Wild Time in the Woods

My arrival to Annabeth's bedside was heralded by the strangled retching of the girl in question. Some pigment returned to her bluing skin, yet the beads of sweat clinging to her body offered me no sense of relief. She leaned her head over the bed with a thick line of drool stretching from her lips to the recently filled bucket. As she pulled her head up, unfamiliarity shone in her eyes when she looked at me, as though she couldn't remember who I was. Before I could dare to inquire about her health, much less her expression, her head hit the pillow with a FLUMPH.

As I moved to reposition her, Ashe flew across the bed and blocked my path.

"Don't you dare move her! She'll choke if she lies on her back!" She winced as her hands gripped Annabeth's wrists and pulled them away from me. "First you smear my coating, then you force a pill down her throat, and now you dare-"

"Ashe!" Palírroia implored. "Such a tone is not-"

"It's okay," I said as I took in the livid nymph's gaze. "You're right; I shouldn't move her. Thank you for showing so much care for her."

She sneered. "Don't mistake my actions for affection. If my life weren't bound to this gods forsaken island, I wouldn't consider-"

"Ashe! Please!" Palírroia's eyes shone with anxiety as she stared at the brunette nymph. Both of her hands cupped over her mouth as she prepared for the events to unfold.

Annabeth let out a groan and mumbled something in her sleep.

After taking a look at Annabeth's sickly form, I turned to Ashe. "Could you step out into the hallway with me?"

She huffed and balled her fists at her side, followed by another wince. "Is that a request or-"

"As your master, I order you to step into the hallway with me… please."

Following my final word, her eyebrows raised for a split second, only to furrow as she complied with my order. As I followed her into the hallway, her mumbled muttering reached my ears quiet enough for me to miss the details, though I'm sure they weren't pleasant.

If not for my recent bouts with Khione, I couldn't tell you how much I would have snapped at Ashe for her outburst. However, with my previous experiences and while keeping my promise to Reyna in mind, I strived to maintain a level head.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"Oh, what ever could you mean, Master?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I haven't done anything to you. I hardly ever see you around. Now, out of nowhere, you start blowing up in my face. Why?" I crossed my arms and tapped my foot on the ground.

"Why should I say anything to you? It won't matter anyways. Just beat me or burn me or drown me or whatever it is you do. As long as you leave me in peace to do my duties."

I rattled my head, taken aback by her claim. "I'm sorry, what? Is that honestly what you expect from me?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Her words ran laced with venom. "You sea spawn are all the same. If we don't fall in line with your demands, we wind up discarded like trash on the beach."

I remained silent for a few seconds longer as I processed her words. "Sea spawn." It'd been a long time since I last heard that phrase used against me. Still, beneath the furious facade, I saw the darting glances and quivering legs. If I moved against her, she'd just as readily run for her life as she would fight me.

"I recently spoke with a friend of mine. She told me the other nymphs had only positive things to say about me."

She scoffed. "As if I'd let their words fool me. I know how easy it is for you to break the mind of a nymph. I've seen it done hundreds of times. A cruel and vicious master can reduce anyone to a subservient playtoy so long as he coats his words in enough honey."

If at some point my jaw hit the floor, I wouldn't have been surprised. Her words struck a familiar nerve after I saw the mindless drone Thŷella turned into prior to our… fun time with Palírroia. For a nymph who's seen such atrocities time and time again, it's no wonder how she would be predisposed to hate me.

Out of a habit, I rested a hand on her shoulder. The moment I made contact with her skin, she squeaked and jerked her shoulder away. Before I could question her action, she stormed past me and headed towards the room.

"Wait," I said, leaving no room for disobedience.

As if programmed to obey, she froze on the spot and turned around, her eyes smoldering, but her body shivering.

"Hold out your hand."

Her pale green eyes widened, but she did as I said. With her fingers trembling and her head turned away, she presented me with her open palm.

I took a moment to observe her skin. Much like her namesake, a soft grey hue coated every inch of her skin. However, light brown patches covered portions of her body, like a reverse vitiligo. Despite her odd coloring, I couldn't see any cause for her to flinch so frequently.

She shivered as my hand approached hers. Her pale green eyes slammed shut as she turned away.

One touch. One gentle brush along her hand.

A shrill squeak left her lips in response to my touch. On contact, I pulled away. With a frown tugging at my lips, I wracked my brain for any possible explanation before a long forgotten memory popped up.

"No nymph can go too far from their life source, right?"

Though her body faced away from me, she nodded with a growing fear in her eyes.

