Reborn From the Cosmos

Arc 8-09

Alana’s normally stern gaze is softened with an endearing mix of eagerness and anxiety, contrasting her pretend frown as she joins the game. I can’t hide my smile as my familiarity with her practically points out the signs of her nerves: the tension throughout her whole body, the slight trembling of her lips, the way she can’t quite look me in the eyes. Saints, she’s so out of her element. But that’s one of the reasons I love her. She throws herself into whatever she wants, whether that’s training to slay titans or bedroom games.

I search her gaze, looking for the root of her desire. Or rather, wondering if any part of this game isn’t to her liking. Kierra, my deviant savage, has few qualms about anything; rather, the strangeness of certain acts makes them more appealing. I feel like Talia only cares about the result.

Alana is different. She has to be seduced, enticed. Teased and towed down the path.

I’m worried my appearance, particularly the fur, might be a turn off but it’s easy to see my concerns are pointless. Her fingers glide through the fur on the back of my neck without a hint of discomfort, hand twining in my hair before yanking sharply. I could resist, but I follow the motion, letting my head snap back and adding a whine for effect.

Perhaps too good of effect. Her grip weakens as she urges me to meet her gaze, looking for real discomfort. I flash a smug grin, instantly eradicating her doubt as her fingers tighten again.

“I can’t leave you alone for a moment without you causing trouble,” she snaps, channeling the stern disapproval of every tutor I’ve ever had. “Can’t you follow simple instructions?”

Hm. So many places this can go. She called me a dog…should I be so excited about that? No, no. I can examine that later. For now, my part. I could play into the animal role more, maybe use big ol’ puppy eyes on her…no. Alana is weak to words, I’d be too tempted to break character. And I’m gonna turn the tables on her eventually, that’s a given. Ohhhh, I’ve got it.

“You’ve grown arrogant, Lady.” I thought about going with hero, as I am clearly the villain, but that suggests very unflattering comparisons. Lady is also a title of power. It also suits her current appearance, which wouldn’t be out of place at a capital ball if she had a dress on. But most important of all, it’s what she wants. Not the title specifically, but the acknowledgment. The authority.

My choice is vindicated by the sharp breath she inhales through her nose, a telling action that says she’s trying to control her reactions. Joy blooms in my chest at the small success and I let my mind embrace it. The world is only this room, my two lovers and our audience of one, Talia having taken a seat after arranging her tools and accessories on the dresser. Is it irresponsible to ignore our problems? Yes. With each passing day, the situation worsens, developing on countless fronts.

But…I’m tired. Maybe there are heroes out there who can move from one crisis to the next, one tragedy to the next, without blinking or faltering, but that’s not me. An occasional break isn’t going to cut it. I admit defeat.

I’m sure there’s a perfect balance out there, but for now, I choose the extreme of existing wholly in this moment until I feel ready to face the world outside our bedroom.

Saints, do I even need a reason to enjoy this?! I didn’t smash a city to brood over it all day. It was for this, only this.

“You may have chained me, but don’t think I’ll be your servant forever.”

Alana’s features twist into an impressive scowl, which manages to be both cute and threatening. “The cost of your life was to serve me, always. You may have been a titan once, but now you’re nothing more than my slave. I think you need another reminder of your place, pet.”

Uh…

I stare at her with a slightly dropped jaw for so long she becomes nervous, mask cracking as she whispers, “Too much?”

“Yes, but in a good way,” I whisper back. Really. I was not prepared for what those words paired with that glare would do to me. Been awhile since my knight has made my heart skip a beat like that.

I flash her an encouraging smile before slipping back into my own role, with a few adjustments. Since she’s pushing the beast route, I decide to lean into her a little harder, growing a tail and large fluffy ears. I also thicken the fur on my limbs while lessening it over my front, exposing myself from my collarbone to my hips. It’s hard to gauge how I look without a mirror, but I have full confidence in this sculpted body of mine. It’d take a lot more than a few uneven patches of fur to make me look anything less than gorgeous.

Alana certainly doesn’t complain, despite the force used to throw me backward being far from gentle. She clicks her tongue as she looks down on Kierra, who is slowly recovering from her “bath”. “The dog was right about one thing. You’ve got not business walking where you don’t belong.”

Our elf heroically pulls together her shattered persona, heart slowing with her deep breaths as she closes her eyes. When she opens them again, they’re glossy with tears, her lips trembling as she looks up at the stern Alana.

“Y-you! H-how can you let that thing roam the forest?! It…did those things…” She hides her face in the sheets. “I can’t return home with this shame.”

“Why not? You don’t plan to live in the trees for the rest of your life, do you?”

“What choice do I have? No one will have me now.”

“Cheh. Let me see.” Alana roughly grabs Kierra by the chin, tilting her tear-stained face up while humming thoughtfully. “Your face is pretty enough but I suppose that’s doesn’t make up for that empty head.” She drops her. “I can’t have you wandering the forest, making more problems. If you don’t want to return to whatever backwater you climbed out of, I’ll have to take custody of you.”

“Really, Lady? You’d do that?”

“Don’t look at me like I’m doing you a favor. You’ll work for your bed.”

“Oh, yes! Mother always said I worked the hardest. You won’t regret this.”

“No, I don’t think I will. The dog has already taken a liking to you. You’re the perfect treat to make it behave.”

Kierra’s stricken look is absolutely priceless. I thought she was a terrible actress, but it seems it just took a little time to find her stride. Or maybe she’s more interested after a taste of the rewards. “Surely you don’t mean to give me to that beast?!”

“I do.”

“But…you lied!”

“Did I? I said you’d be earning your bed. Lucky you, you won’t have to move too far from it to do so.”

“You can’t! I-I’ll run!”

Alana’s sneer is full of contempt. “So eager to start your job? The dog loves a good chase, though a brainless fool like you hardly qualifies. You wouldn’t make it twenty strides before my obnoxious pet drags you back. I suggest you don’t waste the energy. You gave yourself to me and I intend to collect.”

Kierra whimpers and curls into a ball, shudders running through her body. Alana’s shoulders straighten at the sight. Mm, she’s definitely enjoying this. I always thought that her desire to walk throughout the kingdom passing judgment was because of a righteous spirit, but maybe it’s something else. Maybe…she enjoys the power of it. The absolute control of weighing people’s lives. A power she would use better than anyone else I know but not so much out of the goodness of her heart.

I’m not disappointed by the revelation. The opposite. I’ve always feared that she would get herself into trouble doing the right thing. If her motives are inherently selfish, there’s a much smaller chance of her throwing herself in the path of a spell to shield innocents or some other nonsense. Mm, what a relief.

The stern gaze returns to me, the hesitance of before gone. I guess Kierra’s whimpering is emboldening her.

“You hear that, dog?”

“Yes, Lady.” My additional limb comes with its own instincts that I can’t control, wagging with excitement. “Perhaps you’re not such a terrible owner.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” She crooks her finger before pointing to the floor in front of her. I obey the silent command, slipping off the bed to sit at her feet. Her hands move through my hair, petting me as if I’m an actual animal, before grabbing my furry ears. “If you want your treat, you’ll have to ask for it nicely.”