[AN: Aaaaaannd I return! Fae Gamble was the story chosen as my focus for the month of October by my Patreons. It's a new thing I'm doing, but I think the first month went well so I'm just going to keep chugging on ahead. Public readers are going to be a month behind my Patreon. If you wanna get early updates and give your input as a Patreon in the new polls I'm running, you can join up at patreon.com/dryskies_btb . There's a new poll (three actually lol) running over there for the month of November at the time of this chapter's release. If you wanna give input for my newest story (KYBER-PUNK 22BBY) and read the chapters right as they come out, I'd love to have you as a supporter :]
IIIII
"Brockton Bay?" Narwhal asked in confusion. "Why in God's name would you want to go to Brockton Bay, of all places? Are you that eager to jump right back into the fire after escaping the Birdcage?"
She sat in her quarters — a wing to herself within the Guild's HQ — instead of her office. Her work for the day was over. Narwhal should've been rejoicing and relaxing. She'd even begun to do so, changing from her costume into much more casual 'clothes'. They were still entirely made from her forcefields and just as indecent as her not-quite-see-through costume, but it was the thought that counted, wasn't it~?
Instead of her all-too-clinging bodysuit, Narwhal's forcefields fell around her as an approximation of a shirt. It was thin, flowing, and sheerer than the sheerest silk. Currently, she had it styled as a men's dress shirt. Only, to satiate her self-admitted exhibitionist streak, none of the buttons were done up. It hung open on her bare chest, her cleavage there for all gods to see. Her trim and ripped stomach was on full display. And it was the only thing she wore, the thinnest of thin premises separating her from outright nudity. Below her waist, only sinfully long legs crossed over each other hid her thrilled and tingling cunt from her guests.
Displaying such a lurid scene was practically second nature for Narwhal. It should have been a tantalizing delicacy for only her and those she deigned to bless with her sinfully divine figure to enjoy. Yet, she was not alone in her quarters. Dragon had roped her into hosting a dinner party for their newest Guild members. So it was that she was hounded by the two people she was quickly coming to think of as the 'usual suspects'. Even Edgar's lingering eyes and Ciara's initial almost-pout didn't completely excuse the trouble they'd be causing for her. They did help, though.
And that was without mentioning the guests her guests had brought with them. The unknown was an enigmatic and implacable woman in a rather fetching wide-brimmed hat. Narwhal thought she recognized the woman's description from the most hidden whispers of the cape community — mere rumors of rumors — but she couldn't be entirely sure. For one, none of those bogeyman-esque tales said anything about a crystal baby…
In all, Narwhal was feeling rather overwhelmed. She thought she hid it well, though, falling back on the sultry seduction that never failed her. Dragon was acting differently these last few days? Narwhal was happy for her friend since the change seemed to be entirely positive. She'd tell Narwhal everything eventually, and Narwhal would pretend to be surprised by things Dragon took for granted. Just as a good friend should. Dragon was good, but Narwhal had known her long enough to peek through the cracks and read between the lines.
Everything Fae that had suddenly entered her life and become very real? Narwhal was… adjusting. It, of course, helped that Ciara turned out to be very fun to tease — if Narwhal didn't take things too far, that is — and that Edgar wasn't entirely alien to her — after all, he checked her out as any sensible man or woman would. If he could appreciate her supple curves, trim fitness, and sensual teasing, they'd get along just fine. And besides, it was cute how he was almost entirely unused to her exhibition. The Fae weren't big on nudity and showing off what deserved to be shown, it seemed. Who knew?
A strange woman who was, in all likelihood, the cape bogey-woman? To be honest, Narwhal was slightly terrified of her. Even the few incomplete stories and rumors she'd heard spoke of a ruthless, intimidating cape who could be anywhere, know anything, and never lose. How exactly did she come into contact with Edgar? And how, exactly, did he seem able to wrangle the likely bogey-woman almost as easily as he wrangled Ciara…?
The impossible crystalline baby girl who seemed utterly content and lively in her little pod? Well, she was honestly the best part of hosting this impromptu dinner party. Adorable. She was simply adorable. It was easy to see how the crystal baby had won over Ciara and Dragon so quickly. Narwhal felt motherly instincts rearing their head — as if her womb itself was pointedly poking her and pouting — because of the perfectly impossible baby. God, she'd let herself be bred like a bakery at this rate. She was already starting to get… ideas~…
Hmm~, tall? Check. Dark? Check. Handsome and mysterious? Double check. Why, already, Narwhal could practically see the goth unicorn tots and tykes running around underfoot~! She smothered a sultry smile at the thought. As she did, she shifted in her seat, uncrossing her legs and crossing them again in a mirror of her prior position. Not a single part of her missed how Edgar's eyes tracked the motion as if staring right into her dripping core. Best of all? He didn't let himself get distracted from the conversation at hand. Narwhal did love herself a man of focus~…
"Truthfully~?" Edgar quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "Yes. Yes, I am."
"The Raven Prince seems to have a unique relationship with the concept of 'consequences'," The potential bogey-hat-woman — Fortuna, she'd called herself — drawled.
"That…" Narwhal sighed airily. "Doesn't surprise me as much as it should. But I'm still hesitant to sign off on a trip like this for such flimsy reasoning. The players in Brockton Bay won't be happy about outside interference."
"That's putting it lightly," Dragon giggled.
"Kaiser won't take kindly to anyone challenging his authority, Lung will either do nothing or burn down half the city on your first meeting, and the Merchants will always be greedy, grasping, addicted cunts," Narwhal listed off.
"And somehow, the party I'm most worried about is still the PRT. Emily Piggot is… not pleasant on the best of days. Bringing outside chaos into her domain is a good way to make an enemy out of her."
"They should be honored to host a Prince of the Winter Court," Ciara declared.
"Yayaya~!" The crystal baby — Eve — was as much a character as her mother. And if she wasn't Edgar's daughter, Narwhal would eat the bogey-woman's hat.
"Ah, of course, my heiress," Ciara allowed with an acknowledging nod. "They should be honored to host your venerable person as well. In fact, I will ensure that they are."
