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Content

Look, I know how I write by now. This is probably not the outline for *solely* volume 1 like I thought it was gonna be. It's more likely 1 and 2, maybe with a bit of 3. It really ballooned and thats why I was working on it for so long. So yeah, please let me know what you think of all this! My friend will be starting ghostwriting work on it soon and I'll be back to Coye tomorrow.

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Morning Routine

  • We start off with some words about how not all adventurers are the type that go out and earn glory by slaying monsters and delving into dungeons. For every one of those hero types, there are dozens of workers performing thankless tasks. Go here and gather up this many of that. Take these and bring them across town. Other examples.
  • as boring as they are, these fetch quests need to be done. Many low-rank adventures use them as supplementary income or stock up on them between their bigger adventures, but in the city of Imperalis, the largest city in Karnalle with a population of 300,000 people scattered across its many districts, there is a constant need for these quests to be done.
  • There are kiosks all over the city where people can go in and explain their problems to a guild representative at any hour of the day or night, and those problems will get turned into a quest and sent to the guild leading to an endless supply of menial tasks for the lucky adventurer ready to solve them.
  • The thing about that quest is even if there’s no glory to be gained by them, you can still earn a fortune doing them if you’re good at it.
  • Leo Lowlion? He isn’t just good at it. He’s the best. His registered class is 'Freelancer', since he doesn't have any classifiable combat skills whatsoever. It's a term from Final Fantasy and it's meant somewhat derogatory here.
  • He wakes up for another day on the job, rolling out of bed bright and early.  Leo is a young man, 20 years old, with emerald eyes and short spiky blonde hair the color of sunshine.
  • He lives in a inn not far from his guild. Living there is an option, but he’s a bronze rank so he would get stuffed with other people and he made way too much money to have to deal with that. He’s been in the same room for over a year now and it has a very lived in feel to it. It’s not the fanciest inn, but it’s a pretty good one.
  • He suits up for work, gearing up all of his magical tools and strapping an expensive short sword that has rarely been drawn to his belt. He pays special attention to his fashion, as he is conscientious of such things. It could’ve been said that he was like many big city youths and had an interest in fashion, but it wasn’t just that.
  • Leo wanted to be seen. He wants people to look at him, and when they do, he wants them to like what they see. I don’t have his design yet but it’s going to be trousers, a fancy white shirt, and a red leather jacket with a fur collar and fur cuffs. I will change the description if his final design ends up different.
  • Don’t fully explain it here, we’ll do it later, just treat it as a part of his morning routine for now- after getting dressed, Leo goes over to his couch and picks up a glove from a coffee table that is resting next to a crystal ball on a display stand. He points it at the ball and snaps his fingers, only for nothing to happen. He’s annoyed but opens a box also on the coffee table full of mana crystals- big, glowing blue glasslike shards of pure magical energy harvested from the earth itself- and he holds One of them up in front of the crystal ball, and we see the energy and color get sucked out of it into the orb. He goes through four other crystals until it won’t accept anymore.
  • Damn thing is expensive, but hell if it isn’t worth it. This time when he snaps his fingers, the orb creates a interface floating in the air. It’s like a smart phone screen or a desktop with buttons for different programs, but don’t use any explicitly technological words. Just describe them literally.
  • He points at an image of Ponder’s logo, whatever we decide on for it, and when he opens it he smiles. The interface changes to one like Twitter where there’s a feed of people he follows. We get a few examples of the things he’s into. There are some men’s fashion news posts on his feed, an ad for the official Wizards of the Workshop Store, and some lewd posts from some girls he follows. What he’s smiling at isn’t any of those. It’s the icon showing him he has unread messages.
  • Leo opens up his DM‘s and sure enough, he has a message from everyone he was hoping To hear from. It’s not said explicitly what his relationship is, but it’s emphasized there are three girls he’s very close to.
  • He opens up the first one, ChrissiCrystal. Her avatar is a cute picture of her face. Their last convo ended with some flirting (you can include some faux DMs in these sections and I’ll polish them up in the rewrite) and he feels embarrassed about it now, but he knew he shouldn’t given how much further they’d taken it the past.
  • Her recent message was apologizing for not being around last night, she and her friends got carried away with their tabletop campaign. He’s not too bothered and is happy she had fun. Implies he’d like it if *they* could have some fun sometime soon. He knows it’s pretty forward, but he knows she likes that. Or at least she pretends to.
  • Next up is InnocentHaze. Her avatar is a picture of a heart-shaped lock. Again, the recent convo log is filled off with flirting but of a decidedly different nature. By that I mean dominant and sub. They were in the middle of some sexual role-playing, ending with him asking for a private stream. Hazy had an emergency come up, so she’s begging for his apology in her new message. An important friend of hers is sick and she had to go take care of them. She says says as soon as they're feeling better she'll make it up to him however he wants, 'my King.'
  • Leo gets minor chills whenever they call him that. It was a joke referring due to his username of LowbornKing, but it was very ironic given who he was. It might’ve made him feel guilty, but it was a big turn on.
  • Usually he takes a dominant tone with her, but given the serious subject matter he is understanding and forgiving. He's tempted to tell her that if there's anything he could to help let him know, but is too nervous to say so. He doesn't want to say anything that would lead to them having to meet up.
  • Lastly, he checks his messages from DireFuture. Creepy avatar of a stylized bleeding empty eye socket. She is aloof and mysterious, always the one to initiate contact. A very sexual person and one who always knew how to lead him around, it felt like. She was a seer, and occasionally sent him fortunes that usually ended up being fairly helpful. Today’s said something along the lines of heed the advice of those closest to you. He replies asking for context but is immediately shot back a DM saying no, teasing him about being smart enough to figure it out, hopefully.
  • He loves the way she teases him, but the love is laced with more of his issues. Sometimes he can't tell if he's being messed with.
  • Before he gets up, Leo gets a reply from CC. At first he’s happy, but it’s one that while meant as a joke ends up bringing his mood down a little. She tells them they could have all the fun they want if he would just agree to meet her already. We both live in Imperalis, so…
  • We don’t get a full picture into what he’s thinking, but he’s depressed. He had three amazing girls eating out of his palm on the orbnet, but none of it was real. Not really. It was transactional and he didn't kid himself about that.
  • He gives her a stock reply, some excuse about not being ready or being scared. She’s understanding, but is still a little annoyed at him. She tells him so long as a friend of hers doesn’t surprise her today, she might stream tonight. If you were to issue a quest for a private session, I’d accept… you know I don’t do that for anyone else, right?
  • He teases her with you better not. Deep down, he doubts that.
  • She gets him back immediately with those are pretty tough words for a coward. That hurts but he plays it down and says he’s off to work for now, keeping it vague as always so he didn’t give off any personal information. Even though she is still pouty with him, she wishes him good luck and it makes him smile.
  • With his messages taken care of, Leo heads to the dining room of the inn and has breakfast before heading out to the Guild.

Guild and Work

  • We get a brief description of the overall feel of the adventure district. Bustling businesses, adventurers everywhere, people selling goods and monster parts on the street, the works. The description gives away to one for the Guild itself. His gaze lingers on the statue of Theostus Lundreame, just as it always did whenever he had to walk under his legs to get to work in the morning. We aren’t told why, but it obviously upsets him.
  • Describe the interior and all the different crazy shit going on inside it. Despite the chaos, Leo is used to all of this. He gets a few casual greetings, someone greets him as the ‘Leaping Lion’, another as the king of fetch quests, but none of it is mean-spirited. This was just his lot in life. People knew him around here, but he didn’t have any actual friends. No one actually ‘saw’ him.
  • The only friend he had was behind one of the many reception desks. He approaches Dev After he’s done helping a party of adventurers, there’s some friendly banter about how Leo was late today. He blames Dev, never should’ve told me about smart-orbs. Now I have to check my messages every morning or it just doesn’t feel right, you know?
  • Dev jokes about how Leo’s inbox must be full of sexy bitches just trying to spread their legs for him by now. Leo is suspiciously quiet but he manages to play it off as a deadpan joke.
  • Here is where we get a description of Dev, both his looks and The kind of person he is. He’s shady, but definitely the kind of person you can trust to have your back when things are bad. We are told that after Leo started making a name for himself that Dev offered to start up a mutually beneficial relationship where he would ensure Leo doesn’t have to worry about picking out quests for himself and they would maximize his profits. In exchange, Leo doesn’t work with any other receptionists.
  • He tries to move the conversation along by asking what he has for him today and he gives Leo hey small notebook filled with cliffnotes of dozens of quests. At the end, we see he’s going to make nearly 12k.
  • Don’t include this, this is just for you. For comparisons sake, Coye makes around 2-5k per big monster he kills and he can do several of those a week. Leo’s ordinary day can net him anywhere from a few thousand on a bad day to 30k on a legendary one. Usually it’s in between.
  • Not bad, but not a great day either. Dev jokes how it’ll be even less if Leo has to split it in half with his partner. Leo doesn’t even need to look behind him to know who Dev is talking about. He asks Vana when she got here without looking and she mumbles about the same time you did. Hardly surprises him.
  • We get a description of Vana. Her face is obscured as usual and it’s hard for him to tell what she’s thinking. He shouldn’t sound dismissive or annoyed by her presence at all, just relatively indifferent. She is friendly and always happens to be around Leo, which he was tempted to chalk up to her future vision. Vana was weird, but he didn’t take her for a stalker and gave her the benefit of a doubt.
  • Dev teases Leo on when he’s going to ask the little lady out. Vana gives some monotone laughter, but Leo shoots him down and apologizes for his friend bothering Vana. Dev is seemingly in the know and shakes his head at how stupid Leo is but doesn’t say a thing.
  • Not wanting to be dismissive, Leo asks Vana what she is going to be doing for today. As usual, that depends on how bad her headaches are. Dev says how her condition must really suck to live with and he feels bad for her but she shrugs it off. If she’s feeling OK she might see if any other adventures need a seer in their party. otherwise she’ll head back to her inn and chill out alone. Maybe take the edge off, she says almost with a familiar seductive undertone to her voice that Leo notices but then dismisses as just his imagination.
  • Having stood around and talked for long enough, Leo is ready to get on with his day and says as much. He’s got a lot of work to do. Dev asks if he wants to hang out and drink tonight but Leo blows him off and promises later on in the week.
  • Leo attempts to leave but Vana surprises him by taking his hand and giving him some cryptic advice. I will leave the specifics to you, but something that will crop up during his deliveries. He thanks her before taking off.
  • Now fully prepared, we get a description of Leo's average day. Explain him going through a bunch of different deliveries as well as gathering some things from the nearby wilderness outside city limits. Perhaps some monster materials that he's able to acquire without actually confronting them, like running past the monster and plucking out some of its fur. Gathering some monster eggs. Simple things like that on top of his deliveries to really nail the fetch quest vibe. This section should be somewhat lengthy but not overly so.
  • Make use of his magical equipment. He has a gauntlet that creates a mage hand, for grabbing things at a distance, a huge magic backpack that's a vastbag but way better because he can his hand in and ask for what he wants, and small winged boots that let him glide for a couple of seconds.
  • While Leo has no combat arts, he has several movement arts that can be described. Quick step. Blink step. An advanced form of quick step which covers larger distances faster but at a greater stamina cost. Wall walk. Self-explanatory. Double jump. Same. Springheel. Crouching down builds up momentum for a greater takeoff at the start of a jump. Featherfoot. Makes him weightless for a split second upon landing.
  • When he completes a delivery, Leo has them sign the notebook Dev handed off to him. Dev has it magically hooked up to completion papers back at the Guild so this saves them the trouble of having to go back and confirm the quest was completed on their end.
  • While he's running around make sure to incorporate whatever prediction Vana gave him but he doesn't correlate it with her advice and misses it.
  • Something I want you to incorporate throughout this scene without mentioning its significance is that there is a game Leo plays with himself on his job. While running through the city he always counts the number of people like himself that he happens to notice. Young people with blonde hair and green eyes. The reader doesn't know what that's about, but it makes him somewhat somber and he can't help playing the game even though he wishes he could.
  • It doesn't stop him from getting the jobs done and after putting in some time he finishes today's load. He's sitting on top the ledge of a tall building to decompress, looking over the magnificent city and all its flaws. Even though he can't help it, he continually looks off to Castle Lundreame and more specifically the smaller fort by its side, Ralvask's Keep. We don't get any glimpse as to what he's thinking, but he eventually shrugs it off and thinks to himself about his job.
  • Even though it went well, he is disappointed. He shouldn't be. He makes more money than a lot of silver-ranked adventurers, though it helps that he doesn't have to split his rewards. He's been on this grind for two years now and as nice as it is having the money for every little thing he wants is, it just annoys him that respect seems so far out of his reach.
  • Leo wonders if he's ever going to make silver-rank. Even if he did, would it make him happy? It's not like it would open a new world of possibilities. He'd still be taking on the same bronze-rank delivery and fetch quests as always. Everything just feels inescapable, especially himself.
  • Though prone to moping around, Leo gets annoyed with himself and decides to go turn in his actual last delivery for the day, turning his sights to Grimme's Grotto off in the distance. He can see it from where he is, the walled off mage district with its gatehouses, the three towers of the grands, and more.
  • Thinking about his next destination makes him smile and puts him in a somewhat better mood, so Leo takes off.

Liri Hangout

  • Leo always saves any quests in Grimme's Grotto for last. It's the most locked down place in all of Imperalis. Even making deliveries to the castle was easier, though it helped that he had in there. Another vague hint.
  • Because many of Karnalle's famous tyrannical kings and queens in ages past often persecuted mages, they eventually took the hint and made their community rife with defenses. Describe the security golems, the patrol guards, and most importantly, the gatehouses.
  • Anyone attempting to visit Grimme's Grotto has to subject themselves to screening from an empath mage, no matter how many times you've done it. They ask you basic questions about who you are, what your intentions are, how long you'll be staying, and whether or not you have violent tendencies towards magic users. Maybe not that direct, but that's obviously what the questions are meant to detect.
  • Would be funny if Leo gets stuck with a sardonic older woman with a cigarette who clearly hates her job and the two have a funny relationship because of how often he has to visit. She asks some of the basic questions and he's very sarcastic with her, openly saying he's here to commit genocide on all mages, to which she just replies with a puff of smoke and a raspy voice, 'if only the gods were actually so merciful as to send you to end my suffering'. That kind of relationship where neither of them want to be there but it's just the rules.
  • He gets through and we get a description of Grimme's Grotto. It's a very whimsical place, with mages and alchemists openly out and about doing their business. Feel free to include some cute examples and potentially some not so cute ones. The architecture is all over the place, reflecting the strangeness of their inhabitants. Off in the distance he can see Wiggledorpen's school for the magically gifted, which looks like a scaled down Hogwarts, and not far from the entrance he just passed through was Molligale's Emporium, the superstore where he gets his mana crystals from begrudgingly.
  • He doesn't rush to his destination like usual, instead enjoying the slow life for a while. He generally likes this place a lot. Maybe it was because it was full of misfits and weirdos and he felt like he fit in to a degree, or maybe he just likes seeing all the magical nonsense, but Leo never got tired of it.
  • Along the way make sure he runs into the Palemist Villa and explain the weird shit going on with it so that it sets it up for later.
  • His last job was delivering some ingredients to a special friend of his. Someone he relished any excuse to visit and who Leo long since stopped considering as a client. This was the other main reason he saved Grimme's Grotto for last. She'd usually be done with work by now and they liked to hang out.
  • He enters a street full of small shops, feel free to give examples again, before stopping at Crystal Clear. Chroma crystals are small, glass-looking objects that are made through a combination of magic and alchemy. By magically extracting the 'essence' of a color and entrapping it in a crystal, that color can be applied to whatever you want by breaking the crystal. It's used for many things. Architecture, fashion, weapons and armor, and so on. Leo didn't fully get how it all worked, but he did know that the girl who ran this place was the best in the business according to him.
  • He enters and we get a small description. It's a medium sized building. Cozy. There are different baskets of crystals in different colors, bringing life to the otherwise understated atmosphere. The owner's side hustle is also on full display, as there are a bunch of shirts on display with graphics and funky colors 'painted' on them through skillful crystal usage and stencils. The owner had to get creative with making money in this day and age, and for what it was worth she was doing all right for herself.
  • The owner was sitting back at the desk. She's in the middle of reading a coliseum magazine with a sexy bikini warrior on it, which is detailing some of the recent fights over in Matteo's Mirth. Huge glasses, freckles, a round face, baggy clothes, buck teeth whenever she opened her mouth. Dorky, but in the best way possible.
  • She chastises him as being late. Leo counters that a delivery boy arrives precisely what he means to. Looking up from her book she starts to giggle and tells him that's not how the line went. Plus, doesn't even make sense. Delivery boys can totally be late and they often are. Leo counters not this one, then leans over the counter with a charming smile.
  • We can see why girls might like him. He's pretty charming when his fuckboy energy is at Max and he's not affected by his personal hangups, which only happens on the orbnet or occasionally when he is with this girl specifically.
  • Liriene Cardaign is the twenty-one-year-old owner of Crystal Clear. While a little young to be managing the store by herself, circumstances saw her parents leaving to establish a second shop down in Perlshaw and Liri convinced them to give her their old one instead of selling it off.
  • They became acquainted when she was facing a supply shortage and needed help getting materials. When he dropped off the delivery, something clicked and the two continue growing closer as Liri's supply shortage continued. She still often had these supply shortages, but Leo visited her fairly often outside of work.
  • Leo gets out whatever he gathered for her, make up an ingredient that would make for a really nice color extract or whatever. She signs for it is like yeah yeah, whatever. Leo asks if she's catching up on some reading, to which Liri folds up the magazine and shrugs. She hasn't been able to make it to the Coliseum in ages now because it's all the way across town. He teases her about flying a broom and she jokes that he knows she barely passed broom flying class in her school days.
  • More importantly, Liri asks Leo if finished the book? He said he was close, so-
  • Leo takes off his backpack and from one of the side pockets he takes out a thick, pulpy adventure novel with the AOA logo on the front. It's a licensed book based off of a real adventurer and their exploits. It was pretty good, even if the gold-rank hero made him feel inadequate about himself he jokes self-deprecatingly. We see that Liri can be pretty sassy with him and she teases, when don't you feel inadequate about yourself? He slinks back, saying that hurt. Good, it was supposed to. The two share an awkward laugh.
  • Back to the book he says she should've warned him that things got so erotic at the end there. She's playful and says did I forget to mention the six chapter long harem sex scene?
  • Yes. Again.
  • Hey, it was only five chapters last time!
  • Who do these books even appeal to, Leo wonders. Lonely girls like me who like stories about big, strong heroes who have to fuck so hard that one girl just can't cut it, and people who pretend they don't like them yet finish them anyway like you. Leo admits it was a fun read and he didn't mind the lewd. She's smug. You didn't mind it or you enjoyed it? Big difference there.
  • Much like his relationships online, he reveled in the chance to flirt with Liri. Doing so scared him, since it was actually in real life, but things had progressed significantly since they first met. Yet, for as much fun as he had with her, the thought of actually acting on his feelings always caused his still vague hang-ups to crop up. He was fairly sure it wasn't the case anymore, but some part of him feared that she was just messing with him. Why would she want anything to do with someone like him, after all?
  • Yet, he still couldn't help himself and as a man he was compelled to dig his whole deeper. He was a serial flirt.
  • He flips the question, asking Liri if she enjoyed the lewd. She is teasing but subtle, very much so. Leo still doesn't get why she's so into the harem thing. Liri says she's explained it before but reminds him. The thought of being with a guy with such a high sex drive? Helping him? Sharing him with other girls? That's totally her thing.
  • As anyone would, Leo was a bit excited about that. Liri takes it further and not so subtly hints that if she had a boyfriend, that lucky man would no doubt reap the benefits of my strange fetish. Who knows, I might bring him new toys to play with just to make him happy...?
  • It's a little too effective and Leo is hot under the collar. You don't say.
  • Sensing that she might have pushed a bit far there, Liri lightens up and smiles. She explains that it's also a status thing and not just a fetish.
  • She is not self-deprecating when she says it, but explains that as a plain girl of common birth it excites her to think about living the harem lifestyle like she was a well-off noblewoman. You know. A girl like me wouldn't really ever get the chance to be treated like a queen.
  • Liri asks if he gets it now. All he gets is that she is going to make some guy very happy in bed one day. Playing up her disappointment, she clicked her tongue and shakes her head. She gives him a friendly warning that if he doesn't want her to push his boundaries he shouldn't set her up so perfectly. She lists off a couple of jokes she could've made about him being the lucky guy but sarcastically says luckily she is above that.
  • Leo is upset. He feels like his time with Liri is getting closer to ending, and he doesn't want that. He wanted what she wanted, but every time he thought about asking Liri out, or meeting up with one of his sexual friends online, four words cropped up that killed his self-esteem each and every time.
  • Which one are you?
  • The significance is not explained here. It's just stated and then Leo segues into what he always does, changing the topic. He pulls a RealMonster deck from his inner jacket pocket and says this lucky guy only came here to play cards, not start a harem. Liri performs a hide the pain smile and takes her deck from under the counter saying that he's not going to be so lucky when he loses.
  • We learn that throughout their friendship Liri has rubbed off on him in many ways. He picked up his reading habit from her, she introduced him to some of her favorite card games and was trying to get him to try out some tabletop ones. Leo didn't really have many hobbies before meeting her and though he might've seemed like the type that was too cool for these things he absorbed them like a sponge.
  • They played for an hour, her Gem Golem deck beating his deck of monsters known for their speed more often than not. After that, they talked about the book some more and not just about the sexual part. They discussed things they like about it, but it's an ironic love for both of them. Most of these books are never any good but they're fun and that's the point. It was starting to get late by the time they finished talking, and eventually, it was time for Liri to ask what she always did.
  • She asks if he wants to stay for dinner, maybe longer than that? The implications are obvious, and his reaction is polite but dismissive. Can't blame a girl for trying. Internally, Leo is scared and second-guessing himself. Second-guessing Liri, even though she'd been nothing short of a sweet and patient goddess to him.
  • Things get really awkward but he wants to see her again soon, says he'll drop by in a day or two even if she doesn't have any more quests for him. Liri says she'd like that, but he gets the impression she's holding her tongue.
  • When he's gone, Liri takes whatever he delivered and goes to one of her back rooms where she dumps it on to a big pile of similar materials. Make sure the implication gets across that she's just coming up with excuses to see him more often and doesn't actually need any of this junk.

