Needed talk
All my thoughts and feelings on this situation felt like they were dragged out of my mind and put into a shooting range. I could only look at Ashley Blankly as I tried to get a handle on what was going on right now.
Ashley did not even seem that concerned about my sudden silence and lack of movement. No, she just went back to cooking without a care in the world. Honestly, the way she was acting right now was just as shocking as her last words. Or maybe it was the combination of the two acts. Either way I found myself without a clue to follow.
Was this some sort of test? Was Ashley testing my loyalty to our relationship by bringing up something like this? She already knew how Rias felt about me and bringing up Rias in this manner would certainly work as a test. Rias by all means was an attractive person inside and out so she certainly made a tempting bait.
I know I was making it clear that I was going to reject her but maybe Ashley wanted to see how I would react with that situation in question. With those thoughts, I felt myself gain some semblance of movement and my mind no longer felt quite as slugged.
"Don't worry Ash, I'll reject her properly," I spoke out firmly with a serious expression on my face. I was not exactly happy about being tested in this way but now that I was in this situation there was only one out for me. Ashley looked over at me with a raised eyebrow, the amused expression on her face clear to see. When she saw my expression she hummed lightly with the amused glint in her eyes.
" Sorry not taking your opinions anymore, the voting polls are closed." She announced with her arms crossed in an x. I felt my eyebrow twitch seeing that and I let out a sigh but I figured she wanted a more firm answer.
"I'm serious Ash, our relationship is solid there really is no need for games like this," I spoke out even firmer but there was a bitter tone to my words. Like I said I was not happy about being tested, I got why she was doing it but it did not feel good. Then again who was I to judge her? I apparently went around seducing people and it was a problem that Ashley had grown used to seeing.
Hearing my words she turned back to me and let out a sigh.
"I get it, I'm a jealous bitch, there is no need to remind me. The amount of times I threatened to chop off Andy's dick to get him to hang out with me is already too high." Ashley spoke out with an amused but tired expression on her face. I felt myself twitch at the mention of her brother in this context but I calmed down.
"There is nothing wrong with that Ashley, I love you in all of your messed up ways. Your possessive nature is just another part of you that I fell in love with." I explained with a doting expression on my face as I faced my girlfriend. Ashley blushed and shot me a hungry look but another look flashed across her face.
I even meant what I said for the most part. I had spent so long desperately craving affection that the overwhelming adoration Ashley put off was warming. There were also moments where her feelings were too girlish to ignore. The way she could not handle a genuine compliment and the innocent smile that lit up her face in the face of something she really enjoyed.
As our relationship developed her possessive nature lessened and she did not feel quite as threatened about others but she still staked her claim even now. So this sudden turn out of left field felt odd to me.
"Alright stop buttering me up and let me finish," Ashley spoke out with a soft smile as she swatted my shoulder. I raised an eyebrow at her words but decided to settle down.
"I like Rias," Ashley admitted hesitantly with that odd look on her face. I raised my eyebrow as her tone was odd. She was not saying she liked Rias in the way that she liked me. There was no hunger in her eyes and there was no romantic affection in her tone. Instead, she said those words with an innocent tone that I was not expecting.
"She is a nice girl but I'm not really seeing your point Ash." I let out with a small frown on my face. I was beginning to feel like this was not some sort of elaborate test but I was also not sure what was going on.
Ashley looked back at me and bit her lip.
"I like having her around. The way she squirms and stumbles around is cute. She wears her heart on her sleeve so I don't have to worry about any dumb shit. She also does not mind hanging out with me." Ashley explained quietly while she emphasized her final word. I felt my mouth dry at her expression and the words coming from her. She was putting more thought into this than I thought.
"People get sick of me, I know that. I push too many buttons and I don't think about what's going to happen after I push those buttons." Ashley quietly admitted her expression was raw and needy, before I even knew it I had my arms around her. She sunk into my embrace with a familiar weight.
"If we are fucking she is going to stick around," Ashley admitted with a slightly sour look on her face. Seeing that expression I gripped harder on her. I did not take into account how long Ashley had known Ashley knew about Rias' feelings. She had been ruminating on this from the moment she noticed her feelings. She might have even been thinking about this much earlier, as she mentioned I was stumbling around seducing people.
"You don't have to do this Ash, she is not going to leave just because we are not in that sort of relationship. All of us are connected in a way that is not going to go away for a long time." I explained calmly as I held onto her. Her motives and purpose were clear to see now instead of being hidden behind smug expressions and teasing remarks.
She let out a sigh as she looked over at me with those bright eyes.
"Is she? You're going to reject her, not because you don't feel some sort of way but because of me. Are you confident that she won't feel broken up about that?" Ashley asked with a glint in her eyes that bore into me. Again I felt my mouth dry up at her words and look and I felt hesitation at responding.
I can't honestly say that there would be no strain in their relationship. Before all of this came about I thought that Ashley would be the major stumbling block in their relationship. I thought when she knew how Rias felt she would have done everything in her power to push her away. Now I knew that she did not want to push her away but she also did know what to do in this situation.
Rias was growing more and more determined to say something about her feelings. The way she exposed her body to me and watched every twitch of my face told me that. She was going to say something eventually and then we would have to face the elephant in the room.
It was not like she would take me being in a relationship as the stumbling block for very long. She came from a world where Harems were not just the norm but an expectation. So with every rejection, there would be hurt coming over and over again. The only outlet for that hurt would be Ashley as she was the reason things hit a wall. I certainly played my part but it would be our relationship that was the sign being shoved in her face over and over again.
"See you can't." Again Ashley spoke out sourly in my arms with that slightly dejected look on her face.
" I can't say that there won't be any hurt feelings but Rias will get over it. She is a big girl and she has her whole life to look for love." I spoke out trying to put some semblance of order into this. I would just have to make sure the fire of that rejection was solely aimed at me. How hard could that be?
"Don't sell me a pipe dream Prince, I've lived being sold plenty of those already," Ashley spoke out with the look on her face flashing through several emotions. I gripped onto her and tried to think of some words that would solve this dilemma.
"Trust me on this Prince. I know resentment, I have lived my whole life living and breathing the stuff. Moments spent spiraling because I hated someone for even breathing the same air as my brother. The hurt that he did not want to stay beside me, the rage that someone else could catch his attention, the crippling pain when I knew I would never have what they had." Ashley spat out with regret and guilt inlaid in her words but the prominent feeling was pain.