"Take me to yours."

"Master-"

"Please."

She hung her head low and led me through the corridor. Ever present her fear remained, yet she seemed more calm than before, as if she were walking a death march.

For the first time, I stepped through the forest. Trees and shrubbery, both massive and minute, littered the ground in compact clusters spread throughout the land. Sturdy mahogany and cassia trees filled the inner woods and fruitful mango trees and soft banana trees swished along the edges. The occasional palm tree stretched high above the others, swaying in the gentle wind.

As we made our way through the sprawl of trees and bushes, stray thoughts of nymph life sources popped into my head. Out of fleeting curiosity, I wondered about the sources for the other nymphs. For Rose, I imagined a healthy rosebush nestled within the gardens under the care of Katie and Calypso. Nimba… well, I need only to look up and see the far and few clouds in the sky. Perhaps one of them lingered more than the rest and I never noticed. But Palírroia and Thŷella… well, they were both oceanids. We were nowhere near an ocean, but a lake. Unless there was somewhere around the island I hadn't considered, their life source could be anywhere.

And then there was Ashe's… oh dear. By the time we reached her tree, tears streamed down her cheeks, yet she remained silent. Unbidden in her own fury, she let her eyes water her face with nothing more than a downcast stare. But her tree…

The first thing I noticed was the color. I've seen my share of ash trees. Sure, they were fairly monochrome, but I'm pretty sure they didn't have smooth trunks as well. Upon closer inspection did I recognize the horrors of her tree. Not a chip of bark remained, as if someone peeled it away and waxed the trunk. If only it were wax… All across the grayed tree, a horrid mosaic of slashes and burns stained the wooden tissues.

In my memory, I recalled the aftermath of the Battle of the Labyrinth. Countless nymphs and nature spirits spent weeks recovering from the damage dealt to their life sources. Even then, none of them looked so thoroughly ruined; much less, stripped of their bark. To do such a thing was like stripping away the skin of a dryad. With so little protection, every touch a dryad feels…

A shrill squeak yanked my attention towards Ashe, who kneeled at my side with her head bowed. Through her shaking and chattering teeth, she attempted to put on a mask of defiant bravery.

"Be done with it then. I'm sure you'll be fine with one less nymph."

It took a few seconds for me to register her words. When they did, I knelt before her.

"Who did this to you?"

Her lips trembled, along with the rest of her body. "Who do you think!?"

I recoiled at her brash tone, but I didn't dare to retort. A forced huff of laughter pushed its way out of my mouth. "I guess that was a dumb question. The slavers of course. But… why would they…?"

Even without my complete thought, she grumbled an answer. "I wasn't exactly the most eager slave. They did what they could to break me."

My hands fell to my sides as the obvious realization set in. Of course they would abuse her. With the way she snaps at me, just imagine how much she rebelled against them.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said after a pause. "I promised Palírroia that none of you would ever have to fear me. Lest we forget I told all of you to keep me in check if I start abusing my authority."

She sneered. "As if I haven't heard that before. Poor Thŷella got duped from a near identical line."

I hung my head as I attempted to find something, anything, that could convince her I was on her side. When nothing presented itself, a stray thought gave me the perfect idea.

Show, don't tell.

Gentle gurgling from a nearby creek pulled my attention to the water. Maybe I couldn't convince her yet, but this seemed as good a start as any.

Twisting convulsions tugged on my gut as I called upon the sea. Seconds later, a mass of water heeded my call and encircled the distressed tree.

"Master, please! You said you wouldn't!"

Tears free fell from her eyes. Her chest heaved as she brought her hands together, begging me to send the water back into the creek.

The water embraced the tree, circling it with slow rotations.

Hyperventilated sobbing turned to strangled gasps. With each passing of water over the wooden surface, the scorches faded. Not long after, the gashes mended themselves.

Ashe fell to her hands and knees, gasping for air as the sensations washed over her. Pale green eyes stared at me as she heaved. A hand clutched her chest as she struggled to breathe.

"It's okay," I said. "You're safe."

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to half an hour. By the time I finished with her tree, all tears of hers were spent. Dark green streaks ran down the sides of her face. She kneeled in immobile silence as she resigned herself to a self-induced fate. If she moved even an inch, she would have noticed the difference. Or perhaps she mistook the lack of pain for her own numbness.

I walked several circles around the tree, inspecting every nook and cranny for the slightest scars. Only when I ascertained its restored health did I send the water back into the creek.

I knelt a few inches before her. "How do you feel?"

