her floral scent invades you deeply, while her soft limbs and her healthy bossom pressing up against you make things difficult and rational thought…

Mrgle!

All but impossible.

God give me strength…

Living with Aus is going to be a trial.

And why is she giggling?