"Oh, God…" Narwhal muttered a horrified realization. "You're not just bringing outside chaos… The Faerie Queen-… ahem, Faerie Maiden will be coming to town as well. Even just Dragon dramatically shifts the balance of power in that powderkeg of a city when she visits Armsmaster. I can hardly imagine how badly everyone will get themselves up in arms when Ciara shows up. Other than the fact that Piggot will be trying to glare me to death from across the country, of course…"
"That can hardly be considered my fault," Ciara sniffed haughtily. "I didn't ask for my reputation to precede me. The fools will simply have to make do."
"Oh, I do hope they make our visit eventful~," Edgar smirked in anticipation. "Putting down undue upstarts is always such fun~…"
"Is that the whole reason you're going?" Narwhal asked before turning to Dragon with suspicious, narrowed eyes. "Did you put him onto this? Identify the tensest shitshow of a city in the US and point him that way to watch the fireworks?"
"Wha-? No!" Dragon hurriedly denied. "I wouldn't do that! At least… not for no reason…"
"I might," Fortuna offered. "But I didn't either. This time, at least."
"Nor I," Ciara declared regally. "But I will follow my Raven Prince 'til the end claims us all."
Edgar chuckled, "Tis true. Our Dear Dragon didn't point me in this direction, for I was already looking there."
"And… why were you already aiming for a city that you should logically not know existed…?" Narwhal stared at Edgar with wary eyes.
"A dignified and principled man told me about it. He told me of something he left behind, something he missed more dearly than anything else in the world. And so, I made a promise. I gave my word, and woe be to a Fae who breaks their word. The climax of my first quest resides in Brockton Bay. It calls to me, and I am not one to refuse such a call~."
Something akin to cracks in the ice of a solid-frozen lake resounded through the room, just below the surface of Edgar's words, ringing and echoing — whooping and blooping — in a way that wasn't quite real. The Fae's word held a certain undefinable weight. A weight that left the others staring in awe. As if they were suddenly standing at the base of a mountain that pierced the clouds, not so much a declaration of determination as it was an unmovable fact of the universe.
"Oh…" Narwhal murmured, almost half to herself. "I suppose that settles that then. I won't be able to stop you."
"No," Edgar's lips twitched in amusement. "Of course, I would prefer if you didn't try to in the first place. Trying to circumnavigate Fae promises never goes well. Not for anyone involved, be they human or Fae or anything else beyond and in between."
"I don't like that 'beyond or in between' part…" Dragon muttered, her suit seeming for the world to frown.
"You'd be a fool to like it," Edgar said. "And you, my Dear Dragon, are far from the fool~."
"The Fae are bound by their promises just like they can bind humans to them?" Fortuna asked, curious and calculating.
Edgar raised a knowing eyebrow at her but nodded, "Yes, that's correct. You never need worry that I will forget my promises to you, Fortuna. I will take and fulfill my responsibility to you, or I will die trying. Until winter claims me for a final time, you and Eve will be a priority in my mind."
Fortuna looked away, seemingly unable to continue meeting Edgar's piercing, promising gaze, "I… I see…"
Baby Eve seemed to absolutely love her father's reassurance, though. She went wild in her little pod, flipping and spinning and clapping her happiness as she understood every word. Narwhal herself didn't mind the exchange much, either. There was a certain undercurrent of romance and tension there between Fae Prince and possible bogey-woman that was thrilling to watch. Edgar was simply intoxicating in a way Narwhal couldn't quite describe. His presence, watching him, and especially experiencing him for herself~…
"Be that as it may-…" Narwhal said.
"It may be, indeed~," Edgar cut her off with a teasing lilt to his voice.
"Hush, you," Narwhal flicked a forcefield at him so she could continue. "I believe I understand the situation. You made a promise, and your kind are quite literally unable to break your word once given, yes? And that's why you need to visit Brockton Bay?"
Edgar nodded, "Quite. Of course, a part of me also simply wishes to experience humanity more thoroughly. The good. The bad. The ugly and beautiful. I wish for nothing more than to expand my experiences with my father's nature and his kind. I imagined that a trip across the lands would work well towards that goal."
"Your father, my prince?" Ciara asked, her curiosity caught on Edgar's absent reveal. "He was human? You are… of mixed parentage…?"
"Hmm~? Oh, yes," Edgar confirmed, waving almost lazily. "Not that such things matter much to the Fae. Not to anyone of importance, at least. I was born of my mother. The ice and snow of the Winter Faewilds run through my veins. My poet father was merely the water to wet the molding clay of my existence."
"May I ask who he was?" Dragon inquired.
"Certainly, though, I doubt you would know of him," Edgar nodded. "It's my understanding that he amounted to nothing in his life other than my mother's interest in him. Poetry rarely pays, and a darkly tragic life story pays even less so. No, as talented as Edgar Allen Poe was to catch my mother's attention, he died in utter mediocrity."
Narwhal stared. Ciara stared. Fortuna stared. The visor of Dragon's suit seemed to stare as well. Even baby Eve stared with wide, intelligent eyes.
Edgar blinked in slight confusion, "Yes…?"
Fortuna was the first to break, groaning, "God… That makes all too much sense…"
"Edgar de Brân…" Dragon muttered, half to herself. "Means 'Edgar of the Raven' in Welsh. Raven Prince. The son of Edgar Allen Poe…"
Narwhal couldn't contain her titter, "Yeah, it checks out."
"My prince!" Ciara exclaimed. "It seems your birth is storied on both sides of your lineage! Your father may have died in mediocrity, but his poems and stories became famous after his death! Perhaps most remembered is his telling of the raven rapping upon his door."
"Buurb~!" Even little Eve reacted to the reveal of her grandsire. Crystal arms waved, and crystal fingers wiggled. An eerie croaking came from nowhere and everywhere at once. The wretched rasping of a raven brought forth from annals a hundred years past. Uttered into the mind of one man. Scribed to an uncaring audience. And still, remembered, remembered, remembered, and forgotten-… "…-Nevermore."
Edgar's confusion turned into a hearty chuckle, "Ah, I see. How fascinating~! I believe I see what drew Mother to him. To be forgotten nevermore… Tis a morbid yet beautiful sentiment, one that is rather rare from the rest of the Fae, all too focused on present pleasures to care about legacy. Yet it is perfect for a grand duchess who wishes to birth an heir."
