"What are you talking about, Cancer?" I asked, pulling back from her with a frown, but I noticed something had changed.

I hadn't noticed it, but something was messing with my head, and only now was I starting to realize that it was even happening. Lexi had been doing something to me, and it had been making me squirrely and acting like some young boy.

"I am sorry for doing this, but I was curious how resistant you might be to my Mesmeric Voice. It is a rare skill that only the Keeper Lamia are able to use, and it is meant to help us get truths out of people rather than embellishments. It is natural for someone to try to make a story more interesting than it actually is, but I am not interested in anything but the truth. I would be lying if I told you that was the only thing that I used it for, but I can't help that I have a generous sexual appetite," Lexi laughed, and I made a stunned face and then looked at Cancer with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do I have a feeling that you put her up to this?" I asked suspiciously, and Cancer nodded.

"I did. I was curious about some things, and you gave me the answers," Cancer said, and I frowned.

"Oh? And were they satisfactory?" I asked, leaning back and letting my face relax.

"Yes, they were. You were able to keep focused, and you didn't even try to make any moves on Lexi, even though she tried to use her ability to goad you. I was sure that you could resist it even if you didn't know it was happening, but only if you actually listened to what I had told you before. I am not trying to stop you from enjoying time with other women, but I think you should be more selective. You have more than you have hands, fingers, and toes," She explained, and I sighed and stood up.

I had not seen this coming, but hearing Cancer coming at me again about this was nothing short of frustrating. There was a time and place for this kind of thing, and this was not it. I had come with real questions and was fine with Cancer staying around while they were answered.

"Not sure why you are now starting to feel that you need to do this constantly. I get it," I said, taking my cup and walking over to the coffee and teapot.

"Galio, I don't mean to insult you," Cancer said, but I shook my head.

"Then stop doing it. You made your point," I said, gestured for a portal to open, and walked through to a far corner of my island, letting the portal close.

I walked out to the beach and then sat down on the sand, closing my eyes. I was still trying to process what had just happened, and now I wasn't even sure if everything that we had just talked about was even real. I really never assumed that people would do something so childish when I was coming to them for honest information. Was this all just a fucking joke to them?

After a few minutes of silence, I opened my eyes again and looked out towards the horizon. The stars in the sky seemed to go on forever, but in the end, I didn't even know if they even existed. I felt my heart start to slow, and all the tension that had built up in my body began to fade away.

Best

No matter what kind of games other people chose to play with me, nothing could ever take away the beauty of Nature. No matter how bad things seemed, there was always something out there waiting to be discovered or experienced.

I took one last deep breath before standing up and heading back inside, determined to not let this incident ruin my day, but I was unsure how to proceed. I didn't want to go back to talk to the women, but I had to know that they weren't fucking with me this entire time. If I went and made an ass of myself, fine, but it wasn't okay if this affected other people.

I was still mad about this, so going back to this state might cause me to say something I didn't mean. Yet, my mind was blown that Cancer was the one doing all this. I literally felt like I was dealing with a completely different woman, and while she was not wrong, I was not someone to be tested.

I shook my head, trying to clear away my frustration as I walked back inside. Cancer was still sitting there, and when I looked at her, she seemed to be in deep thought, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed.

"Look," I said with a sigh, "We all agreed that we would be honest here, so why do you seem to take pleasure in testing me? If you have something to say, just say it - don't play games."

Cancer remained silent for a few moments before finally meeting my gaze and speaking.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, her voice soft and remorseful. "I know this isn't how things should be between us. I was just very curious as to what kind of person you would be if confronted with these kinds of situations. Would you be able to keep your cool, or would you let your emotions get the best of you? I wanted to make sure you were really the man that I thought you were."

I sighed again and ran a hand through my hair, feeling some of my tension dissipate. "Well, I guess that's fair enough," I conceded reluctantly. "Though, playing games like this isn't the best way to go about finding out. Still, as long as everyone is honest and straightforward, then I think everything will be alright."

Cancer smiled warmly and nodded, relieved that I wasn't mad at her. "You're right," she said with a smile, giving me an appreciative nod. "Honesty and straightforwardness are the most important things in any relationship, including ours."

"Right," I said, relieved that the situation had been resolved. "But just remember, no more testing me. No one likes being tested, and I am no exception. Alright?"

Cancer nodded, her face set in agreement. "Yes, I understand. No more tests." She paused before asking, "Would you like to continue talking about your plans for Titania?"