I did not know how to respond to that. I could relate to her, those emotions and feelings were certainly things I had felt before. But I had to admit that she had me beat out in this regard. I had felt jealous, I had felt anger, I had felt despair, and I had felt resentment at Lily before but it passed without a second thought. Because Lily wanted to spend time with me despite everyone else, it was only in our last moments that everything spiraled in a way that would match Ashley's state.
That brief moment of my world collapsing was what Ashley was going through every day of her life. I felt like I was seeing Ashley for the first time. I knew she was broken, her twisted sense of self had been distorted by her life but this was a window to the process. To understand the feelings and emotions that had built up in her for ages.
"This is still going to hurt you, Ashley." I let out feebly as my mind stormed for something to grasp onto. This situation had been building up for so long but I didn't even put any thought into how it would end.
I was the one pushing for Ashley and Rias to get along. I wanted that kind girl to reach out to the girl that really needed someone to try. She did, the fact that she was here was proof of that but I had also pushed the other side of this equation. My actions and words had lit a fire and I was not even capable of putting it out without the fire burning things I wanted to build.
Ashley gripped onto me harder and looked deep into me measuring everything about me in a moment. I saw her affection blooming in her eyes, the want, the need, and the obsession.
"I would rather this than the alternative," Ashley spoke out darkly as she held my gaze.
"You are mine, that will never change. Your top priority will always be me. Promise me that." Ashley spoke out as she continued to lock gazes with me. I felt my heart drop at this turn of events but this was a storm that I built up.
"You are, you will always be my priority Ash nothing can change that present or future," I spoke out sullenly but seriously. I did not dislike the fact she was asking me to promise her this. I was just angry at myself for bringing up this situation in the first place. Ashley let go of my face and sunk back into my embrace with a needy expression on her face.
"Good," Ashley spoke out softly as she nuzzled into my embrace. I held onto her and cursed out the situation. I even cursed out myself as a certain part of me felt happy about this turn of events. The greedy part of myself that craved everything it could get its hands on felt happy that I had another thing to claim.
Ashley looked up from my chest and gave me another look seeing my expression.
"Alright cool it, yeah this sucks and I would rather it go a different way but I'm not totally against this. Rias is nice, I figure we are only to get closer now with sex being thrown into the mix. I still want to ride her face to show her who's the baddest bitch," Ashley let out with that teasing smile back. The heavy mood and the emotions she was expressing were gone in a blink.
I nodded lightly but I had a lot of thinking to do. I was expecting a heavy conversation when I first brought up Rias' feelings but I never expected to feel so badly at the end of this conversation. I thought I had a clear conscience for the most part and my feelings were firm enough. Turns out I was just making a joke of myself as I stumbled into a path that I was not trying to do.
It all came from not quite understanding Ashley's perspective. She craved affection, she needed it over anything else in her life. The relationships in her life were bombs after bombs and there was not a single person she felt really liked her. So she latched onto her brother for that affection, she did not care if it was romantic or not she only wanted the affection itself.
She would have been fine if their situation stayed at disturbingly close siblings. When she found that affection from me and it was no longer bound in chains she charged head first into a relationship because that was what she wanted, what she needed.
If she had a single friend that actually put up with her odd and volatile ways she would not have been as desperate as she was when I met her. So as Rias and her relationship warmed up she did not want to lose that closeness over this. She did not want to end up pushing another person away who actually wanted to be near her.
She also was not as bound up in her insecurities with me as I wanted her around instead of tolerating her because of the chains around my throat.
That was the thought process behind all of this and I wanted to slap myself for not seeing it before.
We got back to cooking a silence hung in the air that was heavy but I was too preoccupied to notice. Even as I accepted her reasoning and the thoughts that made them up I was trying to think of a way out. It would be easier to let things play out as they have, countless people would have been happy with this turn of events. I was also happy about this in some ways but the guilt was eating me up.
So I was trying to find that path that my mind was ignoring. The kink in the armor that would fell the beast. But I was coming up with blanks on every path I considered. The path that had been laid was already tracked. The blocks making it up placed from countless actions that have been building up to this.
Ashley's mental state made sense to me in its twisted way so I could not exactly argue her out of this. This whole situation also brought up her mental state and how concerning it actually was.
She was getting better but it was a long time coming and she needed actual help. I could not ignore her state because her affection for me made up for her leaps of logic. If I cared about her I needed to make sure she was getting better instead of leaving her to wallow in where she was.
Getting her another friend was certainly going to help and Argo would also do wonders here but she needed someone more experienced in dealing with trauma. I could get her to see a mind healer as they would slowly help her come out of her shell.
When it was just Andrew I was willing to let things come out slowly but now that Ashley was involved in this I needed to think that option over better. The knowledge in Ashley head would certainly be valuable but I could enforce the outcome I wanted pretty well.
I could wrap them in so many oaths and contracts that they would never have the option of even whispering out those secrets. They might not like it but I could pay really really well. Being able to make Gold whenever I wanted really made money a joke to me. Beyond that, I could offer things that no one else could.
Oh, was your sibling suffering from a magical disease that would kill them? Well, I have the cure right here. All you need to do is treat a patient in a non-disclosed location and be willing to have your memories deleted after the treatment. Was that too much to ask for such a life saving grace? Maybe it depends on the person I enlisted, they might not need that service but I could certainly offer anything to have them treat Ashley without threatening my safety.
It's not like they could escape with those memories when I had them in my grasp. The moment they stepped into the mansion they would find themselves locked under wards stronger than fucking Hogwarts. Again there had to be a certain amount of trust between a patient and the mind healer but I was not working off of trust. Oaths and contracts that had clear terms and no loopholes had to be brought into this loop. I would spend hours flipping a coin if it meant I had a near perfect oath to lease them.
I looked over at my girlfriend with my mind settled. This might not be the solution I wanted but it would also help Ashley out in the long haul. Hell, this might not even change the outcome Ashley had decided about but at least I was confident about her getting the help she needed.
Now that I was no longer lost in my thoughts I noticed how quiet everything was around us. Ashley was cooking with a sullen look on her face as she looked over at me every once and a while with a concerned look on her face. Seeing the clarity in my eyes again Ashley let out a sigh of relief.