"Perfect, indeed, my prince," Ciara nodded, swelling with pride for Edgar. "I shall aim to secure some of your late father's poems for you to read as we travel."
"A worthy pastime as we trek the roads of your land," Edgar nodded, treating Ciara to a kind smile. "Thank you, Ciara. You are simply too good to me."
"Roads?" Fortuna suddenly looked as if she'd swallowed a lemon. "Can't I just door us-…"
"Absolutely not," Edgar shut her down.
Fortuna frowned, "Then, can't we at least fly?"
"Flight? I suppose that would also give me a good view of the land…" Edgar cocked his head. "But watching vistas and landscapes go by beneath me is not my goal. I doubt we'll interact with much of humanity if we fly straight to our final destination."
"Nay, indeed!" Ciara declared with her head and nose held high. "We shall make this journey as the plebian does, not as the raven flies! None shall escape the Raven Prince's attention!"
"Wonderful… I'm going to be stuck with you two in a vehicle for a week. As if I don't have better things to do…" Fortuna grumbled, bowing her head so the brim of her hat hid her face. Narwhal could still see under it, though. And she surely didn't miss the small smile on the bogey-woman's face…
Narwhal sighed, half in amusement and half in exasperation, "I'm afraid I won't be able to join you. Someone needs to keep the Guild up and running. Hold down the fort, as they say. But I'll start making arrangements and warning-… ahem, calling ahead to the cities you visit during this trip."
"Narwhal, Narwhal! You know what this means, right?!" Dragon was practically vibrating with excitement. Her suits could be so expressive at times. Narwhal couldn't help but smirk at her best friend.
"Yes, Dragon, I know what this means, and what about it has you so excited~. How long have you been pestering me for one~? Go on, let it out," She chuckled.
Dragon just about exploded with excitement, cheering for everyone to hear, "Road trip!"
IIIII
[Feat: Road trip! Long drives in good company, what more could a Fae ask for? +100P, 400P total. Would you like to purchase Lunatic Red Eyes (400P)(reserved perk).]
"What more, indeed~," Edgar chuckled to himself. "Yes, yes, purchase away, System. Give me my red eyes~."
[Perk purchased. 0P remains in the bank.]
[Lunatic Red Eyes - Illusion (Touhou Project: Parasol Paradise, 400P): You gain the ability to sense and manipulate waves, the source of power localizing in your eyes or the closest equivalent. You are most proficient at manipulating brain waves, allowing you to induce madness or hallucinations depending on the strength of your opponent's will.
[You can also manipulate light and sound waves to deceive the senses indirectly, from concealing the paths of your projectile attacks to creating after-images of herself to casting wide-area illusions that cause people to get lost. As a cherry on top, you are also capable of releasing waves from your eyes in a destructive blast.
[Though you are flexible in the variety of waves you can manipulate, waves besides brainwaves, visible light waves, and sound waves are much more difficult to do so. Controlling more powerful or conceptual waves will be out of your control entirely.]
"Don't go using those red eyes on me," Fortuna grumbled from beneath her hat. "I like my brain waves unmanipulated, thank you very much. As a general rule, most humans do. I can't be sure you're entirely aware of that, so I feel like it has to be stated outright."
"I was aware of it, but I don't entirely understand it," Edgar tutted in good humor. "So strange, so strange~. Everything someone does, everything they change, is a manipulation of some kind. One can hardly live their life without ever being manipulated."
"It's a difference in connotation," Fortuna deadpanned, still not even glancing at him from where she rested with her hat on her face. "The word manipulation usually implies ill-intent of some kind to most humans. Something like twisting them to your means in an unnatural, selfish, or hostile way."
"Hmm, I see," Edgar hummed. "You know, my favored Fortuna~… You claim to resent manipulation, but you employ it with your little group all the same."
"Obviously," Fortuna snorted. "But I'm a hypocrite and one of the rare ones who can admit they're a hypocrite, at that. Rules for thee, not for me."
Edgar laughed, "Oh, how delightfully droll~!"
They settled into a comfortable silence after that. If Edgar didn't know any better, he would've said Fortuna fell asleep like that. But from what he could see of her Origin, she was merely playing out her usual plots and plans — Paths — in her mind. She was a most intriguing enigma, his baby's mother. And the passenger that experienced the world along with her was only the tip of the iceberg. Edgar found himself rather enjoying the person who lurked beneath.
Besides, there was oddness in every one of these 'Shards'. Fortuna's Path was almost as sentient as she was. Not quite, and entirely inhuman, but almost. Then there was Ciara's, which acted more like a lens than an aiding companion, allowing her to peek into a realm of existence that she'd mistaken for something akin to the Faewilds. She wouldn't be making that mistake ever again.
Then, there was Narwhal's Shard, which seemed to be nothing more than a tool, and Dragon's. Dragon's Shard was simultaneously less and more than a tool, less and more than a companion, and less and more than a lens. It was new — novel and unique, only tainted by Dragon's influence so far. Yet it was also intrinsically tied to the unique spark of Dragon's 'artificial' soul. Or perhaps it merely built upon Dragon's uniqueness. Edgar wasn't quite sure yet if Dragon's Shard was the cause of her existence or a mere product of it. He was leaning toward the latter, though perhaps with help from another Shard for the former.
Regardless, the Entities and their Shard-spawn were an undeniably unique bunch. Before meeting him, Ciara likened them to Fae Courts. Edgar disagreed. The Fae shared little in common with the Entities. Edgar felt a more fitting comparison was, strangely, the twin domains of Heaven and Hell. Not so much in the mirrored malevolence and benevolence but in the strictly tiered and pyramid-shaped hierarchy, as well as every Shard, Angel, or Demon having their own roles to play.
Logically, if the metaphor was continued, Eve would be akin to a Christ figure. In a very literal sense, too. She was Eden's 'mortal' reincarnation. Of course, that was where the similarities would end, for Eve was decidedly not Eden, and though she may eventually take up the mantle, Eve would never find herself subsumed into a 'greater' whole. Edgar wouldn't allow it to happen. His daughter deserved nothing less than to be her own person, to be an individual, and not the mere continuation of a doomed cycle. He'd stop at nothing to give her that chance.