CC Stream

  • Shortly after his visit with Liri, Leo is in an alleyway in Grimme's Grotto feeling shitty. His issues are acting up and he's feeling very self pitying. In his anger, he kicks a garbage can and slumped against the wall.
  • He hates himself, that much is obvious.
  • We get a deeper glance into some of his issues. He's not like others of his 'kind'. He's not blessed with power, could never get a solid grasp on any forms of combat or weaponry, is not very smart, can't use magic, and although he wasn't terrible looking, he wasn't very tall, either. The only thing he had going for him was that he was fast- really fast. That and the damned libido his bloodline was infamous for, which hardly did him any good.
  • He could dress nice, flirt with Liri, mess around with girls on the orbnet, and make tons of money through deliveries, but it was all a front. There was nothing to him. He was just another Lowlion and wasn't able to believe that others had actual interest in him. It was hard to fight against his past experiences.
  • He probably would've snapped by now if it wasn't for the orbnet.
  • Throughout their friendship, Dev often proposed that they visit a brothel together which wasn't exactly Leo's preferred style of male bonding. He'd never been to a brothel and wanted to keep it that way, for obvious reasons. Dev had a nose for things, though and got the sense that Leo had some issues going on.
  • He was the one who introduced him to the magical and expensive smart-orb, around six months into his career(a year and half ago). Dev explained that you could talk to other smart-orb users anonymously, and so, so much more...
  • This advancement in catalyst technology had only been available for around five years, and due to a bunch of factors they are mainly centralized in Imperalis, the realms capital, and Mithimere, the capital of magic in Karnalle, period. Additionally, you either have to power it yourself with your own mana assuming you're a mage or control it with an expensive glove and power it with expensive mana crystals. No wonder they were having trouble catching on despite how useful they were.
  • Dev cracked out his smart-orb at the time and showed Leo the wonders that awaited him if he took the plunge. As a inexperienced young man with a godlike libido and endless hangups preventing him from using it, why wouldn't he have jumped at the chance to talk to sexy witches in a safe environment?
  • It didn't help him the way he hoped.
  • He kept his anonymity, aside from a few certain details like that he lived in Imperalis, but along the way he ended up with three girls who were more than friends yet less than lovers and he faced the same problem with them that he did with Liri in the real world.
  • One step forward, two steps back. The charisma he didn't believe he had worked wonders and then left him baffled and in disbelief over how it happened, not to mention afraid.
  • At least he had an outlet for his sexual desires. Right about now, he really needed one. He tried not to think about Liri as he left his irritation in the alleyway behind him, focusing instead on the fun he might have tonight and the momentary escape from being Leo Lowlion give him.
  • He gets himself a quick dinner on the way out of Grimme's Grotto, says goodbye to his friend in the gatehouse, and returns home to his inn. He wastes little time in stripping down and sitting down on his couch where he puts on the glove and powers up his smart-orb again.
  • Here, Leo quickly turns on ponder and switches to the other side of the program. Aside from the social media part, ponder is also a platform where mages broadcast themselves doing all sorts of things. Cooking, gambling, spell tutorials, etc, but the most obviously popular category is sexual performance. He goes straight to it.
  • We see the front page on his magic screen and you can put in some details of some different sex streams. Some of the most popular ones should be harem oriented as is there culture, but feel free to work in details of other fetishes, swinging, reverse harem, and so on. Just nothing extreme.
  • He was hoping one of his favorites would be streaming but no such luck. Right as he was about to scroll through the different options, he gets a message from ChrissiCrystal and his heart soars.
  • She's in a really bad mood and wants to stream. Asks if he'll be there. She wouldn't mind a private stream after an hour or two, but wants him to give her time to play to the crowd first and earn some money before it's just the two of them.
  • Absolutely he'll be there. Just so happens he's not in a great mood, either. CC jokes that guess they'll be licking each other's wounds again like usual. Leo says you make it sound like that's a bad thing. She tries not to dump her feelings on him but says that it is a bad thing when you're tired of how stagnant everything is. She then apologizes, saying her stupid friend blew her off and she needs to not think about him.
  • As irrational as it is, Leo doesn't like the mention of 'him' but he knows what they have is temporary and that she'd obviously be looking for someone in real life, too.
  • CC is happy and tells him to give her some time to put her face on.
  • Leo waits excitedly. He was already hard, but is now even worse off due to excitement over CC. As he waits, he thinks back to how they first met. Leo was having problems at the time. He consumed too much porn and was desensitized to it, and he just couldn't get the stimulation he needed anymore. Most of his attempts at talking to people in chat rooms didn't go very well but he was craving a fascimile of human connection. He happened to be there for her first stream, and was one of the only people there. She was nervous and he was surprisingly talkative throughout it, giving her encouragement while making sure he didn't seem desperate or anything.
  • She was grateful to him and after her stream she actually friended him and the two started talking. He explained that he wanted to find someone he could actually talk to like this, and one thing led to another as their chats continued. Eventually, she started doing private shows for him on the downlow so as not to make her viewers jealous.
  • The price was hefty, but worth it. He didn't kid himself-this was all transactional and he knew it
  • CC goes live and we get a description of a bright and bubbly girl with sparkly lingerie. Extremely cutesy. Her bedroom is pink with purple crystals lighting up the place. She's sitting on a big bed with lots of pillows and stuffed animals. Behind her is a wall with posters of nerdy things. Coliseum fighters. Some tabletop posters. It should be obvious that this is Liri but not overly so.
  • She starts off the stream by greeting everyone, there are about thirty people in her chat and she only has around a hundred followers. The reason she hasn't grown much in the year she'd been streaming is because she's very vanilla, and for as cute as she is she just didn't stand out enough to catch attention for very long. Leo thinks it's a crime she hasn't caught on. She's incredibly perfect and adorable in so many ways.
  • CC is adorably pouting as she explains her bad mood. As always, it's vague. Stupid guy stood her up again and it's infuriating her. She knows that he likes her and he knows that she likes him but it's just stupid. Her chat says she deserves better and CC agrees, but she can't help it. There's just something about stupid boys who need to get their shit together that draws her in. It makes her think maybe she can fix them, maybe?
  • This hits Leo close to home but it doesn't resonate with him as much as it obviously should. He's still slightly jealous. He tries not to think about all the times she's suggested they meet up in real life, but he fails. Leo imagined what it would be like to be with her and the next thing he knows CC is done with her talking section and has moved on to teasing the crowd.
  • Lucky for you guys my love life is terrible so I have to go on the orbnet and act all slutty. She starts touching her body subtly and getting into it, work in some typical camgirl things. Asking for tips, getting them and rewarding them with little teases, all of which excites Leo. He doesn't say much, but he's getting off on the fact that no one else knows she's going to be all his in just a while.
  • As he's watching her, Leo has a moment where he wonders what would be like to stream sexual content himself. He looks down at his equipment. He's not small, seven inches with decent girth and heavy balls, and the infamous stamina of his cursed blood... But then he hears, 'which one are you?' And his momentary dreams of standing out are squashed.
  • He hates how his problems rear up even now but CC is so cute he's at least able to focus on her and not him. Things have escalated and someone in chat dared her to use one of her toys, so she starts to play with a magical vibration wand and touches herself down there. Leo likes what he sees so much but he just keeps thinking himself how badly he wants to make CC his. The teasing goes on for a while, and when she gets off it's very big and loud.
  • She's adorably embarrassed after she's done. Gods I'm such a slut. She never gets off this hard when doing it alone. Someone in chat tries offering a quest for her to fuck herself with a dildo, but she cutely reminds everyone she doesn't do penetration. As silly as it might be, she is saving herself for the big stud who will one day have her as part of his harem.
  • This makes Leo's blood boil again and he thinks back to what Liri was saying about being in a harem. Again, he lets himself imagine what that would be like. He rather stupidly imagines both Liri and CC serving him and is rather pleased with that fantasy.
  • The rest of her stream doesn't last that long, and she hurries things along because she teasingly says she has to cater to another stupid boy who doesn't know when to make his move. Chat teases her asking how many guys she's into and she's flustered, adamant that it's only two and she's just waiting for one of them to make the right move! Or any move, really... Chat notices she looks sad, but she teasingly tells him not to worry about her too much. She's going to be having a lot of fun sooner than they might think.
  • Bye for now, guys! She blows them a kiss, and only a few seconds later, Leo gets a call back on the social media portion of ponder.

Private Session

  • Before Leo answers, he opens up a voice changing tool that makes him sound deeper. It was something his self-conscious mind always made him do, more out of his desire to remain anonymous than insecurities. This time, anyway. He answers and greets CC, who is noticeably happier be with him than she was on stream. Instead of her slutty costume she's wearing cutesy pajamas now.
  • She asks if he liked the show, but he is playful with her and says he likes being alone with her more. She figured he'd say something like that and things get awkward suddenly. She apologizes but Leo gets the sense that she has something to say.
  • It's about that thing I sent you this morning. Starting to get impatient about it. Leo is confused. This wasn't the first time she asked him to meet up in real life, but... The way she was looking at the camera, at him... She seemed serious. Genuinely annoyed at him.
  • He asks if they can talk about this some other time because he had a bad day. She's reluctant but asks how it went. Just... Another day of being me, I guess. That's enough to ruin a day for you? Unfortunately yes.
  • She brings it up again, asking wouldn't it cheer you up you found out where a certain horny little witch lived? Leo is having trouble looking at her. He makes a big mistake and asks reluctantly if she's serious.
  • She tries not to act to annoyed but leaned closer to the orb and asks what the hell made you think I'm not serious when I ask you about meeting up? This kind of blows Leo's mind and he stumbles. He makes another wrong call and says I thought you were joking. Or just being flirty. I don't know.
  • She looks at him with an upset expression. I was being flirty, but it wasn't a joke.
  • But why would you want to meet up with me? He doesn't understand. CC says that it should be obvious, because she likes him. Me? Am I speaking Elvish or something? What the hell do you think I mean when I say junk like I only do private streams for you? That I'm just-
  • ...Oh, Gods. You think I'm joking about that, too. Don't you?
  • Leo is silent. He tries apologizing. She mumbles something about LowbornKing being just like him but he doesn't quite catch it. How could I have made it anymore obvious to you? I just-
  • CC freezes for a moment and tries brushing it off. Whatever. I'm mad that you thought our relationship was transactional, or whatever-
  • are you saying it's not transactional? You never turn down the money for these private streams.
  • CC counters that he told her he was well-off. I'm not.
  • but what are you going to do with this new information, king? She gets optimistic and smiling again. Depending on what part of the city you're in, you could be here in bed with me within the hour.
  • That obviously arouses Leo heavily, but he's starting to get really scared. You wouldn't like me if we met up. CC acknowledges that there is a possibility of it not working out or him not being her type, but she likes him enough to want to find out.
  • She doesn't need to find out. Leo is dead certain that he has nothing to offer her and there's no point in trying. Are you really so self-defeating? No, I just know myself better than you do. CC size and slumps her shoulders. Leo is exasperating and she starting to have little angry tears.
  • So you're not even going to give us a chance she asks?
  • It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't.
  • I can already see how this is going to go. CC doesn't want to go in circles over and over here and Leo in an attempt to delay the inevitable says maybe they should sleep on this and talk about it later.
  • She ignores him and asks can't or won't? Which one?
  • While not exactly, it is close enough to his trigger words that he gets defensive.
  • Leo tells CC that she doesn't know him, but that doesn't go very well. She gives a small speech about the year they'd been friends. Include some anecdotes from some of her streams, private streams, and how he helped as well as times they chatted so it doesn't sound like he's solely some reply guy.
  • Throughout that time, she's constantly tried to get to know him but he won't even share basic details about who he is. She knows he's human, lives in Imperalis, makes a ton of money, is young allegedly, but that's about it.
  • Leo counters that CC doesn't tell him much about her either, give some examples so that we know she's evasive and hasn't ever said enough to make him think she is Liri. The difference is that she wants him to meet her in real life so he can find out all that junk firsthand. Sure, I was evasive when I was getting to know you, but you can't really hold that against me when I'm trying to take the next step here and you're not.
  • Things are frustrating between them and they get real silent. Leo feels that same foreboding sensation he felt with Liri earlier that day. He feels that things are on the verge of ending and although he desperately doesn't want that, he is too hesitant to do anything about it. It feels inevitable, even though it doesn't have to.
  • Sure enough, CC looks straight at the camera with a sad expression and asks him an important question.
  • If I were to give you one last chance to ask me out before cutting contact with you, would you do it? The atmosphere starts to feel thick. He asks if that's actually happening. She's silent. Chrissi?
  • She tells him she doesn't have the mental energy to keep doing this anymore. If nothing's going to happen with you, I need to focus on the other guy. He's dumb as hell, tone deaf, and just as clueless as you are, but at least he's actually brave enough to see her face to face. There's a moment when she apologizes, she didn't want to turn this into a I'm choosing him over you thing. It's more that you're refusing to choose and I'm refusing to wait any longer.
  • Leo is hurt even though he doesn't have any right to be. So this is the end? Seems that way. I didn't want it to be. But I guess you are right. I don't know you. But I wanted to. I hope for your sake that you can move past whatever toxic feelings you have about yourself and learn to let someone in one day.
  • There's a quietness again but CC smiles and thanks him for everything. She'll remember him fondly and she'll miss staying up late chatting with him about stupid shit she found on the orbnet. He tells her that he'll always be a fan, but she shakes her head and says no. This is goodbye.
  • CC leans forward and kisses the orb before shutting it off, leaving Leo staring at their chat history. He's only able to do that for a few seconds before the interface changes and shows that he's been blocked. It hurts, but as he stared at it he could only thing he had it coming. For a long while, staring is all he did. He felt numb. Dead inside.
  • Of course this would happen. It was a miracle it didn't happen sooner. Because he was such a self-defeating dumbass, he couldn't recognize how serious CC was about him, and that same thought extended to every other girl he knew whether it was Hazy, Dire, or Liri. He always assumed the worst but by assuming the worst about CC he just lost her forever. Was he wrong about the others? Even now, he didn't think so and he hated his toxic mind for feeding him these thoughts of doubt.
  • For a brief moment, a spark of optimism shot through the darkness.
  • He might have fucked up the chance CC had given him, but if the other girls did have similar thoughts about him then maybe there was still an opportunity to better himself and not make the same mistakes. It would take everything he had, but maybe, just maybe he could work through his issues and find out where he stood with them.
  • Hazy wasn't as pushy about wanting to meet up in real life, but she expressed interest in him as well but chalked it up to her subservient role play and nothing else. As for Dire, she was very hard to read but indeed made comments about being serious about him from time to time. Because of her personality, he was almost certain was just joking... But now...?
  • And then in real life, there was Liri. She was patient, understanding, and though his issues with her were more that he didn't believe he had anything to offer her rather than not even believing she liked him in the first place, he knew that he was making her wait for too long.
  • Leo powers down his smart-orb and stares at the dark ceiling in contemplation.
  • Maybe losing CC was for the best if it helped him realize he couldn't live like this much longer. It was selfish, but Leo didn't want to lose any of them. Not Liri, not Hazy, and not Dire. If there was even a small chance that they really liked... Someone like him... Then he had to do something about it.
  • It was going to be hard. Really hard, but he could start small. Tomorrow, he'll go and visit Liri again. No matter what, he's going to do his best to try and express interest in her and not brush her away. Maybe even apologize for being so evasive. It wouldn't be much, but it would be a start hopefully that would be good enough and he could figure things out from there...