"I was worried your head was going to explode with all the thoughts running in it." Ashley let out with a teasing smile on her face. I let out a light chuckle to show her I was fine for the most part.
"That would be a first, imagine the headline first Wizard in the world to explode their noggin from accidental magic." I let out lightly with a small smile on my lips. Ashley looked over at me with a tense smile as she shot me a more concerned look.
"That can't happen, right?" Ashley asked with some amount of urgency. I gave her a quizzical look as I was not really sure what she was talking about.
"The head exploding thing, I know you would not do it yourself but you mentioned accidental magic. Can something like that happen to you because of magic?" Ashley explained quickly with a glint in her eyes. I felt an amused smile grow on my face as I got the context.
"No, I'm well past the point of accidental magic and that Mana in our bodies will try its best to protect the Wizard instead of harming them," I explained calmly as Ashley slacked a bit in relief. Something like that was never going to happen, there is a way for our magic to hurt us but I was not going to tell Ashley that.
An Obscurus was only born when a magic child desperately tried to suppress their Mana. It was not something that came about from regular circumstances. I had the potential to be one at one point but that point had passed.
Since the silence was finally broken Ashley and I got back to cooking in a lighter mood. The topic that caused that mood remained unspoken but the both of us knew it was still hanging in the air. We did not touch upon it as Ashley's will was firm and I was waiting for a moment to bring actual help into this situation.
Instead of touching upon that topic, we chatted about random shit while flirting. The dishes prepared came quickly with the help of a little magic. Ashley may have been the best cook in Sword Art Online but that was not something that transferred to the real world. So we had to rely more on the magical cooking methods I learned from the house elves if we did not want to ruin the Ragout Rabbit.
Ashley had a pout on her face as I was playing a bigger part here but she had a determined look on her face.
"You have to teach me that magic," Ashley announced seriously as she looked over at me with a look that screamed no nonsense. I smiled lightly at her but nodded.
Ashley may not have a Mana core but that was pretty easy to fix with all my tricks, I was also pretty sure her Demi-God nature might fix that instead. I just needed to try teaching her basic magic before I made any decision. That was not something I was against as I really did love her.
The smell of the dishes must have spread throughout the house as Rias came back to the kitchen with a shy expression on her face as she poked her head into the kitchen with a small amount of droll leaving her mouth. Ashley and I ignored her as we were almost done and she was not saying anything, just looking at the dishes we prepared in hunger.
"Yo Rias, you got back just in time," Ashley announced when she finished plating all the dishes we cooked. Rias rubbed the back of her head and came into the kitchen after we acknowledged her.
"Sorry about not helping." Rias let out with an apologetic expression on her face. Ashley and I laughed at her seeing her expression which turned her look into a pout.
"If you tried to help we might have been out of a Rabbit," Ashley announced with a small teasing smile on her face. I just nodded along trying to keep a distance from Rias for the most part. Ashley may have an idea in her head but I did not have to play any part yet.
"Sorry, but the bunnies are so cute." Rias let out sheepishly as she started to help carry the dishes to the dining room.
"They are just not cute enough to avoid being on my plate," Ashley announced with a smug expression on her face. Rias looked conflicted about that as the scent of the meal was really getting her hungry but she was a protector of all things cute and small.
I stuck to the back while the two of them chatted. The banter between them was lighter than anything I had seen before. Ashley was still pushing buttons but she was not as malicious in her jabs. Rias was used to the more bitchy Ashley so seeing her be this calm also brought a cheerful energy from Rias.
While we were walking to the dining room Andrew wandered into the hallway. Probably following the scent of the meal. He had a tired look on his face and he had a grimace as he covered his eyes from the various lights pouring down on him.
"Good, I was about to shout for your lazy ass," Ashley announced loudly as high as she could get. Andrew winched as he looked over at his sister with a familiar sour look on his face but he just accepted the insult for what it was.
He just grunted out as he started walking with us. He ended up beside me with a dazed listless look on his face. I guess he was not quite awake yet as he seemed to be operating off of autopilot.
I gave him an amused look and hit him with a dimming charm. It should help with the glare he was experiencing. Andrew stumbled a bit from the sudden change in his sight and he blinked while rubbing his eyes but he did not seem that concerned about what was going on. Damn, he was a trooper.
We soon reached the dining room and we set the plates and drinks for everyone to dine. The mood was happy and cheerful and it brought a smile to my face as we started to eat.
We ate, laughed, and chatted about whatever came to mind. Andrew even started to join in as he woke up from his daze. He was shooting Rias an interested look but that was to be expected Rias was really good-looking. Rias seemed annoyed about his glances but she played it off well, probably familiar with glances like that.
Ashley turned to say something to Rias with that odd look on her face.
"So Rias you like Prince right?" Ashley questioned out seriously with a smug expression on her face. I choked on the food going down my throat as I shot a panicked look at what was happening in front of me.
Andrew was suddenly really fucking still as he shot Rias a pitying look and scooted away from her. Rias froze as well and a blush was building up quickly on her face as she sputtered trying to find words for this sudden situation.
Ashley just watched everything with a calm look in her eyes. I finally managed to swallow the food I was choking on and I cursed because I ignored one face. Ashley was someone who charged head-first into things damn the consequences. Why would she wait around when the opportunity was right in front of her?
------
"It's not like that Ashley-chan," Rias announced when she got control of herself. Her cheeks were still completely flushed and her tone was a mixture of stammers and nervous words.
There was an awkward moment as everyone could see that not even she believed what she was saying. Ashley rolled her eyes and had her piercing look boring on Rias.
Andrew shuddered seeing that look and went back to quietly eating his food. Andrew probably had an idea how this would go but I knew that he was completely wrong. He was operating off of a completely different Ashley after all.
I was nervously looking at what was happening with my thoughts trying to figure out an out. I was hoping that this conversation was never going to come out. Clearly, that was a pipe dream and Ashley was right. I should have never tried selling them, especially to myself.
"Yeah that's not going to work, you like Prince a blind donkey could see that," Ashley spoke out sourly as she gave Rias another look. Rias had her eyes widened at yet another jab and started to look around for an escape from this conversation.
"Ash, we don't have to step into this right now." I offered as I looked over at my girlfriend in concern. I was hoping she would take me up on this step back but I knew that was unlikely.
Andrew rolled his eyes and gave me a mocking look but I ignored him as he had no idea what was going on. Rias shot a grateful but guilty look like it was not obvious enough how she was feeling.