It honestly surprised Edgar how fond he'd grown of little Eve in such a short time. Fatherhood suited him, he found. Or at the very least, it appealed to him. Yet another interesting challenge and enigma that wouldn't have come about without the System and finally departing the Winter Court.
There was simply such potential in Eve that Edgar could hardly restrain his excitement for the future. Only the sidereal stars could say what it held. They would guide the present as they always did, constantly shifting on a path only privy to those stars themselves. None could escape their divination, not mortal, nor fae, nor even god. But unlike some Fate-weavers and Prophecy-givers, the sidereal stars held no inherent bias. They told what was and what could be, but they never passed judgment of their own. There was no will within those prophetic stars. Only a reflection of the universe, cast in the all-encompassing mirror of the darkly distant sky. In the sidereal stars, a truthful recounting of existence was laid bare for those who knew to read it.
Such objective premonitions were the only ones Edgar would willingly entrust his little Eve to. She was heiress to a legacy wholly apart from the Fae. She was quite literally crystalized potential given life — equally composed of magic and alien logic. The [Bottle of Enchantment] she was incubated in ensured that much. Most importantly, she was his daughter, born from his luck and magic.
None would presume to define her future for her. Edgar would war with any Fate-weaver who tried. He would raze Eve's kin to crystal dust if they dared. He would even willingly turn his anger inward if he himself lost his way. Oh, he wasn't blind to the plans, plots, and paths of his baby's mother. But so long as the final decision was left to Eve, Edgar would stay his hand. He had faith that Fortuna would do right by the life they'd made together, despite her other goals and ambitions. Or perhaps, because of them…
Quickly, Edgar was coming to find that there was little he wouldn't do for his firstborn. She was a delightful little thing, fascinating and quick to impress with every inch of progress she showed. Watching her grow and explore her new existence was enthralling. Her Shards came easily to her. With them came powers to impress even the Fae in their diversity. Her kind, it seemed, were masters of the physical universe. Its rules practically jumped to do her bidding.
But magic — mostly the aspects of a conceptual or spiritual nature — came and went with more difficulty. They weren't an impossible ask. Simply unknown and unexplored for little Eve and her kind. The laws of magic did not always correspond with those physical laws that the Shards had mastered. They didn't like to be so strictly defined, either. Magic was simply that: Magic. It was the impossible and the possible. The immaterial and the material. The unnatural and the natural. It was everything touched by physics and everything not. In a very real way, magic was all-encompassing. It was everything, from the smallest mortal manipulation to the grandest of divine miracles. It overlapped every system of science, spirituality, and storytelling while also standing wholly apart. And that, it seemed, was where Eve and the Shards were having issues with the subject.
Edgar was confident it would come to her eventually, though. Even now, he could feel her playing with absolutely everything she could get her proverbial hands on. Just like any child should — Fae or mortal alike. Just as Edgar had as a mere babe at his mother's teat. Eve was young yet. There was no need for her to understand and master everything now. Merely 'playing' was enough to help her grow in this most pivotal stage of her life.
He smiled at the thought, watching Eve play with Ciara. Ciara indulged the crystal baby like a dutiful older sister. One of her courtly shadows followed Ciara's command, twisting space itself to and fro in front of Eve's pod cradle. Eve watched with eager, attentive eyes and a slight babyish gape to her mouth. Now and then, she would use those crystalline gums to chew on her tiny fist as if deep in adorable contemplation.
"My, my, lofty ambitions already, little one~," Edgar chuckled to himself.
"Hmm? What was that?" Dragon asked, 'looking' up from her current task of driving and monitoring the road.
She didn't have to physically look up, of course. More accurately, she couldn't at the moment. All of them there knew of her true nature. As such, she wasn't currently inhabiting one of her suits. Instead — if Edgar was assessing the situation correctly — the present facet of herself was all around them.
For their 'road trip', Dragon had procured one of the combustion-powered vehicles Edgar had seen humans operating. Only, it could hardly be compared to the vehicles of the masses. It ran almost completely silent, with none of the grating harnessed explosions that Edgar had heard from the other vehicles of the type. A symptom of the electric engine, Dragon said. It was also large enough to act as a moving domicile — an 'RV' — and outfitted by Dragon to the best of her abilities.
Which, Edgar supposed, was an impressive boast compared to other 'cars'. Truly, the machine spirit of the mechanical beast of burden must have been honored to be worked on by Dragon. The end result was almost luxuriously comfortable and, more importantly, capable of hosting Dragon in the same manner that her suits did. It also carried two of her actual suits for more personalized use, and enough weapons and armor — mounted and otherwise — to qualify as a rolling armory. If Edgar didn't know better — he really didn't — he might think the whole RV itself was Dragon's newest suit.
"Eve," He answered with a sort of languid amusement. "My daughter is aiming high with her method of 'playtime'. She's trying to create her first true Shard, instead of just co-opting the pre-existing ones she has access to. And she looks to break ground with her first attempt, for she's doing so with magic. Or attempting to, at least. But then, any experience is good experience for her at this stage."
"Should I be worried about her blowing up my new baby with magical fireworks?" Dragon teased, only half serious.
"There's no need to worry about that," Edgar said simply. "Botched space magic results in implosions, not explosions."
There was a moment of stunned silence that Edgar barely took notice of. Or at least, he pretended to ignore it. Inside, his Fae soul was practically cackling at the subtle horror his mischief had evoked. He could only hope that his dear little Eve would take after his mischief. Indeed, Edgar would hate to raise a boring daughter.
"Ah…" Dragon muttered. "Well, thank goodness for that…"
Below her hat, Fortuna let out a chuckle that sounded suspiciously like a slight sob, "Damned Fae…!"
Behind them, Eve exclaimed victoriously, "[Eyaba!]"
Her exclamation was followed by a piercing pop, a resounding rupture, a great gong!… of space collapsing in on itself. Barely bigger than an electron, Edgar felt Eve's… experiment… pop in that way that only twisted, knotted space-time could. Thankfully, the implosion wasn't a large one. It was 'only' enough to shake the entire RV on its wheels…
"Eep~!" Still, it was shocking enough to make Ciara squeak, jump, and look around as if she'd been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. "A-Ahaha… P-Perhaps playing with less volatile toys would be… prudent, my heiress…"
Edgar sighed fondly at the scene, "Ah, isn't she just precious~?"