Morning with Vana

  • Leo didn't get much sleep because of everything that happened. He awoke the next morning feeling like he went on one of those never-ending adventures from one of Liri's trashy books. Wonders if this is how his colleagues feel after slaying monsters.
  • We go through a similar morning routine as in the first chapter, but emphasize how shitty he's feeling in contrast to how it was portrayed last time.
  • When he sits down to check his messages, he tries hard not to look at CC's icon in his history. The only message today is from Dire. She tells him that she had a feeling he had a rough night and did a quick card reading on his behalf this morning. Cryptically tells him that an ending is a new beginning if you look at it from the right perspective.
  • Feeling sarcastic, he tells her this is why no one takes divination magic seriously. It's all cryptic.
  • She messages him back, asking if he wants non-vague advice. That would actually be pretty good right now, yeah. She replies bluntly stopping a pussy. He doesn't know what he was expecting but that sounds about right.
  • She tells him to give a minute and she'll use her crystal ball for what it was actually intended for. A couple of minutes later she comes back with solid advice for him. Don't lose your temper and accept help even when it comes from an unexpected ally. Also if you see a chance for a hug, go for it.
  • Leo thanks her, and after a moments hesitation he remembers what happened last night and how he doesn't want to lose Dire. It takes him a moment to summon up his courage, try and play up the feeling of trying to text someone you like, but ends up asking if he can ask something personal.
  • Dire is mischievous with her response, but yes.
  • He wants to know explicitly how she feels about him.
  • Her reply is instant and sarcastic. I would've thought my lack of hesitation when you asked me to shove a dildo up my ass and shouting 'I love you, my King, I love you' spoke volumes, but I suppose you might just be deaf.
  • Leo suffers incredible psychic damage as he remembers one of those streams in question, and he fails miserably to suppress his arousal. It didn't help that he didn't actually get off last night.
  • She messages him back. Sorry, too much?
  • More introspection onto how his relationship with Dire is. She's very wistful, like a cat, always doing what she wants and ranging from playing the good girl to the bad girl depending on her mood. One thing was a constant, though, she was the worst tease he'd ever known.
  • Leo tries to shake it off and responds that things are really complicated right now and he wanted to know where he stands.
  • Dire says that where he stands is entirely up to him. You can remain standing where you are, or you can stand by my side. It's all the same to me, as she already knows what choice he'll make in the end.
  • He says you're not going to tell me, are you?
  • And risk you fucking things up because you learn future and try avoiding it? I think not. Listen to some Grekkan mythology orbcasts one of these days, lots of fun stories in there about fools who try escaping the path that fate sets for them. Never ends well.
  • Leo laughs. He doesn't really listen to orbcasts, but he asks for a recommendation. She mischievously says that Oedipus is a good start.
  • This little interaction has made him feel a lot better. Maybe his stupid toxic brain was wrong and Dire really did like him? If so, that was one out of three down. He wanted to get a move on with his day while he was still feeling good so he tells Dire goodbye saying that he has to get to work soon and she jokes same, see you in fifteen? He laughs like that would happen.
  • Without any subtlety, the narration says after getting breakfast and walking to the Guild, roughly 15 minutes later he comes across Vana who is sitting on a bench outside. She greets him with 'right on time' and he says reads her back.
  • There is no correlation whatsoever in his mind that these two events are connected.
  • He can't help noticing she looks even more wiped than usual today. He actually sits down on the bench next to her. Asks if she wants help carrying him to her inn again, referencing their past. She says that's sweet but no. A friend of hers was feeling bad this morning and she did some fortunes for him, looking for results and interpretations that might make him feel better.
  • Leo stupidly asks how did that go. Vana stares at him like he's an idiot and after a long, awkward pause she deadpan tells him he seems to be feeling better. Leo says good for him. Vana expresses her headache is suddenly a lot worse and that she wishes to be alone for now.
  • Picking up on the fact that she was irritated about something, he gets up and tells her that he'll see her later. Vana corrects him that she'll see him in an hour and forty-seven minutes as the wind suddenly picks up and blows off her hood, revealing her glowing, expressionless blue eyes. She winces from the pain and hides back under her hood.
  • As he sees her cute face which is usually hidden, the slightest hint of self-awareness strikes Leo and although they look nothing alike aside from a similar skin tone, he draws a connection between his fortune-telling acquaintance in real life and his sexy fortuneteller fake GF on the orbnet. He asks Vana if that crystal ball of hers is an ordinary one or if it's a smart-orb.
  • She peeks out from him under her hood, fighting back against the headache. What exactly are you asking me? He doesn't know and mumbles something about hearing about this ponder thing where mages can talk to each other and let the world watch them doing stuff. Was wondering if she knew anything about it.
  • A long time passes as Vana opens her mouth, tries to say something, closes it, repeats the process, before blushing and looking away. Never heard of it. Please leave me to my nap now. I must rest if I'm going to be of assistance.
  • Leo doesn't know what any of that's about, but he takes off and tells her to feel better. She grumbles at him in acknowledgment and once he's gone she starts hitting her already aching head with her fist repeatedly, calling herself stupid over and over again.

Dev and minor Liri time

  • at the front desk, Dev is getting slapped by a hulking orc adventurer who is very flustered as she storms away. Even though he's in great pain, he's still smiling about something. As Leo approaches, he comments how he doesn't want to even know what's going on here.
  • Dev says he was just trying to punch above his weight class. And how's that going for you? Pretty well. Orc chicks have the sexiest look in their eyes when they're mad at you. You know what I mean? I hope never to find out.
  • Dev comments that Leo looks like he had worse, asking him if he had a rough night. That obvious? Yeah, it's pretty bad. Leo doesn't want to talk about it and Dev jokes he's never heard that before. Come on, be real with me. Girl trouble?
  • Leo looks at his sleazy best friend and in a moment of trust he admits to him that yes, something like that. Dev is completely shocked that Leo would open up about such thing with him. Dev asks Leo to hang with him tomorrow night for drinks and explain it in detail.
  • Leo tries to brush it off, saying there's not much detail to go into. He fucked up with someone and now he is dead set on not fucking up with another of the girls he's into. Dev get him to hold on and ask how many girls Leo is fucking around.
  • He corrects him saying he's not fucking any of them, but he's maybe trying to change that. Dev holds back his impulses to react further but they have a nice bro moment where in a show of understanding he says we'll talk about it. How about tomorrow?
  • Not tonight?
  • Dev smiles and pulls out a slip of paper from his pocket telling Leo that he missed what came before the slap. It's an inn name and a room number that was obviously written by huge hulking unskilled orc hands.
  • Leo doesn't understand. But, the slap...? All part of the game, my friend. Besides. You're not gonna feel like drinking tonight anyway.
  • Why is that? Leo is handed the notebook which is magically cleared out every day. Today, there's only one quest inside of it. He understands what this means and is not thrilled. Some nobleman wants something ridiculously specific and is paying a huge amount for it, but it might take who knows how long so Dev didn't bother taking out anything else for today.
  • Dev tells him they asked for him specifically.
  • Leo hates working for nobles, but the 35,000G is too enticing to pass up. Then, he notices the name. Sylvietta Palemist. As in the ducal family of the Tior province? Yeah, moving on up, aren't you Leo?
  • Leo makes a somber comment about how if he's really moving on up then why haven't the Association promoted him yet which gets Dev to get awkward. Leo doesn't dwell on it for long.
  • On closer inspection Leo notices that the quest doesn't specifically mention what he's going to be getting. Nobles are the only people who get away with that shady shit. Anyone else posting a quest that essentially says meet me for the details would get rejected flat out.
  • Bring back up the Palemist Villa with Leo wondering how the fuck he's about to get inside/find it. Dev shrugs and says the quest said that wouldn't be an issue. You know how it warps around Grimme's Grotto, right? He tells him that the quest said it would be at x street today and someone would be waiting to let him in.
  • Well, alright. Leo isn't happy about it but he is happy about the money. Plus he wants to visit a friend in the district, anyway. Dev tells him he shouldn't take too long that. The quest is really time sensitive, apparently. Leo hopefully thinks his detour won't take very long but he'll keep that in mind. He leaves Dev and makes for Grimme's Grotto.
  • Either skip past the gatehouse or add another short interaction with his favorite gatekeeper that I can polish later. Whatever the case, he makes it into the grotto and heads for Liri's store. Along the way, he's pumping himself up to try do what he did with Dire and ask explicitly where he stood with Liri. Obviously, he's a lot more apprehensive since he'll actually have to do it to her face, but when he thinks of losing Liri like he did with CC it becomes just a little bit easier.
  • When he gets there, he sees that it's closed. It's played for comedy, like he built up all that courage and for nothing.
  • Before he goes he feels compelled to knock a couple of times. There's nothing at first, but then he hears the window opening on the second floor followed by Liri's voice. She apologizes to whoever and explains she's not feeling well today and they have to come back later. Leo asks if she's all right and she's surprised that it's him, changes her tune and says she'll come and see him in a minute. She sounds distraught though, not overly happy.
  • Liri meets him at the front door and she's wearing one of her self-made graphic T-shirts and shorts. It's inappropriate, but her figure catches him off guard. She usually only ever wears huge baggy clothes and Leo is momentarily distracted by how cute she is and how big her breasts are. He internally chastises himself for this because she doesn't look very good. Her eyes are red like she's been crying and her nose is runny.
  • She greets him friendly and asks if he needed anything. Of course he has to inquire about how she's feeling, since she doesn't look all that good. She counters that he doesn't look great, either. They have a cute moment where they both admit to having a rough night. Liri asks him about it but he brushes it off with just him getting what he deserved or something.
  • When he asks about her, she is equally dismissive and says after he left she got in a fight with a friend and it was time to cut things off. It was hard, but needed to be done. It's just got her feeling down today and she'll bounce back soon enough. Things are awkward for a moment but Liri tenderly expresses that she's happy to see Leo. Asks if there was anything else he needed.
  • Leo struggles and Liri takes instant note of it. He's trying to say something overly romantic to see how she takes it but the best he can come up with is I really wanted to see you. It's simple, but very effective. She blushes, mumbling something about having made the right choice before dismissing his inquiry on what she means.
  • She appreciates that, but she still wants to be alone for today that's okay. Leo says obviously that's fine if you're not feeling all right. Before I go, though... can I ask something that's really hard for me to ask?
  • Liri has no idea where this is going and dares to be optimistic. Was he actually going to ask her out? Now? She panics, knowing her eyes are all red her nose is runny and she looks like a mess but before she gets to flustered she manages to say yeah sure go ahead.
  • This might sound incredibly stupid, but how do you feel about me?
  • Liri looks at him in total confusion. Yeah, that is incredibly stupid. Have I... not done everything short of spreading my legs for you to imply how I feel about you?
  • He blushes and stares at the ground. Please answer the question as if I am far more emotionally stunted that I let on and can't understand why anyone, especially not a cute girl like you, would ever see anything in me.
  • Liri loses her breath. He's never called her cute before. Hell, no one has... At least not like this. If it weren't for the sad part of his statement, she would've been over the moon. She knew that Leo had baggage but this sounded severe and she wanted to treat it as maturely as it deserved.
  • She takes both his hands in hers and tells him to look into her eyes. When he does, he sees a beautiful, smiling face looking tenderly back at him. Without mincing any words, she tells him that she is interested in him in a romantic sense.
  • And when you're flirting with me?
  • I mean every word of it.
  • As he stares into her loving expression, he remembers Dire's advice. If you see a chance for a hug, go for it. Without asking, he awkwardly takes a step forward and tries to hug her. He freezes up but Liri realizes what he's doing and blushes. Do you maybe want some help, Leo?
  • No. He wants to do this himself.
  • She gently tells him that she'll wait as long as it takes. That's what gets him over the edge and he manages to pull it off. He hugs her and she hugs him back.
  • Despite being the mature one, Liri is almost overwhelmed by this. She's not an overly shy person, but she doesn't know what to say and instead loses herself in the embrace. Feeling a little hopeful about her prospects, she asks him if he has anything else he wants to get off his chest.
  • Leo says a lot but this is already a lot for him to deal with he needs more time. He begs her to give him a little longer to figure himself out. She asks what brought this on and he says he doesn't want to lose her. Given that Leo is actually showing initiative and not being a coward, Liri is more than happy to wait for him as long as it takes.
  • He asks her if she promises and she does.
  • There's a lot more he must say to her but he can't summon any more courage than he already did. It was better to space this out and not jump off the deep end, so that was fine for now. As he pulled away from the hug, Leo was proud of himself for the first time in a long, long time. He apologizes for making her morning all weird.
  • You didn't make it weird. You made it better. He smiles awkwardly at her. She asks if he's working today and he says yeah, he should get going before he turns into even more of a wreck. Liri tells him to do his best and to stop by tomorrow and maybe we can make another few steps forward together?
  • Leo was both scared and excited about the prospect, which Liri recognized and then adds, no pressure or anything, but-
  • He says he'll be here, which Liri is happy to hear. She wishes him good luck with work, she is going to go nap for now, so...
  • They stand around awkwardly and Liri teases, no kiss? The awkwardness recoveries and Leo is feeling great. Good enough to actually flirt back like the way they usually did. Gotta give you something to look forward to, don't I?
  • Liri is pleased with this and he takes off. She watches him go and when he's out of sight, she starts jumping up and down enjoy and squealing.

Sylvietta intro

  • the Palemist Villa is exactly where the quest said it would be today. For the first time out of the many times he seen it, Leo is able to actually look at the thing without the befuddlement effect setting in and his body doesn't involuntarily turn away from it. This leads to the reader getting a better description of it. It should be fancy, but restrained. Leo has seen much fancier ones up in Barion Heights.
  • Waiting for him outside his a small creature about as tall as Leo's knee. Don't outright say this, I'm just telling you that he is a brownie. A traditional house fairy who is Sylvietta's personal butler. You can say that he's obviously not human but don't say that he's a fairy. Perhaps Leo thinks this is some sort of mutated gnome.
  • This man looks very serious, with a grim face, a long hook nose, huge ears and his hands behind his back. The seriousness is contrasted by the fact that he's wearing a suit made of stitched together rags and patchwork leather boots, giving him a poor person cosplaying as a butler vibe.
  • He approaches Leo and greets him while introducing himself as Hobbes, Lady Sylvietta's personal attendant. His voice sounds like a munchkin from the Wizard of Oz. I'm not sure how you can describe that but you can figure out a way. He greets Leo and says that he's expected. Leo thinks this creature is pretty weird but he's not judgmental and doesn't treat him any differently than any other person.
  • Leo, having worked with nobles before, assumes the young lady sent this man to deal with him so she wouldn't have to associate with someone of 'his birth'. Hobbes corrects him, saying that the lady insists on meeting him personally. Hobbes merely wishes to warn him of the lady before hand. He is seemingly sardonic when describing Sylvietta. He paints her in a positive light with very obvious negative undertones, but it's not coming from a place of disliking Sylvietta more as in trying to prepare Leo for her shitty personality.
  • Above anything else, Hobbes tries to warn Leo that his birth is likely to come up. Try not to take it personally. Leo is very sarcastic, saying she can say whatever whatever she likes about him so long as he gets paid for it. He didn't get this far in life by having thin skin.
  • Hobbes takes a moment to register that before seemingly silently approving of Leo. They walked through the courtyard together and as Leo takes in some of the sights, Hobbes drops a bit of the formality and explains that the lady is not doing so well and hopes that he might be able to help her. Leo picks up on the fact that this strange little man actually cares about his charge.
  • He's worked with many servants and butlers, you can make reference to his restaurant work here as well as his Guild work, and the ones that actually seem to give a rats ass about their masters are few and far between. Leo decides to give this lady the benefit of the doubt and says he'll do his best.
  • Please, Hobbes leads him through the interior of the mansion. Leo is not surprised to find out that it's bigger on the inside. That's a running motif in Grimme's Grotto, as just about every other building is like that it seems. Description wise, things should be of a cool color. House Palemist is associated with purple, indigo, dark blues, and silver. There should be portraits of old nobles, all of which have silver hair and purple eyes. There should be magical junk scattered around. Some of it looks dangerous and like it really shouldn't just be casually displayed in a hallway.
  • Leo is led to a drawing room and they pause outside of it so Hobbes can announce him to Sylvietta, who tells her servant to allow him inside and for Hobbes to leave. He gives Leo some encouragement before magically opening the door, and Leo steps inside the elegant drawing room.
  • There is a young lady sitting at a long table drinking tea. Right from the get go, Leo already knows she is going to be trouble. She has that bratty look of a spoiled rich girl, but on top of that there was a thick pervasive sadness to her. It makes Leo try to hold his reservations about her, but as he starts approaching she makes that very hard.
  • Sylvietta tells him to stop and that he needs to remain standing in her presence. She looks him up and down before scoffing and sipping from her tea. Sylvietta says I knew what to expect from your name, but so. It seems you really are just another Royal bastard after all. Blonde hair. Emerald eyes. Are you one of the king's, or do you come from a family of Lowlions?
  • Already his patience is being severely tested. He admits that he's one of the kings and was raised in Ralvask's Keep and all. She reacts with mild disinterest. Then, she tells him to keep his distance. She is a lady of noble standing and doesn't want his rampant perversion anywhere near her. It's true what they say, isn't it? You lions, noble or otherwise don't know how to keep it in your pants. That's why there's so many of you roaming around.
  • In all his years of service, Leo had never seen someone just openly jump to this topic before and with seemingly such enthusiasm. Usually the nobles he encountered were very subtle in their distaste for him or at least waited a little while before they went full mask off. Suddenly, the 35,000G wasn't so appealing. He had a high tolerance for being mocked- what bastard didn't? But even he had limits of what was and wasn't acceptable and for all his self doubts and insecurities it can't be said that he doesn't stick up for himself.
  • Leo tells her firmly that should she like he can go and she can find someone else to solve her problem. It looks like she's struggling with something. He thinks it's because she's not used to getting what she wants but we'll find out later in Hazy's stream she's internally lashing out at herself for being a bitch, but either way show that expression of conflict. She doesn't apologize but instead says they can't have that. Lowlion or not, he's supposed to be the best, isn't he? If you want something, the Leaping Lion will get it for you, right?
  • Leo questions what he could possibly get for a girl who clearly has everything. Her expression becomes more stressed and on the verge of tears. Her familiar is sick and she needs help tracking down an ingredient for the cure.
  • Leo doesn't know much about magic, about as much as any other guy who frequents Grimme's Grotto, but this confuses him. Familiars are animals that turn into spirits after you make a pact with them, right? Can they even get sick?
  • It's rare, but it happens, she confirms. Sylvietta takes out her wand, an expensive, elegant thing with lots of pretty swirls in its design. Something like that. She summons Kermeros, who materializes on the long table. Leo gets a look at the strange beast, a tioran trihound. Just a physical description will suffice, details on its breed will likely be plot relevant down the line.
  • You can make up a word for the sickness but it's essentially bouncing back between being a physical entity and a translucent spirit every few seconds and the act is causing the poor three-headed beast obvious distress. It's lethargic, barely conscious. Leo is starting to have second thoughts again, now leaning on the I have to help this girl side. Especially as he sees how terrified she is of her friend's poor state.
  • He wants to get a full picture and asks if she can't find this ingredient in town. He thinks Grimme's Grotto would definitely be the place to find obscure magical ingredients, but she counters him and says they obviously tried that. She even used the warp stone network and traveled to Mithimere, but this ingredient is time sensitive and has to be used while it's still fresh or the medicine won't work. They have all the other ingredients except for this one.
  • You'll have to stress that this is an extremely specific illness that almost never happens so familiar stores and Critters, Creatures and Companions doesn't carry it either.
  • Leo sighs over how particular magic and alchemy can be, and Sylvietta casually agrees with him. He asks whether or not she's a daughter of the Duke. Wouldn't he be able to help? Sylvietta becomes distant. She sounds sort of proud when she explains her father is a very busy man and he doesn't have time to see to the needs of the fourth daughter of his fifth wife, but Leo knows better than anyone the pain she's feeling. This girl is just like him and he can relate.
  • Still, Leo holds back an observation, wondering if Sylvietta has any room to talk while her father is apparently built from the same stock as the whoremongering king.
  • Sylvietta is starting to break down a bit and her shell strips off. She just wants Kerm to feel better again she starts crying and hugs the poor familiar, each of its three heads whining. She explains that Kermeros means everything to her. She turned him into a familiar so that he wouldn't ever have to die and leave her side, but if this doesn't get treated, then that may have been all for nothing...
  • She looks to him desperately, asking for his help.
  • Leo was already on the verge of giving in, but the tears are what does it. No matter how rude she was to him, he's not the kind of person who can ignore a cute girl terrified of losing her dog.
  • But he also couldn't just forgive her, either. He says he'll help but on one condition. Sylvietta is indignant at first and jumps to conclusions, asking if the money isn't high enough. Leo says it's about respect. You were very rude, and I know you nobles don't always understand this, but I'm more than just a bastard. Being a Lowlion doesn't define me, or at least I try not to let it...
  • As he says this, it needs to be emphasized that he probably doesn't really believe this. Lots of doubt and self-worth cropping up in his mind but he shrugs them off to ask her for an apology.
  • Sylvietta says this is an urgent matter and an apology would waste time, to which he says she better go ahead and do it, then. She blushes heavily and we see her other persona cropping up slightly. Jumping to extremes, Sylvietta stands up and asks if Leo expects him to get on her knees and bow and beg for his forgiveness like a commoner?
  • He's suddenly very confused. No, I just wanted an apology-
  • what, you think I won't do it?! You think I'm so prideful that I can't humble myself before a bastard like you? Think again!
  • Sylvietta hesitates and slowly kneels down in front of Leo, giving him lewd ideas for a second before she prostrates herself fully before him and her forehead touches the ground before his feet. Sexual undertones aside, she's sincere in her begging. She stresses that she's sorry for ridiculing his circumstances of birth and it was very inappropriate of her to do so before asking for a favor. If there's anything specific he wants her to say, he should say it now. She'll do it. She'll do anything to save Kermeros.
  • It's not super serious, but his perversions slightly color this scene. Of course some part of him is imagining taking advantage of the situation, her desperate begging is speaking to his dominant side and he has to force himself to cool off. Internally, he is really hoping that Hazy will stream tonight...
  • He's a better person than his impulses, however. He tells her she's already done enough and he offers her his hand to help her up. She looks up hesitantly and blushes more, saying its awfully presumptuous to assume she would touch him. Unimpressed, he says she really bounces back and forth between extremes, doesn't she? Desperate again, Sylvietta takes his hand and apologizes.
  • This girl is exhausting to be around, but even so, Leo finds her somewhat amusing and doesn't really sense any malicious intent behind her barbed comments.
  • With all that out of the way, Sylvietta allows him to sit next to her on the table and Kermeros scoots closer. Leo extends his hand, allows the familiar to sniff him, and is given some licks by all three heads. Very strange sensation, but Sylvietta seems surprised that Kerm likes him. In a rather cute moment, she blushes and admits he can't be all bad if that's the case.
  • As cute as she was, Leo presses on and asks about the details. I'll allow you to pitch some monster ideas to me(the criteria is that it has to be relatively close to Imperalis), but the gist is she didn't explain that this would involve killing a monster- and after killing the monster the ingredient part has to be brought back within an hour. Make sure its stated where the monster lives generally. Sylvietta doesn't understand the problem. He's adventurer, right? Not only that, he has Lundreame blood. Isn't your bloodline known for your incredible superhuman strength and combat prowess?
  • Leo tries to downplay it saying he only got that in human lust she was afraid of and missed out on all the other gifts. She stares at him before cautiously scooting her chair a bit further away, making him laugh. He expected a mean comment to follow, but instead she makes a cryptic comment about how there are black sheep in every family, she supposes.
  • He is sorry and recommends that he can find her someone more suited to the job, but she panics and asks if they would be as fast as Leo. Probably not. When Leo sees how stressed she's starting to get, he commits even when he probably shouldn't and says he'll figure something out.
  • Sylvietta is overjoyed, showing off more of her cute side. He doesn't want it to sound bad, but he looks at Kerm and asks how long he has to figure it out. She doesn't like thinking of it that way, but probably only a couple of days. Okay, that's more than enough. He's going to try to be back today, but she'll hear from him soon. He promises Sylvietta that its going to be alright. Without even thinking about it he holds her hand and squeezes it firmly, making her blush. He then realizes he did this and is awkward about it but she is silent on the matter and bids him a polite, for her, farewell.
  • Hobbes is outside and thanks the young man for handling it with finesse. Leo jokes that he's not going to get executed for making her get on her knees and beg, is he? One can never be too sure with their kind, he jokes back, but if that came to happen Hobbes would touch for him. Not that a Brownie's word would mean that much given that they'd only recently gained civil rights, but...
  • Leo thinks there's a whole thing there but he really doesn't have time to hear about brownie lore and he tells Hobbes he'll be back soon enough. Before he leaves Hobbes gives him an emergency pass for the gatehouse by order of Albartatius Palemist, one of the three grands who rule the district and Sylvietta's older half-brother. It's only good until the quest is completed which is all the same to Leo as he would never miss his date with his favorite gatekeeper.
  • He leaves Grimme's Grotto and as he walked the streets of Imperalis, Leo is in a sour mood. There is really no other choice but to go back to the Guild and find someone who can partner up with him. The only problem is that they're obviously going to want almost all of the reward since Leo will be contributing nothing. Whatever. He would take that loss if it meant helping her out. He sighs, turns a corner, and runs into Vana again.
  • Leo is surprised, but she tilts her head and asks why would he be surprised. It's been an hour and forty-seven minutes.