"Voting boxes are closed," Ashley spoke out with a glare on her face as she faced me. I rolled my eyes at her comment as I really should have an opinion on this considering it was my relationship.
I could admit that the thought of having Rias was a tempting one but I did not want it that badly.
"Look I get your point, but we don't need to rush into this," I said firmly as I tried to convey my concern for her with every other part of myself.
Andrew was now giving us a confused look as he was expecting a more explosive reaction but that was clearly not happening. Rias was also confused but there was an interested glint in her eyes as she quietly watched the byplay.
"No point in stepping back Prince. Everything is in the open. Rias knows I know so we are going to talk about this." Ashley said as she returned her gaze back to Rias. Rias stiffened up at Ashley's look as she was nervously looking over the knives on the table but she was also shooting Ashley odd looks.
"So let me repeat myself, you like Prince." Ashley let out as she locked onto Rias like a homing rocket. Her tone and previous words conveyed that there was no reason to deny it any more. Rias looked back at Ashley with hesitancy and bit her lip as she thought.
"Yes, I do but Ashley I swear nothing has happened," Rias spoke out nervously as she shot Ashley an earnest look. Andrew let out a sigh and gave Rias a pitying look while he shot me a smug look.
"I know that, if you did do something I would have already stabbed you." Ashley spat out as she rolled her eyes. I let out a sigh as this was clearly going somewhere and I had no ability to change the direction. Rias shot the knives another look and shuffled nervously in her chair but she looked back at Ashley with an odd look.
"Right so let's make things clear, Prince is mine." Ashley shot out with a possessive glare that pinned Rias to her spot. Rias looked uncomfortable with that look and the words being thrown at her but she looked away and nodded in the end.
"I know." Rias let out sadly but there was also a hint of bitterness in her tone that had Ashley's eyes hone in on her. Andrew was actually shooting his Sister an odd look as she was handling this a lot calmer than he expected.
"Good, I am the top bitch. I just wanted to establish a pecking order." Ashley spoke out in a smug tone as she went back to eating her Rabbit with relish. There was a moment where everyone else was completely confused but I just let out a long sigh at this.
"That's it? No threats of dismemberment or gun fire? Did you poison the food or something?" Andrew questioned as he shot the food in front of him with a nervous look. Rias was also looking at the food in front of her with some doubts but she was also shooting Ashley that odd look.
"Like I would waste a perfectly good Ragout Rabbit like that." Ashley spat out as if she was insulted that he would assume she would poison the food. She also seemed pretty annoyed that he would even assume she would tamper with the food like that.
Andrew thought over her words for a second, and then he got back to eating but he was looking at his sister nervously.
"Andrew you should know Ashley would never waste food, not after what you two went through." I spat out bitterly as this scenario was out of my control but at least I could prod the smug prick.
He shot me a glare at the reminder of what they went through but the look softened as he looked back at his sister with an apologetic look. Ashley shot a glare at him as she was more than a little mad about the thought.
"Right, my bad. This is all just too tame." Andrew spoke out nervously as he rubbed the back of his head and looked at his Sister with emotions flashing across his face.
" I was establishing the pecking order." Ashley spat out and ignored the rest of his statement. She got back to eating and I felt a little better about all of this.
In her mind, everything had been settled but she had been vague enough that nothing should come of this for a long while. It would let me get the help she needed before things started going wonky. I was about to change the topic when Andrew opened his stupid mouth again.
"Yeah but what does that mean?" Andrew asked with confusion on his face as he looked over at his Sister and Rias. I shot him a glare as we could have moved on without him.
Rias was clearly subdued from the topic and she would not touch upon this herself but she was clearly interested in what was going on as she shot Ashley that look again.
" What else could it mean, I'm top bitch. If she wants to pursue Prince she has to know that." Ashley let out with another glare on her face. Andrew took in her words and stood stock still.
Rias looked at Ashley with a surge of energy as she understood what was going on. I let out a curse and gave Andrew a glare as this was going to get even more troublesome.
"What? No, does that mean? Wait." Andrew mumbled out as his mind crashed from the sudden information. I was angry that this was coming out but I understood his current state of mind. I had my brain crash in the kitchen after all.
"So a harem." Rias let out with a soft smile on her face. The conflicting emotions on her face and the unsteady state of her own mind settled. She had an answer she was comfortable with and she was radiating a happy mood because of it. I let out a long sigh that got everyone's attention but I had other things on my mind.
"No not a harem, I ain't dealing with even more bitches. I'm only letting you in because I like you." Ashley shot out with a glare on her face and a sour look. She was clearly not completely happy about this but she was also not broken up about it. Rias just smiled softly as she ignored the context here, she had an idea about what was going on and she was fine with it.
Rias stood up and went around the table to sit beside Ashley and she hugged the sullen girl. Ashley was startled by the sudden contract but she did not seem uncomfortable with it. She had some tension on her but it was fading as the hug continued.
"Thank you Ashley-chan," Rias spoke out in a happy tone as she bounced in her seat beside Ashley.
Ashley rolled her eyes but quietly let Rias have her moment. Rias was shooting me a happy but shy look. Again a small part of me was happy about this turn of events but a major part of me was worried. Ashley was in a weird place so what happens when I get her the help she needs? Would everything here come crumbling down?
I guess there were relationships that could function properly with multiple people. Throuples were becoming something common enough that even I knew the name of them.
Granted I had no idea how they were stable and a cynical part of myself screamed that they did not work but what did I know? I was just going to have to figure this out as we went along. If things started crumbling down the line then I was just going to have to figure it out then.
'Bullshit!" Andrew shouted out as he stood up with a furious look on his face. He looked over at me with a glare on his face that screamed murder.
I stared blankly at him as I got it but I did not appreciate the fucking murderous intentions considering I had no part to play here….Okay, I had a part but I had in no way planned this out it just happened.
Rias was startled by the sudden rage from Andrew but she came from an odd society. Ashley let out a tired sigh but she decided to watch what was happening.
"What the fuck did you do to my sister!?" Andrew snarled out the rage and anger dyed with his obsessive and possessive nature. I rolled my eyes at his anger which seemed to egg him as he looked like he was about to jump across the table to strangle me.
