73 – Fluff before the Storm

73 – Fluff before the Storm

"Finally~" I fell back onto an enormous bed, barely bouncing on the objectively shit mattress. Still, the deplorable thing couldn't wipe the grin off of my face.

"That was ... " Selene started as she slumped down on a chair, cradling her head. "Stressful."Upstodatee from n(0)/ve/lbIn/.(co/m

"Yep~ but so worth it."

"How?" She didn't even glare at me, but her head snapped up a moment later. "You won't! You wouldn't!"

"What do you mean Selly~" I rolled over onto my stomach, propping my head up on a hand as I stared at her.

"You can replicate what you eat."

"I sure can," I smirked. "Though that would have been a regrettable remark if I hadn't put up a barrier as soon as we entered."

"Sorry," she deflated.

"No problem," I smiled as I started kicking my legs back and forth. Today was a good day. The best so far.

"Will you ...?"

"Of fucking course I will." I rolled my eyes at her. "Do you think I made a fool of myself for nothing back there?"

I rolled around, my head now hanging off of the side of the bed. Owieee, Selly is upside down. Still cute tho.

"They will flay you alive if they find out," she said with worry filling her tone.

"'When'" I corrected. My capability of keeping secrets was rated as D by my Mind-Cores, as in 'Dogshit'.

"Even worse," she hissed. "Do you know what they do to someone like you?"

My heart badumped in my chest at her glare. Her worry for me was radiating off of her in waves.

"I know," I said with a soft smile. "But they need me now, or they think they do."

"... That thing about a fleet was true?"

"Yep," I nodded, the action feeling quite weird with me hanging off of the bed.

"Can you tell me who is leading it?"

"Spoilers~," I smirked. "But if you really want to know, I'll tell you, but I bet you won't believe me."

"I'm not betting," she sighed. "Tell me please, I don't want to get a heartattack."

"I can heal a heart attack, don't worry!" I gave her a thumbs up ... which was a thumbs down with me being upside-down so I rolled over again.

"Not my point!"

"I know~"

"You are unbearable," she grumbled but a smiled was slowly spreading on her lips.

I really wanted to say 'but you still love me' then but the words died on my tongue. Too soon. Far too soon.

So instead, I just smiled my most haughty smile I could.

"Thank you."

"Urgh," She growled adorably. "Just tell me already."

"Guilliman."

Her brows pulled together into a frown, she blinked at me. "Did they name a new Lord Regent ... ?"

My smile widened into a grin.

"That was such a dumb title," I giggled. "Imagine his face when someone called him Lord Guilliman Guilliman."

"YOU MEAN THE PRIMARCH!!!??"

"I do~" I giggled as she burst to her feet and stared at me with her eyes wide in disbelief.

"You are lying!" That sentence would have hurt me more if I didn't know she didn't mean it.

"I won the bet."

"I don't need blood to function, it's just a convenience."

She blushed for some reason. Not that I mind, of course. It was a beautiful sight that I carved into my memory.

"Turn away please."

"You literally wear me around your neck."

"Turn away, I said."

"Yes, ma'am~!" I flopped face down onto the bed and loosened my clothes to look like normal nightclothes instead.

"Done," Selene sighed after a minute as she sat back down on the bed and I rolled onto my back again.

Don't be a weirdo, don't be a weirdo-

"Nice~" I hummed. Even in an old shirt and panties, she looked good.

"Let's just sleep."

"Sure~"

I didn't need sleep; I was an alien living off of literal life force I stole from the enemies I consumed!

That didn't mean when an absolute cute during her sleep cuddled up to me. I would not stay in bed enjoying doing nothing for as long as I could.

Still, all good things must come to an end and after only 11 short hours, Selene was beginning to stir.

I closed my eyes and laid still, making my body perfectly mimicking how a human would sleep. Heartbeats slowed, breathing relaxed, and my muscles went lax, but I still had an arm over Selene's back. I allowed myself that much, seeing as she was clutching onto me as if I was a body pillow.

She squirmed a bit, yawned and then stilled like a deer caught in headlights.

Her fingers gently tapped my hand, going around her waist as I felt her own carefully retreating from mine.

She shifted a bit more, scuttling away silently as she moved to the edge of the bed to sit up, which was the moment I took to 'wake up'.

"Morning~" I groaned drowsily as I flopped onto my back, my eyes opening slowly and taking in the still moldy ceiling. It's grown around a nanometer since I last checked it.

"Good morning," Selene tried to sound nonchalant, but I was getting a handle on my Empathic abilities. My little cutie was embarrassed to have hugged me while sleeping.

"Ah~" I threw off the blanket and jumped to my feet, starting to stretch some. I didn't need to, of course, but I still felt like yoga and stretching exercises had a calming effect on my soul. This was one of the few things I kept from my old self.

I made sure that Selene got an eyeful too as I did it and her not making a sound during my ten-minute morning yoga probably meant she appreciated it.

"Breakfast?" I asked with a satisfied sigh. "Do we even have breakfast here?" I asked as I plopped down onto another chair. We had our double bed, a cupboard and this table with two chairs in this room, and that was it. Plus mold.

"I - umh," Selly blinked awake. "I don't know?"

"Ah well," I shrugged. "I don't really need it, but I guess you'd be rather hungry by now? You lived off of my bio-energy for the last few weeks."

"I can go a few more without it..." She grimaced. "Can you do that revitalization thing again?"

"Sure~" A small surge of bio-energy she collected into her armour — now choker — went through her body, transforming into all the nutrients she might need while calming her nervous system and chasing away her fatigue. This was a basic 'hit-me-up' futuristic coffee I made for her, and I had something very similar coursing through my body every second. It barely took any energy aside from the nutrients. Manipulation costs less than creation.

"Thanks." she shivered but jumped to her feet, almost vibrating with energy.

Anything for you, Sel.

"Don't mind it," I smiled. "Ready to kill some aliens?"

"Yes," she nodded like an overly eager puppy.

"Well, then~," I hummed. "I have some stuff I want to try out, so let's go?"

"Yes."

As we stepped through the door, I slipped my hand into hers and to my delight; she intertwined our fingers after only a moment of stillness.

[~Ping!~ Achievement Unlocked: H*ndH*lding! Congratulations!]

These Mind-Cores are growing increasingly sassy lately.

No matter!

Time to take out my puppy for a walk~