LIGHTNOVELONLINE Volume 2 – Chapter 10
❖ 10 ❖
I awoke to find myself in a grand manor, not unlike Adri’s, though with a quieter, haughtier air than hers carried.
Or well, I guess ‘awoke’ isn’t the right word, huh? Because the second my eyes opened, I knew exactly what was going on.
“Another dream, huh? I swear, I-! Hm?”
I got it, I was having another weirdo dream, another me would probably show up and fuck me any second now, sure. Selfcest is apparently my new kink. It’d hardly even be a surprise, considering everything else I’d been dealing with lately.
But shit, even knowing what I was dealing with couldn’t prepare me for the shock of hearing my own voice.
It was a low, sultry hum, the kind of voice that could make any burnt out office worker give up their humanity and become a bratty succubus with a humiliation fetish.
I should know, because while it lacked the haughty confidence that it usually carried, the voice I was now speaking with was undeniably that of the woman who’d irrevocably changed my life: I had become Haqua.
“Oh what the fuck?!” I cried, staring down at my huge, blue boobs, cradled in a revealing leather outfit that looked so good I wanted to cry tears of joy at the sight. Oh, and you’d think my shouty tone’d sound bad in her voice, but guess what?! Haqua’s perfect! She even makes being pathetic sound sexy. “Iori, sure! Mio’s OC, fine! But now you’re gonna make me Haqua! What’s wrong with my dumbass brain?! Gah, get it together, loser dog!!!!”
I got no answers, of course.
Shit, and if it’s anything like the other dreams, I’m probably bound to start thinking like Haqua too. Any minute now, I’ll be wondering how anyone could possibly have the gall to call me a ‘loser dog’, was it? I must be half asleep. I’m not some mutt.
Wait! No, there it is! I’m already losing to Haqua, dammit!
"Hmm? Losing to…myself?" the words left my mouth, though I couldn't really say if they were mine at all. "I must be losing my mind. How terribly pathetic…"
?!
A tingle ran down my spine, sharp, yet wonderfully pleasant. All it took was a single utterance of that word and I felt…eerily blissful. It was as if I wanted to be degraded, to hear my own voice insult me…
Wait, wait! C'mon! Get a grip. You're not Haqua, you're Rina! Ri-na!
I slapped my cheeks, shook my head, and snapped my fingers to beckon for a golem maid, more than a little stunned by how naturally the action came to me.
I-it's fine, a little bit of Haqua's confidence feels…kinda nice, honestly.
Of course, my loser dog traits came straight to the forefront of my mind as a golem appeared before me, because fuck, they looked crazy good.
What's with you, Haqua?! Do you have a minimum bust-size requirement for staff?! Why's this girl so curvy??? Did you...make her…?
Hm? What a foolish question. Of course I did. She's born from my own mana, so naturally she'd be remarkably attractive, just like me.
Yet for some curious reason, I couldn't help but stare at my golem's breasts. I'd seen this particular golem almost every day since I moved here, and now it was as if I was little more than a desperate teenager. Embarrassment and shame was below me, but…Demon King help me, I truly felt…shy?
"Mistress, do you require my assistance?" My golem asked, standing at attention, which only served to make her mammoth chest bounce slightly. She looked so wonderfully soft…
Even that monotone voice is super cute, if she called me pathetic…uehehehe…
"M-milk…"
What in hell is wrong with me?! Did I truly just stammer that out like a teenager?!
"You desire milk?"
Golems don't feel or even show emotion the way most do, but I swear that confusion painted itself upon my maid’s usually expressionless face at that moment.
"Royal milk tea," I cleared my throat. "With plenty of extra sugar, if you please."
In my desire to cover up that embarrassing outburst, I made a particularly childish order, but it was an oddly childish morning, so I suppose I could tolerate it.
“As you wish, Mistress,” my maid bowed, and my eyes were met with a faceful of her wondrous cleavage. It looks so heavy, so full… Full of-
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath as I sat down at a small table by the bedroom window. Even as a teenager, my arousal had never felt quite this…desperate.
I understand that the maid is…remarkably attractive, but she is your own creation, is she not? Stiff upper lip, stay composed. Even if nobody else is around to see it, I won’t tolerate such embarra-?!
My maid’s remarkable speed, normally a tremendous boon, felt like nothing so much as a curse as she appeared right in front of me, her chest mere inches from my face.