"Nothing, Look I get how this looks. It's fucking strange, especially after everything you have been through but this one is all Ashley." I let out tiredly as I rubbed the bridge of my nose. My tone may have been earnest and sincere but my words had no way of reaching Andrew at this moment. I was pretty sure he would consider anything out of my mouth a lie by this point.
He leaped across the table with a surprising amount of agility but he was still human. Ashley let out a startled squeak as she shot the food a mournful look and Rias just looked flabbergasted.
Before Andrew could damage the food on the table I snapped my finger. Andrew instead of crashing across the table to strangle me found himself floating across the room toward me. I then placed him in the chair beside me as he snarled at me like a feral dog.
"Bullshit, you had to do some sort of Magical shit to fuck with her mind! I'll gut you, then I'll rip those fucking eyes out of your head." Andrew snarled out as he struggled to escape the confines of the magical bindings on him. I'll give him an A for effort as the guy was really putting his all into escaping to rip my eyes out but he was still very human.
Rias let go of Ashley and just watched what was happening with a dazed expression on her face. Ashley was a mixed case. She was mad at her brother for almost ruining the food but she seemed touched that he was blowing up like this.
This was probably the first genuine show of his emotions as far as she was concerned. Even if it was mixed with all the negative emotions he had bottled up. I let out a sigh as this was going to be annoying to deal with. I guess I could just erase his memories and put him in his bed but that would be proving I was like what he was thinking.
So instead I brought out a potion from my inventory.
"Look, I know you are not going to believe me but this is a truth potion." I shot out as I gripped his face and put a drop on his tongue. He shot me a look that screamed murder but I just ignored it. I had a point to prove. Ashley had an interested look on her face as she watched me work.
"What's your name?" I questioned as I looked at Andrew blandly.
"Andrew Graves!" He snarled out as he shot me a glare. For a brief moment, the rage gave way to confusion as he really did not mean to say that.
"How do you feel about your sister?" I questioned with a look flashing across my face. I was interested in how he was going to reply this time.
"I love her, she's my sister and I will always be there for her. I hate that she bound me with that fucking promise but I can't bring myself to really hate her. She can be an annoying bitch but I would kill anything to protect her, even you!" Andrew snarled out with a stunned look flashing across his face as he seemed to get what was happening.
Ashley was looking at her brother with a small smile on her face and the sullen mood she was in faded entirely.
Seeing the current mood I brought out the potion and put a drop on my own tongue.
"Alright shoot your questions." I let out tiredly as this was a dumb way to go about this but it would only become more troublesome if I went about this a different way. This method had the added benefit of helping Ashley come to terms that her brother really did care for her in the end.
"How do I know that the freaky shit works on you?" Andrew spat out with far less rage. He was still angry but he was getting control of himself seeing that I was so calm about all of this.
"Well, your sister would probably rip my balls off if I joked around with something like this. I could also test the potion on Rias as she is also magical but I don't know if you would accept that either. I could swear on my magic as my magic would tear me to shreds if I was lying but that would just be pretty words to you. Honestly, you are just going to have to trust me on this." I let out tiredly as I went through the options in my head.
Andrew did not seem convinced with those reasons but they were the truth, so I let out another sigh.
"Look I don't even have to deal with this shit. I could erase your memories and punt you back to your bed. I'm only going about it this way because you are Ashley's brother." I let out again. My current comment had Andrew freezing and a look of horror flashing across his face as he realized he was dealing with a fucking wizard.
There was silence as Andrew had no idea what to do with this sudden information. Should he continue being mad? He was justified in his anger but there was really no point in fighting against this. If I wanted to I could bend his mind into a pretzel and leave him thinking he was a goldfish and there was not a thing he could do about it. If I was brainwashing Ashley she would go along with whatever I did.
"Did you use any magic to fuck with Ashley's head?" Andrew eventually asked with conflicted emotions on his face. Objectively he knew that there was no point in continuing this farce but he had to hear the answers anyway for the solace of his own mind.
"No, Any and all magic I have cast on Ashley has had no mental effects. I have only healed the damage from starvation from the both of you and I have given her some potions that strengthened her body immensely beyond that I had casted nothing on her. " I let out tiredly as I gave Andrew a flat look. The guy relaxed slightly but he still had a lot on his mind. There was not really a lot I could do about that.
"Oh, how do you feel about Rias?" Ashley asked with a glint in her eyes. Seizing the opportunity in front of her. Unlike Andrew, she trusted that I was completely serious about the potion.
"She is a wonderful girl with a kind heart. She is silly and goofy in an endearing way and she is likely to throw her life away if it means saving someone she feels close to. She is someone who is honestly too good for the world she came from. I like her but not romantically as I am too in love with you. Although I can not deny that I felt some positive emotions from her various actions." I spoke out with a glare on my face.
Seeing that Ashley just stuck her tongue out at me but she seemed more comfortable so I was going to let this slide. Rias seemed disappointed that I did not feel for her yet but she wore a determined look on her face. Andrew on the other hand was brought out of his sullen state hearing those words, he had a complex look on his face but he decided to glare at me.
"Do you have any other girls you are close to?" Andrew asked with a glint in his eyes. Ashley froze and she seemed really concerned all of a sudden. Rias was also interested in this topic but she did not seem like she was that concerned.
"Pyrrha is a good girl but we are not close like that. She needs friends and I am more than willing to be that for her but again I don't feel for her like I feel for Ashley. Although she reminds me far too much of Lily to make me comfortable." I let out lightly as I was not too concerned about these answers. Ashley let out a breath as she did not have to worry too much yet.
"I was close to Lily but our relationship is too far gone for me to feel anything for her at the moment. Her sister Petunia is my student and I am impressed by her resolve. I do feel bad about how I treated her but I don't like her either. Then there is Argo and we are decent friends but she is closer to Ashley." I continued listing people with a dull on my face. This question was clearly meant to mess with me but I did not really have anything to hide here.
"Finally there is Narcissa, She is a very good friend of mine. She proved to me that she really cared about me and she was not using me. She was also genuinely upset for me when I told her about my issues. She is witty and capable of charming anyone and everyone if she wanted. We are just friends but there is a part of me that feels at ease with her and I have a small amount of affection for her." I spoke out with a stunned look on my face.
I did not expect those words to leave my lips but I guess they were right. I was reevaluating the events in my head while the rest of the room reacted to what I just said.