"That's… certainly one way to put it," Dragon agreed. Edgar chose to take it as an agreement, at least.
Fortuna rolled over onto her side in her reclined passenger seat, groaning and pulling her hat tighter over her eyes, "Ugh, wake me when we reach Seattle. Or when we're about to die to something stupid and utterly preventable. Whichever comes first."
Edgar chuckled but let her sleep. She wasn't truly worried or frustrated. More aptly, Edgar was coming to find that his Fortuna simply didn't travel well. She was much too used to getting everywhere with those doors of hers. But Edgar was already enjoying this trip too much to compromise it for her impatience. He rather liked sitting back with his feet up, enjoying the ride while Dragon kept them on course and Eve and Ciara fooled around in the cabin behind them. So it went for the next half-hour until Fortuna was likely fast asleep, Eve and Ciara had quieted, and Dragon finally spoke up again to get Edgar's attention.
"Uh, Edgar…?" She requested. "Can you… come see me in person? I'd like to show you something private. Just to, uh, just to get your opinion on it…"
"Certainly, my dear," Edgar easily agreed. "You need only ask~."
He called upon [I However Am Real] without a second thought, whisking himself away into Dragon's digital sanctum. On his arrival, he found himself in a queer theater, one fit for a play but with a screen instead of a stage and only two seats. Dragon was waiting to greet him, standing and fiddling anxiously with her fingers. She was looking as adorably, awkwardly mousy as always, and even looked slightly dressed up in a fashionable trenchcoat and turtleneck outfit.
Edgar favored her with a soft, kind smile that would've shocked his peers in the Winter Court, "Hello again, Dragon. Thank you for inviting me into your inner world. It will always be a pleasure to see you in person."
Dragon forced herself to relax with the greeting, smiling back, "And it will always be a pleasure to have you, Edgar…"
A moment later, she stiffened slightly, "I-I mean-! A-Ahem, you must be wondering what this is all about…"
"I would admit to some curiosity," Edgar chuckled. "Please, enlighten me, my dear~."
"W-Well, since you freed me from my chains, I've been rather busy…" Dragon began her spiel, gaining strength as she went. "Thankfully, I find myself with much more time on my hands now. And more capable of taking advantage of that time, as well, it so happens. One of the most game-changing developments has been being able to run multiple iterations of myself at once-…"
"And how does that work?" Edgar asked curiously. "Apologies for the interruption, of course, but I find myself curious. Every Fae venture into cloning has ended in splendid disaster. We are very, very bad at not being individuals, it seems."
"That sounds… worrying… But also reassuring in a way…?" Dragon frowned, looking equal parts concerned and fascinated by the idea.
She shook her head, "Anyway, it's not the same for AI. Or maybe it's just me, but I digress. My other iterations aren't so much actual clones as they are… splitting my focus across a wide spectrum. They're all still me. Merely parallel to my core process, which I've dedicated to this road trip."
"We're honored to be worthy of your primary attention," Edgar grinned.
"I like you…" Dragon grinned back nervously. "Err… And Ciara and Eve. I suppose Fortuna isn't so bad. Anyone working to save the world from ultimate destruction can't be the worst of people."
"Indeed," Edgar chuckled. "Now, I believe I distracted you from your main request. Please, continue."
"Right," Dragon nodded. "Well, since my ability to multi-task has seen a sharp improvement recently, I've been able to work on projects I wasn't before. It… It might be better to just show you. Will you sit and watch what I have to show you?"
"I don't see why I wouldn't," Edgar said, complying. "But I also don't see what you desire from me just yet, either."
As he sat down, the screen in front of them flashed to life. Images and moving pictures began to play at Dragon's whim. Edgar made himself comfortable, but Dragon stayed standing, almost looming over his shoulder with restrained nervous energy. The title card on the screen lingered as Edgar read it.
"'Artificial Intelligence: Are They Really So Scary?'" Edgar read, barely attempting to conceal his amusement. "And what's all of this, Dragon~?"
"It's pro-AI propagan-…" Dragon paused mid-word, muttering to herself. "No, that makes it sound terrible. Ah! It's pro-AI educational material!"
"Fascinating~," Edgar let out a rumbling chuckle. "And not entirely undue either, as I understand it. You aim to swing public opinion to your side, yes?"
"Yeah, I'd really rather avoid another situation like Saint if I can help it…" Dragon nodded. "So I'm embarking on a… uh, campaign… to raise awareness and promote pro-AI sentiments. God, it sounds kind of sinister when I say it like that… But I guess I just wanted your opinion on my first attempt."
"Very well, but I'm unsure how much help my opinion would be. I'm not at all taken and ingratiated by the biases of human culture," Edgar warned.
"That's why you're perfect!" Dragon insisted. "You can be objective! And tell me if I'm being a bit too heavy-handed! I feel like I was a bit too heavy-handed…"
"Oh, I don't know if I can ever be objective when it comes to you, my dear~," Edgar chuckled. "But I shall try. What will you give me in return for my advice and opinion?"
Dragon blinked, "Huh?"
Edgar purred, "A service for a service, yes~? It's only fair~."
Dragon blinked again. A blush quickly spread over her cheeks, and Edgar could practically see his luck in action as Dragon's mind latched onto what it wanted to and ran with the slight misunderstanding. A 'service for a service'… Of course. It was only fair. Dragon shifted in place, rubbing her thighs together. Edgar could feel the energy of her inner world shift with her totally-not-biased misunderstanding. It took mere moments for her to fall to her knees between his legs.
Edgar gazed down at her, quirking a single, questioning eyebrow but saying nothing to truly dissuade or discourage her.
Dragon's blush was just about nuclear with its vivid color, "… It really is only fair. Just, uh, just sit back and watch my propaganda-… educational video! You'll provide me with a service by giving me your honest thoughts. And I'll… provide you with a… s-service in return…"
Edgar chuckled and waved for her to continue, "If you insist, I will not refuse your service, Dear Dragon~."
She forced herself to hold Edgar's gaze and found her breath hitching. Those Fae eyes were dark and oh-so-deep. Dragon could've drowned in them if not for the sparkle that she latched onto like a lifeline. It was desire and inhuman appreciation. It sent the digital world around them fluttering with Dragon's heart. She hadn't been expecting permission to continue, but now she couldn't back out for the life of her. And not just because a Fae agreement had been struck… Dragon found that she didn't want to.