“Mistress,” she spoke, as I stared straight ahead at her breasts. “Your tea. If there’s anything else you desire, you need only snap your fingers.”
“Y-yes, thank you. Excellent work,” I smiled as she set down the tea.
“Even if that means you need your arousal tended to, I would be delighted to serve-”
“No!” I shouted in an effort to deny my own arousal, which only served to make it that much more obvious. “N-no thank you, maid. I am perfectly content on my own.”
The maid gave a small nod, then left the room.
For a while, I sipped my tea in silence, though with every drop that passed my lips, I could only think of her chest. And the more I thought about them, the more my body ached, begging for release.
Embarrassing as this was, I had to tend to these feelings. I downed the rest of my tea, hastily shut my bedroom door, and scrambled onto my bed, tearing down my skirt before my head had so much as touched my pillow.
“Pathetic, truly pathetic,” I mumbled, uncaring as I slid my already damp panties down my thighs. “So aroused over your own maid. If anyone saw this, they’d lose all respect for me...”
Since when did that bother me, though? I’m usually far more self-assured, but now it’s like I’m begging for approval…or disapproval, I suppose. It’s ridiculous…
And yet I plunged a finger deep inside my dripping wet lips without another moment’s hesitation. I needed this, if I held off now, I’d surely start drooling over my poor maid.
I’m so pathetic I’m even making Haqua pathetic!!!!
W-wait, Haqua? But that’s…that’s me, right? So…
“Haaah, my poor little loser dog, not even merging with my mind can stop you from being a mutt, hmm?”
I froze, stunned by the words that left my lips. I…I hadn’t meant to say that. I hadn’t meant to say anything, but there I was, berating…me?
“Yes, I’m talking to you. Honestly, you’d think a pet could show their owner some basic respect, but I suppose you’re too stupid for that, aren’t you dear?”
A torrent of insults poured out of me, but they only spurred me onwards, making the sensation of my fingers on my clit that much more invigorating. Fuck, it felt amazing. My brain felt like it was turning to mush. I didn’t even have it in me to question why I was saying so much that I truly didn’t mean to, it was far too wonderful to listen to.
“But I suppose it’s only natural that you’d crumble under your own mistress’s touch, right Rina?”
?!
“Ahn~!”
At the sound of that name, my mind flashed white and juices spilled out between my thighs. My mind was filled with a startling clarity, bringing everything that was happening to light.
A dream, I was still dreaming. I’d forgotten entirely, my sense of self almost completely subsumed into Mistress Haqua, and I loved it. It only felt natural, after all. She’s a far more commanding presence than I am, it would be absurd if I didn’t lose to her!
But…but wait. I remember who I am, so why do I still feel so much like Mistress…?
Her haughtiness and my desperate needs had mingled into one. I was in Mistress Haqua’s body, and so all my thoughts and actions were being filtered through her, it seemed. It did nothing to erase my own pathetic feelings, but they were carried with so much more confidence now.
“Haaaah… Mistress Haqua…” I moaned, still lost in how incredible her fingers had felt inside me.
“Oh good, you still know your place…” My own lips spoke, though it very clearly wasn’t me saying these things. “And here I was worried that my confidence might make you defiant. Me, worried. Your thoughts really are a dreadful stain on the mind, dear.”
“Mistress Haqua…” I breathed. “Where are you? I…I need you…”
“Within, but with the surely disgraceful look you’ve put on my face, I believe it’s time I make my exit, no?”
My eyes widened, as a strange, floating feeling welled up within me, and what looked to be another me- No, another Haqua slowly pulled herself out from within me, before pinning me down beneath her wondrous body.
"Curious,” she looked down at me with a smirk, “merging with me has made your love even more desperate and intense. Awakened to the wonders of my being now that you've had a taste of carrying it, hmm?"
Mistress Haqua was playing it up, but…in truth, I sincerely did feel that way. How could I be anything but aroused knowing I now looked like her? The maid was beautiful, certainly, but she couldn't compare to the visage I currently carried.
"And unfortunately, merging with you has given me more than a touch of desperation, so stay still for a moment and let me indulge, pet."
"Wan…" I shyly barked, knowing such things were below me and loving it.
With little more than a snap of her fingers, my clothes vanished, and Mistress Haqua plunged her head down onto my chest, eagerly licking and sucking my breasts. I knew for a fact that they were delicious, so I was certain she'd enjoy them.