She scowled. "That's a loaded question, and you know-"

My palm rested on her cheek. Though she flinched on contact, she never pulled away. Her eyes widened as she recognized the situation for what it was.

"Better?"

Fresh tears (somehow) pooled in her eyes as she brought her hand up to mine. "H-how?"

If she really wanted an answer, she didn't wait for it. Rather, she pressed her cheek further into my palm and rubbed her hand along my arm. Seconds later, she let out a squeal of joy and threw herself onto the ground. Long forgotten sensations seemed to trigger her jovial ecstasy. She writhed and rolled around the soft grass with tears in her eyes and laughter on her lips.

With a smile, I stood and prepared to head back to the house. As I turned, an overzealous dryad hugged me from behind and smothered my back with her body.

"Please don't leave." She let out a delighted moan as she rubbed her face along my shoulder blades. "Stay with me."

I let out a huff of laughter. "Look, you can stay and enjoy yourself to your heart's content. However, I have to-"

She pulled my hand and spun me around. Before I could register what was going on, she brought my hand to her cheek and rubbed it against her skin. A delighted sigh left her lips as she pulled my hand lower.

"Please stay," she said as she ran my hand along her throat. "Touch me. Please."

My hand twitched as she pulled it further down her body. Lidded eyes met my own as her breathing grew heavier.

"I want to know… what it's like. I've spent so long in pain and agony. Please show me what pleasure can feel like."

She pulled my hand down until it cupped her breast and squeezed it through my fingers. Even with so little stimulation, her tongue peeked from within her mouth as her breathing grew more haggard.

"Please." She reeled my arm in one handful at a time until she reached my shoulder. When she did, her body molded against mine and her lips parted themselves mere inches from my own. "Touch me… Rub me… Do whatever you want to me."

Her pale green eyes glowed brighter than ever. Both of her hands roamed my body, rubbing along my arms or back. With how heavy her breaths were, I couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so sensitive. And then I looked to the tree.

Despite my work, I couldn't replace the bark. While the slashes and burns may be gone, her skin remained sensitive to the touch so long as the bark didn't grow back. But if she were seeking other sensations with touch…

Annabeth, I'll see you right after this. I promise.

My hands fell on her shoulders and pushed her back until she lied on the soft grass. Tickled by the verdant blades, she let out small giggles as I descended upon her.

"Oh, yes."

I roamed her body through the thin fabric of her chiton. Even with the delicate barrier between us, she moaned out with every glancing touch. For not a moment did she remain silent, instead turning her vocalities to breathy moans or cries of joy.

We traded fondling touches and handfuls of skin as our palms roamed the body of the other. Without taking our clothes off, both of us found ourselves reduced to heavy breathing as the sensations overwhelmed us. How I managed to succumb in so little time, I couldn't tell you.

"Feel better now?" My hand trailed up her throat and across her lips until she took my thumb into her mouth.

"Yes," she cried out as my other hand roamed her pelvis. "More."

"Now now," I chastised as I pulled my thumb away, "don't get greedy."

She pouted. "Not even a little?"

"Well," a devious smirk crossed my lips, "I suppose a little couldn't hurt."

As if trying to swallow my words, she lurched forward and brought her lips to my own while throwing her arms around my back. A high pitched squeal fleeted from her throat, but failed to escape from our locked lips. She proved herself an energetic lover, wrestling with both her lips and tongue to subdue me, but remained so wild that she failed to do so.

My tongue pressed hers to a standstill until she relented to me sucking on it without restraint. Her grip around me tightened as I did. White scleras presented themselves to me as her eyes rolled up. A breathless groan fled her throat as the pressure and pleasure overwhelmed her.

I pulled away and let a crystal thread linger between our lips. By the time it broke away, she attempted to pull me in for another kiss.

"I have a better idea." I rested a palm on the side of her face, to which she gave a blissful hum. "Everything's sensitive, right?"

She nodded. "But it doesn't hurt anymore. Now it all feels so… ugh!" She stretched out along the grass and let the soft blades brush her once more.

I moistened my lips. "How about we go somewhere a little more… soothing?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Where?"

I pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Follow me."

By the time I stood, Ashe jumped to her feet and hugged against my body. She groaned in annoyance as I attempted to push her off of me, and resigned herself to holding my hand as I moved towards my destination.

The gentle creek gurgled as I approached. Turquoise streams stretched across the forest, no more than a few inches deep. Just enough to cover her body.

I took one step into the creek and turned to Ashe. Even with my hand in hers, she seemed reluctant to go further.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure this'll feel unlike anything you're familiar with."

