CHAPTER 106: TOGETHER

Rosevale’s merchant district looked different in the afternoon light.

Less chaotic, more colorful. Street vendors hawked their wares while children ran between the stalls, stealing fruit and getting chased by shopkeepers who weren’t trying very hard to catch them.

Sophie dragged Aegis from shop to shop with the enthusiasm of someone who’d been locked in a tower for years.

"Look at this!" She held up what appeared to be a crystallized tentacle.

"What is that?"

"No idea! Isn’t it great?"

"It’s kinda horrifying."

"I’m buying it."

"Why?"

"To put it in Vera’s bed."

"That’s a little bit mean."

"She’ll think it’s funny. Eventually. After she stops screaming... Probably."

Aegis watched Sophie haggle with the vendor, talking him down from fifty gold to fifteen through sheer persistence and creative threats about what the tentacle might do if not properly contained.

[She’s actually pretty smart when she’s not trying to molest me.]

"Got it!" Sophie held up her prize. "Where to next?"

"You wanted to see the bakery?"

"Yes! The one with the cream puffs you mentioned in your letters!"

"My letters?"

"You know, the ones you sent home? Mom read them to me like fifty times."

[Letters I never actually wrote. This backstory thing is getting complicated. How much lore is there here!?]

They found the bakery tucked between a potion shop and a place that sold nothing but different types of rope. The smell of fresh bread made Aegis’s stomach growl.

"Two cream puffs," Sophie ordered. "And whatever those chocolate things are. And that thing with the fruit. Actually, just give us one of everything."

"Sophie, we can’t eat all that."

"Watch me."

Twenty minutes later, they sat on the fountain edge, surrounded by empty pastry boxes. Sophie had cream on her nose.

"You were right," Aegis said. "You did eat everything."

"Told you." Sophie licked her fingers clean. "I have a very active metabolism."

"From all the sex?"

"Probably. Vera’s very demanding."

"I don’t need details."

"She does this thing with her tongue—"

"Sophie."

"What? You do worse things with Talia and Liora."

"That’s different."

"How?"

"... It just is."

Sophie rolled her eyes but dropped the subject. She kicked her feet, watching the water splash.

"This is nice."

"Yeah?"

"I mean, you’re not naked and neither am I, which is weird. But nice."

"Not everything has to be about sex, Soph."

"Says the girl with, like, seventeen different lovers."

"I do not have seventeen lovers."

"Sixteen. Fifteen. Whatever."

They wandered toward the bookstore next. Sophie immediately gravitated toward the restricted section, which was just a rope with a sign that said "DO NOT ENTER - DANGEROUS BOOKS."

"That’s not going to stop anyone," Sophie said, stepping over it.

"Sophie, no."

"Sophie yes~"

"We’ll get in trouble."

"Only if we get caught."

She pulled a book off the shelf. It immediately started screaming.

"Put it back!"

"Make me!"

Aegis lunged for the book. Sophie dodged, laughing. They chased each other around the restricted section while the book wailed like a siren and the shopkeeper yelled at them from downstairs.

Finally Aegis tackled Sophie, wrestling the book away and shoving it back on the shelf. The screaming stopped.

"You’re insane," Aegis panted.

"And you’re boring." Sophie stuck her tongue out at her.

The shopkeeper appeared at the top of the stairs, red-faced and wheezing.

"OUT! Both of you! OUT!"

They ran, Sophie laughing so hard she could barely breathe. They didn’t stop until they reached the park on the district’s edge.

"That was amazing," Sophie gasped, flopping onto the grass.

"That was stupid."

"Amazingly stupid."

Aegis lay down next to her, staring at the clouds. Her HUD flickered.

Befriending Progress: Sophie Starcaller

Status: Actually Having Fun Together

[Huh... That’s a little vague, but I’ll take it.]

"Tell me something," Aegis said.

"Like what?"

"I don’t know. Something I don’t know about you."

"You know everything about me. We grew up together."

"Humor me."

Sophie was quiet for a moment.

"Let’s see... I hate carrots. Oh, back in secondary school, I failed my first magic exam on purpose."

"Why?"

"Because if I passed, they’d move me to advanced classes. Away from my friends."

"That’s actually sweet."

"I’m actually sweet. People just get distracted by my tits."

"What tits?"

"HEY!"

"Ow- SORRY! SORRY!" Aegis relented in the face of Sophie’s fury.

They lay there, quiet and comfortable. The sun started setting, painting the sky orange and pink.

"I read all your books," Sophie said suddenly.

"You mentioned that."

"No, I mean... all of them. Even the boring ones about agricultural policy. I wanted to understand what you were interested in."