"Merging? We've-oh my! We've merged?" I asked, breathing my question out through delighted moans. We were physically separate now, sure, but considering the weirdly overlapping emotions that still stirred within us, it was clear she meant something a little different.
"I'd be too ashamed to admit it if shame didn't feel upsettingly good right now," Mistress chuckled, blushing softly as she started to finger me. "Through nothing but your own incompetence, our consciousnesses have, in fact, become one. Not irrevocably, but for the time being, the lines that separate us have become as hazy and indistinct as your former sense of dignity."
Mistress bit down on my nipple, and a loud, impossibly sexy cry filled the halls of the manner.
It's dreadfully unfair, you showing me such a good time. Mistress, I'll show you just how capable I really am~
As my lips curled into a smirk, I wrapped an arm around Mistress Haqua and rolled us both over, pinning her down beneath me. In my normal body, this would have surely been impossible, but as I am now, it took no effort at all.
Or maybe, just maybe, Mistress let it happen. She did say that she'd picked up some of my emotions.
"My turn," I breathed, then slowly licked my way down the curve of her breasts. My destination was her crotch, but I would take my time getting there, I wanted to savor this.
"Worry not about our merging. We’ll separate in due time, and I won't have any distractions as I savor this feeling."
I nodded as much as I could without taking my tongue off of her soft, supple skin.
"For now, we partake of the pleasures we've been afforded-Nn!" Mistress shuddered as I slowly ran my tongue down the length of her lips. "So show me everything that my body has made you capable of, Rina dear."
My wings flapped in agreement, and I plunged my tongue inside her, lapping up the ambrosia of her juices, noting the slight aftertaste of desperation.
Delicious…
“Fuck, giving you a tongue that actually knows what it’s doing is- Nn~! Quite something indeed…” Haqua chuckled, as she snaked her tail between my legs and started rubbing me through my panties with the tip.
“But hmm, I rather think that I’m wasting this opportunity.”
I kept licking Mistress Haqua, sucking on her clit as I tried to not let it show how worried that made me feel? Was I not doing a good enough job for her? Impossible, I’m sharing her talent, not even I could impede her ability to make anyone overflow with pleasure.
Then what, pray tell, was the problem? Did she want me to lick and suck even harder? My, she really has picked up some of my desperation…
With a small chuckle, I did just that.
“Ah~! But you’re certainly giving it your all, aren’t you~?” she laughed, winking at me. I’d never seen her look so breathlessly elated. “No, dear, you haven’t done a thing to disappoint me.”
I breathed a heavy, relieved sigh, my breath condensing on Mistress Haqua’s lips, surely sending a tingle down her spine.
“But I think you’ll agree that things can get so much more delightful. It’s a dream, after all, and that means I can make anything happen…”
Mistress snapped her fingers, and not a moment later, I heard a high, pathetic, and impossibly cute voice beside me.
“H-Haqua?! Wh-where am I?! Wait, there’s two of you?! Oh, fuck. That…that’s almost too much~! Uehehehehehe…”
I recognized it immediately. The bratty defiance that was always present, yet ever ready to crumble. The dorky giggle, filled with the realization that something delightful approached.
Though I’d wanted to service Mistress Haqua, I couldn’t help but remove my tongue at the sound of that voice, before coming face to face with my real self: The pathetic, eager pup, Rina Saeki.
“Y-you look kinda hungry there, Haqua. You…you doing OK?” Rina asked. Oh, how helpless she looked! I could just pounce on her right then and there…
I licked my lips, and gave a small chuckle. Was that body always so adorable? Such a cute little brat, eager to be punished and praised in equal measure…
“Y-yeah?”
That confusion on her face looked so very delectable. She was an open book, and I wanted to read every last page.
“She might be a tad overwhelmed for a moment. She’s never been able to see you the way I see you before now. Don’t worry dear, we’ll be sure to show you a wonderful time.”
“Wh-what are you-mmph?!” Rina tried to protest, only to effortlessly be silenced by Mistress Haqua’s kiss. I knew just how weak and dainty that body was, she was powerless in front of her. Well, in front of us.
“There’s no need to question your betters, dear. You want what we can give you, no?” Mistress Haqua smirked, getting a small, dazed nod out of Rina, before she looked me in the eyes. “Then you won’t waste this opportunity, will you? Come, show Rina just how deep our love truly runs.”