Minor quest with Vana

  • Leo greets her he's a little curious about why she's here. He asks if she just happened to be here, or if she came here because she knew he would be here.
  • Vana argues that they're getting into semantics. If I knew to come here and then made the choice to do so, couldn't it be argued that I was always destined to be here in the first place? Leo says that's not how it works, but she argues not even seers know how it works. Getting glimpses of the future is a strange thing and she's whisked away by it like a leaf in the wind.
  • Leo asks what she knows about the situation but she can tell he's getting suspicious. She manages to convince him quick enough that if she could live her life without getting constant visions of her acquaintances and the minutiae of their lives, she would do so in a heartbeat and save herself the chronic headaches she suffers because of them.
  • Leo feels bad that he doubted her intentions and instead focuses on how hard it must be to have such condition. Because they aren't super close, he's never asked her details. He asks if all seers have similar problems and Vana says only the good ones. He thinks about Dire, wondering if she has the same affliction. Given how she acts on stream, he doubts it...
  • Vana interrupts his train of thought and asks what the situation is. She only saw to be here because he'd be having a rough time, not why. Leo fills her in and assumes his plan is to head back to the Guild and find someone to help. Well, yeah.
  • That's not necessary. She'll take care of it. Leo is amused at first, believing Vana to be weaker than him and useless in a fight. Her tarot deck flies out of the pouch she keeps it in and the cards float about in midair until she picks out a single one- the chariot- and holds it in her hands.
  • She asks if he's hesitant about trusting an unexpected ally and her phrasing deliberately calls back to Dire's exact words. Given how her fortunes have always served him well in the past, he figures that he has nothing to lose by trusting Vana. He can just run the two of them back to town if she gets them in over their head. Leo consents and says they should be on their way, then.
  • The card she pulled from her deck starts to glow with her mana, then, she throws in front of her and it transforms into a literal chariot. There is nothing in front of it to pull, but Vana gets inside anyway. Leo wonders what this is about and says it's not going to pull itself.
  • No, Leo it's not.
  • He gets her meaning and is like are you serious? She says he can pull the chariot faster than the sphinxes that are printed on the card could. Besides, those two are always pulling in different directions so she left them out of the summoning. This is directly referencing the most common depiction of the chariot.
  • Leo takes this as praise and is more amused than offended by the suggestion that he pull the chariot. He gets in position and finds out that it's actually pretty light. Before they take off she makes double sure she remembers what monster it is they're after and after getting confirmation she pulls out a small crystal on a chain and begins dowsing for their objective.
  • They take off into the countryside after leaving the appropriate gates and as Vana expected he is very fast. She leads them to the nearest monster and it's pretty smooth sailing. You can put in some details about how the trip was, how Vana took it in her condition, but I want to emphasize it should be kept minimal. I don't want to set the expectation that this is another adventure story like Coye. Similarly, the oncoming fight should not be that big of a deal.
  • They park the chariot far enough away so that Vana has time to do another quick reading with her cards on how she should go about this. In silence she performs a bunch of calculations and flips her cards over repeatedly in the air. Leo doesn't get it, but her eyes are glowing so she's obviously doing something.
  • When she stops he asks what their plan is and she says he's not part of the plan. In most of the outcomes she just saw, he's going to get hurt if he intervenes. Leo tries protest as being not that weak, but Vana says she never called him weak. If he wants to help that bratty noble, then he should leave it to her.
  • I don't want to get into a huge battle here, but I will give you an angle if you want to write a short one yourself. Emphasis on short. Again, don't want people to think this is an adventure story.
  • The angle is that she uses her card summoning to deal some damage and casually dodges attacks that she saw coming in advance during her preparation, but there can be a moment in the battle where she falters because of her headache and is almost killed. Leo will run in and save her and the distraction will allow whatever card Vana has summoned to finish the job.
  • I don't know how you would convey it without getting into Vana's thoughts, but she purposefully told him to stay out of it because she saw a scenario where he would rush in and save her. He would stand up with her in his arms and look into her eyes, asking if she's all right. Vana would slightly lose herself and blush before getting the composure to tease him, summoning some of the sexuality of her alter ego to run her finger up his chin and says I am now, my hero.
  • This would be the first time he actually looks at Vana sexually and it's a lot to deal with. She's always wearing that hood of hers and until now has always just been a strange, occasionally creepy girl poking around the sidelines of his life. He gets embarrassed and puts her down, saying they have to go and deliver the monster part before the end of the hour.
  • Vana goes to lay down in her chariot, she is very exhausted and in great pain. He wants to know if she's going to be okay. She's been through worse she says but she still looks really bad. Leo pulls his short sword which again is mostly for show and has trouble harvesting whatever it is they're there for because of his lacking physical strength. He gets it and starts pulling her back to the city, asking her which inn she's staying at.
  • While appreciative, she asks if he has time to drop her off before the ingredient. He insists he'll make time and goes even faster, pushing his limits. Sure enough, he makes it to her inn with plenty of time to head back to Grimme's Grotto. Leo carries her upstairs and she hops off before he can open the door to her room. She says she can handle this herself, but thanks him.
  • Leo teases her a little and asks if she's embarrassed about him seeing her room but she calls his bluff by saying quite the contrary. He's welcome to join her in bed whenever he wants. Leo stumbles after hearing this, but she teases him again saying her headaches might not be so bad with the right company. She has a smile that affects him very deeply but then she's gone.
  • Leo loses himself for a moment. He's known Vana for ages now and never thought much of her, but now that he's seen her in a new light he can't help thinking how cute she is. He asks himself if he's really this shallow.
  • The door opens up again and Vana tells him to stop standing around like a weirdo. He asks how did she know he was still there, but all she does in response is stare. Stupid question. He thinks her again and goes on his way, saying he'll have to take her up on the bed thing some other time, and we briefly see things from Vana's POV for only a few paragraphs.
  • As he goes, she sighs and says I knew you'd say that...
  • She goes to her room, there's no description of it because it's all dark and her windows are heavily curtained, but in the darkness a smart-orb lights up. She puts on an orbcast covering Grekkan Mythology in his soothing ASMR soothing voice and she curls up in a cocoon of blankets after putting on a black eye mask. We don't see that her account is specifically DireFuture, but the fact that we now see she lied about knowing what ponder is and the orbcast is obviously hint enough.

Sylvietta part two

  • after surprising his favorite gatekeeper with his emergency pass, Leo returns to Palemist Villa with plenty of time to spare. Hobbes greets him at the entrance, surprised as Leo tosses him the ingredient. Leo tells him to hurry on up, and the brownie disappears, presumably teleporting to their personal alchemist or whatever.
  • Sylvietta comes out soon after and is both surprised and anxious, asking if he did it. Leo gives her a smile and asks that she asked for the best, didn't she?
  • Sylvietta barely controls herself and she marches up to him with a tsundere face. She warns him that this is only going to happen once and that they will never speak of it again before hugging him. He's blown away by this and notices how nice she smells, how her chest isn't as big as Liri's, and other embarrassing stuff like that. He is about to put his arms around her, but that's where she draws the line and pulls away, blushing as she says she didn't say he could hug back.
  • He sarcastically says hug? What hug?
  • Sylvietta appreciates this and smiles smugly, saying it seems that he gets it. Leo can't believe how dishonest she is with herself but can't help seeing her as oddly charming. He tries to turn away and leave the villa, but she stopped him and insists Kermeros would want him here to witness his grand recovery. He teases again, would he now?
  • Sylvietta mumbles yes, he would. Not her, obviously. Leo size and since he doesn't have anything else lined up for today he decides to wait with her in the room they were in before. It's kind of awkward as she can't bring herself to make any significant small talk, you are free to show him trying and her failing like a complete tsundere autist before she eventually gives up and summons Kermeros. Nothing fills the awkward tension between two people like a dog, and soon Sylvietta is telling him all about how Kermeros is the best familiar in all of Karnalle.
  • Her words are interrupted as Hobbes teleports in with the cure now bottled up in a nice bottle. He hands it over and Sylvietta is so happy and excited that she looks like a different person. She feeds a little bit of the potion to each one of the dog's heads and in no time at all the flickering between states stops as Kermeros focuses on his physical form.
  • He sits up, scratches between one of his ears and... Continues looking sad and miserable. Each one of its heads looks like it's about having anxiety attack. Leo wonders of the potion didn't work, but Sylvietta interrupts by screaming and hugging her dog. Hobbes informs him that the breed just looks like that and they are quite unfortunate creatures. No kidding.
  • Sylvietta stands up and starts swirling around the room with her dog, who clearly doesn't like this, but Leo can't help think it's cute. She extends Kermeros to Leo, smiling as she says look at how happy you've made him. Isn't he just the cutest?
  • Leo smiles and reaches out to pet Kermeros saying he sure is, but he's looking at her when he says it. She blushes, steps away and hides defensively behind her familiar saying not to get too full of himself. You've done me a service and as thankful as I am for that, that's that. We are unlikely to meet again.
  • Surprisingly, this does disappoint Leo a little bit. He shrugs it off however and says it's all the same to him. Who knows what this ravenous lion might do to a poor, innocent girl like you if given the chance. Again, Sylvietta gets weird and enraptured by his words. Hobbes senses where this is going and he chiefly teleports out as if nope.
  • She stutters, hypothetically wondering what *might* a ravenous lion due to a poor, innocent girl like me...? He does a double take, thinking that she almost sounds deeply interested in the topic. Leo wonders what would happen if he pushed the boundary here. It's almost like she wants him to say something sexual but that can't be the case.
  • Still, his flirtatious nature wins out in the end and he leaves by smoothly teasing he might just eat her up. She becomes breathless, takes more steps backwards and immediately asks in what sense of the word. He smiles at her and then leaves the room.
  • Sylvietta's submissive behavior makes him think of InnocentHaze and he suddenly hopes her situation is doing better by now. He could really use an outlet for all of the tension he was going through lately and since he didn't get the release he was after yesterday it was high time he went home and checked. Hazy was the best outlet he could ask for, after all.

Hazy Stream 1

  • Leo didn't bother going back to the Guild today. He got his signature for the notebook, so Dev knew the job was done and he was looking to take the edge off. He got a quick dinner and then routinely booted up his smart-orb, charging it with more crystals and grumbling about the expenses.
  • What he found shortly after logging on was a pleasant surprise.
  • InnocentHaze had sent him a DM explaining that the situation with her friend is cleared up now and she wants to make it up to him. She's really hot and bothered today and he's the only one who can make her feel any better. That's all it takes for Leo to become diamond hard.
  • He's happy to hear it he tells her, and he's taking a dominant tone in his text. If you kept me waiting any longer I would've had to take it out on you. She's super into it in her response, asking whether or not she should bother doing a public stream first or if he wants to just jump in and have her all to himself.
  • Leo loses himself for a moment and wonders about where he actually stands with Hazy. He cleared up Liri and Dire, kind of, so that left her as the only one. She is the one who his toxic mind would be least to surprised to learn actually liked him, as even it couldn't ignore some of the signs.
  • We get a small overview of their relationship. It started out the same as with CC, with him finding her during her earliest streams. He would tip her highly and make her do embarrassing things he could never ask him CC and no matter how ridiculous it was, Hazy would do it for him. Aside from penetration.
  • He tells her to go on and put on one of her shows. Show herself off to everyone like a good little slut but remember who's really in charge here. She tells him yes my king and then goes off to prepare.
  • Hazy is more popular than CC, having around five hundred followers. Even though they were both relatively vanilla, Hazy sure as hell didn't act like it. CC was more of a casual, cutesy girl whereas Hazy appealed to a certain kind of man...
  • Men like Leo who beneath his layers of bullshit wanted a cute, innocent girl who would do whatever they say.
  • The stream starts and we get a description of Hazy. Use the illustration I provide, but I expect to improve it anyway so don't worry. More importantly is getting her mannerisms and the way she talks. She is very demure, shy, but in a nineteen fifties housewife kind of way. Absurdly submissive, upturned eyebrows, pouty lips, the word no having no meaning in her mind. Soft voice. Very pretty to listen to. Dreamy
  • Her stage is an elegant bedroom that suggests whoever she was in real life she clearly had a lot of money.
  • She greets the chat in an exaggerated way, is so happy to see all of her fans here. There is over one hundred of them and many are rabid for her. Someone asks how her day went and she blushes and plays with her hair.
  • She wasn't a very good girl today. Someone helped her with a problem that no one else could solve and she couldn't be very honest and she treated that person very badly. She regrets the kind of person she is in real life and starts to tear up. Despite all that, he helped her anyway and things are okay now. She just wishes she could be more like 'herself' in real life, implying that she sees the two halves of herself as very separate and that the stream persona is who she really is.
  • Hazy then gets really flustered as she admits something. She hopes her chat will forgive her, but she did something very impure and dirty today. She couldn't express her gratitude to her helper, so she actually ended up hugging him. She blushes even harder, admitting that this was the first time she'd ever hugged a boy before. Her chat friendly starts calling her what a dirty slut and a whore, they are clearly joking and Leo smiles at the reaction and brings out of her.
  • Hazy denies this, but she's smiling and red-faced. She's a total masochist and nothing gets her off like a bit of verbal abuse... Which he personally knew all too well.
  • She deflects the topic and brushes it off, saying chat isn't here to hear about her daily life and she isn't here to talk about it. She's here because the last few days have been stressful and she wants to be of service. She reminds them that she'll do anything within reason and lets the bidding begin.
  • Hazy listens to the commands of the strangers, it's all innocent stuff at first. Taking cute poses, making adorable expressions, saying naughty things for tips, and so on. As the night goes on, the requests became more suggestive. Somewhere along the way she ended up completely naked, exposing her small breasts, her petite behind, and most enticingly of all, her tiny pussy.
  • Leo's dreamed about it so many times. Hers is small. Very, very small. He can't imagine how tight it would feel, and it the sheer thought of it made him question all his hang ups.
  • She showed it off and it's pretty pink petals for everyone to see, she played with it, and nearly died of shame from doing so. Leo loved to watch her like that. She was so cute when she was embarrassed, which was always.
  • The stream reached a new height when someone dared her to hump one of her pillows, which was one of Hazy's favorite requests. Since she never put anything inside of herself, this was the next best thing. Whenever this happened, Hazy got incredibly into it. She loses herself, swinging her hips with desperate abandon as her eyes rolled back and juices flowed out from between her legs all over the silk. Some voice messages go through, spurring her to go harder and faster, some of them calling her names, to which Hazy denies all the accusations of being a slut.
  • As things hit their fevered pitch, Leo breaks his silence and sends her a voice message of his own. An expensive one. Like ten thousand that chat would react to like holy shit. With his voice filter on, he tells her to stop lying to herself and cum like a good little girl for him. Her eyes shoot wide open and she starts going even faster, unable express a thought. His messages always made her crazy if he timed them right, and sure enough, she came all over the pillow and collapsed onto the bed. She's exhausted and chat is going on about how hard they all got off to their favorite little slut.
  • Leo then pays her again, ordering her to sit up and tell everyone thank you. Hazy weakly does so, barely managing to get to her knees before making a double peace sign and thanking everyone for giving her their love again tonight. That last one really wiped her out so she's going to sign off for now, or so she says. She blows everyone a kiss which stings Leo a bit as he remembers CC but he shakes his head and focuses. He hasn't gotten off yet, he's just been edging. No one else knew that the real show was just about to start.

