Chapter 48.5

I slapped my knees.  Conversation done, I decided it best we move on.  There was a seemingly infinite array of doors ahead of us, and we were not going to find the right one just sitting there… even if I did enjoy delving into the occasional technical discussion over the minutia of skill function.

Post-fellatio.

Speaking of, it had been some time since Lynnria’s last luck ‘discharge’ and, unlike her elders, she had yet to purchase a tolerance ability for it.  Though that was assuming she was even able to.  It might have been another of those lilim-specific abilities.  Either way, I was reluctant to suggest it.  Despite the danger of her collapsing into a quivering heap of uncontrolled lust, it was kind of refreshing to have someone hanging around that was not a constant horn dog.

And we could at least manage the symptoms.

“I have an idea,” I said.  Fumbling in my Pouch for a moment, I dug out a copper and tossed it up to Lynnria.  “Put your Rune on this.  Heads, we go in this door.  Swords, we don’t.”

The Dolilim glanced at the door in question.  This particular one featured a signboard depicting a man getting berated by his wife.

“But there’s no way this is the right door,” Arx protested.  “We need an ‘unfortunate needler,’ not a ‘needled unfortunate.’”

“Nice,” I said, appreciating the word-play.  I had not put it together before Arx said it aloud.  “This is mostly just to disperse Lynnria’s luck, though.”

Lynnria let out a huff and folded her arms.  “What for?  I’m perfectly sated, now.  Just because your… your p-p-pe—your thing makes the most delicious—”  She swallowed abruptly, and a light shade of pink began to ascend from the collar of her shirt.  “A-anyway, it’s… it’s not like you let me push you down for anything more interesting.  Unless… you wanted to?”

Jax let out a companionable chuckle as she rolled onto her feet again.  “Sure, he could, lass.  Sure.  But we can’t be rubbing at the Master all hours, can we?  Now, climb yer bahoochie down off o’ there, and be about it.”

Lynnria sighed and, pouting a little, lightly hopped from the table.  I could sympathize to a degree.  When your mind is in the gutter, it can be difficult to think of much beyond reveling in it.  Climbing out again barely even merits consideration.

As she came to stand to one side of me, she eyed the coin critically.  I could feel the puff of hair at the base of her tail absently stroking the backs of me knees.  “So… what?  I just tap it?” she asked.

We waited for a moment, but Mia did not reply.  It would seem she had already begun her assignment.

“With your left pinky, as I recall,” I confirmed presently.  “After that, flip the coin, and we’ll see where it lands.”

“Seems… awfully easy.  Don’t you think?”  She cleared her throat and began to wiggle her fingers over top of the token.  “Hear me, Coin of Mysteries.  I am Donum Lynnria!  First of my—”

“That’s enough of that!” I said quickly.  “It was embarrassing enough the first time.”

“Oh, I don’t know.  I thought you looked kind of sexy with your arms all spread out… and that interesting shadow the light was projecting through your skirt.”

Assembling the scene as she was describing it took me a handful of seconds, however once I realized what she was talking about, I had to take a moment to stare at her.  “How can say something like that with a straight face when you can barely force yourself to say ‘penis’ without blushing like a tomato?”

Her face instantly tomato-ed.  “Those are completely different things!” she said in a strangled tone.  Then she blinked a few times.  “What’s a tomato?”

“It’s a kind of large… tangy… berry?”  Technically.

She grinned.  “You mean like your—”  She stopped herself again with a surreptitious glance at the others.

That was when the pieces clicked together.  This moment had reminded me rather strongly of another… though it had been a different fruit under comparison at the time.  She had not been so shy then, but we had also lacked an audience.

Hmm… just like her swearing.  I was gradually beginning to figure this woman out.  Somewhat.

Even so, it was not like I could just tell her she did not have to be shy.  Becoming comfortable enough to be yourself in a new group could take time.  She would come out of her shell eventually.

I bumped her hip.  “I suppose.  But a plum is definitely closer.”

She chewed her lower lip for a moment, relishing the private memory.

Arx tsked.  “‘Stits, what is that?  Arousal, sure.  But there’s this subtle tinge to it…”

Jax leaned over to stage whisper in her ear.  “Yer right.  There be sommat weird to it, but I can tell she be wanting a proper winching.”

I turned to them in confusion.  “Like with a harness?”

Jax scowled and slapped my shoulder with the back of her hand.

“What?”

“I’ll just be about this, then.  Shall I?” Lynnria said loudly.  And blushing bright enough to read by.  “Heads, we go in this door.  Swords, we don’t.”

Before anyone else could pile onto her mounting heap of embarrassment, Lynnria tapped the coin with her pinky.  At the moment of contact, a brief flash of dim light spread out from the tip of her claw, arranging itself into a pattern of some sort.

The Rune of Luck, I assumed.  However, there was no describing its shape nor any hope of remembering it afterward.  All that remained in our minds was the echo of its presence.

That and—at least for me—a vague notion of symmetry along a central axis.

Then Lynnria flipped the coin into the air.  We all watched as the coin tumbled, gleaming end over end, then bounced off the floor.  Then it bounced again.  And again.  Ultimately settling on its edge.

And began to slowly roll away.

“Uh…?” Lynnria uttered.  “What does that mean?”

I had no idea, but I was not about to let the thing escape.  A full copper piece was worth something like fifty bucks!

And it was picking up speed.

However, before I could grab it, the thing rolled under an inconveniently placed coffee table, and by the time I had knelt to look for it, it was already past and on its way down the hall.

“After it!”

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So this chapter ended up being pretty wordy, and the subject matter on the table was probably not the most interesting.  Hopefully, the character interactions were enough to keep you guys engaged.

The storage run aspect was something I have a definite plan for, but the subsequent poison bolt spell might not have been the best follow up.  It was supposed to be one of those 'baby's first attack spells.'  And that makes sense given Lynnria's level, but being almost to the end of Book II, that might not have been the best choice.

So, I'll say it's open to retcon if you guys can think of something better.