I couldn’t truly say if I was in control of my own actions or not. I knew this other Rina possessed what was technically my own body, but when I looked at it now, I undeniably wasn’t feeling the way I usually did about things. I knew my body was short, “runty”, as I’d often put it, but…there was more than that. It was…gentle, delicate, with any traces of harshness only making her seem that much cuter, like a dog that bared its fans only to roll over at the slightest command. The needy look in her eyes was such a delight, I wanted to shower her in love, to show her just how much her happiness meant to me.
Was this what Mistress Haqua felt when she looked at me? Beyond any desire to tease, did she simply want me to be…happy?
You’re so wonderful, Mistress…
I smiled, and with a snap of my fingers, I did exactly what Mistress Haqua would do to me, and a vibrator appeared in the other Rina’s pussy, running as fast as it could go, stirring her up and making her crumble instantly.
“Hahhhqua~! Ohhh fuck that-Ah~! It’s so shtrong, Haquahh…” Her words were coming out slurred, drenched in her own lust, no doubt. She looked so, so very happy… I wanted those feelings to grow, I wanted nothing more than to make her as blissful as she makes me.
So I leaned down on top of her and began to tease and bite her petite, adorable little boob, tugging on her nipple rings just hard enough for her body to really feel it. I- or rather, Mistress Haqua cared not for pain, but she always understood why I enjoyed it the way I did, and with my own feelings currently mixing with Haqua’s, my spine tingled just hearing the delighted, stunned cries my desperate mutt was letting out.
It was, truthfully, hard to hold onto my sense of self in all this, feeling like an amalgamation of two wildly distinct halves as I did, but it hardly mattered. There was a Rina and a Mistress Haqua to satisfy, and so I’d do both.
With Rina, it was simple, I knew what that body and soul most desired, and so I was quick to provide it, wrapping a hand beneath her and firmly squeezing her firm, tight peach of an ass, before popping a finger deep inside of her.
“Ah~!”
At the same time, I pulled my head away from her chest and began to kiss her deeply. With the surety I'd been loaned, my own tongue moved with a grace and ease that I'd never quite possessed, knowing exactly when and where to put on the pressure, and just how to carry out this dance in a way that would leave little Rina breathless.
It worked, of course it did. Rina's own tongue grew steadily more desperate and frantic, unsure of what, exactly, she should do, but working so terribly hard to please me. That effort warmed my heart, in truth. It didn't matter in the slightest that there was a world of difference between what she and I were capable of, what mattered was the spirit and passion she displayed. She loved me deeply, and so, it was impossible for me to feel any differently about her. As she reached a hand down between my legs and began to eagerly, clumsily finger me, I very nearly let out a delighted, deeply undignified squeal.
She truly was like a puppy, wishing for nothing more than her owner's happiness. So I suppose it was only natural that the side of me that was much the same began to tend to my Mistress's desires.
So I wrapped my tail around Mistress's thigh, caressing it delicately and hoping my own sincerity might shine through, before slowly snaking it up toward her crotch and gently rubbing her lips. Though she might not have usually flinched from such a thing, with some of Rina's emotions flowing through her brain, she couldn't help but shudder a little, a tiny, adorable moan leaving her lips.
As if trying to make up for that brief slip, she moved her own tail towards my crotch, and plunged it in without hesitation, pumping it in and out with a hurried, yet steady rhythm.
"My~!" I moaned, my warm, gasping breath hitting Rina's lip. Shit, it felt so very, very wonderful. So I matched Mistress Haqua by plunging my tail inside her and eagerly teasing her clit, certain that I was flooding her entire being with pleasure. And so, seemingly pushed forward by her the pleasure I offered and her growing desperation, Mistress Haqua leaned in close, wrapped her arms around us both, and joined our. Immediately, things grew less focused and controlled, as all three of us vied to make each other feel incredible, taking care to give everyone an equal amount of love and attention.
I was, in truth, surprised by just how much affection played a part in every action I took. I’d always thought Mistress Haqua to be a touch more…disconnected, I suppose. I had no doubt she loved me, but I assumed that sex was something she was so experienced with that even with me and Mio, it may very well have been simply going through the motions. But that clearly wasn’t the case in the slightest. I was so very lucky to have a Mistress- no, a partner as loving and warm as her.
“Mistresses…You’re both so incredible…” the other Rina moaned, her smile more blissful than anything I’d seen before. Her pupils, too, had changed into hearts, something I always assumed Mistress Haqua was teasing me about, but which I now knew to be one of my greatest charm points.