Andrew had his jaw hanging open at this admission as he was not expecting it from the rest of my words. He also looked like he actually trusted me a bit more since I admitted something I clearly did not think about. Ashley had a dark mood brooding around her and she was muttering something while she looked over at me with a possessive streak. Rias looked interested in the person who caught my interest and she was not capable of doing the same.
"I have no intentions of pursuing that affection," I stated firmly as I looked over at Ashley. I now knew how I felt for Narcissa but she was put in the same camp as Rias as far as I was concerned. I liked her but I did not need to do anything about it. Ashley seemed to calm down slightly from that as she looked over at me with a glint in her eyes.
"Were you planning on having a harem this entire time?" Ashley asked with a small pout on her face. Andrew threw a glare at me as if daring me to deny it.
"No, all of this has really shocked me. I have been scrambling around trying to find a solution to stop all of this from happening but it looks like the boat has already sailed by this point." I explained with a tired tone and I felt relief flood from me. That was what I thought previously as well but clearly, my potion could drag out a truth that the victim did not even know was true from their subconscious.
Ashley looked at me and nodded calmly but she still had a look about her. Andrew calmed down slightly but he was still rather miffed. Rias just seemed amused about all of this which was annoying.
Before they could bombard me with even more questions I took out the antidote from my inventory and took it. I may have been willing to answer their questions for the most part but I had already proven my point by now. Everyone was looking at me with questions clear on their face as I just took a random potion.
"Antidote." I let out roughly as I rubbed my throat. The magical liquid really did a number on your throat when going down. It was a problem but not a big one as I was not planning on dosing myself again.
Ashley threw another pout at me as she had more questions but I gave her a bland look. She just let out a huff and got back to eating.
"Hey, where is mine?" Andrew asked after a few moments of nothing happening. I looked over at him with an amused glint in my eyes.
"Sorry, that was my last one so you are going to have to wait for the potion to run out." That was a filthy lie as I had more but he was clearly asking me pointed questions so I was going to leave him in this state for a small while. The Potion would fade after a couple hours so there was no big harm here.
Ashley stopped eating as she had a glint in her eyes as she looked over at her brother with a cat like smile.
"Did a dog really chase you around that day or was it the cat that I warned you about?" Ashley questioned with a small smile that told the world she already had an answer in her mind and she was just waiting for it to be enforced.
Andrew had an embarrassed look on his face as he started to explain that she was in fact right. The mood lightened as Ashley continued to question Andrew about embarrassing moments she remembered.
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The mood was lighter with Ashley teasing her brother and Andrew being embarrassed by the questioning. Rias seemed genuinely amused about the turn of events and she was still radiating joy from the sudden shift of relationships. I could only watch the events happening in front of me with an absent mind.
This turn of events was not what I wanted but it was already too late to change things. I failed to beat the clock and I had lost the momentum to take action. I was not sure if things were going to be okay in the long run but I was just going to have to make sure that it did become better.
The dinner party went on without me offering a large amount of input. The talking and laughter blazed past me as the minutes passed by.
"I should head back now." Rias let out with a conflicted look on her face. She clearly wanted to stay but she needed to head back to get a handle on her powers. Ashley took in her words and smiled lightly at Rias before she gave her a tight hug.
The hug was sudden and slightly startled Rias but she was going to have to get used to that as Ashley was incredibly needy in the physical affection department.
"It's been a nice night Rias, don't make yourself a stranger." Ashley let out as she released the red head from her hold. It was a light comment but there was a hint of something else in her tone.
"I'll make sure to visit often Ashley-chan." Rias let out brightly as she looked over at the needy girl. I let out a sigh as that interaction was a nice thing even if I felt like I had messed up the plot. Rias looked over at me with some hesitance but she swallowed whatever was on her mind.
She knew that I did not feel the same way about her from the questioning. Granted she had already known that from the start but now she had concrete evidence of that. Rias may have swallowed her words but her feelings were clear on her face in this case.
She was determined to chase me despite what she knew, I may not feel for her like she felt for me but she also knew that I thought she was an amazing person. Someone that I could absolutely love with very little effort.
"It has been nice having you here, Rias." I let out a soft smile on my face. I may be confused and miffed about this turn of events but I was happy Ashley and her were getting closer. I could not blame her for this either as most of this was my fault.
Rias looked happy about my words and she got a shy look on her face before she disappeared in a flash of light.
"My life used to be so simple." Andrew let out dryly as he looked over what happened. He was giving his Sister a concerned look and he was throwing me glares every once and a while but I let it pass. In this case, he had the right to be angry.
"I don't think our lives could be described as simple Andy." Ashley let out with that cat-like expression on her face. I let out a scoff of my own as Ashley was absolutely right. Even when things were normal between the siblings their life was messed up. With Ashley obsessively holding her brother back and Andrew being a guilt ridden mess.
"I did not say normal, just simpler." Andrew let out with a sour look on his face. Well, at least he had a sense of normality in this case. Although I would argue that their world was also completely fucked it just took them twenty plus years to reach a point where things would have shown themselves.
"Simple is overrated." Ashley let out with a shrug as she looked back at me. I would argue that I preferred when things made sense but I would be lying. I excelled in this chaotic state where my most absurd ideas could bore fruit.
"So how have you been adjusting to the new world Andrew?" I questioned lightly as I figured I might as well extend an olive branch to him. I had kind of just dropped him off into a new world without really checking in with the guy.
I did not really like him and I was sure the feeling was mutual but he clearly cared about his sister and since I also cared for her we should at least be on amicable terms. Andrew looked over at me with some confusion but the blatant hostility took a back seat for once.
"It's fine, It's a bit weird suddenly being in England and everything feels a bit backwards but it's fine." Andrew let out lightly as he did not really want to share too much with me but I was fine with that.
"Meh, don't listen to him Andrew loves it here. The dumb amount of money he has access to had him grinning like a loon. He had also been a lot less stressed since he got here." Ashley let out with a grin of her own. Andrew shot her a glare for telling me that but she just flipped him off. I let out a light laugh at the byplay.
I turned to the sulking boy and thought about how this move affected Andrew. Having almost unlimited funds can really take stress off the mind but I had a feeling that was not the main reason he was happy here.
In his previous world, he always had the thought of things blowing up on him. That one day the crimes they committed would come back to bite him in the ass and there was not a thing he could do about it. In this world he did not have to worry about that as it was literally a world away from him.
