The Outlands

“Ah, you’re back.” The receptionist, the first one they had met, said. “How’d it go?”

“We’ve completed both the road repair and the monster extermination.” Tess said, stepping up to the counter and handing the receptionist the road repair device. “We have photo documentation for the extermination on our phones, I believe we can send it to you via the guild’s app?”

“That’s right.” The receptionist said. “I’ll assign you the quest and the app should automatically update to give you a space with which you can easily upload the documentation. Your bands should also have tracked the kills of the monsters, provided you haven’t killed too many things since.”

“We didn’t come across anything on our way back, so they should still be on the kill list.” Ellie confirmed.

“Perfect. Give me one moment…”

As they worked, Maven just sort of sat and watched, grappling with herself and trying to keep herself from thinking about anything romantic. Though her talk with Life had helped, that was when she was working. Now she couldn’t give herself that excuse, and she was getting all out of sorts again.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to be alone with her thoughts for long; Tess and Ellie finished reporting quickly, and they were soon on their way back to the hotel. Once there, Maven had a brief dinner, jumped in the shower, then headed back to her room, where she could read a book to take her mind off of things.

She had been reading for about an hour when a window appeared in front of her, causing her to jump slightly.

Maven closed the window and carefully set her book down. When she had agreed to the meeting, she hadn’t expected tomorrow to be when it would be held. She hadn’t even expected Kali to have gotten back to Life within that time frame, much less be available and ready for a meeting.

Sighing, Maven got out of her bed and made her way to the suite’s main room, where Tess and Ellie were playing a video game together. “My apologies for interrupting your time together,” she said, waiting to see that their game had paused before continuing, “but I wish to inform you that I will be having an appointment tomorrow evening at around this time, so we will either need to be done with our business by then, or I will need to leave a little early.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Ellie said. “Um…is everything alright?”

Maven put on her best sincere tone for her next words. “I am not sure what you mean.” She lied. “The appointment is nothing serious, one of the other Administrators is my distant aunt, and she simply wished to meet me and talk. It will likely be mostly talk about Paumen and its history, so I am sure you would find it dreadfully boring.”

Tess and Ellie shared a look, then after a moment Tess shook her head. “If you say so.” She said. “Just know that if there is anything bothering you, we’re more than willing to talk at any time. We’re a team, and we wouldn’t want you feeling…left out or anything.”

Maven ignored the pang in her gut as she gave them a smile. “I appreciate it, but that will not be necessary at this time.” She said. “It really is not a big deal. That being said, I am going to turn in early for the night; I would like to make a good impression on her, and it would not do for me to be exhausted during the meeting.”

“Um, alright.” Ellie said. “We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Yes, I will see you then.” Maven replied, retreating back into her room. She felt guilty about lying to them, but what was she supposed to do? Spill everything to them? It would only make things worse if she came to them without being sure herself, so…honesty could wait for one day.

Thoughts on the brief exchange, Maven prepared for bed, then tucked herself in, hoping she’d be able to get some semblance of sleep before the night was over.

---

The next day was something of a blur for Maven. The type of work they were doing was something she was intimately familiar with from her lessons, and she was able to coast through most of it without much thought. They went around, gathering complaints from the townspeople and making detailed notes to give back to the guild. Maven couldn’t help but be thankful for that; by taking charge of the effort, she was able to thrust everything else out of her mind, and she soon found herself returning to the guild with the rest of her party.

They turned in their request, told the receptionist that they would not be taking further requests for the day due to a preexisting appointment, then made their way back to the hotel. There were still a couple of hours to go until the meeting, so Maven suggested making use of their Blessings to speed through the dungeon a couple of times, just to help work their way towards the next Rewards Crystal.

And, once they had finished two runs, Maven made herself presentable, then asked Life to bring her to the realm of the gods. He did, and a moment later Maven found herself standing in front of him, a gentle look on his face.

“Kali will be here in a few minutes.” He said, giving her an almost grandfatherly smile. “Make yourself comfortable, this will all be sorted out soon, okay?”

“A few minutes?” Maven asked. “I thought the appointment wasn’t for another half an hour.”

“She asked that I let her know when you arrived, so she did not keep you waiting too long.” Life replied. “There are refreshments on the table, I will see myself out now.”

He gave her another smile and left, and Maven hesitantly went over to one of the couches in the room, sitting down nervously. As Life had said, there were some sweets on the table, as well as some drinks, and Maven allowed herself to eat a bit while she waited.

She didn’t wait long. After what must have been less than two minutes, the door opened, and a very familiar-looking succubus stepped in. The royal family of Paumen had, for better or worse, made sure that their children took heavily after their mothers, meaning that the general look of the family had stayed the same across the generations, so Maven was able to instantly recognize that this woman was, indeed, her ancestor.