“But of course,” I smiled. “Our pet, though a mutt she may be…”
“Deserves nothing but the greatest Mistress any realm has to offer,” Mistress Haqua finished my sentence for me, our minds in perfect sync.
“So, dear Rina, sink into lust with us,” I continued, punctuating my words with a sharp tug on her ring.
“Wan wan~!”
“Let everything go and leave it all to your mistresses. Let your soul bathe in our love…”
Little Rina smiled up at us, and gave an eager nod.
We spent what felt like an eternity in bed together, neither I nor Mistress Haqua would allow this dream to end, and through sheer will, we made time slow to a crawl. Hours, days, months, years. None of us could say how much time truly passed in each other’s arms, but our passion didn’t falter for even a single moment. At times, the side of me that remained Rina came bursting forth, only to be swallowed up in the wonders of Mistress Haqua and the other Rina’s touch. Sometimes, Haqua’s personality was strongest in me, and I showered both Mistress and the other Rina in all the love held within me. Most often I was both, giving and receiving all at once, delighting in everything they and I had to offer.
It was truly unlike anything I had ever experienced, and yet, it reminded me so strongly of the night Mistress and I first met, and when I realized I first wanted to spend my entire life with her.
When I woke up as a pathetic, yappy runt once more, cradled gently in Haqua’s arms, I felt more at ease than I had in a very long time. Though it was only a dream, I knew that Haqua and I both remembered every second of it, and that our love had only deepened because of it.
I let out a small, tired little bark, and nestled against her boobs, sighing happily as she petted my horns.
“I’d ask if my little sweetie had fun, but I suspect we both know the answer very well,” Haqua chuckled.
“You’re amazing, Haqua… It’s almost unfair how good you are. You’re so fucking sweet, you know that?”
“My, did someone doubt how deep my feelings for her run, hmm?”
“I didn’t doubt it, but…I guess I never understood it quite so well before. It…it’s nice to know I mean so much to you, really.”
I honestly expected her to punish me for that, to burn her feelings into my mind and body and ensure I’d never fail to understand them ever again.
But no, of course she didn’t. Haqua held me close and kissed the top of my head, before smiling down at me.
“You freed me from a great deal of malaise, dear. Without you, I would still be spending my days at home, wondering if I’d ever truly find happiness. Perhaps it would be harder to admit this if I didn’t share your feelings for a time, but I truly adore you, Rina. You and Mio are my light.”
Haqua’s words were so sweet that I wanted to cry. Now that my emotions were solely my own, my inability to keep cool or calm under basically any circumstance was hitting me extremely hard.
So I buried my face in her chest, knowing it would do nothing to hide my sniffling.
“I love you so much, Haqua…”
“And I love you, dear. A pity Mio couldn’t share that moment with us, no?”
I lifted my head for a second, surprised to see that Mio wasn’t here with us, before I remembered that she’d been burning the midnight oil last night, hammering a manuscript into shape, apparently. Poor girl might still be up and at it. I’d force her to get some rest later, though.
Ah well…
I flopped back down onto Haqua’s boobs, and let out a deep, loving sigh.
Haaah, they’re so comfy…
“Sadly, even if she’d been sleeping with us last night, I doubt you could have pulled her into my mind along with you, ahaha… Not that what you did isn’t impressive in its own way, of course.”
“Right,” I spoke, still smushed between her boobs. “What did I do, Haqua? You kept saying we’d merged, and we obviously shared that dream, so…”
“A less generous host would hardly call what we did ‘sharing’,” Haqua chuckled. “It was my dream, you entered it without permission. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call you a trespasser, you know? Well, if you weren’t a mutt, of course, but who would waste their time yelling at a dog over something like that?”
“W-wan wan…”
Her teasing hit different now that I knew exactly how much affection was behind it all, but it still hurt so good.
A waste of time? Me?! Wan wan wan~!
I smiled happily, and hugged her close.
“I’ve told you as much before, but succubi can dive into the dreams of others. We can have our way with anyone we want without even needing to make physical contact. Delightful, no?”
“Right, yeah, I forgot about that, ahaha…”
“But where most succubi enter as their own entity, it seems to work differently for you, dear. Your consciousness merges with that of the dreamer, blending your very thoughts and feelings. You seemed to entirely think you were me before I snapped you out of it. It would’ve been adorable, truly, had you not shown me just how idiotic my body is apparently capable of looking.”
“Ahahahaha…” I shyly laughed. “But…shit, am I doing it wrong, then?”