Hazy stream 2

  • sure enough, right when the stream went down, Leo gets a call from Hazy and they pick up right where they left off. She asks if she was a good girl for him tonight. You, a good girl? Don't make me laugh.
  • Hazy bites her lip, clearly into it. She apologizes for not being good enough and asks how she can be better. Leo tells her that she already knows how she can be better for him, doesn't she? Dreamily, she says yes.
  • She turns around, bends over, and pulls her ass apart to show him both holes as she peeks over her shoulder. These belong to you, my King. No one else knows it, but you're the only one I'll ever give them to.
  • While this is as huge a turn on as it always is, Leo is hit with new hesitation as he stares into her ass, fittingly enough.
  • Leo asks if before they play, can we have a serious conversation?
  • This gets Hazy's attention and she sits upright and looks back at him, now embarrassingly covering her chest. Anything my King desires. Do you promise not to get offended? Hazy smiles and says she doesn't think he could ever offend her.
  • Leo asks how real is their relationship. Do you actually have feelings for me, or-
  • Hazy interrupts and looks upset. Was I somehow unclear? I don't feel this way about anyone else, my King. It's always only ever been you...
  • Again, his confidence is shaken. His doubts are continually proven to be unfounded but he can't leave it at just that and he needs more details. He asks her please not get upset and answer politely. He's having a rough time lately and he's trying to figure out a lot of emotions so he wants to clear the air between them.
  • Hazy adorably starts to cry and asks if he's getting tired of her. She begs for that not to be the case, saying she'll do anything. Leo feels like an idiot for ever thinking this girl was just messing with him. Of course this could still all be an act, but- no. He figuratively puts his foot down and is trying not to let his doubt color his expectations here.
  • I'm not growing tired of you. I just want to know exactly what you want from me so that I don't misunderstand anything. Am I just one of your fans? A good friend? More?
  • So much more, Hazy confirms. And... how do you feel about me, my King?
  • I obviously like you a lot, too, it's just...
  • Hazy notices that he seemed very pained and she suggests that he use her like he always does. That's what she's good for. She'll do anything he says if it will make him feel better.
  • Leo's was quiet for a minute and he eventually asks I know you brought it up once or twice, but you were never really pushy about it. Did you actually want to meet me in real life?
  • Hazy grows hesitant and sad, starting to twiddle her fingers. I'm pretty sure I usually only say that when I'm being naughty for you. Otherwise, the idea scares me...
  • Why is that?
  • Well, don't you remember what I was saying at the start of my stream? I'm a very different person off the orbnet. I'm terrified of what would happen if we ever actually met...
  • Leo's heart goes out to her. She's sounding very familiar right about now.
  • Hazy clarifies that in real life, she's rude, a complete bitch, someone who constantly says things they don't actually mean because he's worried that if she doesn't act full of herself then the world will walk all over her. But it's gone to such a point that she can't turn it off. Not without something drastic like-
  • like turning into Hazy?
  • Yes, exactly. InnocentHaze lets me be who I really am, and I wouldn't know half as much about myself if it weren't for you.
  • Hazy goes on about how he and all of their sexual escapades until now helped form the kind of person she is. There should be some anecdotes here about how the two of them pushed her boundaries and he helped awaken her to her desires. Putting it like that both excites him and makes him feel emotional.
  • At least for Hazy, his toxic brain could reasonably understand why she might like him.
  • Hazy believes it isn't possible that she'll ever find someone in real life like LowbornKing who will be able to tolerate the nasty, unlikable person she is. She starts to gently cry again and says that's why I've never pushed you to meet up with me even though I want it more than anything in the world.
  • Leo experiences another momentary confidence boost. This actually went really well for him. He couldn't make any kind of commitment to her yet, but in the back of his mind he was already planning to try and make this work. He wondered what Liri was going to think... Hey, so you know your cuckquean fetish? Well, these are my two orbnet sex friends and they are also in love with me, so...
  • No. Leo shook that thought from his head. That was a problem for future Leo. Current Leo was a fucked up mess who needed validation wherever he could get it. Reaffirming Hazy's feelings made him feel much better about himself at least for now.
  • He asks Hazy if she has any idea how happy she's made him tonight. She doesn't, but if her King would be so kind, she would love to be shown...
  • Leo is feeling playful again now that things are ironed out. He moves straight onto the teasing saying I bet you would, you little whore.
  • Hazy emphasizes that she is not a little whore. She's HIS little whore and he was the one who made her this way. He teases her what about that boy you hugged? It was just a hug! She didn't mean it, really! Hope you're ready to make it up to me.
  • Hazy has a perverse look in her eyes as she says always. He tells her to get back and show her ass again and after she does she orders him to spank it for him. She does, but he chastises her for holding back. That's not good at all. If I was there, you'd be spanked raw.
  • She apologizes, does it harder and asks more like this? Getting there. Are you even trying? Didn't you want me to get off? Yes, my King, I'm trying so hard for you... Spanks even harder and Leo can just about feel the way that cute little butt of hers would feel in his hand. Gods, that's so fucking good, he tells her. Do you have any idea what I would do to you if I was there?
  • Hazy had heard him say similar things a thousand times, but she never stops being excited listening to him go off. She begs him to tell her what he would do so he goes off on a rambling tangent about pushing her over, teasing her with his cock, shoving it inside her while pushing his weight down on her, pinning her in place. Hazy starts playing with her clit but Leo says he didn't give her permission.
  • She starts begging for it with almost no delay and he teases her over that. Very shameless. She apologizes for how shameless she is but can't help it. He always does this to her. He makes her body need him so bad and she can never get enough relief.
  • Leo says she's lucky that she put him in a good mood tonight and gives her permission, but she has to spread herself for his viewing pleasure like a good little whore. She lays on her back and lifts her legs into the air, masturbating for him like crazy. When she gets whipped up into a frenzy like this, she goes at it harder than any girl he's ever seen, which says a lot given how much ponder he's consumed.
  • The best part of it is how well-trained she is.
  • He tells her to stop and she does it but looks at him with doe eyes close to crying asking why. Does it matter? I said to stop. Yes, my King...
  • He watches her tiny pussy spasm in need, all while Hazy weights uncomfortably for his permission to continue. He gives it and she thanks him multiple times before going right back to work. Leo makes her stop shortly after and she is even whinier now. She begs him not to bully her, but he teases that if they ever meet up in real life that's all he would do.
  • Her pussy squirms again visibly making him smile but she is so turned on the idea of that. Leo asks if that's what she wants, to meet up and get bullied, and Hazy nervously admits that she wants that more than anything else. As a reward for her honesty, Leo allows her to finish herself off but tells her she can't stop even after she cums.
  • She thanks her King repeatedly and has an extremely powerful, loud toe curling orgasm and just as Leo wanted she doesn't stop so her torment goes on and on and on as she writhes, leading Leo to finish himself off in a tissue. It's a huge load as all of his are, but even bigger because of how much he needed this. He reclines back into his couch after he's done and after Hazy brings herself to a second climax, he allows her to stop.
  • He gives her tender aftercare, asking if she's all right and telling her she did a good job and that he's very happy with her. She whines how badly she wishes he was here so he could give her cuddles and tell her she was a good girl to her face. She's so god damn cute that it almost makes him cringe.
  • For a moment he stared at the ceiling.
  • She speaks up again and asks if everything is okay and he tells her better than okay, thanks to his favorite whore. She bites her lip and feels great joy being at called his favorite. She puts on her sheer robe and asks if he would like to chat for a while before bed and he thinks that sounds nice. They talked for a while about Imperalis fashion, one of their shared interests, along with a boring play she was forced to attend the other day and Leo's troubled mind is soothed by the fake girlfriend experience.
  • Eventually she gets tired and even though she wants to keep talking he orders her to get a good night sleep and they will do this again soon, hopefully. He watches her pass out, smiles and ends the call before going to bed himself.
  • As he lies there, his doubts crop up again. He doesn't deserve Hazy, and he hates how he keeps feeling this way. The only times he feels good about himself are when he hangs out with Liri or does private streams with his favorite orbnet girls. Again, his mind focuses on not losing what he has. He wills himself to sleep by repeatedly declaring to himself that he'll improve.
  • I'm not just another Leo Lowlion. I'm me.

Day Off, Liri and Sylvietta

  • Leo wakes up the next morning feeling pretty great, for once. The sweet visage of Hazy smiling in her sleep was so burned into him he half expected to see her next him when he woke up. He's a little disappointed that she's not here. Rather than get sad about it, he gets up, gets dressed, and gets on ponder. There's an adorable message from Hazy thanking him for last night. He gives back a sincere reply before checking out the new message from Dire.
  • Streaming tonight, make sure you're there.
  • Dire streamed the least of his now two favorite girls, usually only once or twice a week, and he couldn't pass up a chance to see her. He responds that he has plans to go drinking with his friend tonight. That's okay, she won't start until she knows he's on. Take your time.
  • Leo exits ponder with a smile on his face and an objective. He doesn't want to work today, and the good thing about being an adventurer/glorified delivery boy was you set your own hours. He had tons of money and was under no pressure. Today, he was going to hang out with Liri as much as possible before seeing Dev tonight.
  • The gatekeeper teases him today for losing his emergency pass, and he tries bargaining with her that he has an emergency today, too. She asks what his emergency is and he explains he can only tell her about it from the other side of the gate. The other side of the gate where you can kill all those innocent mages? Absolutely. You got me again, saw straight through me. She tells him to fuck off but in a friendly way and he heads to Crystal Clear.
  • It's open today which he takes is a good sign and he headed straight in, only to walk in and be met with the girl he supposedly was probably never going to see again. Sylvietta is at the counter talking to Liri, who seems vaguely annoyed but still friendly. Sylvietta has been overdramatic saying she doesn't care what Liri does to it just use your crystals and make it halfway more decent, it pains me, but you're the only one I can trust with this!
  • Liri waves at Leo and says she'll be with him in a minute. Sylvietta looks over her shoulder before turning around, revealing that her big purse actually had Kerm's three heads poking out of it. Kermeros is very happy to see him and the anxious dog phases into spirit form to float over to Leo and sit on his shoulder briefly. He makes a happy comment about how good Kerm is looking today, relatively speaking.
  • She's stunned to see him again and very embarrassed, remembering everything from yesterday. He greets Liri and says he hopes he's not interrupting anything.
  • What follows is a humorous cluster fuck. Sylvietta surprised Liri and Leo know each other, Liri is surprised Leo knows Sylvietta, and Leo is surprised Sylvietta and Liri know each other. After that knot is untangled, Liri explains that they know each other from their school days. Sylvietta gets very uppity and says that's a funny way of saying we were archrivals. Liri, exasperated but smiling explains that's because they weren't archrivals.
  • Sylvietta then explains that Kerm was sick and Leo was scouted for his help. Liri tilts her head, not knowing that familiars even could get sick. Sylvietta takes the chance to act high and mighty over her knowledge but Liri simply smiles and reminds her that familiars were the only subject in school that Sylvietta had a higher grade than Liri in, which gets her to shut up.
  • Leo makes sure that Sylvietta isn't bothering Liri and is told that it's all right. She's a paying customer, so it's all the same to her. Sylvietta crosses her arms and is like hmph, such indifference! If you'd like me to take my money elsewhere- Liri turns up the business speak and appeals to Sylvietta as her alleged favorite customer.
  • Very easily manipulated, Sylvietta is pleased and takes out a long list of alterations for a bunch of her outfits. Adding stripes to this, zigzagged to that, applying swirly patterns, you can come up with whatever you want for it. Liri is a little overwhelmed, as it's a ten thousand gold order. This is a lot more than she usually gets.
  • Sylvietta lords it over Liri that a noble gentleman showed her significant favor last night and things are going quite serious with him. She has no use for his monetary gifts however and... Sylvietta hesitates here. She's struggling to admit that she just wants to do something nice for Liri because of the whole shop situation but because of her personality she can't bring herself to do it without being a bitch. She says this place is a dump and you need all the gold you can get.
  • Liri knows how Sylvietta works. She understands the gesture but wished it came in a less exhausting manner. Leo outright calls her out on it, though. He smiles and teases that she wants to be friends with Liri, doesn't she. The suggestion is so nerve-racking that Sylvietta suddenly remembers urgent business and storms away but not before saying that Hobbes will bring her clothes at a later date, while also scoffing at the implication.
  • She and Kerm leave, making Liri slump over the counter. And you've known each other for how long? Since we were eleven, Liri groans. Ouch.
  • Liri explains that Sylvietta used to be a lot worse but she really mellowed out in the last year or so. He has trouble grasping how she is mellow now. Leo jokes that maybe that noble gentleman of hers is doing wonders for her. Liri looks straight at him and says if that's true than I want what she has. Suddenly, he feels awkward, but she smiles and said she's just teasing. She didn't mean to start with this so soon.
  • Leo says it's fine and then asks if he can join her behind the counter. She pulls him out a chair and says of course.

Liri hangout

  • now that it's just the two of them, Leo can't help feeling awkward again but Liri doesn't let him linger on it. Feeling brave, she reaches out and holds his hand. She hopes that Sylvietta didn't give him too much trouble yesterday. Leo tells her a bit about the quest and about his friend Vana, who Liri actually recognizes from the description. She seen her around Grimme's Grotto before and I think she came in a couple times to buy some crystals. She seemed, um... Nice.
  • Yeah, Leo says, now thinking about his strange new feelings for Vana. She is, just weird. Liri smiles smugly and insinuates that she detects a little something going on there. Leo knows he can't hold back from her and he sighs, explaining how he never really paid much attention to her and he just noticed that she was cute yesterday. Is that such a big deal?
  • Liri is jokingly pouty, was hoping there was something more fun going on. Leo reminds her that doesn't have anything fun going on with anyone. Liri asks ever? No. I've never had an actual girlfriend or anything like that. She teases as opposed to all of your fake ones?
  • Leo laughs at the irony and says something like that. Liri lets them go for now and asks if he came by just to see her or if they were going to continue what they were talking about yesterday. He wants to, but-
  • He's scared. Liri knows and squeezes his hand to comfort him. She meant it when she said she was patient. I'm not gonna force you to open up if you're not ready. We can just hang out and play cards if you want. You set the pace.
  • I want to make some kind of progress, he says. If I don't try and push myself, I might just regress. I'm done not fighting against my issues. Then let's talk about them. Leo is silent for a few seconds. Is it really that simple? He tries to vocalize some of his feelings but nothing really comes out. It's like he says the words in his head but his mouth won't move in his throat won't activate his voicebox. After a few attempts at this he gets really frustrated himself for not being able to say anything.
  • Liri is gentle and loving with him as always and shakes her head. If he can't talk, there are other little steps they can make together. She points her finger at the door and turns the sign to closed before standing up and leading him by the hand the second floor living room. Leo had never been up here before. She offered, but he always stuck to the front of her shop because he was worried of what might happen up there. He was still worried, even now, but all she did was lead him to her couch and have him sit.
  • Next thing he knows, Liri is patting her lap and telling him to put his head on her. He blushes and is like are you serious? What better way to get over a fear of intimacy than being intimate, silly? This is pretty tame, you know. You don't need to be weird. Leo says but I am weird. She giggles and says your words not mine but I'm glad were on the same page here. Her casual demeanor really gets through to him and he nervously lays his head on her lap.
  • She asks how it is. Soft. Is that it? I don't have any other comments that aren't weird. My lap is a judgment free zone. Feel free to get your freak on and weird it up. She blushes at her own words but Leo ends up admitting that she smells really good. Nice. I'll take it, she says. The two have a cute laugh followed by Liri reaching down to start stroking his head.
  • Leo is overwhelmed by this, as it's the first physical gesture of love he's ever really felt besides the hug. She asks him if it feels nice and yes it does. Better than anything. She teases, calling him overdramatic. More like he's starved for affection. You sure have a strange way of showing it, what with the constant pushing away and dodging attempts to make things serious. Leo says he knows but that's why he's here. To get better.
  • They're silent for a moment as Liri continues petting him. Eventually, a question comes to her mind. She starts to ask him something but she cut herself off as she realizes it might be too pushy of her. Leo gets scared of what she might say but tells her to say it. Well, it's just that yesterday when you asked me how I felt about you I told you very firmly I'm romantically interested in you... but you conveniently avoided having to tell me the same thing back.
  • He blushes really hard and says that he hugged her. Hugs have implications, he argues. And what did our hug imply, Leo? He struggles with himself and after that says it implied that I want to bury my face in this girl's lap for as long as I can. She giggles at him and says that's good enough for now, but I'll be expecting an honest answer as soon as you're ready.
  • Leo sigh and says he doesn't know when that will be yet. He's trying to be honest with himself and his feelings but every time he tries it's like he can't get a word out. It'll get easier, she promises. You're trying and I'm proud of you. Those words get to him really deeply and he asks her to say that again. What, I'm proud of you? He says yes. She finds it cute how needy and starved for affection he is, but tells him she's proud of how he is making the effort to better himself and that she'll tell him that as much as he needs.
  • Leo is overcome with happiness and he practically melts into her lap. She casually teases if he's good now or does he need another one. I'm proud of you, Leo. One more, please? Okay for real did you just unlock a new fetish or something? She teases.
  • If I say yes are you going to stop? Of course not, Liri scoffs. I'm going to do it more. For real though, she says she understands. I definitely know what it's like to be desperate for love and affection and for people to look at me and, well...
  • What? Nothing, she says. Unrelated question but one that our future together hinges on. She asks Leo how he feels about naughty girls. Is this a trick question? You'll never know until you answer honestly. Leo admits that he loves naughty girls and Liri smiles knowingly. Good answer. Leo then jokes, why, do you know any?
  • Let's just say I have my moments...
  • The atmosphere is pretty sexually charged between them and it's a miracle that Leo isn't hard. Liri realizes that she probably pushed things too far and blushes, apologizing she didn't mean to make him uncomfortable and rush things. He doesn't mind but he thinks they should probably not push the envelope more than that for one day.
  • Liri is thankful to have an out and says sure. Did you want to do anything else while you're here or do you want to just lay on me all day. Is that an option? I wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't, she teases.
  • Leo proposes that he stay where he is and they continue working on the whole intimacy thing before asking Liri if she's read any good books lately. She lights up at the chance to tell him all about the recent things she's been meaning to recommend him as Leo lays right there on Liri's lap, his stunted heart mending second by second.