“Maven!” She said warmly, walking over and taking a seat across from Maven. “Amara has told me all about you. I’m Kali, your…I don’t know, a lot of greats great-aunt.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aunt Kali.” Maven said, standing up and giving her a curtsey. “Thank you for taking time to come meet with me.”

“No, thank you!” Kali said, giving Maven a bright smile. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time, and I’m super glad that you’re willing to ask for my advice with a problem, even if you haven’t met me. And please, no need to stand on ceremony, I’ve long since abandoned my title and prefer to be treated as any regular person.”

“If you insist.” Maven said, sitting down. “I…have heard good things about you from Life, and so I decided it would be wise to consult with you; though I have not met you personally, I figured that it would not be that dissimilar from seeing a therapist, and an outside perspective would be greatly appreciated right now.”

Kali nodded, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands. “Tell me all about it.” She said. “Pleasantries can come later, I’d like to help get you sorted out if that would make you more comfortable.”

Maven nodded, and began to tell Kali about the situation. It was a hesitant thing at first, but as Maven talked the hesitancy began to fade, and after a period she had almost forgotten that Kali was effectively a stranger. There was something about the woman that made Maven feel comfortable and safe, helped in no small part due to Kali’s resemblance, both in attitude and appearance, to Maven’s grandmother.

Kali listened attentively to Maven’s story, occasionally asking Maven a question or prompting her for more details. And Maven found herself spilling everything to Kali, her confused feelings, her frustrations with herself, even some gripes about her upbringing. She wasn’t sure how the topic had come up, but she had found herself explaining that to Kali as well, the way she had been raised to think about relationships, her parents, everything.

Maven found herself surprised to find that Kali knew the names of the rest of Maven’s immediate family, as well as their personalities and even stories from Maven’s childhood. She would never have guessed that Kali lived in another universe, and when she said as much, Kali gave her a sad sort of laugh.

“I don’t have the opportunity to get out much.” Kali had said. “Keeping up with the family is one of the few joys I have. Your grandmother has done a great service to me, helping keep me sane and grounded, and I couldn’t be more thankful for her.”

The conversation went on for almost an hour before Maven finally ran out of things to say. As she did, Maven found herself unsure how exactly to continue, and looked to Kali for help. “Um…and that’s basically it.” She said. “So…what do you think?”

Kali gave her an encouraging smile. “I think that you’re a fine young woman, and you’re in a very confusing situation. You’re trying your best, and I think it’s completely understandable that you’re lost right now.”

“You do?” Maven asked, surprised.

“I do.” Kali confirmed. “Would you mind if I gave my opinion on what your feelings are?”

Maven nodded. “Please do; that is why I am here, after all.”

“I think you really are in love with Tess and Ellie.” Kali said. “The way you describe it is the way I feel about my girlfriend, and I know for certain that’s love.”

Maven frowned. “But…I’m not attracted to them.” She said.

“And that’s what makes this situation so confusing. You said that, were the relationship purely emotional, no physical intimacy, that you would jump at the chance to be part of their relationship, yes?”

“I would, yes.” Maven confirmed. “It sounds wonderful.”

“Then there you have it.” Kali said. “See, the problem is that your sexual orientation and your romantic orientation don’t match.”

Maven felt like almost like she had been struck by lightning, staring at Kali dumbfoundedly. “That’s…possible?”

“It is. You’ve heard of asexual people who still want to be romantically involved with others, right?”

“I…have.” Maven admitted.

“Well, you’re kind of similar, I think; though you have physical attraction to men, it sounds like you’re romantically attracted to, well, people in general, regardless of what their gender is.”

And, when Kali put it that way, it just made sense. Just those few sentences Kali said had shattered the trappings of Maven’s preconceived notions, and Maven felt like she was able to see the situation with new eyes. “I…I think you are right.” Maven said. “It seems so obvious now.”

Kali beamed at Maven. “It’s not obvious at all when you’re caught up in it.” She said affectionately. “It’s completely understandable for you to be so confused, it’s not common at all, and not the way most people think about these things.”

Kali paused for a moment, a look of hesitancy crossing her face. “If you would like, I could fix that for you.” She said. “Not to say anything’s wrong with you, of course, just that I can make those two orientations match if it would make you feel better.”

“You can?” Maven asked.

“I can, in whatever way you want. If you want make it so you’re only romantically attracted to –”

“No!” Maven blurted out, then blushed profusely. “My apologies for interrupting.” She said. “I…I would like it if my sexual orientation was changed, not romantic. Personally, I feel that the romantic portion of it is the more…important part of things. Sexual attraction is hormones, romantic is…I cannot really put it into words, but it just feels more important to me personally. And…yes, I would very much like it if you could make my sexual orientation match my romantic one. If you have the time…”

Kali nodded. There was a strange…disconnect, the room abruptly feeling as if it centered on Kali, despite the fact that the couch she was on was against a wall. The colors felt more vivid, the shadows deeper, everything more…real, and then, as quickly as it had happened, it was over.