"Why?"

"Because you locked yourself in your room for months before leaving. Just studying. I’d bring you food and you’d barely look up."

[Wait, what?]

"I did?"

"You don’t remember?"

"It’s... a little fuzzy, hehe."

"You were obsessed. Said you had to be perfect. Had to be ready." Sophie rolled onto her side, looking at her. "I tried to help but you kept saying I was distracting you."

Aegis’s chest felt tight. Apparently, this was Aegis Starcaller before Emily became Aegis Starcaller.

"Sorry about that."

"Don’t be sorry. Be better."

"I’m trying."

"I know." Sophie smiled, soft and genuine. "That’s why I’m here. Well, that and your cock is genuinely fantastic."

"Sophie!"

"What? It is! Top-tier dick. Five stars. Would recommend to friends."

Sophie suddenly straddled her, hands on either side of Aegis’s head.

"Can we make out now?"

"In public?"

"There’s nobody around."

"There’s literally a family having a picnic right there."

"They’re not looking."

"Sophie..."

"Please, please, please? I’ve been so good today! Haven’t tried to grab your dick even once."

"You grabbed it three times."

"Those were accidents."

"Your hands would never accidentally end up near my dick."

"Yes they would! Very accident-prone hands."

She leaned down, lips almost touching Aegis’s.

"Come on. Just a little?"

"Define little."

"Like... five minutes."

"Two."

"Four."

"Three, final offer."

"Deal."

Sophie’s lips pressed against hers, soft and eager. Her tongue swept into Aegis’s mouth with ease. She tasted like cream puffs and chaos.

System Notification:

Current Befriending Status:

Sophie Starcaller: 95% Complete

[Almost there. But what—]

Sophie pulled back suddenly, eyes bright.

"I missed you."

"You see me every day."

"No, I mean... before. When you left." She bit her lip. "I spent so long trying to be useful. Learning everything you were learning. Thinking if I was smart enough, good enough, you’d actually see me."

"Sophie..."

"And then you left anyway. And I thought... maybe I just wasn’t enough."

"That’s not—"

"I know. I know that now. But back then..." She shrugged. "I just wanted my sister back. The one who used to read to me. Who taught me how to cast my first spell. Not the one locked in her room, obsessed with being perfect."

She hugged Aegis tight, face buried in her neck.

"I’m just saying, I’m glad you’re here now. Actually here. Not just... physically."

System Notification:

Sophie Starcaller - BEFRIENDED

Reward: Heart’s Bond - Gained permanent +10% to all social rolls when Sophie is present.

Transfer Students Befriended: 1/4

Aegis hugged her back.

"Well... I’m here. I promise."

"Good." Sophie pulled back, grinning. "Now can we make out for real?"

"We just had a moment!"

"Moments are better with tongue."

"That doesn’t even make sense."

"Your face doesn’t make sense."

"That’s the worst comeback I’ve ever heard."

"Your mom’s the worst comeback."

"We have the same mom!"

"Whatever!" Sophie replied before crashing their lips together.

[This brat...]

They made out against a tree for significantly longer than three minutes. Sophie’s hands stayed mostly above the waist, which was basically saintly behavior for her.

When they finally pulled apart, the sun had set completely.

"We should head back," Aegis said.

"Five more minutes?"

"It’s been twenty."

"Twenty more?"

"No."

"You’re no fun."

"I’m very fun. Ask anyone."

They walked back toward the academy, Sophie’s hand in hers. It felt different now. Less desperate, more comfortable.

"Hey Aegis?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For today."

"We should do it again sometime."

"Without clothes?"

"Sophie."

"I’m kidding!" She paused. "Mostly." Sophie squeezed her hand. "Love you, sis."

The words sat warm in Aegis’s chest as they walked through the academy gates. One down, three to go.

[Though I have a feeling the others won’t involve nearly as much making out.]

"What are you thinking about?" Sophie asked.

"How I’m going to befriend two assassins and a pompous ass."

"Easy. For the assassins, just let them kill you a little bit. They’ll feel better."

"That’s not helpful."

"For Darius, challenge him to a dick-measuring contest. You’ll win."

"Also not helpful."

"I’m extremely helpful. You just don’t appreciate my genius."

They made it back to the dorms, where Lune was waiting with a knowing look.

"How was your date?"

"It wasn’t a date," Aegis said.

"It was totally a date," Sophie said at the same time.

Lune’s smile was tiny but real.

"I’m glad you both had family-friendly fun."

"How can you tell?" Aegis asked.

"Sophie’s lips aren’t attached to your neck."

"That’s... actually a good point."

"I have my moments."