Test vs Cupidity

"Yo-you want me to mess with your mind?" Reisen asked in disbelief.

"Well not permanently. Just put me out and have me do whatever you'd like to. Only if you're ok with it of course." She'd never actually but him under consensually before, only ever doing so in the midst of one of her episodes.

"Okay." Reisen said and took a moment to steel her resolve. Her eyes started to glow and she ordered, "Strip."

She seemed to be hitting him with a much weaker version of her power, as he was left feeling merely pleasantly fuzzy rather then the thought destroying intensity of her earlier attempt. But that was fine, he was willing to take this as slow as she was comfortable. "With pleasure." Test muttered sleepily as he began to strip.

Reisen hungrily eyed every movement as he made himself bare before her. Once he was done she ordered. "N-Now. P-P-Pose for me."

Test struck a heroic pose, flexing and showing off his musculature to the best of his ability.

Reisen lost it and tackled him to bed.

What happened next was blur for the both of them.

---

"Sorry, about that." Reisen said some time later. She currently faced away from Test and refused to look at him until he was fully dressed.

"You have nothing to feel sorry for that was amazing." Test said as he finished getting dressed. It seemed that Reisen wasn't quite over the unwarranted feelings of guilt her episodes induced, but at least they were making progress. Now that the topic of fetishes had been covered it seemed time to move on to the somehow more nerve-racking topic of relationships. "So now that we're boyfriend and girlfriend. What exactly does that change?" Test asked nervously. They'd started discussing this when they were eating but had been interrupted by their battle of wills over the bitterblack salts.

"I... don't know." Reisen said as wrapped her arms around herself. "Does this change anything?"

Test took Reisen's body language as a que to wrap his arms around her as well. "Maybe not. We already share a tent, and now we can rent one room instead of two when we stop at an inn, but other then that I'm not really sure. I guess the biggest thing this changes is that we don't have to lie to ourselves or each other about how we feel anymore."

"That... sounds nice." Reisen said with a content sigh as she leaned into him.

"Yes it does sound nice doesn't it."
Test took a few moments to savor the sensation of just holding Reisen in his arms, a sensation he'd long denied himself. "Well as much as it pains me to say this I think our business in this town is concluded. So unless you have a reason for us to stick around a little while longer I think it's time we thanked Mrs. Miranda for her hospitality and went on our way." He said after a few minutes, still holding Reisen in his embrace.

"I... I think I'm good too." Reisen said. "Wou-Wouldn'-t wa-want you t-to be tempted by all the pretty g-girls here." she said in her best attempt to tease Test despite her embarrassment.

"But how could I possibly be tempted when the prettiest of them all is right here before." Test said, returning her teasing in kind. With that Test finally released the hug and made to pack his things and head down stairs.

Reisen couldn't respond to that as her face lit up like a red neon light. Wordlessly, she helped Test pack up and followed him down stairs.


"You two alright?" Ms. Miranda asked. "I thought I heard glass breaking earlier, but I didn't find any."

Test made no effort to hide his bandaged hand. "It's all good. I got all the shards." He told Mrs. Miranda

"Oh my gosh. What happened, hun?" Ms. Miranda said as she rushed to his side in concern.

"I smashed a glass jar in thanks. It's not like a expected to be able smash it without getting a couple of cuts so there really is no need to be alarmed." Test said, genuinely touched by Ms. Miranda's concern but thinking it completely unnecessary.

"... Why did you smash a perfectly good jar?" Reisen asked as she raised a hand to his head. "I didn't do any permanent damage d-did I?"

Test let out a short laugh at there confusion. "No you didn't do any damage. You see the Forge of Days demands that before a craftsman complete a truely great work that they first destroy their tools. While I am no craftsman and the jar of bitterblack salts is a poor excuse for a tool it still seemed like an appropriate way to show my gratitude." He said, not fully realizing how strange this must sound to people unfamiliar with the lore of the Hours.

The pair of women blinked owlishly at him.

"Can't say I heard that one before, hun." Ms. Miranda admitted.


"B-But, how can you make something after you've broken the tools you need to make it?" Reisen said as she just failed to wrap her mind around the concept.

"I not sure. I think that's supposed to be part of the mystery, or perhaps a sufficiently skilled craftsmen is simply expected not to need their tools? Let me tell you it's not the only thing there is to be confused about. I could go on for hours." Test told Reisen with a shrug, his limited knowledge didn't extend that far. Back home he would probably have gotten in trouble for being so flippant with such information but he really didn't care anymore.

Those words did not help. In fact they left Reisen flabbergasted and unable to form words.

"So..." Ms. Miranda began as she tried to change the topic. "You two sticking around or are you finally ready to leave this lovely little village?"

Test was unsurprised to see Reisen confused by his words, well he could always explain later, if she even wanted to hear, the esotericisms of the Hours were not something everyone could wrap their heads around, even he knew admittedly little.
"I'm afraid the time has come for us to leave Ms. Miranda. But first I wanted to thank you. For everything." Test said as he offered Ms. Miranda his none bandaged hand to shake.

"You're welcome, hun." Ms. Miranda told him as she gave his hand a firm shake. "You two are welcome back, any time."