Uncertain as she may have been, she nodded her head and took a step forward. As expected, the moment her dress touched the water, it dissipated into a cloud of mist. Shivering from the newfound coolness against her body, she tightened her grip on my hand as her bare form presented itself to me.

Unlike the other nymphs, calling Ashe petite wouldn't quite fit. Rather, her curves were on par with that of Katie's. Full. Soft. Yearning to be groped.

Along with the water, a dripping wetness shone between her thighs. She took no efforts to conceal body or her arousal. She knew what she wanted, and she was going to get it.

Hand in hand, I laid her into the water. With her legs opening downstream, I couldn't help but wonder if one of the other girls were on the other end of the creek, unaware of the new fluids rushing towards them.

I knelt by her side and drew a line along her belly, stopping only when the pad of my finger settled on her jaw.

She trembled beneath me, eyes rolled up. With the shallow water rushing past her body, I couldn't help but drink up the sight in front of me.

Kneeling by her side, I raked a hand along her thigh and massaged her pelvis. She groaned beneath me and mouthed a soft "yes."

If only I could empathize with her hypersensitive skin. The cool rush of water flowing over my shoulders and rubbing every inch of skin on my body. Every stray drop flicking the delicate parcels until not a part of me remained dry. Soaked to the core and still moaning as the water massaged me with its never ending cascade. If only…

I circled her heaving form as she writhed and moaned under the water's embrace. Every now and then, I ran a hand along her tender skin. Only when I found myself between her legs did I stop.

When she noticed my halted movement, she peeked down to see me lowering my face to the point where her thighs met.

"Let's see if you taste as delicious as you look."

Rich juices greeted my tongue as it parted her folds. As if trying to prove me right, her robustly sweet flavor pulled my lips against her delicate skin at lightning speeds. Not an ounce was wasted. Every drop found a new home in my mouth.

"Oh, yes!"

Her eyes crossed in a drunken stupor. My head found itself trapped between her thighs as her grip tightened. Whether from her intoxicating smell or her rich taste, I couldn't find myself wanting to leave the embrace of her legs.

I flicked my tongue around her little twat. Every swirl across her delicate flesh let me indulge with both my tongue and my ears. From her moans to her taste, I couldn't bear the thought of pulling away. The buds of my tongue rubbed her soft ridges.

"Right there!"

Forget the tongue. I pulled away and replaced my tongue with a single finger. Soft strokes were all it took as her ridges wettened by the second. My tongue was put to better use along the surface. Her delicate labia fell victim to the swirling caresses, the swishing motions.

Her fingers threaded my hair. She tugged and pulled as pleas for more danced on her tongue.

With her legs around my head, my free arm had no trouble circling around and massaging her pelvis. Her tender skin molded beneath my fingers, yet every stroke resulted in slight shudders.

My senses heightened from the water, allowing me to see and feel everything. The ripple of her thighs as she trembled. The way she squeezed her breast. The arching of her back. Not a detail went unnoticed as I overwhelmed her senses with both my tongue and the creek.

A thick line of drool slipped from the corner of her parted lips. Lost in her delirious trance, she let the pleasure overwhelm her. Panting. Moaning. All rational thoughts ousted from her mind. Only the desire for finish remained. And so I willed that desire to become a reality.

Her thighs rippled around my head as I curled my finger upward. A mere beckoning motion along her inner walls resulted in a high pitched scream.

"Oh, yes!"

Delicious juice torrented from her nether lips. Her vice-like grip tightened around my head as her legs quaked.

Every drop I could fit found its way on my tongue and down my throat within seconds. The rich flavor left me wanting more. And so, like a dehydrated coyote at an oasis, I returned my mouth to her little snatch with a doubled enthusiasm.

"Please!" She closed her legs around my head as her hips bucked. "Fuck… me!"

Rather than heed her request, I let my tongue reenter her juicy depths and slurped on her sopping pussy lips.

Her nails dug into my scalp, not unlike Reyna. She quaked beneath me. Over the span of three minutes, her eyes widened and her screams grew louder.

"Yes!"

For the second time, a deluge of tasty juices flooded my tongue. The heavy scent of lacquered wood filled my nostrils. Thick and pleasing, the fragrance nearly pulled my eyes shut. I lapped up every drop of her essence as it spilled from her, thirsty for more.

Rather than return for thirds, I pulled away from her slacked legs and turned to her face. She panted with a delirious expression on her lips. A far off gaze crowned her open drooling mouth. Slight tremors passed through body in swift bouts.