Dev Drinking

  • Leo wished he hadn't promised Dev that they were going to hang out and drink that night, because he honestly didn't want to get up. Leo spent just about the entire day resting on top of the thickest, most comfortable pillows in all the realms and he would have stayed if Liri hadn't pushed him to go hang out with his friend after offhandedly mentioning his plans. She had to get started making a bunch of custom chroma crystals in her lab in the basement because Sylvietta wants a bunch of nonstandard colors because of course she does.
  • Leo wished her good luck and to let him know if she needs any supplies. He'll get them for her free of charge this time, but Liri is adamant that that's probably not going to be a big deal. He leaves at dusk and heads to the Guild to pick up Dev, as he should be getting off by now.
  • When he gets there, he sees that Dev is a hesitant with Leo. Like he's happy to see him but you get the sense there's something he needs to tell him that's going to be awkward. Leo doesn't really pick up on it though. Dev is shady often enough that slightly cagey behavior is par for the course. Either way, Dev is supportive and notices that Leo is seemingly in a great mood. That's great but it does make Dev feel worse about what he has to say later.
  • Dev asks if Leo is ready for a fun night of male bonding. I would be if you hadn't put it like that. Dev leaves his station and someone new takes over, a cute little halfling girl with a mischievous smile seems to stare at Dev as they leave. Leo doesn't recognize her and is like what's with the new girl. She's a recent trainee that Dev was tasked with teaching the ropes. Leo immediately assumes he did something to this girl and he's like like what no? I'm not into halflings...
  • (Since his sexual life is a running gag, I had this idea for a sadistic counterpart for Dev at the Guild. It starts innocent enough but eventually is going to be one of those relationships where he's essentially leashed by her and she has him completely by the balls, and he acts really scared of her and goes about his philandering ways like normal while she just smiles like a sadist knowing he'll be back. The kind of relationship where he thinks he has things under control but she holds all the power. As I'm writing this I don't know why this specific example is coming to mind but I just randomly remembered Luigi in Paper Mario TTYD and how he's on this completely separate adventure and when you talk to him you get glimpses of the weird shit he's up to and the weird partners he has in comparison to Mario. I think it would be funny if Dev concurrently develops this absurd harem as Leo develops his wholesome one. This is just me dumping ideas for him so let me know you think.)
  • They leave and as usual they go to Dev's favorite bar. It's literally just fantasy Hooters. I don't care. Make it extremely unsubtle. Ye Olde Tits and Wings. Leo pretend like he's better than this place but he also never recommends they go anywhere else, either. The food is decent, the drinks are better than decent, and the girls are, well... the girls.
  • They are greeted by some hostesses, one of which being a adorable little catfolk, who drops everything she's doing to come greet Dev. This girl was the main reason Dev liked coming here, as Leo suspects Dev actually has some sort of feelings for her, if he's capable of such things. Should have some overly catlike name such as Mittens. The problem with her is that she is incredibly territorial and is extremely passive-aggressive to Leo. Oh. You brought your friend. How nice! Dev is completely oblivious to how rotten she is and hugs her and is like isn't she just the cutest little kitty? All while she grins smugly at Leo as if she's winning some sort of contest that he has no interest in playing.
  • They get their own booth and Mittens starts bringing drinks. After they knock their first-round back, Dev is eager to get into the fun talk. So this is finally the day, huh? The day where you finally come to me and ask for advice with girls. Leo looks over Dev's shoulder to see that Mittens is hissing other waitresses who were trying to get close to their table, her tail sticking straight out and bristling. She actually scratches one of her coworkers. Dev is completely unaware that this is happening. Leo says that was my intention but I'm beginning to seriously doubt my choice in confidant.
  • Dev assures him that no one is better equipped to handle Leo's troubles then he is. Leo sighs and even though that's probably not the case he decides to trust his friend. Leo opens up and start off by saying he's been a huge idiot with girls. Dev without any iron he says he can't relate to that. Leo doesn't even bother getting into that right now.
  • Leo explains that he has some girls he talks to on the orbnet a lot. Dev is like are they streamers? Yeah, but- Dev chastises him saying he shouldn't get close to girls like that as they just use you for money and it's no wonder he's having troubles. Leo manages to convince him it's not like that, which leads Dev to asking if they're hot and that he should give him their usernames. Leo is like dude- then Dev walks back, apologizes and says he forgot himself. Bro code and all that
  • Leo then explains that that the girls in question seem to be kind of serious about him and for the longest time I thought it was all just fake, and on top of that there's this girl in real life-
  • Dev interrupts with a smile. Is she the reason why you came in with such a good mood? Yeah, but nothing happened like that. We just hung out today. Dev says this is boring. Leo says I'm sorry I'm not like you and can't just shove my dick in anything without a care in the world, Dev counters that's his problem. Leo admits that maybe he does think too much.
  • Dev points out that Leo is so used to running around the city that his head is starting to run in circles, too. Just go with the flow and see what happens each of these girls and if you get the chance to make a move do it. Leo stares at his drink. He's already done that with Liri but it's going very slow. Leo is like you know I have issues, right?
  • Dev frowns. I probably would too if I went through half the junk you did. Leo says he doesn't even know the half of it but Dev shows his support of sighed and says he's ready to listen anytime you want to give me your life story. Leo is comforted by this. He's grateful for his friend. For all his faults, Dev is a really good guy.
  • If I went into it now, I'm pretty sure it would ruin my night, Leo says. Dev says isn't that what drinking with your bro is for? Spilling personal secrets and tragic backstories? Leo deflects, asks what Dev's tragic backstory is. Dev explains that when he was young he didn't understand what sex was and when he had his first woman and realized what he was missing out on he made a solemn vow to never again go a day without sex.
  • Leo is like I've known you for nearly 2 years I'm still not sure if you have any personality traits or hobbies besides being a sleazeball. Dev takes offense to that and insists he has hobbies outside of sex. Name one. Dev actually get embarrassed and looked away before admitting he enjoys baking in his spare time. Thinking this is a joke, Leo cracks up. Then he realizes Dev is serious and grumpy with him so he apologizes.
  • Leo says that Dev is going to have to bake him a cake when he finally makes it to silver rank. All at once, the atmosphere changes and Dev becomes grim. He looks away and takes a stiff drink, already starting to sweat. He doesn't know why, but Leo starts to feel anxious. Dev? Is there something you want to share?
  • No, I'm just fine, buddy. He tries to weasel out of it but he has a terrible poker face and Leo keeps prodding. Dev said he doesn't want to ruin Leo's night but that's kind of already a moot point because now he knows there's something he should be worried about. He tells Dev to just get it out the way and tell him and he really doesn't want to but relents.
  • Dev stresses to Leo that you know I always have your back and I've been pushing your name around in the back rooms to higher-ups whenever I can, right? Yes? Leo already knows where this is going but he is holding out hope that it's not as bad as he thinks. Unfortunately, Dev continues on and explains that he might have gotten a little too pushy because he annoyed one of his managers and they snapped at him and told him that the Association doesn't really promote people who only to fetch and deliver requests, regardless of their track record.
  • So you're saying I'm always going to be at bronze rank? No, that's what my manager is saying and not in those exact words. I'm sure they'll make an exception if you keep on keeping on and kicking ass and making the Guild a ton of money! That's all they really care about at the end of the day. I've been doing that for two years, Dev. Leo is starting to get annoyed but not at his friend. He's just sort of taking it out on him.
  • Leo slumps over the counter and slams the rest of his drink. Dev reads the mood and tries to comfort him. He tells Leo that it's not a big deal because it's not like Leo needs silver ranked quests to make more money. Points out that between the two of them, Leo makes way more gold than a lot of the go and kill monsters and dungeon dive type of adventure. You're able to accept work on mass, get it done in the same day, most of your work is confined to the city and you never have to go far, why does it matter when you've got things made?
  • Leo cracks and raises his voice. Because I want respect, damn it. Status. For people to envy me when they look at me and think wow, that guy is something else! He's not just another-
  • Leo pauses and considers his words and how he was letting on more than he should have. Dev is looking very sympathetic and Leo apologizes for freaking out. Dev gets it. I'd probably feel the same I were in your shoes.
  • Leo makes double sure that Dev is really sure on this. Solemnly Dev confirms that yeah it sounded pretty concrete. There is no value in promoting you. Leo reclines in his seat and stares at the ceiling.
  • Guess I'll just stay in my lane forever, then. Dev is sorry for bringing this up and reminds him he tried not to tell him. Leo is thankful he told the truth. Better to find out now them to keep chasing that goal like an idiot.
  • Dev asks if he means he's going to just pack it up and quit. No not that drastic- he's not gonna turn down easy money. Just needs to think about the path ahead for a while. Leo gets up from their seat and says he needs to go and take a piss. Dev looks worried but is like alright dude.
  • True enough, when Leo makes it to the bathroom he stares at the mirror for a moment before sharing it with his fist, making it bleed.

Angst + Vana

  • Leo is in a dark place right now and the world seems to melt away around him. He's staring at the broken mirror, seeing a hundred reflections of himself through all the different ways it's cracked.
  • Which one are you?
  • He wonders that as he looks at all different versions of himself. Just another Lowlion. None of these bastards will ever amount to anything. It's not like he was one of the good ones.
  • The Lundreame bloodline was blessed with many gifts. There was a reason they stayed in power ever since the founding of the kingdom of Karnalle roughly 3 millennia ago. The Lundreames were known for being supernaturally strong and beautiful. Astonishing warriors, heroes that the bards still sing songs of to this day. Some of them were powerful mages, others could wield any weapon like they were somehow born with the knowledge. No matter what walk of life, there was a Lundreame or a Lowlion who excelled in it and stood at the top.
  • Leo didn't have any of these gifts.
  • He could run a little faster than everyone else and wasn't too bad with learning movement arts, but that was all he was good for. That fact was painfully drilled into his psyche over and over again throughout his youth living inside the cold, unfeeling stonewalls of Ralvask's Keep.
  • The Bastard Fort.
  • Such was the lust of the lion that they filled an entire separate castle with their illegitimate children. It was built by Ralvask Solarsis Lundreame, the first Lowlion who was legitimized and became the King of Karnalle through whatever reason. While his intentions were good, Leo had nothing but misery when thinking of his childhood.
  • The place was packed. At times in Karnalle's history the keep could be mostly empty or filled to the brim, depending on the moral character of each generation's royal family. Under the rule of Theostus Lundreame, Ralvask's Keep was less like a dedicated nursery meant to develop the young illegitimate lions into something useful and more like an overstuffed prisoner camp.
  • You couldn't go more than two steps without seeing some kid who looked just like you. Emerald eyes. Sunshine hair. It was like living in a castle made of mirrors, only Leo felt like a reflection looking at the world from behind the glass.
  • The other children might've looked like him, but they were not the same.
  • This one's a prodigy at poetry. That one shows amazing skill with the spear. Her? Why, we haven't seen someone master the clerical arts at such a fast pace in generations!
  • And what about you? Which one are you?
  • I'm Leo Lowlion.
  • Which one?
  • Did it matter? There were a few dozen Leo Lowlion's. It was the name given to anyone with an unknown mother, like himself. He was just dropped the foot of the keep as an infant allegedly and was slapped with a name signifying how unimportant he was in the grand scheme of things.
  • Maybe that wouldn't have been so bad if he was blessed with the talents of his many half siblings, but such was his luck. He went through the training that all Lowlion's did. They tried to teach them how to fight. Or how to learn magic, and so on and so on. He ranged from average to below average on just about everything they tried. He was no warrior, no mage, he had no talent or passion in the arts.
  • As a result, minimal attention was paid to him. None of the tutors wasted time on him when they could be training the good ones, and the maids were stretched thin dealing with the needs of so many children that none of them could see how lonely this child was. Even his siblings didn't pay much mind his existence. He wasn't bullied, but he didn't make friends any of them, either. He simply existed on the periphery of everyone around him.
  • Overlooked. Forgotten. *Unseen*.
  • For what it was worth, the king did seem to care about the bastards he was aware of. He would visit several times a month, bringing toys, play with them and if time permit, spend one-on-one time with some of his children.
  • Leo had only ever spoken to him once, when he was seven years old. The realm was rejoicing the birth of the king's first trueborn child, the Crown Princess Samantha Lundreame. Famed as a king who ruled with little consideration for how much was in the treasury, Theostus proclaimed that every child in the bastard keep would be gifted a brief audience with him and a small gift of their choosing to show that he still loved them.
  • The move was controversial among the nobility, but it was another one of the many stunts that made the common folk love him. Children took their turns one after another, approaching the throne and sitting on their gigantic father's lap. Some asked for toys, others, weapons, rare books, everything you can think of, and pretty much every request was accepted or scaled down and then accepted.
  • When it came to be Leo's turn, he simply sat on the King's lap and stared head-on at the behemoth that was his father. It was different than seeing him in the distance as he had something times. Forget any of his talented brothers and sisters, how could someone ever live with themselves knowing everyone he'd ever meet would compare him to this God walking among men?
  • Hailed as the greatest warrior of the current era, victor of the Young Lion Rebellion, one of the few orichalcum-ranked adventurers in the Association's history deemed so powerful he could venture off into distant realm space and seek out new realms and live to tell the tale.
  • Leo wasn't this man's reflection. He wasn't a shadow of his father. He was an insect who for the first time stared up at the boots of a human, and now had to live with the fact that he existed in a world where such awe-inspiring titans existed and could never again return to the innocence of his prior ignorance. He would never hold a candle to this man. No one could. He shined brighter than the sun, and the first words his father spoke to Leo stayed with him for the rest of his life.
  • Well met, my son. Which one are you?
  • It was an innocent question. No malice behind it, he even smiled when he said it. All it did was hammer in that Leo wasn't a person so much as that he was just another Leo Lowlion who would never stand out, make a difference, or become something great. The best he would ever get from his father was friendly indifference, which was a crushing realization for such a young child.
  • Leo asked for a pair of new boots and that was that. He got off his father's lap and another Leo Lowlion took his place, ironically enough, and then another after that one.
  • The boots didn't even fit.
  • Leo left the keep when he was fourteen, the youngest you can leave, partially because he couldn't stand to live there any longer, but putting several hundred half siblings together from a bloodline known for their enormous libidos was always a very questionable decision as soon as they started hitting puberty. He got out of there before things got weird.
  • There are systems in place to help Royal bastards stand on their own two feet. Because Leo was a decent runner, he was hooked up with a job as a delivery boy for a restaurant in Barion Heights. It was a good job, when he didn't have to deal with all the nobles who looked down on him or found amusement in making one of the kings bastard's bring them their food like a servant.
  • All that mattered was that Leo was free and he could run wherever he wanted, even if everywhere he went he ran into someone who looked like him on just about every street.
  • Leo proved his worth during his four years on the job, ironically enough unlocking some potential through all his rerunning that the owner, a retired adventurer, noticed early on. The two were reasonably close and he gave Leo some hands-on tips and a little bit of tutoring that was never given at the keep, and Leo learned the basics of his movement arts from him. He would refine them and exceed the owner the more he ran, and when he turned eighteen the owner convinced Leo into becoming an adventurer despite his lack of combat skills.
  • It was his idea to focus on fetch quests and deliveries, and he gave Leo his winged boots as a gift for good luck. That was two years ago, and everything had been a fast-paced blur since then.
  • His first delivery. Meeting Dev. Grinding quests accumulating wealth. Buying a smart-orb and developing a porn addiction. Getting close to CC, Hazy, and Dire. Meeting Liri.
  • Dev was right. He didn't need that promotion, and Leo didn't really want it for anything other than the satisfaction of knowing his efforts were noticed by those above him.
  • By all accounts, he should be happy. Leo had done the impossible. He made it through a neglectful childhood, made a minor name for himself as a fetch quests expert/delivery boy, wanted for nothing, and if he kept working on himself with Liri he'd have no shortage of female attention.
  • Yet none of it was good enough for him. Despite feeling like he had nothing to offer, he craved recognition and love. Leo's heart was empty and he would never be satisfied until he had both of those things in spades.
  • Looking back into the mirror, he sees all of the Leo Lowlion's looking back at him with a fierce expression of discontent and yearning for more.
  • This lion had to roar and he wanted everyone to hear it.

More Vana

  • eventually, that lion got his shit together and stopped brooding in the bathroom. Before heading back to his table he flagged down one of the manager girls and explained he tripped and fell, shattering the mirror and giving her the gold to fix it as well as a little extra as apology.
  • When he got back to his table though, Leo blushes and is in disbelief at what he's seeing. Dev is sitting there with the glassy look on his face, his hands under the table as he tries to keep composure. The only thing Leo sees from this angle is Mitten's tail poking out from under the table. To keep his sanity, Leo decides to believe that the wet noises he's hearing are people eating juicy wings.
  • You fucking joking? I tried to stop her, but-
  • mittens hisses from under the table that Kitty needs cream.
  • Leo is like oh my fucking gods. Dev says he thinks he's going to be busy for a while and that Leo should check out the bar for a bit. I'll check out the bar, but I'm leaving right after that. He leaves gold on the table for his half and goes to pick up a drink he can have on the walk home.
  • He's annoyed, but bro time wasn't really doing anything for him tonight so he was oddly thankful for Mittens giving him the chance to bail. Part of him is annoyed at how easy girls are for Dev, though. He orders a drink for himself and leaned against the counter, sighing.
  • He then realizes Vana is sitting on a stool next to him after she talks to him, making some joke about the situation. Leo is used to seeing her pop up in weird places, but this one is especially odd. What the fuck are you doing here?
  • Before she answers, a nearby bar patron pours an entire tankard of ale over one of the waitresses breasts before proceeding to motorboat them to a cheering crowd.
  • Vana very dryly jokes that this is one of her favorite establishments. The loudness of the bar seems to be challenging her headaches.
  • Leo laughs it off but his eyes keep going back to the lewd, public display. First his friend getting a public blowjob and now this. In a weird way, it excited him. These people were being seen and they didn't care. Something about that speaks to him, and Vana snaps him out of it.
  • She asks if he's doing okay. Weird night. Bad news. Want to talk about it? He's polite but it's kind of personal- Vana cuts him off and guesses they are close enough for him to want to share his secrets with 'I, a humble work friend'- phrasing will be used later so put weird emphasis on it.
  • Leo tries to respectfully say yes something like that, and she shrugs saying I'm sure I'll hear all about your problems eventually. Know that for a fact, do you? Few things are certain, Leo, but I'm fairly confident, yes. Perhaps you should consult with someone better suited than I?
  • Leo pauses and remembers that he's supposed to watch Dire stream tonight, and knows that it will probably have a private session. His intimacy with Liri is making him inspired. He doesn't usually trust anyone on the orbnet with details of his life, but Dire could probably help him if he did. It wouldn't hurt to hear what she has to say.
  • That's not a bad idea, thanks Vana. She asks if he's taking off and if so whether or not he could drop her off at her inn. Don't tell me you're gonna make me pull you around in a chariot again. No. I can piggyback you if you'd prefer.
  • Then, Leo surprises her by picking an outcome she didn't foresee at all. He gulps down his drink and says fuck it, hop on. We see a slight flustered side of hers that crops up when something she doesn't expect to happen happens. She doesn't go full on blushing and stumbling but she loses a little bit of composure.
  • He teases her a little over it, but she eventually does hop on and some of the waitresses point and giggle, but in a positive way. The attention makes Leo smile. Carrying a cute girl on his back should've made him embarrassed, but... He liked being seen in such a way.
  • For her part, Vana was mostly quiet on the way back but he clutched onto him very tight despite how small and frail he seemingly was. It's impossible not to notice that under her big, baggy sweatshirt her breasts seemed larger than he would've guessed. Not huge, but respectable. First Liri, then Sylvietta, now Vana. It felt surreal how he'd gotten to feel three chest squished up against him in the span of two days, but Leo wasn't complaining.
  • He dropped her off at her room again, and she thanks him for the ride. Rather than inviting him in as a joke again, she tells him to shoo. She has to prepare for a date. Again, Leo is somewhat irrationally annoyed to hear that which he finds very weird as has been established he didn't really think of Vana that way until recently. Yeah, good luck on that.
  • She asks if he's jealous of her body pillow. I had plans to hug him for however long it took until my headache subsided tonight, but if you're willing to take his place-
  • Leo laughs her off but for longer than he usually would have, he actually thinks about it. Things were very casual between him and Vana. He didn't feel anxious around her the same way he did with Liri, and... no, that's silly. He brushes the thought away before he can develop it further. He's still slightly buzzed. Vana is cute and maybe a little more fun than he ever realized, but she was still just a stranger he occasionally bumped into at very convenient times. She's just teasing him, surely. But what if she wasn't?
  • In case you're wondering, I'm being genuine. Make of that information as you will. Feeling called out he stutters what? Vana points out this isn't the big deal he's making it out to be. The crossroads he's at right now are binary. You can head home, or stay here for a night of tasteful cuddles.
  • He's really embarrassed now. She's messing with him the same way that Dire does. Still feeling somewhat emboldened, he uncomfortably jokes tasteful?
  • In most outcomes, yes.
  • ...Most?
  • Would you care to learn what happens in the outcomes which cease to be tasteful?
  • Leo is a mess of confusion right now. Worse, Vana is actually arousing him and he is still not in a place where he can actually act on that. He knows that she's being genuine, but opening up and laying on Liri's lap today was about as far as he could push it.
  • Vana then takes her hood off and smiles at him softly. She apologizes for trying to skip ahead, then says and she'll make this choice for him as she goes into her bedroom and closes the door. Good night, Leo. See you soon.
  • Leo is starting to think that Vana is more dangerous than he ever gave her credit for. Worse, he was starting to realize that he liked dangerous. Rather than give her a chance to come out and make fun of him again he got on his way, looking forward to whatever Dire had in mind for tonight's activities.