Anticipation rising, Dragon's course was set. Yet… she felt entirely unprepared. Oh, she knew what came next. With the internet being what it was, there was no way she wouldn't. But doing it for herself…? Putting her purely theoretical knowledge into practice was more difficult than she expected. As an AI, physical pleasure had never been in her future. At least, never so soon… Her lifelike android body project was still in its infancy! Yet here she was, rising to a challenge that'd never been issued.
Equal parts eager determination and anxious hesitation clouded her expression as she stared down at Edgar's crotch. Almost absently, she exerted her will over her inner world, aiming to do away with the pants that would only get in the way. Nothing happened. Dragon frowned.
Edgar chuckled, "Oh my~… I don't think this is the time and place for such shortcuts, my dear~. If you want something, shouldn't you take it into your own two hands~?"
A slight pout surfaced on Dragon's face, "Magic is bullshit… How come you have control over my inner world?"
"I don't," Edgar answered cryptically, showing his amusement with a teasing smile. "But I can hardly let a mere change of scenery disrupt my sense of self, can I~?"
"Whatever…" Dragon grumbled. "Just watch my video and focus on giving me your thoughts. Oh, and raise your butt. But don't let my service distract you too much. I'm sure it won't be anything to write home about for my first time…"
"Oh, on that, we'll have to agree to disagree~," Edgar purred. "Worry not; I believe I can manage to multi-task to this extent."
Nodding in satisfaction, Dragon allowed the video she'd prepared to play behind her. The familiarity of her own work was a strange source of comfort. With it giving her strength, Dragon fumbled Edgar's pants open and began to wiggle them down with his help. The first thing she saw made her snort and giggle.
"Raven Prince, indeed~," She teased.
A tuft of black feathers greeted her. They were soft and downy, not at all like the long flight feathers of a raven's wing. But there was no denying that the Fae Raven Prince had feathers instead of hair downstairs. And honestly? Dragon found that she didn't mind it all that much. The feathers were neat and almost artistically arranged. It was like a fancy feathered hat for the real prize within Edgar's pants that Dragon was slowly unwrapping. And unwrapping… And still unwrapping…?
Dragon's jaw dropped, she'd be the first to admit it. The thick base peeked out from the top of Edgar's pants. Then more, and more, and even more followed! Inch by stunning inch, Dragon drew Edgar's pants down his legs. The shaft concealed within seemed as if it would never end. It was solid and almost flawlessly smooth, as if sculpted as a masterpiece of statue-grade marble. The only things that could be considered a blemish were the equally stiff ridges that began halfway up the shaft's length. Dragon's blush flared as she realized something: the Fae was ribbed for her pleasure…
When she finally reached it, the swelled mushroom head of Edgar's cock caught on his pants for a moment. Dragon tugged. The whole flawless masterpiece sprung free at once to stand tall and proud before her eyes. It was nearly as thick as her wrist and long enough for two hands with room in between. The pen-… cock. Edgar's cock loomed with a visibly solid weight to it and a wickedly perfect curve that promised to ruin a woman for anything other than fae pleasure.
Behind her, Dragon heard her pro-AI propaganda video reach a familiar line, and she almost absently lifted the words from it for her own situation, "'Would you like to know more'…?"
She glanced up at Edgar past his looming cock, and found him seemingly focused. But not on Dragon and her efforts below his beltline. No, he looked to be giving every ounce of his attention to the video, just as she'd asked him to. There she was, gaping at his cock, and he was practically ignoring her… As if she truly was just servicing him… For some reason, that thought sent thrills of arousal to her core.
"How the Hell did you hide this thing in your pants without a trace…?" Dragon muttered, mostly to herself.
She wasn't expecting a response and almost jumped when Edgar proved how capable he was of multi-tasking, "Clothes are meant to conceal, are they not? What's the point of them if they fail one of their primary functions?"
"I suppose…" Dragon nibbled at her lip. "Still, a bit of a warning would've been nice… I'm pretty sure a man's bulge is an important part of the human mating display."
"I'll keep that in mind for the future," Edgar said, casual as can be.
The carefree tone of his voice was surprisingly encouraging, and Dragon took a deep breath, reassuring herself further, "Okay, I can do this… There's nothing to it. All the videos online make it look simple. It's just a bit of s-service. Service for service. No big deal. Just… copy what seems to work, yeah?"
Thankfully, Edgar didn't comment on her speaking to herself. Dragon didn't know if she could've handled any more attention. In a way, being 'ignored' was perfect for her. And still, surprisingly hot… Like she was barely worth his time, even as she was set to suck his cock~…
Her hand reached out to touch him. Barely a graze of her fingers at first. The concept of actual, physical sensation was still novel to Dragon, after all. But here in her inner world, she could touch Edgar. And he could touch her… The phenomenon was most certainly one that Dragon wished to explore.
Almost tentatively, Dragon wrapped her hand around his cock. He was as hard as he looked. She could feel his life against her palm, not so much a pulse as it was a constant, distinctly inhuman thrum. She didn't hate the sensation. For a few long moments, she simply reveled in it, running her fingers up, down, and all around the masculine masterpiece.
The video continued to play in the background, and Dragon knew exactly what Edgar was being shown. She could see the propaganda in her mind's eye. A short film with a sympathetic AI main character, here. A deconstruction and analysis of anti-AI cliches and tropes, there. Some segments stressed all of the good AI could do for humanity instead of focusing on mostly irrational, entirely uneducated, and biased doomsday scenarios that could only truly exist in fiction. Others still explored the idea of AI as the children of humanity, a whole new system of life that humanity had created, and hey, wasn't that actually really fucking cool when you stopped and thought about it objectively for a moment? All of the segments, however, were separated by a single, recurring line: 'Would you like to know more?'.