“What…was that?” Maven said.

“I updated your sexual orientation.” Kali said matter-of-factly. “And made sure it would stick. It’s not an enchantment, that’s your base now. And, sorry for not asking you but I sort of remembered mid-process, but I checked your mind real quick and made sure that my guess was correct and not just speculation.”

“And…was it?” Maven asked, though she already knew the answer.

“It was.” Kali confirmed.

“And…now the two orientations match? No more…confusion?”

“They match.” Kali said, smiling gently. “I can’t promise there won’t be more confusion, but I can promise that it won’t be because of the mismatch.”

Before she even had time to process what she was doing, Maven found that she had stood up from the couch, and was barreling towards Kali, arms outstretched. Kali caught Maven’s, stroking Maven’s back as they hugged. “You’ve been doing great.” Kali said. “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been.”

“Thank you.” Maven whispered, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you so much.”

“I just did what any responsible family member would.” Kali said. “It’s the least I could do, really.”

“Father would not have done this.” Maven said.

“Responsible family member.” Kali emphasized. “Though it pains me to say it, your father is much more concerned with politics than love. When it comes to these matters, I would disregard him; you’re your own person, and, whether he likes it or not, you’re more important than him and he can’t tell you to marry for the queendom’s sake.”

“I do not think he would object to this marriage.” Maven said, making that odd little cry-laugh people made when they were crying. “As the Guildmaster’s grandchildren, they are two of the most politically important bachelorettes out there.”

“Well, that’s secondary.” Kali said. “That’s not important for you, so it’s not important period.”

Maven nodded into Kali’s chest. There was a long period of silence before Maven let go of the hug. She retreated back to her couch, giving Kali a nervous smile but not saying anything.

“So,” Kali said eventually, “when are you going to tell them?”

“W-what?” Maven said. “Not for some time, they need to marry and then get settled before I would even dream of approaching them about this.”

“No, no, no.” Kali said. “I know that thought process, I’ve had that thought process. If you don’t work up the courage now, you’ll always have some excuse. Nothing has been announced publicly yet, so we have time. What’s the monogamy culture like on Mael?”

“I am not sure, but I believe that, so long as everyone consents, they do not care.” Maven said.

“Then I would recommend talking to them about it soon, maybe as soon as you get back.” Kali said. “From what I understand. they’re worrying about you, and they really do care for you. And, if they’re not up to it, then it’s better to find out now than to pine about it for years.”

Maven was silent for a while. “You are right.” She admitted. “I…yes. When I get back, I’ll tell them.”

“That’s the spirit!” Kali said. “Maven, though it might seem weird to hear this when you don’t know me well, I am so, so proud of you; I’ve been hearing about you since you were a baby, and I couldn’t be happier with how things have turned out for you. You’ve taken control of your own life and sparked the seeds for social progress in Paumen. You’re a bright young woman, and I look forward to getting to know you better in the future.”

“Please do.” Maven said. “I…I would like to know you better as well. If it is not too much trouble, will you let me know when you visit? I would love to meet with you more.”

“I was planning on it!” Kali said. “I do the same with Amara, too, and having a third in our conversations would be fantastic!”

“Are you meeting with her after this, then?” Maven asked.

“That was the plan.” Kali replied.

“We could…call her in now.” Maven said. “And I could tell her everything so you do not feel the need to keep things from her.”

“If you’re okay with that, then sure!” Kali said. “Give me one moment.”

So, they called Amara in, and Maven explained what Kali had helped her discover, and what Maven was planning to do when she got back. For her part, Amara was incredibly supportive, and very happy to see things looking up for Maven. After that discussion, they chatted for a couple hours more on the current state of the world, and what Kali’s planes were like, and then it was finally time for Maven to head home.

She said her goodbyes to her grandmother and Kali, then took a deep breath as she went to find Life. Fortunately, he was waiting in the next room over, and gave Maven a smile as she walked in. “It would seem things went well, judging by your demeanor.” He said. “Are you feeling better?”

Maven nodded. “It was love.” She said. “Kali and I talked it out, and she helped me realize that I may not have been sexually attracted to anyone but men, but romantically speaking I do not discriminate. She changed my sexual orientation to match, and things make significantly more sense now.”

Maven paused for a moment. “When I get back, I will be telling them.” She said. “I know it is sudden, but Kali was right; if it is not now, then there will always be an excuse for me not to say, and it would be better to just get it out now so we are on the same page and they can stop worrying.”

Life smiled at her. “I am happy to hear that.” He said. “And I would like to say that I approve of that decision, and no matter what happens I will treat you the same as always.” He stood up, walking over and putting a hand on Maven’s shoulder. “I am rooting for you.” He said. “Would you like me to send you back?”

Maven nodded. “I would like to do this before I get cold feet.”

“Good luck.” Life said, and then Maven was back in her room in the hotel. She took a deep breath, then went to her door, steeling her courage for what she was about to do.