Dire Stream

  • Leo's speed gets him home incredibly fast and he's already geared up and on ponder, messaging Dire that he's home now. After Vana's teasing and Liri's soothing affection has left him in want of attention, which wasn't a surprise. He was always in need of love, and his connection with Dire was always a satisfying way to temporarily tame that need. The thought of what was going to happen almost got him out of his bad mood, but Dev's revelation was still hanging in the back of his mind.
  • She responds almost instantly saying what a coincidence, I just got home too. Give me a minute to make myself presentable. Leo flirts by saying he doubts that she needs to do anything to make herself pretty. You'd be surprised. I don't exactly turn many people's heads in real life. Leo says I don't believe you. She teases back, I'm sure you'll find out for yourself one of these days. You'll be in for quite a surprise. Now stop flirting with me and let me look pretty for you. Just for me? Yes, I don't want to bother with a public stream. And don't think about doing anything stupid like paying me I won't have you misinterpreting my intentions toward you any longer, King.
  • Leo feels his usual anxiety at all this flirting, but it's different than usual. It's not consuming his thoughts and he's actually able to enjoy the flow of it. His thoughts drift to CC for a moment and he gets sad but in a way he's thankful for what happened because losing her made him confront Liri, Hazy, and Dire, learning more about each of their intentions toward him.
  • The looming specter over all of this was that he was potentially close to starting a relationship with Liri, and he'd have to ensure that her harem fetish was as real as she said it was, but telling her about Hazy and Dire was something he'd have to deal with sooner than later.
  • He shakes these thoughts from his head and instead focuses on what's about to happen with Dire. We get some more of his background with her now. Unlike with CC and Hazy, who Leo found by browsing the new user section, Dire randomly sent him a DM inviting him personally to her first stream. It included a nude photo, which was all it took to convince him it was worth checking out. He was shallow like that.
  • The difference between Dire and the others was that she found high success straight out of the gate. She wasn't as pure as the other two, frequently making use of sex toys and doing really naughty things with a personality that was dangerous and sultry. Furthermore, she appealed to a masochist crowd because unlike CC and Hazy she was cold and aloof during her streams. She barely even acknowledged chat. Didn't do quests. Nothing like that at all. No. You were her audience, and nothing else, and if she took notice of you in chat it was almost solely to make fun of you. That drove people crazy and had a master over a thousand followers
  • Leo didn't consider himself an especially submissive person, but he was intoxicated by her all the same. He'd never met another woman one could so imminently become drunk on, but she commanded that sort of attention. That's why he found it so hard to believe that she didn't turn heads in real life. Maybe she was right and that he would find out one day. He was starting to hope that was the case...
  • Before he can get too carried away, Dire starts a call without warning him. He hurriedly accepts and finds her lounging in bed looking like a sex goddess. Describe her off of her main image, but she looks like one of those classical ladies reclining horizontally. A notable background detail in her bedroom that should be noted but not drawn attention to is the aforementioned body pillow. Aside from that she has a tapestry behind her on the wall that looks eerie. Very occult. There are several sex toys on the bed. Dildos, magic vibrators, nipple clamps, a paddle, buttplugs, all of it was strewn around expertly to come off as arousing.
  • She greets him casually. Hey, King. Miss me? Vana's voice should be described as soft, flat and emotionless, whereas Dire sounds deep, silky, and smooth. There really is no way he would be able to pick them out using sound alone.
  • Don't I always? I don't know, do you? Just because I'm a fortuneteller doesn't mean I know everything. Leo asks if she sure. Explains that a friend of his has been making him question her school of magic quite a lot lately. Divination hurt his head just thinking about. Dire is mock disappointed to hear he's been cheating on her with another fortuneteller.
  • He gets the cold shoulder when explaining that this other fortuneteller is just a friend, but doesn't know why. She reveals she still upset over his question yesterday. How could you possibly doubt my feelings, you idiot?
  • Because I am an idiot, just a much bigger one than I thought I was. She cut back, further insulted him. You know for a fact I don't do this with anyone else. I don't care about anyone else who watches me, your eyes are the only ones that matter. This gives Leo to blush, but unlike with CC or Hazy, he really doesn't understand why Dire feels so strongly for him. They were good friends, sure, and they constantly flirted, had lewd streams, and she supported him with her divination, but he had never really 'done' anything for her.
  • Leo was starting to question this method of thinking, though. His toxic sense of self-worth is so focused on relationships being transactional and mutually beneficial that he doesn't understand that someone could just like him for being him. Rather than risk upsetting Dire any further by asking so, he decides he'll try and make himself believe that this is the case.
  • Dire notices he is being quiet and asks why she hasn't been complemented yet. I went through all this effort to look nice for you. He gets a little more into it and flirts back, which makes her immediately start to fondle herself. She's very aggressive when it comes to her pleasure. She's always moving, her hands snaking around her body as if stopping for even a moment was unthinkable.
  • They have a quick chat about their day, like any long-distance couple would. Leo is vague about what happened with Liri but he says he started the day off with a friend. Dire was feeling under the weather so she spent most of the day inside before meeting a friend at a bar. Again, what a coincidence as Leo tells her about that part of his day and he lets slip that he's really upset about something.
  • Dire doesn't leave things be and she can be very pushy and insistent. It's hard not to listen to her when she digs, and he's had to be very careful in the past about revealing too much. Not that there was any point in doing so from a seer, but whatever her divination's told her about his private life she kept to herself.
  • She pushes Leo into telling her about whatever is bothering him. He kind of lets it go and says it's job related. Not getting that big promotion you were after? Why do you constantly ask things that you already know the answer to. Because I could be wrong, Dire shrugs.
  • Leo confirms that's the case. He doesn't mention that he's an adventurer, he says he found out there's not really any advancement for him in what he does. She points out how he seemingly has infinite pockets to spend on streamer witches, but he counters is not about money. If it's not about money then what is it about?
  • Leo gets quiet for a moment but Dire reaches out for her smart-orb, pulls her close to her face and smiles at Leo. I think I know what it is. You're finally starting to realize that you deserve more out of life, aren't you, King? He doesn't know about deserve, but he wants more, yeah.
  • She proposes that this is a judgment free zone and prompts him to answer the following question. What do you want out of life?
  • He wants what everyone wants, he guesses. She tells him that she won't stand for vagueness. Not now. He threatens to drop this call if he's not honest. He says you know I'm not good at expressing myself. Dire collapse back you are when asking me to do sexual things for you.
  • Leo blushes and says that's different. Only because you let it be different. He built a mental barrier between that passionate side of him and the way he acts otherwise and if he could only break it down and harness the power within Dire is certain he'd have everything he wants and more. So tell me what it is that you want.
  • Leo struggles to open up to her. He thinks about what he wants out of life and to his surprise his mind travels in very strange directions. He starts to try and express himself doesn't get there first, saying it's really stupid and it doesn't make him sound very good.
  • She already said this was a judgment free zone. Whatever he says is unlikely to surprise her.
  • Leo closes his eyes summons up the courage to tell her. He wants status. Respect. Adoration. To be drowning in money and to have a beautiful girl in each arm and every hour of the day. As he says this, he starts to get more passionate. He's never vocalized any of this and its streaming out of him. I want people to look at me and think damn I wish I was him! I want to be someone who women throw their bodies at, and-
  • Dire cuts him off. Whoa there. You're getting a little carried away, hotshot. Leo realizes what he said and becomes embarrassed. Is that really the kind of person he is deep down? The kind of man he was describing he wanted to be was very familiar...
  • He starts to apologize, but she says to can it. He's kept that bottled up for his whole life, hasn't he? Leo admits it. Dire's smart-orb begins to levitate in the air as she lays down on her bed, looking up at him in a way that made him feel like he was on top of her. You want to know what I think of your ambitions, my King?
  • He scared of hearing her opinion but he wants it all the same.
  • Dire is actually impressed with him. His aspirations may not be particularly noble, but who gives a shit? If your dream really is to go out there, make money, conquer beautiful women, and become revered for it than throw caution to the wind and commit.
  • ... Commit to you? He asks.
  • Commit to yourself. Stop trying to be someone you're not and get your shit together.
  • Leo says he's been working on his issues lately, that's why he wanted to understand how Dire actually felt about him. He was doing good these last two days until the news about his job came and now he just feels lost.
  • Well, if he's feeling directionless than all he had to do was say so. Dire sits up and waves her hand, only for a tarot deck to materialize in her palm. It should be noted that the card backs are different from Vana's. The cards start flying around in the air dramatically. What do you say, feel like having a quick reading before we get into our fun for the night?
  • Leo thinks about it and then asks if it's not too much trouble for her. Why would it be trouble? His friend has severe headaches from her precognitive powers and she made a comment about how all the best seers have headaches. He's never really asked if she has any condition because of her powers.
  • Dire says it's kind of him to be worried for her, but she has no such affliction. That girl, though... He should try and look out for her if he can help it. She then jumps several pages ahead and teases that sexual stimulation is a highly effective cure for precognitive headaches.
  • Leo freaks out and is like I can't do that with her. The mood turns somewhat accusatory. He can't see her face from behind the blindfold, but he gets the feeling that she's disappointed. And why not? Aren't you the one who just less than nobly declared his intention to become the king of womanizers? Is that girl not to your liking, my dirty King?
  • It's not about whether she's cute or not- but is she cute? Dire is very insistent on getting the answer out of him. Leo awkwardly admits that yes, he didn't think much of her until recently but he's been starting to notice that she's a lot cuter than he thought... Maybe if he knew her a little better he might change his mind, but, I don't know...
  • Dire locks up for a moment. Leo feels like he's being scrutinized, but then she breaks the pressure by giving him a catlike smile. Is that so? Well, there's always the future...
  • Something in the way she says that gives Leo chills but in a good way. It seems like he picked a good answer.
  • Dire gets back on track and teases him about how she'll help him find his way. She puts on a little dramatic show. The already dim lighting starts to flicker. Mist pours in to her bedroom inexplicably, and her smart-orb begins to glow purple and project stars and constellations that rotate around her room. She's really putting in the work to ham it up this time, and it works. She's very mysterious. Almost threatening. Her voice lingers in the air, seeming to echo magically and she runs her fingers along the card in the air, flipping it over to reveal the lovers arcana before shuffling them all together in mid air. Shall we begin? She asks, her eyes glowing so brightly that they pierce through the blindfold.

Tarot and motivation

  • Dire occasionally gave her fans fortune-tellings if she was in the mood. She didn't do sexual requests, but every so often when she needed extra money she would perform readings and help her fans with personal problems while maintaining her trademark indifference and cold shoulder. That being said, Leo had never seen her go so all out.
  • She asks him if he remembers how this works, yes? I need a question to frame my reading around. The more straightforward, the better.
  • Leo thinks for a moment before coming up with "Where do I go from here?" My job is disappointing me, I lost a friend recently because I was too stupid to recognize she was into me, and even though I'm trying to better myself I still feel so far away from meaningful progress.
  • You sure you don't want me to change this reading to how can I have sex with as many beautiful women as possible? She teases. Leo laughs and says no, he's good. Are you sure? I think the road that leads to that path is a much shorter one than you might expect.
  • For a moment, Leo is tempted. He tries to separate who he is from his doubts, wondering if he was really that close to getting everything he wanted and then some. Eventually, he shook his head. He wanted to keep it simple. Just tell me what the fuck I should be doing with my life.
  • Dire teases that she likes a man who knows when to trust a woman to tell him what to do. Her cards start flying around in the air again and she says let's see how many I'll need to draw to answer your question. The cards start glowing and one by one they fade away until only five remain suspended in midair. Five, then. Now where to start...
  • She teasingly runs her finger along each of the cards, drawing it out and putting him in great suspense. Play up how captivating she is again. She settles on one and flips it over, looking at it for herself and smiling. Of course. How fitting.
  • She reveals to him the fool, which Leo rolls his eyes at. How many times have you pulled that joke? I added it to my repertoire during my years giving back alley readings in Hollobell and it gets me a laugh or two occasionally. Now shut up and let me explain the significance.
  • The mist in her room swirls around and envelops the card, projecting an image of a young man standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to start on a new adventure, carrying nothing but a small knapsack over his shoulder, a white rose in his left hand, and it a small dog at his feet encouraging him to charge forward. Off in the distance are untold mountains that the fool has to scale.
  • You find yourself unsatisfied with life. You aren't getting anywhere. You can't connect with others no matter how hard you try. What you need is a new beginning. To realize what you have isn't working and to shift your focus towards the future.
  • What kind of new beginning? Leo asks. Am I supposed to just pack up everything and-
  • Gee, it's almost like there's four other cards I haven't read yet, dummy. Let me work.
  • Leo apologizes but she's amused and smiles at him. That's better.
  • She takes the next card and the current illusion presented in the mist shifts. It zooms into one of the far off mountains as she reveals the hermit. A solitary man in robes stands at the top the mountain. He is alone. He's been that way for a long time. That loneliness is finally beginning to bear fruits and the hermit is beginning to realize his loneliness is a self-imposed barrier that he can overcome. The lantern in his right hand illuminates only the next few steps of his journey. To make any real progress, he must summon the conviction to walk forward despite fear of the unknown.
  • Leo wondered how many times she'd recited that exact thing over the years, but even if it was a generalized statement, it still wrung true to him.
  • Dire build up his anticipation and says that she has a feeling the next one is going to be interesting. This captures his interest and he's really hooked into the presentation by now. Let's see what you've got for me.
  • She reveals for him the lovers as the mist shifts to reflect the card. A naked man and woman face each other as one of the Goddess above's Angels looked down on them from above. Behind them, a phallic looking volcano erupts behind them. The man is rather indistinct aside from a kingly crown on his head, but the woman is very obviously Dire.
  • Leo blushes and asks if she's trying to imply something here. And ruin the sanctity of my reading? Nonsense. She explains the lovers. A man and a woman stand beneath an angel of healing, who blesses their union and frees them of their physical and emotional wounds. This speaks to Leo and he gets nervous. He asks for further clarification. Her interpretation is that if Leo were to take a lover- a true one- his journey would lead him to...
  • To what? That's what the next card is for, silly.
  • She reveals the star. The illusion changes, showing a naked woman kneeling at the edge of a small pool with a container of water in each of her hands. She's pouring these onto the earth. Above her is a massive shining star followed by seven smaller stars orbiting around it.
  • Oh, my.
  • What? This card is really abstract and Leo doesn't know how he would interpret it, but his interest is enraptured. She explains that now there's no doubt about it. By taking a lover, he will find his purpose and be renewed like the earth she's watering. Leo is fully into it now, but the idea of intimacy still scares him and he desperately asked for what the last card is.
  • She teases him a little, are you sure you really want to know? It might not be what you're expecting...
  • He has to know, so she tells him to settle down and that she'll never leave him wanting for too long. She reveals the last card, the sun, and the scene changes. A huge sun shines light down on a field of sunflowers where a young, naked child is writing a calm, white horse. Leo looks away embarrassed and says what the fuck does a naked child have to do with the sun.
  • It's symbolic. His nakedness represents that he has nothing to hide and holds onto the innocence and purity of childhood while the sun above him radiate optimism and positivity. With the blessing of the Goddess above, you will find success at the end of your journey.
  • Leo admits that this one is a little bit above his head, but Dire sums it all up for him. He needs to fuck. Pussy is apparently going to cure him of his issues. Leo thinks about this in silence for a moment before laughing. He thinks that's a little reductive, but Dire is surprisingly serious about how the power of intimacy and love can cure any wound of the heart as long as you're willing to let it.
  • So I need to hook up with someone, have sex with them, and I'll find a new path in life which will lead me to success? That about sums it up. But... Wait... I'm getting something else. Dire's eyes flashed beneath her blindfold again. The person you have to hook up with... It's someone you already know. How strange. I'm not seeing it very clearly, but it seems to be someone you know from work...?
  • Leo's immediate thought is Liri. He's been doing work for her for close to a year now, and she is really the only one who fits the bill. Especially with how close things are getting to her anyway. For a brief moment, he considers alternate possibilities. It couldn't be talking about Vana, could it? He asks if she can give him any further details. What they look like. Personality. Anything like that.
  • Dire shows a brief moment of hesitation. It would be very easy to lead him on, but she can't bring herself to do it. She briefly asked out of character, blushing and looking coy. I told you what I know. You'll have to figure out the rest for yourself. For your sake, I hope you choose correctly...
  • Leo takes everything he's learned now and hates himself for it but he doesn't feel like the reading is going to do him much good. Knowing what he supposed to do won't actually help him do it. Dire says let's put your issues to the side for a moment and let me ask a question in spite of them.
  • Aren't you getting tired of this? Of what? Of this. This facsimile of human interaction. You crave the real thing, don't you? Are you really going to let your bullshit drag you down forever and stop you from unleashing your desires upon the world?
  • Leo gets defensive and says no, he's been working at that, but Dire thinks that his efforts aren't enough and that he needs a bigger motivation. A taste of what's to come to put things in perspective. Next thing he knows, she seductively strip herself of her panties and spreads her legs for him, saying that it's time for a very special show.