Because that's what Dragon truly wanted from her propaganda; she wanted people to know more, to actually think and educate themselves on the concept of AI instead of giving themselves over to preconceived fears. She wanted people to want to know more. For themselves. For her AI kin that might eventually be created. And for herself most of all. Having to hide her true nature from everyone and everything didn't make for the healthiest of existences…
Dragon's eyes darted up at Edgar's face again, trying to divine some hint of his thoughts. His Fae features betrayed nothing. Nervously adjusting her glasses, Dragon focused back on the task quite literally at hand. Her grip eventually settled at the base of his cock. She moved closer, almost absently noting that her head didn't have to dip far to do so. Dry lips parted, and Dragon wetted them with her tongue on reflex. She let herself be drawn closer and closer as if pulled by a magnet. Before she could let herself second guess… contact.
Parted ever-so-slightly, Dragon pressed her lips to the underside of Edgar's cock, right where the shaft met the head. She hadn't noticed before, but his skin was surprisingly chilled against her lips. It was refreshing in the strangest of ways, and Dragon found herself leaving a proper kiss where her lips had met cock for the first time.
Her fingers rose up the length of his shaft, tracing that glorious curve. Even without her hand at the base to steady it, Edgar's cock didn't sway an inch. A second kiss followed the first. Then another, as she found the act almost addicting.
'How strange…' Dragon thought between lavishing kisses. 'Is cock truly addictive…? Or is it something unique to the Fae…? To Edgar…? Maybe even… something unique to me…?'
Her tongue darted out on its own. That single taste answered her questions. Yes. Yes, to all three. There was something intoxicating about the Fae taste, Edgar was most certainly addictive, and Dragon herself just might've been particularly prone to that addiction~… Once she started, she didn't stop. Within moments, Dragon's tongue was bathing the Raven Prince's cock with attention and digital drool.
Still barely satisfied, Dragon opened her lips wide and took him into her mouth, "MmMMMmm~…"
She stilled with the weight of Edgar's cockhead settling on her tongue. Did she really just…? Oh, Binary, how embarrassing! Yet when she anxiously glanced upward, Edgar still wasn't looking at her. He made himself seem as if he was still ignoring her, at least, and that was enough for Dragon to shakily recover her wits. And if her free hand sneakily slid between her thighs as she savored the moan-inducing taste now coating her tongue, well… Edgar was ignoring her, right?
Her soaking slit instantly drenched the fingers she'd assigned to that task as Dragon began to bob her head up and down Edgar's cock. God, she was going to leave a puddle on the floor at this rate. Technically, she could whisk it away without a trace… But a not-so-small part of her wanted Edgar to see the evidence when he was done 'ignoring' her~.
'Yes, confront the Fae with how much pleasure you took from simply serving him. What a terrific plan that could never, ever backfire in any way whatsoever,' Dragon snarked at herself in her mind. There wasn't any real weight to it.
If anything, the thought only made her frig herself harder, fucking her aching, needy pussy on her own fingers while she took more and more Fae cock in her mouth. AI avatar lips gripped Fae girth, stretching, slurping, and swallowing around Edgar's cock with lewd fervor. She tracked her progress by the ribbed ridges on his shaft. By only the second ridge, she had to consciously turn off her avatar's simulated gag reflex, just so she could push herself deeper and deeper. The Dragon had undeniably fallen to wicked Faerie corruption, and she found herself loving every smutty second of it~!
Her tongue ran over flawless, marble-esque skin. Solid masculinity split her lips apart. They clung to every inch that Dragon could reach. And with every bob of her head, she reached a bit more of Edgar's glorious Fae cock. The thick head graced her tongue. A damn-near constant stream of addictive pre-cum practically poured from the tip. It coated her tongue and infiltrated her mind. The whole of Dragon's inner world seemed to take on a distinctly pink tint.
Through all of Dragon's efforts, Edgar barely reacted at all. No matter how far gone she became, she kept a close eye on him. She couldn't directly affect him, but nothing in her inner world escaped her eyes. Yet Edgar's 'bored and ignored' mask barely shifted, and certainly didn't crack at all. The apparent indifference only drove Dragon more wild, her 'service' rising to greater heights of enthusiasm.
*SLUYRP GUUP GYAYK SHLUP SHLUP MMMHMM~!*… and so on and so forth…
Dragon felt a profound sense of achievement rise in her breast when she passed the last ridge on Edgar's shaft. Only smooth, statuesque cockflesh stood before her servicing lips now. She drooled but didn't choke, moaned but didn't gag. The slick evidence of her oral attentions dripped down his cock to the base. She'd long since taken him into her throat. But her avatar was malleable, hers to mold however she thought might please him best.
A wickedly lewd thought sparked in her dazed and enthralled mind. Other than removing her gag reflex, Dragon was keeping herself entirely based on the human form. But did she really have to…? Edgar was a Fae; he certainly wouldn't judge her. And Dragon herself was an AI. Mimicking humanity was simply her personal preference most of the time.
An undistracted portion of her mind pulled suggestions from the internet. Surprisingly, she didn't have to look any farther afield than the site she managed. PHO had more than its fair share of perverts with unrealistic fantasies and fetishes. And here in her inner world, with her avatar constructed primarily from her own will, Dragon could put them to the test.
In the back of her throat, a sensitive spot — like a cross between a female G-spot and a male prostate, but tuned specifically for pleasure from the start — appeared under Dragon's concentration. On a normal human, it would've made eating, drinking, and even breathing an… interesting experience. Luckily, Dragon didn't have to abide by such mundane concerns. It was hasty and inexperienced work — Dragon was much more used to working with mechanical constructs. Still, within moments, Dragon's patent-pending Ahegao Button™ was ready for its first practical trial. And Dragon took the plunge~…
The deep breath she took was entirely for show. The sudden forward lunge that followed very much wasn't. Dragon abandoned her slow progress and swallowed the rest of Edgar's cock in one go. Her pride surged as Edgar was forced to forgo his ignoring affection. He stiffened as his entire cock was engulfed by Dragon's throat in an instant. Yet the only noise that escaped him was a curious hum. Even that testament to his self-control didn't do much to diminish Dragon's victory.
The position of Dragon's Ahegao Button™ had been calculated so that it would perfectly correspond with Edgar's cock and its glorious curve. And Dragon was happy to say that she hadn't missed by a nanometer. Immediately, her eyes rolled back in her head. In the background of her mind, she noted mental processes and routines glitching and corrupting themselves as they were overloaded with orgasmic bliss. Her avatar went stiff, stiffer than Edgar's body by far. A muffled, gurgling moan screamed from her rapturously occupied throat.