“It’s rare, but it’s not wrong, per se. I know that’s rare for you dear, but this is one case where you aren’t a total failure.”
“Wan wan wan!!”
“Yes dear, quite,” Haqua smirked, scritching my ear gently. “Did you do anything to instigate this, Rina? Have any thoughts about me before bed?”
“I guess? The stuff at the festival was really touching, so maybe that was it?”
“Hmm…perhaps, but it sounds like you have little control over this as it stands. Expect it to happen again, dear.”
“Shit,” I grumbled. “It’s…uhh, it’s happened before.”
There was a moment of silence, before Haqua made a shiver run down my spine with a chuckle and an “Ohh? Do tell, dear…”
I could practically hear her licking her lips, eager for me to spill the extremely embarrassing dreams I’d been dealing with for a while now.
So, sighing heavily, I did exactly what she wanted, and shared it all. If this was going to keep happening to me, confiding in her would do a lot to make it easier to handle.
“And both dreams were about you! How splendid, it almost feels as though they pulled you in, no?”
“Can they do that?!”
“Who can say? People like you are rare indeed,” Haqua chuckled. “Still, Mio and I might have to alter your body to make you…what was it, Rika? She sounds like a delight. Getting her to crumble would be tremendously satisfying…”
I shuddered and let out a small squeak. There was no way Haqua didn’t know how badly I wanted that.
“But…shit, if I’ve entered Mio and Iori’s dreams before, then they’ve gotta know that, right? It’s fine if Mio does, but if Iori knew I saw what I did…Shit, she’s gonna think that I think she loves me!!! She was just having a drunken horny dream, I shouldn’t have seen that!”
Haqua furrowed her brow and looked at me with the most pitying expression I'd ever seen.
Did…I say something weird?
She sighed and shook her head.
“They likely have no idea,” she said, much to my relief. “It took a tremendous amount of willpower for me to assert myself enough to give myself any kind of agency within the dream. For a while, I thought I was just having a rather pathetic dream, seeing no reason to doubt even your loser dog tendencies as coming solely from me.”
“Shit, really? I made you feel pathetic?” I asked, looking up at her.
“Watch your tongue or you’ll wear a ball gag for our entire vacation, mutt.”
“G-got it!” I yapped, hugging her tight as penance.
“But yes, dreams are a curious thing, and while a succubus’s presence might make them particularly vivid, one typically sees little reason to doubt their actions within them. Your secret is safe, dear.”
“Mm, that’s good…” I nodded, sighing softly. “Can’t help but feel a little guilty for seeing it, though.”
“Think nothing of it, dear. If I truly wanted you out, you would have likely been rejected. It should only happen with those you have some degree of kinship with. This is a talent, to be certain, so don’t treat it like a curse, Rina. Ah, but please be sure to let me know if you share a dream with Wakaba, though. The thought of her acting like you sounds like quite a treat~!”
“Got it,” I chuckled, nestling into Haqua’s chest again. If she said I shouldn’t freak out about it, then I’d make a sincere effort to not to.
…Not that I’d tell Iori what I saw anytime soon, of course. She was likely embarrassed enough about it, I didn’t need to pile more onto her.
“Still, to think you, of all people, would be capable of such a thing…”
“But I’ll always be a loser dog, right?”
“Oh undoubtedly,” Haqua chuckled, and petted my head. “There’s nothing in this or any realm that could ever hope to change that, dear…”
❖❖❖
Later that day, Haqua wandered into the manor’s parlor, and saw Adri curled up with a tablet in her hand, reading something with a gentle smile on her face. It was, thankfully, one of the incredibly rare moments where she could find her sister alone, without any of her partners in tow. Still, she looked around for a moment, half expecting to be surprised by a ghost or fairy bride. When she was sure they were alone, she cleared her throat, and called out to Adri.
“A tablet? I thought you were too attached to the sensation of a page beneath your fingertips, Adri.”
“Ah, dearest sister,” Adri smiled, gesturing for Haqua to sit next to her. “You’re right, this simply doesn’t compare, but as this has not yet been published, I’m left with no other choice. Thankfully, the quality of the work more than makes up for the deficiencies of the medium.”
“Oh my, is that…?” As Haqua took a seat and her sister nestled in against her, she peered at the tablet screen, immediately recognizing the novel that had so captivated her sister. “I’m thrilled Mio sent her work to you. She’s a talented girl, don’t you think?”