"If you guys need anything just tell me alright," I state seriously as I look over at the two siblings. Ashley just rolled her eyes at me but I expected that outcome. Andrew let out a sigh but nodded, he was not happy about accepting my help but he knew that I meant what I said. If I did have bad intentions to them there was not anything he could do to change that so he just accepted the current state passively.
"Hey Ash, you mentioned something about that Spear you drew from the Gacha earlier," I stated calmly as I looked over at my girlfriend. Ashley froze as I brought up a topic she had completely forgotten about. The rest of our night had been rather chaotic so I figured the Legendary Spear kind of got lost in the sauce.
"Fuck, I forgot to invite Rias to my Party." Ashley spat out as she took out the Legendary Spear from her inventory. The spear looked as I expected it to, a long silver spear with gold inlays and a bright red gem in the center of the spearhead. Not exactly something that looked like it was a functional weapon but in its current state it was not exactly useful. She had to grow the thing further if she wanted an actual good weapon.
[The Legendary Spear Hero has invited you to their Party do you wish to join?]
[Yes] [No]
I hit the yes button quickly as this was only going to be good for me. I looked over at Ashley to say something but I noticed Andrew had a confused expression on his face as he was looking at nothing. I raised an eyebrow at the sight but I guess Ashley also invited him which made sense as this was a powerup she could share with her brother.
"Ashley, why the fuck do I have a screen inviting me to a Party?" Andrew eventually asked as he pieced together the context from what we said earlier. Ashley rolled her eyes and just pointed at him with her spear.
"Just accept it you dipshit, you got your panties in a twist over me being in danger so accept the powerup when it gets handed to you." Ashley let out with a huff. Andrew stared at his sister blankly for a moment before he let out a sigh.
"Seriously what the fuck happened to my life," Andrew muttered out as he turned back to the blank space in front of him. I could only assume he agreed to join the party from his comment.
When I hit the yes button I noticed that I gained some icons on my vision. They were only visible when I concentrated on them but when I did I was able to see current party members, their health and my own, sp bars, and everything you would expect from an RPG game. In addition, I was able to open up my status menu with a little more concentration.
[Severus Prince/ Class: God Slayer LV 1/ Skill Tree/ Magic/ Equipment/ Stats.]
I was a bit surprised that my Class was God Slayer but it made sense as it really was something impressive. The Skill Tree needed points to unlock more skills and there was a large variety of them to choose from but I needed to level before I got points.
The magic tree used the same points but I could only learn spells from trees I already had access to. The equipment slot was just a list of every item I had on me currently.
The final aspect of this was the Status page and it had a list of my current stats and a growth circle showing how I would grow with each level. As a God Slayer, I grew pretty well in all directions but my Mana growth managed to pull ahead by a small bit. I could already feel the difference between my previous state and the one I was in now. When I had accepted the party invite these stats started to affect me.
The numbers were not an accurate assessment of my base state but a separate entity in itself as I started off as a Level one.
"Do you think it's too late to call Rias back?" Ashley questioned as she looked over at me. I thought it over but I could not really give her a concrete answer. The easiest way to get the true response would be to ask but I did not want her to do that right now.
"This is good for Rias but it can wait, Ash. She does not have a lot of time to train with her Brother so we should let her get through that first." I explained calmly to my girlfriend. Ashley took my words and bit her lip but she just nodded as what I said made sense.
"Wait, wait! Why do I have a screen coming out of a video game?" Andrew asked loudly as he looked over at his sister with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"You accepted the Party invite, what did you expect to happen?" Ashley asked sarcastically but Andrew did not seem like he was going to accept that.
"Yeah, cause the random ass screen asking me shit made perfect sense to me," Andrew muttered out as he looked over at nothing. He was likely going through his stats trying to figure shit out.
"So having this power-up is nice but is there anything else your spear can do?" I asked Ashley as I knew the Spear had more to offer. I might have to guide her to get things working properly for her but I was fine with that. The legendary weapons could be bullshit given the proper route.
"The usual videogame bullshit. I kill scrubs and I get xp to level. I get drops from stuff I kill blah blah blah. I can upgrade the spears I get with ores and attach souls from my kills to get additional skills. I can also get different spears by absorbing drops into the gem. Oh, and I can master spear forms offering stat boosts when I do so" Ashley let out with a disinterested look on her face. I get that she was not big on explaining things but I wish she had a bit more enthusiasm here.
If I was the person with the legendary weapon I would be over the moon. Granted I knew what this spear was capable of so I guess I was coming from a different direction.
"Is it just drops from your kills that give you different spears or can you absorb anything?" I question trying to lead her to discover the mechanic by herself. Ashley paused for a moment and blinked owlishly at me before she grabbed a knife from the table which she held up to the red gem. With a flash, the knife was gone and Ashley was holding a shorter spear that had a spear head that looked knife like.
"The second one," Ashley announced blankly while she looked over her new spear. Seeing that I nodded with a small smile on my face. Ashley then started absorbing random shit while her spear flashed through several forms. Most of the spear forms looked like trash but the more forms she got the better.
I know there were other forms of strengthening the legendary weapons and I was also aware of what those methods were but I could not share them with her. There was something about gaining the trust of your fellow heroes or something, so she could only learn about those functions from a wielder of one of the Legendary Weapons.
Since that thing was from a completely different dimension it was unlikely that she was going to get the opportunity to learn those methods. I suppose one of the Chat Members could roll the other weapons from the Gacha but that was unlikely.
The entire multiverse was open to us so getting a weapon from the same universe was not going to happen. The only way I could see it happening was if Fortuna stacked the odds for me again but there were better options out there for me.
While I was contemplating that Ashley stopped her mad absorption of random junk and looked at her spear for a moment. There was a look on her face that screamed curiosity and I was about to ask what she had on her mind when she acted. She took the spear and slashed her palm, her blood flowed from the wound pretty easily. She then put her bloody palm on the gem watching as the gem absorbed the blood and started glowing.
"What the fuck Ashley!?" Andrew shouted out in panic as he watched his Sister cut herself. I was in a similar boat even if I got why she did what she did. The spear was capable of absorbing anything so she was curious if her blood would offer something.
"I get it Ashley but did you really need to cut yourself?" I asked tiredly as I brought out some healing potions from my inventory. There was no reason for her to continue bleeding when I had an option to take care of that.