"Are you okay?"

It took a few seconds, but she managed to nod. Small pants punctuated her speaking. "Best. Day. Ever."

I smiled and stood. As I stretched, I couldn't help but lick the flavor of her juices from my lips once more.

She still lied beneath me with water flowing down her body, washing away the juices I came to adore. Her legs remained spread open, as if inviting me to return and feast on her delicious pussy.

"Please," she moaned. "I want you inside of me."

I took a step back. "Are you sure you can handle any more?"

She shook her head. "No. So can you carry me back to the house if I pass out?"

At least she's honest…

Before I could bring myself to protest, I stripped my legs bare and tossed my clothes to the shore.

Ashe pulled herself up and rested on her elbows with her legs spread before me. The lustful look in her eyes offered no attempt at a coy play or sultry flirt. Rather, a ravenous hunger festered in her gaze. A hunger I intended to satisfy.

With my legs between hers, I pulled myself forward until my body hovered above her. Inch by inch, our bodies merged together, starting from our legs and ending at our waists. The bulbous head of my cock brushed her sopping folds.

She whimpered at the contact, as if the simple touch filled her with greater pleasure than the water rushing by her body.

"Are you ready?"

Rather than answer me with words, she lurched forward and locked her lips with mine. Through her hot breaths and sensuous moaning, I almost failed to notice my hips moving forward on their own. By the time I did, half of my cock pierced her insides, and the remaining half wasn't too pleased about being left out.

Ashe squealed as I bottomed out inside of her. Tight walls convulsed around me as she flexed her insides. She bit my tongue to stifle her moans, but let it out when I gripped her breast in response.

I started thrusting with a slow pace, pulling out inch by inch until only my engorged head remained inside of her. After a slight pause, I returned, sinking each inch of my shaft inside of her quivering depths as she lovingly gripped me.

She tightened and flexed around my throbbing cock. Small ripples passed through her as the wet walls of her insides squeezed me in their satiny embrace.

"More," she panted.

I smirked down at her. "Greedy, aren't you?"

She rolled her hips upwards to meet my thrusts. "More!"

I redoubled my efforts and pistoned into her quivering depths. The slick sheath stretched and convulsed with every thrust. Wet schlicks rippled across the water as her wetness outdid the flowing creek beneath us.

My hands failed to remain idle. From her heaving breasts to her tender throat, no place remained safe from my touch. I squeezed and rubbed all in sight, letting her soft skin tremble beneath me as we rocked back and forth in the water.

Her thick scent wafted through the air. An earthy sweetness danced on her tongue as she pulled me in for another kiss. All the while, her convulsing pussy massaged my cock as I upped the ante and pounded into her with no mercy.

She lost all sense of reason. Any semblance of rational thoughts fled her mind as she locked her arms around my neck and rolled her hips to meet every brutal thrust. Her eyes rolled and crossed. Drool fell from her tongue parted lips. Rapid panting punctuated the sound of splashing in the creek. Yet still, despite her inebriated state, she managed a single word.

"More!"

Do immortales! You're insatiable!

My fingers turned to her jiggling breasts and squeezed her soft flesh. Her tender mammaries offered no resistance to my fingers, molding with every motion to their new master.

I rocked my hips harder, desperate to finish this girl. My hips slammed against hers at a quickening pace. The rhythm of my thrusting forced our bodies to slide along the bed of the creek. Every time I buried myself inside, her back arched at a beautifully terrifying angle, presenting me with two healthy handfuls of breast flesh to play with. And play with them, I did.

My tongue lavished her chest, smothering her sensitive skin with slobbery kisses and flicking massages. When they were polished and shining with saliva, I inhaled her brown nipple and suckled on her heaving tit.

The merciless dance of our hips continued. Her insides massaged me with every thrust I made. Any time I pulled away, her greedy pussy sucked me back in. Every time I bottomed out, her inner walls tried to push me out. The cycle continued for long enough. My arms tired beneath me, despite the creek's revitalization.

As my body shut down bit by bit, I noticed her rolling hips losing their rhythm. All of her groaning loosened to deafening yells. Her fingers dug into my shoulders. The arch of her back increased until only her head touched the riverbed.

Without needing any further warning, I relented the last of my strength to my hips. My thrusts slowed as her fluttering pussy walls convulsed around me. Only when they tightened did I slow my assault to a crawl.

"Yes!"

Her body convulsed until only her toes and head touched the floor. Her slick walls gushed and splattered my hips as she tightened around me. A throaty groan fled her lips, silenced only by the collapse of her body.