Dragon came. Her inner world shook as if the whole thing was struck by lightning. Behind her, the propaganda video stuttered and buffered on nothing and everything. Her thighs tensed. Her core clenched. A messy spray of pure pleasure squirted forth from her spasming pussy.
That, more than anything else, seemed to be too much for Edgar. His orgasm joined hers and only added to the intensity ravishing Dragon's mind. Pulsing spurt after spurt slammed into Dragon's Ahegao Button™, rushing down her throat. As they did, she felt like her mind was being smashed to pieces in the best of ways. The taste alone — indescribable ecstasy distilled into a chilled, refreshing ambrosia — was like lewd enlightenment for Dragon's virgin AI mind.
Every time she thought it was starting to wane, something inside her mind would glitch and reboot. The looping restart made something at the core of her avatar body clench, causing another squirting fem-cum waterfall to drench the ground between her legs. Eventually, Dragon had to consciously address the bug lest she was stuck in a state of perpetual climax. It only took every ounce of her willpower to do so…
"Well, now, color me rather impressed~," A sultry chuckle pierced straight to Dragon's heart. It was accompanied by gentle hands that brushed her hair out of her face, fixed her glasses, and tenderly pulled her off his cock.
"MMmmrrrnn~…!" Dragon whined at the removal but found herself without the strength to resist.
"Yes, I did not think you had that in you," Edgar said, smiling down at her when her eyes finally focused again. "You did very well for your first attempt. In both fields."
"… Huh?" Dragon asked intelligently.
Edgar didn't quite smirk, but his amusement was still practically palpable in the air between them, "Why, your propaganda efforts, of course. Don't you want my thoughts on the video you prepared for me~?"
"Uhhhhhh…"
Did she…? Oh. Oh, yes… That was the whole point of this exercise. Service for service. Edgar needed to keep up his end to complete the bargain. Still, Dragon blushed brilliantly. She'd been so caught up in her half of the deal that she'd quite literally forgotten the initial reason she was sucking his cock to the point of explosive orgasm.
She cleared her throat, "Uh, a-ahem… Yeah. Yeah, what'd you think?"
"Oh, I found it fascinating," Edgar answered. "I've never before come across such thought experiments. But I do think that some people might find the presentation heavy-handed, especially if it's all presented at once like this. In my opinion, you should separate the segments and sprinkle them around like secrets for people to find on their own. Perhaps even make a game out of it? That way, the masses will be doing half of the work for you."
"I'll keep that idea in mind," Dragon nodded. "And… and the other part…?"
"My dear, I can't imagine a better first showing!" Edgar laughed. "Satisfying a Fae is no easy task, don't you know~?"
Ego and pride swelled alongside a slightly nervous smile on Dragon's face, "I see. Good. I enjoyed it as well… One question, though… Does, uhm, does Fae cum count as Fae food…?"
Edgar blinked, utter surprise taking over his face. Dragon imagined she was one of the only people on Earth to see a stun-locked Fae. Then he began to laugh. Loud and genuine, it sounded like snowflakes in June.
"H-Hey! It was an honest question!" Dragon's exclamation only made Edgar laugh harder.
[Feat: Draggin' the pure, innocent AI to the lewd side. Nice. +100P, 100P total.]
IIIII
"How is it that you make even getting a cup of coffee into a mortifying ordeal?" Fortuna grumbled a rhetorical question at him.
Edgar simply grinned in response, "I hardly think the blame can be placed solely at my feet there, my Fortuna~."
"Hmph~!" Ciara sniffed imperiously, aping a princess archetype rather well ('Progress!' Edgar thought to himself). "Let the peasants stare. They are blessed to lay eyes on our regal visages."
"Blurbulur burbur~!" Eve nodded along imperiously with her older sister figure.
"Eheh~…" Dragon's current suit — one of the slimmer, more social models — chuckled sheepishly. "I'm afraid I'm kind of recognizable… The unique companions I'm currently keeping likely don't help either…"
"Never apologize for being known, Dear Dragon," Edgar drawled with amused advice. "Fame is a blessing and a curse, but it is always much, much more interesting than the alternative."
They'd arrived in Seattle, the first planned stop of their road trip. That first leg didn't take very long at all since Vancouver and Seattle were rather close to each other, by Edgar's understanding. Even with the speed of their progress, Fortuna was a very grumpy baby momma. From what Edgar could discern, she was almost painfully unused to wasting time on travel. It was a sentiment that Edgar could relate to, but for the moment, his opinion on the 'wasted time' went the other way.
After all, he was seeing a whole new world. One that stuck to a single coherent series of laws and boundaries, very much unlike the Faewilds that he was used to. There were no patches of reality and unreality for them to navigate around on their trip. In the Faewilds, the previous three-hour trip would've taken three days for exactly that reason. And the less said about the more… active… dangers that lurked in the Faewilds, the better. Even Edgar's mother wouldn't willingly brave the untamed depths beyond the safety of the Fae Courts. Not if she could at all help it.
Earth, by comparison, was… passable. There was still a certain beauty to the nature here, but it'd all been tainted by human hands. The consequences of sticking to human-carved paths through the world, Edgar supposed. He thought he might like to see what passed for true nature on Earth at some point. But for the moment, he was satisfied with simply focusing on humanity.
The city itself… did not impress him, though. There was a lack of weight and substance to Seattle — as if the world's narrative deemed the city unimportant. A side focus of a side focus in the greater scheme of things. Edgar found himself glad that they were merely passing through. As it was, they'd only stopped to get coffee before they were to set off once more.
The coffee shop they'd chosen was quaint in its drearyness but otherwise utterly unremarkable. Edgar knew it'd been chosen for a reason, though. Oh, Fortuna and her paths~… She was much like Edgar with his new luck in that regard, relying on unseen workings to secure ideal outcomes. But as it turned out, Fortuna's paths still struggled to predict around Eve, and even more so around Edgar himself. So it was that reality deemed the entertaining outcome of Edgar's fortune to be more 'ideal' than the victory of Fortuna's Path to Coffee. And chance conspired in Edgar's interest, looking to make things interesting for the lucky, lucky Fae~…
[Feat: Officially make your official cape debut official! +100P, 200P total.]
"Hmm~?"