"All the other stuff I absorb was junk so I figured rare loot would be better and my blood classifies as the rarest loot." Ashley let out as she took the potion I offered to her. She just held the bottle in her hand as she waited for the spear to stop absorbing her blood. She did not have to wait very long as the spear once more flashed into a different form.
The new spear was as long as the original form. It was bright blue with white lines running through it. The spearhead was jagged and looked like gold instead of a more practical metal. Finally, the spear emitted sparks as it lay in her hands but Ashley did not seem to be affected by the sparks.
"Score, demi-god blood for the win," Ashley announced with a bright smile and I rolled my eyes at her. I coughed at her which got her attention as she was too concentrated on her new spear. She shot me a questioning look but I only gestured to the potion I gave her. She blushed and gave me a sheepish smile before she drank the thing. Her bleeding palm was stitched up and healed right before us.
"Loot, she says. Of course, she would cut her self for fucking loot." Andrew muttered darkly as he gave his sister an exasperated look.
I won't deny that using her own blood as material was a great idea. Ichor is something that you encounter rarely so it made great material. I wish she thought her actions through more before she decided to do shit but that was behaviour I was used to.
I gave my own hands a quick look as there was another source of rare material right here. Instead of slashing open my palm I used a spell to take some of my blood out of me and place it in a conjured cup.
I had to thank Tom for this little trick as he casted a curse that was meant to pull all the blood out of my body at me. Thank god I was able to modify it to suit my purposes Alpha Stigma for the win once more.
Ashley saw what I was doing and gave the cup I was holding an interested look. Andrew just rolled his eyes and muttered more things under his breath. I handed Ashley the cup and she started to pour my blood onto the gem. Again the red gem glowed as it absorbed my blood.
Ashley was soon holding a new spear. This one was a deep black and the spear head looked like it was dripping some sort of liquid. The spear glowed in her hands.
"Fuck!" Ashley shouted out as the Spear hissed in her hands, she dropped the Spear like it burned her.
"Are you alright?" I asked with concern as Ashley looked over at the hand that touched the spear. I did not know what was happening but I was worried about her. I brought out several potions and balms that should help with burns but Ashley just waved me off. Andrew was also shooting his sister a concerned look.
"I'm good the fucker just stung me like a bitch. Should have expected the God Slayer form would take offense at being held by a Demi-God." Ashley let out sheepishly, she then turned the spear back to its previous form. I looked blankly at her spear for a moment and felt stupid.
Of course, a spear made using god slaying blood would attack divinity when given the chance. I just thought my blood was a rare material and never thought about what my blood was now. I just gave Ashley shit for not thinking things through in my head as well.
Well you win some and you lose some, there was no permanent harm to her and I was thankful for that. I could not handle hurting her badly because I could not be bothered to think my decisions through.
"Are there any drawbacks from your spear Ashley?" Andrew asked as he looked over at his Sister's hand. I was surprised that he beat me to that question as I already had a route planned out in my mind. I guess the sudden pain Ashley found herself in drew out that concern from Andrew when he was content to hold his tongue.
"Not really, the stupid thing tried to shock me when I used a weapon that was not it but I just chucked it back into my inventory. It stopped trying after the fifth chuck." Ashley let out with a smug expression on her face. I felt my mouth twitch from the sudden bout of amusement.
That was certainly a way to get around the Spears restrictions and one I would have never thought of. I would have just accepted that I was no longer capable of wielding other weapons but Ashley was always an out of the box thinker. Even if that leads to her doing stupid things every once and a while.
"Alright, enough questions already let's go kill things and level up," Ashley spoke with a bright smile on her face. I rolled my eyes at her murderous intentions but this was something I should have seen coming.
"Having a power to play around with is nice Ashley but I would rather not go on a murder spree." Andrew let out dryly as he looked over at his Sister. I almost let a laugh slip as this was the guy who threatened to rip my eyeballs out of my head hours ago. Andrew had murderous intentions even if he tried to deny them.
Some could argue that it was only his need to protect his Sister that caused that response but the emotions boiling off of him in that moment were clear. There was no use in pretending to be normal when he was someone who could kill and be happy about it in the moment at least.
"Fucking lame, this is supernatural power Andy! All you got to do is kill some chumps easy peasy." Ashley whined out but Andrew remained firm. I was pretty sure Ashley had other ideas in mind when it came to leveling but given the chance she was going to prod her brother.
"We can always go to Pyrrha's world, literal hordes of monsters for us to slay and the populace would be ecstatic about our cleansing." I let out with a small smile on my face, this was the method I thought Ashley was going for as we already talked about it earlier.
Sure enough, Ashley threw me a pout but she did not deny that we could go to Pyrrha's world. Andrew heard my words and gained a nervous look on his face that had my eyebrows raised.
"Lame," Ashley muttered out sourly.
"I would rather keep all of my organs intact thank you very much, so hard pass. You guys can go on your monster slaying without me. I am a very squishy human." Andrew let out as he took a step away from us. Well, that at least made sense. Andrew might want to experience having powers but facing hordes of monsters is not something someone unprepared could face.
"Nope, you are coming with," Ashley announced with a glare on her face as she looked over at her brother. Andrew let out a sigh and prepared himself for an argument as he really did not want to go. I could offer to upgrade him with potions but I honestly did not feel like it. It was not like he would be in danger that often.
"You can leave the monster slaying to us if you want Andrew. We will be able to protect you pretty easily." I joined in on Ashley's side even if I did not really want to bring him along either. Andrew shot a glare at me but I just shrugged at him.
I may not want to take him but I was more than capable of protecting him from the Grimm. The only real issue with Grimm is their endless numbers, even the really powerful Grimm can be taken care of by huntsmen and they did not have the more esoteric effects of magic on their side.
"See you don't have to worry about any boo boos. Just leave it to Prince and me." Ashley spoke out with a cheerful smile on her face. I was not totally sure why she wanted to bring him along, maybe she was worried about his safety with him being a standard human. If that was the case she could just ask me to upgrade him but she did not. I may not want to do it but if she asked I would have at least made him better than a base human.
Maybe she knew I was not that close to her brother and did not want to step on my toes here.
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This story is on hiatus for the most part, focused on writing Stealing and a commissioned piece. Still, I have been hoarding chapters for awhile so I should post them. Probably going to post more of them today.