"Ashe?"

As expected, she lied motionless in the water. Soft breaths flitted through her lips. Washed away in the creek, her sweaty figure shined in the afterglow.

"You really did try too hard."

I hauled her body to the shore and dried her of the water. She remained unconscious for several minutes longer. I too needed to catch my breath, so I can't say I was complaining. Plus it gave me time to put my clothes back on.

When she did stir from her orgasm induced unconsciousness, a blissful smile adorned her face.

"More?"

I laughed. "Gods, you're impossible."

She attempted to pull herself up to me, but barely managed to rest her head on my thigh. Her blissful smile soon turned embarrassed.

"I can't feel my legs."

I rubbed her back. "I'm surprised you can feel anything after that."

She rolled over, her eyes staring towards the skies. "Still worth it."

A smilled pulled across my lips. "Come on. Let's get you home."

I scooped her up bridal style and began the trek towards the villa. She nuzzled my side while rubbing my abdomen.

"You never finished, did you?"

I shuffled along a few more paces. "Don't worry yourself. I've gone for hours at a time, plus you're still new at this." It took a few seconds before I registered the meaning of my own words. "Come to think of it, you were a virgin?"

She nodded against my torso. "All of us were. Virgins sell for more. Of course, there were a few trainers that tried to rape us, but anyone who was caught found themselves on the recieving end of a sword."

I processed her words. "On that note, who's in charge of this whole operation? Not the trainers, but the one above them."

"I don't know," she mumbled. "I only ever saw the telkhines who trained me. Or tried to, at least."

I nodded, unsurprised. Of course the head honcho wouldn't show his face. He wouldn't need to.

I carried along for a little while. My body still ached from the recent activities, and carrying Ashe back home wasn't doing me any favors. Just as I contemplated setting her down for a few minutes to catch my breath, a single noise pierced the tranquility of the forest.

REEEEEET!

A/N - Oh, what a note to end this on. What caused the noise in the forest? Tune in later to find out.

Seems like it's been a long time since I last uploaded a smutty chapter. Hopefully this was worth the wait. As always, I tried to make it unique. Besides, imagine being able to properly "feel" for the first time in years. Gotta be overwhelming.

On the note of it being a long time, I have to say... wow. Five reviews in two weeks... Come on guys, you have to give me something to work with. Otherwise, I get the impression that no one even cares about what they're reading. I understand that I haven't been posting as much as usual, but there has to be some followers out there that think enough of this to put in their two cents. This is where I have to ask, how many of you are students? If most of my fanbase are students, I can understand a bit better. After all, finals take priority.

This next paragraph will make me a hypocrite, but I have to bring this up regardless. These past few weeks have been busy to say the least. My hours have spiked and now I'm stuck with a permanent forty hour work week. Heck, part of the reason I'm posting now is because I go to work in a few hours, come back home after the shift, and return to work a few hours later. My Saturdays have turned into a fifteen hour work day. Not exactly ideal for uploading a new chapter. Next on the list is going to impact the future of my upload dates a bit more. I've recently enlisted in the Air Force. My ASVAB is already complete and I'm getting the last portions of testing (both physical and mental) taken care of this upcoming week. My recruiter isn't sending me out for basic training for a few more months, but when the time comes, uploads will come to a screeching halt. Can't exactly upload a chapter if I'm not allowed to have any electronics for a month and a half. As I said, it'll be a few months until then, but I still want you all to be aware.

With all of this taken into consideration, I wanted to make a proposition. Because I want to hear back from you guys more often and because I'm aware of the amount of guests who read this story, but don't have an account, I wanted to see how you guys would feel about me putting together a Discord server. By doing so, I'm able to connect with those who really care about this story and keep everyone up to date with the events in my personal life without having to upload any more "Delayed" chapters. As a bonus, I can create separate discussions for things like questions or recommendations for future content. Plus, I can send a notification there when a new chapter is uploaded or updated. I need your input for this, so please don't hold back on the reviews or messages this time around.

I guess that gives everyone two questions yet again. How many of you are students? And how many would like to see a Discord server put up in the future. Your input does directly impact whether or not one is out up so do not hold back if you want one. Hopefully, this gets more reviews this time around, what with finals coming to a close. Since my next chapter upload won't be for another two weeks, I'll go ahead and wish you all a Merry Christmas. Stay safe and enjoy your holiday. The Fates have decreed that I work during Christmas, so that's nice... As always leave a review (they are much more of a necessity this time around). This is Ronin signing off.