“Indeed I do. Her writing is playful, energetic, and deeply sincere. I wasn’t certain that such an adorable story would be to my tastes, but she carries it with so much charm that I find it impossible not to love.”
Haqua nodded and smiled, puffing up her chest with pride.
“I knew you’d understand, Adri. I have no doubt that we’ll see her name in lights any day now. Has Resta said anything yet?”
“She’s keeping everything close to her chest until her publisher has made a decision, but I’m confident her work will be selected. I’m also certain that Resta will be eager to work with her and further nurture her talent, so under her watch, her star will rise ever higher.”
“Lucky girl, I’m glad we could introduce those two to each other,” Haqua smiled, happily petting her sister’s horns. “But you know, Adri, something curious happened last night. My pet wandered into my dream and had her consciousness merge with mine. Can you imagine that?”
Adri’s eyes widened for a moment, before her expression relaxed into a gentle smile.
“To think your darling pup would be a kindred spirit… I truly thought I’d never see the day.”
“Remember how scared you were when you first started dealing with it, Adri? You were so terribly flustered! You showered me with gifts to apologize for entering one of my dreams, it was so very adorable.”
“I couldn’t stand the thought of peering in at your most private moments,” Adri sighed. “I was so worried you would come to hate me for it.”
“I never could, Adri. Besides, you hardly did anything undignified in my dreams. I had so many wonderful tea parties with Yuuki…”
“So many that it began to saturate your personality. There was a week where you couldn’t stop yourself from speaking like me. I’ve never seen you look quite so shy, dearest sister!”
“Let’s not forget the days where Yuuki’s dreams affected you so strongly that you became a gyaru just like her. You started flirting with half our school! Still, Yuuki seemed to revel in the chance to give you such a drastic makeover! Haaah, it’s a pity you have such a firm grasp on everything now.”
“You only say that because you didn’t see when a dream of Resta’s convinced me I was incorporeal,” Adri playfully pouted, before bursting into a fit of giggles.
The parlor was filled with the gentle sound of their laughter as they reminisced over Adri’s curious ability. It had given poor Adri no shortage of trouble in her younger, meeker years, but had since become something she treasured highly.
“Thankfully, Rina seems unaffected, and the same is true for Mio, Iori and I. Could you imagine if I was stuck acting like her?”
“Dearest sister as a puppy…” Adri cupped her cheek, looking as if she was about to drool. “Perhaps you should try and encourage her to enter your dreams more often…”
“No can do, she has no control over where she goes. You might end up wanting to be my pet, you know?”
“Then it’s a role I’d accept with pride,” Adri giggled. “It’s been far too long since we’ve spoken like this, dearest sister.”
Haqua breathed a small sigh, looking at the mid-afternoon sun through the parlor’s skylight.
“Far, far too long. We’ll establish a link between your manor and our apartment, though. So you can visit whenever you’d like.”
“That would be wonderful, dearest sister… I’ll have to take puppy under my wing, she could use a hand with her newfound talent, after all.”
“She’ll need it, she’s hopeless on her own.”
“I credit that gift with bringing me closer to all of my wives, you know? Nothing fosters empathy quite like seeing through someone else’s eyes and sharing in their thoughts and feelings.”
“Oh, I’m sure it helps, but all of that comes from you, Adri. You’ve always worked so hard for everyone else.”
“Well thank you, dearest sister. I suppose the same is true of puppy, though. I heard she put on quite a display to win you and Mio a prize last night,” Adri chuckled. “I’m sure that she and I are similar in a fair few ways. She has a way of making others gravitate to her, it seems. Perhaps she, too, will one day come to fill her days with as many loved ones as I have.”
Haqua couldn’t help but laugh a little at the thought. There was absolutely no way Rina would be able to stay as calm and composed around others as Adri, but…there was some merit to what she was saying. It was easy to picture Rina surrounded by dozens of adoring wives, all pampering her and bullying her in equal measure. And that made Haqua smile, knowing that she and Mio would be there through all of it, watching over her as the ones that made her the way she is.
Once, Haqua had worried about ending up in a group as large as Adri’s, certain that she would fade into the background. She’d always understood why it worked for Adri and her wives, but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about how such a lifestyle would work for her. Now though, she felt assured, confident that what she and Rina had would never fade, no matter how much things changed. And if Rina somehow ever did lose sight of that, well…
That’s nothing some bullying won’t be able to fix.
“Mm,” Haqua nodded. “I’m sure she will, Adri.”