Dire lewd

  • we start off with Leo appreciating Dire's body. Her dark skin and how it glistens in the lighting, her C cup breasts already tenting against her top. Obviously, her pussy, which she has started to rub for both of their enjoyments.
  • Leo is wondering what she has in store because while appreciative, it's not like he hasn't seen this before. He almost couldn't count the times he'd jacked off to Dire, both during stream and lying in bed thinking about her. If that didn't motivate him to be more proactive in real life, he didn't know what could.
  • Dire seemingly senses these doubts and teases him as she teases herself, saying she's just getting warmed up for him. The real fun will start later. She needs to make herself nice and wet for her King. Leo gets into it and says that's right you do.
  • She calls him out for only acting like this on the orbnet. She'd love to hear him say that to her face. I bet you would. Does this make you hard, my King? He's rubbing himself along with her and flatters her, saying she is beautiful and that he'd never get tired of her. Mmm. such a waste. That cock of yours could be put to such better use if only you'd stop jerking it for once in your life. It doesn't belong in your right hand. It belongs shoved it deep into one of these, she spread herself for him and her words have the intended effect.
  • He's starting to feel irritated at himself for not pushing forward and having sex yet. I want that so bad, he mumbles. Do you? You sure don't act like it. Something tells me you don't think you deserve the attention. Otherwise, I can't see why you'd be so hesitant.
  • Leo stumbles with his words, more or less letting her know that she is correct. My poor King is lacking self-confidence, is he? She's starting to finger herself deeper. He doesn't think he deserves my hot, wet cunt... even though it's so desperate for him...
  • Wouldn't it be nicer to just not think, not have to worry about who you are and whatever your baggage is and to just... fuck? Leo is imagining himself growing more courageous. He pictures himself asking out Liri, meeting Hazy, and Dire, and having all the sex he wants. He asks her if it's really so easy.
  • It's as easy as you want it to be she says between sultry moans. If you hate who you are and the thought of being you drags you down, become someone else. He's really hung up on her words now. That's what the fool means, after all. You're at a point in your life where you can take on a new identity and walk a new path. She's getting into her plane as she says all of this, as if the thought is arousing her. Leo notices this. She really wants him to follow her advice and become someone else.
  • Leo wonders about her words. Hazy claims that she's a completely different person off the orbnet and that her Hazy persona is her true self. Could he do something similar? Aroused and desperate for an answer, he asks Dire what kind of person should he become?
  • She teases, isn't it obvious? Become the king you always dreamed of being. He is shocked to hear this but she clarifies not literally, you idiot. I'm not telling you to start a rebellion against the monarchy. I'm telling you to chase everything you've ever wanted. Fame. Wealth. Respect. Love. Women. Live like a king, because why should you waste your time living anyway else?
  • Suddenly, the idea makes Leo very hard. He's picturing all of it in more vivid detail than ever before. Become a king...? He almost starts wondering if someone like him deserves a life like that, but he fights against it, trying to believe in Dire's words. It's not about self-worth. It's about what he wants.
  • She has a feeling about what kind of complicated thought his thinking and further teases him. You want that, don't you? A little palace to call your own. A bedroom that's just one giant bed filled with eager women. Beautiful maids in slutty little outfits serving your every whim. For everyone who ever looked down on you to be envious of your existence.
  • Leo starts to gasp and he's getting so unbelievably aroused that he is close to finishing off, but he's desperately panting, yes, I want it so bad, etc.
  • Dire suddenly stops playing with herself and tells him too bad. The only people who become kings are the ones who refuse to fall victim to their own shortcomings and waste their potential.
  • Leo starts bargaining, desperate now. Wait, don't stop. Tell me more. I'll do anything to live that life!
  • My, my. Are you so consumed by your egotistical lust that you've forgotten? I've already given you a step-by-step plan to become a king... it all hinges on you taking the first step and approaching the girl I saw in my vision, the one you know through work...
  • What are you going to do? Are you going to be a king? Or a coward?
  • Leo struggles internally but the determination inside him is at new highs and is able to defeat his problems for the time being. He says he's going to be a king. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder. You might not have very long, you know. The future I saw is subject to change at any moment and if you don't act now-
  • Tomorrow. Leo declares. I'm going to ask that girl out tomorrow.
  • Are you, now? She is playing up her skepticism. It's easy to say that right now when you're jerking yourself off and having your ego appealed to buy a beautiful woman. Who's to say you won't back out of it?
  • Leo is stubborn and says he's not going to let it happen. He's not stupid. He's obviously going to have doubts after he's cum, but he feels like there's a fire in him that wasn't there before. Even if his doubt crops up tomorrow and tries to snuff that flame, he's not going to let it.
  • Dire considers this before smiling and conceding that he's serious about this. She's proud of him. Again, that gets a big reaction out of him and he likes it. Dire still has more tricks up her sleeve, however. She teases that he needs a little more motivation. A preview of what you're missing out on so that you don't forget. Leo is confused, but she tells him that she bought a little add-on spell for her smart-orb that she was waiting to surprise him with. You should feel proud. I wasn't going to do this to you unless you showed me you earned it.
  • She takes one of the dildos on her bed, one that was roughly the same size as him. Leo recognizes it from all their streams. It's a magic one that shoots fake semen, and he always loves to see it.
  • Dire opens up a small menu of stream options and flicks through them with her right hand before finding what she's looking for and smiling. She presses it and the dildo glows magically for a moment and even more shockingly so does Leo's smart-orb. She tells him to place his right hand on his orb. He does and it feels all weird and magic for a moment before it's done.
  • All set? I think so. Good. It's time for you to learn what kind of life awaits you now that you have the courage to chase it.
  • Dire changes positions, turning around and pointing her ass at the camera. It's much bigger than one would expect from a girl of her size and Leo stares at it enthralled. It's drooling for him, and her asshole is twitching at the cold air. She places the sex toy at the precipice of her entrance and it floats there in place, not moving an inch. Leo is starting to have suspicions that he very, very much likes. He is shocked and asks if this is what he thinks it is.
  • She tells him to find out for himself. His heart is pounding. He reaches for his cock, then wraps his hand around the base. He slowly strokes upward and is met with absurd delight as he watches the magic dildo slowly penetrate Dire in time with his action and she moans seductively to reward him.
  • Leo is getting chills and given all the teasing so far he's already fighting the urge to cum. It should be stated that he can't feel the sensation of her vagina, it's purely a visual thing. In a slight trance, he starts to continually and slowly fuck her, just marveling and it.
  • I'm doing it. I'm fucking Dire. The fact that it isn't real means almost nothing to him, as it's the realest any of this orbnet stuff has ever gotten.
  • Dire teases him, asking him how he likes his first pussy. He so overwhelmed that he can barely talk. He gets out that it's amazing, but...
  • But it's not good enough, is it? My poor king wants the real thing. Again, he stutters, but she teases him that he is already on the edge, isn't he? Don't think I don't notice how slow you're going back there. Pathetic. He can't even feel it and he's going to cum.
  • He gets mad at her but she smiles over her shoulder at him and says what are you going to do about it? She's trying to get a rise out of him and it works very efficiently. Leo grabs himself harder and in that moment, there's no hesitation. He tells her he's going to show her what she gets for talking back to her king. Even though he's on the edge, he starts going full power.
  • Dire is totally into it, and secretly a little emotional that this is actually happening. As he fucks her harder, she asks him sexually leading questions meant to build his ego. Can you hear those naughty sounds? You're the one making them. My moans too. All because of you.
  • This is what it feels like to be a king. Well, almost... You're going to have to find out the rest for yourself. She asks if he's getting close and he obviously can't deny it, but it feels so amazing that he doesn't want it to stop.
  • She tells him that he's cute when he's desperate and her teasing makes him go even harder and he's on the edge now. He warns her, and she encourages him saying he doesn't need to hold back. Give in and show her how bad he wants to cum in her pussy.
  • It sets him off and he has undeniably the largest orgasm in his entire life thus far. It keeps going and going, the dildo pressed to tight to her furthest reaches as a special surprise activates. As previously established, this dildo is magic and makes fake semen. As he climaxes, so does it, and Leo watches as 'his' semen gushes out of her once she's been filled up to the brim. It's the hottest thing he's ever seen and it just makes him orgasm even longer until he is exhausted.
  • He moans her name, glassy eyed and dazed but she's not done teasing. Not just yet. She removes the toy and shows him the fake load in all its glory. Look at what you've done to me, my King. If this were real, I'd surely be pregnant...
  • His Lowlion blood translates to high stamina and a very low refractory period, so just after a little teasing he's already ready for more. He's desperate, begging Dire for another round. She purposefully licks up the toy, before teasing, mmm... I think not.
  • What?! But... why?
  • Because as cute as she finds it, all this begging is unbefitting of a king. A king doesn't beg. He takes what he wants. Besides, this was just a preview. You don't really want to do that again, do you? No. What you want is to feel my hot pussy for yourself. Flesh on flesh. A man and a woman celebrating each other the way they were meant to.
  • Leo's blood is still boiling, so he admits that she's right about that. He does want more than this. You know what you have to do, right? Yeah...
  • Internally, this experience has been so astounding that it's almost all he can think about. If fake sex like this was so good, what was the real thing like? He didn't want to sit behind an orbnet screen for the rest of his life, and he didn't want to lose out on any chances like he did with CC because of his indecision. Now, for better or for worse, he wanted to become a king.
  • Dire pretends to be tired all of a sudden and says she thinks she's going to leave it here for tonight. He has a lot to think on and she reminds him that tomorrow is his chance to strike. He's really thankful for Dire giving him the kick in the ass he needed and for her fortunetelling. She is dismissive, saying she doesn't want to be thanked with words.
  • She lets him go by teasing this wasn't enough for me, either. I'm waiting for my King to find me and show me what a good time is really like. The call suddenly ends and Leo is left there with a painful erection and more motivation to change himself than he ever had in his life. He pumps himself up in his mind. I'm going to do this. Tomorrow. I'm going to do this!

Asking out Liri

  • Leo's surge in confidence didn't fade the following morning. When he woke up, he was still smiling. He'd had to jack off multiple times after getting off of the call with Dire, and every single time he kept thinking about driving himself into her, making love to her, and taking action.
  • That said, it was diluted. No one changes so significantly overnight and just as he predicted, doubts were starting to form. Specifically about the whole becoming a king thing. Sure it was a joke that his screen name was LowbornKing, but... When he answered Dire about what he wanted in life, all of that just came out of nowhere. It was hard to grapple with the fact that he unconsciously wanted to live the same kind of life as his father, but if Leo wanted an identity of his own that he didn't hate, free from his doubts, then aiming to be a king of sorts wasn't sounding so bad.
  • He had an agenda today. The amount of butterflies in his stomach and the nonstop whispering in his ear that he didn't deserve what he wanted couldn't stop him from making good on his word. When he rolls out of bed, he spends even longer on his appearance than he usually does. He fusses over his hair, making sure every last spike is perfect, he goes through his outfits to try and find the most impressive one he can find, mixing and matching until he looks like the pinnacle of Imperalis fashion. He even breaks out a sampling of colognes that he bought after Dev mentioned how well they worked. He'd never had a chance to use them, but he was curious enough to try... It takes him some contemplation but he chooses one and his ensemble is complete.
  • He doesn't even bother checking his DM's today. He has a light breakfast at his inn and heads out the front door. Very unsubtly, he sees Vana sitting on a bench across the street as the literal first thing he sees upon exiting. Something's different, though. She's not wearing the same baggy hoods he's always seen her in. In fact, this is the first time he's ever seen her in anything remotely casual. She's wearing a pretty sun hat that keeps the light from her eyes and a pretty dress patterned like the evening stars. She also has on black silk gloves and she's apparently reading a book, but in actuality her head hurts too much to actually read it and she's just doing it for show.
  • She looks up at him with perfect timing and greets him. When she sees how handsome he looks, she actually blushes a little and he blushes back, approaching. Getting closer reveals that she is actually wearing makeup and he's very starstruck over what he sees. He greets her casually and she asks why he's all dressed up. He could ask her the same. She was checking her fate for today and slightly increased odds for a favorable outcome if she tried looking nice, that's all.
  • Favorable outcome for what? It doesn't concern you, she says with a blush.
  • Leo smiles either way and says it's pretty convenient that she's here, actually. Mind if I sit with you? Vana's excitement is starting to get most of her, but it's hard to tell since she so emotionless. If you must. You see, there was something I was hoping to ask you. Oh? What might that be? She is fidgeting, but we don't get a peek at her mind.
  • Leo blushes and says there's this girl I'm thinking of asking out, but I've never done anything like that before. Oh? Is that so? This girl... what is she like?
  • He gets a little nervous and says it's someone I know through work. She's always there for me and is always supportive, and I don't want to take her for granted any more.
  • This sounds serious. Vana scoots closer imperceptibly to him.
  • It kind of is, he admits. I don't like talking about it, but I have a bunch of junk to work through and it's kind of stopped me from ever being in a real relationship before. Vana can relate to that. Her headaches make her very lonely. Leo apologizes for that and the two stare at each other tenderly. What did you want to ask, Leo?
  • Let's say you are that girl- he says hypothetically, only to make Vana's heart stop. How would you want to be asked out?
  • Her reply is hesitant due to her increasing nervousness and she says well, I've never really thought about it before... But then gets into a paragraph long rambling session about how she would want her theoretical paramour to ask her out. I would want him to surprise me. Not an easy task given my abilities, but an important one. He would need to take the initiative. March up to me. Take me by the hands and look me in the eyes and tell me how he feels. Spell things out in no uncertain terms and, well, I wouldn't mind if he was a bit forceful with me and couldn't hold himself back. The more honest he was, the better. Maybe something like that?
  • Leo is staring at her, as if so close to figuring something out, but it evades him. She can't stand the way he stares and looks off to the side, her poor heart racing.
  • Finally, Leo thanks her. He was thinking of doing it like that already and this just makes him even more certain. She's glad she could be helpful. Another moment of silent tension. Is there anything else I can help you with, Leo? He thinks about it for a moment, before getting up off of the bench and saying she's helped more than enough.
  • Wait. Where are you going? She's nervous. Leo, however is pumped and can't pick up the obvious signs here. He says he can't keep this girl waiting any longer and he has to go and see her right now. Suddenly, Vana's mood sours about three thousand percent. She wishes him luck, but it sounds incredibly icy and scares Leo. He asks if something's wrong all of a sudden and she tells him no, just the usual. A sudden headache brought about by forces outside of her control. Rather than asking if he can help, something about the way she stared at him with those blank eyes told him she wanted to be alone now.
  • He takes off after apologizing and we get the first time he peek into her thoughts. No more than a few sentences. After he's gone, she's annoyed with herself. She's not upset at him, not really. There was only a 25% percent chance he would interpret things the way she hoped he would, after all. She was annoyed she couldn't summon up the courage to give him more concrete hints that would lead him to her, but she's not overly upset since all the signs pointed to that crystal girl being good for his development.
  • She wasn't out of the game. Not yet. Still, she sighs and says he really is the fool.
  • Meanwhile, Leo is outside the gatehouse to Grimme's Grotto. He's suddenly nervous but is fighting things back. When it's time to see his gatehouse friend, she notices how dressed up he is and how nervous he is and makes fun of him for it. Asks what the purpose of his visit today is. Asking the girl he likes out on a date. His honesty shocks her, and her cigarette falls from her mouth.
  • Seeing his determination, she says she can't let him through. This shocks him. Why? Because he's trying too hard. Look at yourself. You look like one of those creeps trying to recruit young women into brothels. Mess up your hair a little, untuck your shirt, and don't act so stiff and formal. This isn't like you, kid.
  • He's embarrassed that his friend cares enough to give advice, but he's also very thankful and he follows the advice. When she's satisfied, she tells them to get on out of here. But you didn't ask me any of the questions. You want me to change my mind, kid? He smiles and leaves.
  • Change of perspective to Liri. She is working in her shop this morning. Hobbes had dropped off Sylvietta's huge workload in the evening last night after Leo left and she'd spent most of her night planning out new stencils to apply chroma crystals according to Sylvietta's absurd list of demands. At least her so-called rival was kind enough not to give her a due date for any of this, but Liri was the type of girl that didn't like things looming over her head. She wanted to get things done with and do them well.
  • It helped that she loved her work, even if it didn't make enough to pay the bills and she had to get a little creative on the side. Liri didn't mind that, either, but she hadn't put in any time with her night job the last couple of days. Things were still too painful, but at the very least things seemed to be steadily improving for her in the near future.
  • She smiled as she thought about Leo. She wasn't sure what got into him, but she didn't want it to leave. It was funny how she went from having one of the worst nights of her life to one of the best days of her life in such a short amount of time. Sure, things were improving, but she suspected they still had a long way to go before he was ready to really open up to her and commit fully. That's okay. He still had a lot to learn about her before they could make things official, anyway...
  • Liri tried not to think about that. A lot of people might get the wrong idea about what she did in her free time, and the thought of rejection from him was a sad one that she didn't want to let ruin her morning. Instead, she thought about yesterday and smiled at how cute he was laying on her lap for hours and hours, even after her legs fell asleep and she didn't have the heart to tell him. She was happy that she could provide him comfort. Liri always loved making others smile, but Leo was different.
  • So different that she didn't mind if it took him even longer to adjust to their new normal and officially ask her out. She blushed at the thought before tempering her expectations. It's too soon. As exciting as the idea was, Liri knew that it was going to take time before Leo made his move. She sighs wistfully, hoping that he'd stop by today so that he could lay on her lap again or maybe even-
  • her front door opens, the bell rings, and Leo walks straight in. She blushes and greets him, startled by the timing. Once she gets a better look at him, she blushes even more. He always looked hot, out of her league, even, but today he looked amazing. It wasn't just his fashion, either. There was something in his eyes that wasn't there before.
  • Instead of greeting her back, she is surprised when he walked around the front counter to stand next to her. Liri puts down everything she was working on and turned to face him, asking what's the matter. This isn't like him. She assumes the worst, believing something is wrong, but all Leo does is take a deep breath and takes both of her hands in his before asking her if she wants to go on a date tomorrow.
  • Liri blinks. She is not a shy person, not at all, but no one had ever asked her on a date before. This became so out of left field that it left her stunned. She's like, um, Leo...? Where exactly is this coming from, haha...? Are you feeling alright?
  • The transition from laying on her lap the day before to brazenly asking her out on a date is so drastic that she's feeling whiplash. He explains that he's feeling just fine, she asked if he's serious about this, and he hasn't been more serious about anything in his life. That's so romantic that it takes her breath away. She questioned him on where the fuck this is coming from, while daring to take a step closer and lean into his chest. He doesn't shy away, but he does look slightly nervous about it.
  • He explains that something bad happen to him regarding work, he explains how he probably won't ever get a promotion, and it put a lot of things in perspective. She says that's terrible, but he continues on. Something needs to change in his life, and he wants to take a chance on a new beginning. With you. Emotional silence. So? What do you say?
  • Liri's head is spinning but her answer comes incredibly soon as she presses her body into his and hugs him so tight he feels his spine will snap. Of course I'll go on a date with you, dummy. What time? How close up the shop for the day so whenever is good with me.
  • Leo hadn't actually thought about any of the specifics yet so he came up with noon on the spot and said he'd pick her up then. Liri is overjoyed at this and then pushes him away, saying he should take off for now. She has a lot of work to get done before then and she doesn't need him distracting her.
  • Feeling a little playful, he asks if she's sure she doesn't need a distraction. She giggles and says that she doesn't think she can take much more excitement for one day. This is already a lot to process, you know. So go on, get!
  • Liri is already doing a mental checklist of everything she has to do. She needs to test new magic makeup styles. Go through her outfits. Visit a bathhouse, maybe splurge on a fancy one... All that, and more. With these thoughts still buzzing through her head, she pushes him out the front door and closes it behind him.
  • Now alone on the street, Leo is left vacantly standing with a nervous smile on his face. It went better than he could've possibly expected. Liri was so happy to be asked out by him of all people. It was another huge confidence booster, but soon, his confidence wavered when he realized one important thing. He'd never been on a date before. He didn't know the first thing about what you would do on a date, either. Where should he take her? What would she expect to happen? Hell, what did he want to happen?
  • All these questions and more kept stirring in his head, but instead of doubt, he was optimistic with just a healthy bit of skepticism. For once in his life, he thought that maybe this could work... Even though the hard part was ahead of him and he still had to make the date work, Leo was proud of himself. He'd made the first steps toward becoming a king in his own right, and if Dire's prediction was accurate, everything was about to change for the better.
  • For right now, though? Leo had to go and see the only friend he had with experience in these sorts of things. As regrettable as it was, he and Dev needed to have another bro talk, this time as far away from Mittens as possible.

Dev Advice + Sad Vana

Date Part 1

Date Part 2

Emotional climax

Wrap-up

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