SIS B5: Chapter 13: Daz Tires and Love Grows

"Mmm..." Madison grumbled.

Daz peeled his eyes away from his cellphone to look at her. He smiled warmly and said, "Morning, beautiful."

"Mmm... Morning, handsome..." she groggily replied as she used him to steady herself while sitting up. "What, doing?"

Daz shook his phone as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hugging her close to his chest. "I've been reading the public reaction to our interview last night."

"Hmm... Good, reaction?" Madison questioned before snuggling into him as if he were a pillow.

"I'd say about 50% or so of the people who watched the interview got a good impression of me. About 90% for you. There's a forum post all about you. Everyone thought you were extremely cute- a sentiment I agree with. However, a good chunk of them seem to be obsessed with what your feet look like and were trying their best to figure that out with their skills and from some still images of the boots you were wearing during the interview," Daz said as he creased his brow in concern.

Madison frowned with her sleepy eyes. "Creepy."

"I agree. The other 50% for me is a bit of a split. I'd say about half hate me and don't trust a word I say. The other 25% are very worried about my intent but are hopeful I'm not here to turn the UK into the next Korea," Daz sighed.

"But, Korea, good? People, happy," Madison said in confusion.

Daz turned and kissed the top of her head. "Change is scary to a lot of people. I do appreciate your vote of confidence though. I don't blame them for fearing what I might do were I in charge since the system has already altered our world so much."

Madison tilted her head back and kissed Daz on the nose. "Silly. Should, do, in, person, speech. Skills, would, make, accept."

"Probably. Anyway, forums are weird. Why people with literal superpowers have time to focus on them instead of dungeons or semester goals is beyond me. Shall we have a bath, get dressed, then go have breakfast? Your cousin has been standing outside in the hallway for the past two hours," Daz suggested.

A coy look entered Madison's eyes. "Don't, care, how, long, she, wait. Why, bath? Have, shower. Fun, too."

Daz smirked. "Well, I can't say no to that."

***

'What's taking them so long?' Alison thought to herself.

She'd already gotten in a fair amount of trouble last night when Daz had decided to only do one interview instead of two. Needless to mention the one interview he did do he was intentionally blunt and Madison was basically asleep throughout the whole thing.

'The last thing I want is to get punished by Lady McArthur. High Queen now, I suppose. What a dreadful woman...' Just as she thought that the door she had been standing next to for the last three hours swung open slowly.

"Ah, Your Imperial Majesty, Young Miss McArthur. Good morning. I trust you slept well?" Alison asked the two of them as they stepped into the hallway.

She obviously noticed the special glow surrounding them, more so Miss McArthur than the emperor. Alison was no spring chicken, after all. 'No wonder they took so long... Children...'

Daz shook his head. "No, I didn't sleep as my species doesn't need to."

Madison shrugged. "Was, fine."

'Uhuh... No wonder Madison was chosen to seduce him. They're equally as odd as the other. I do have to envy her looks though... I wonder where she got her face from because it certainly doesn't match that witch of a mother of hers,' Alison thought.

"I see... Well, um, I have your plan for the day if you'd like to read it over?" she asked cautiously as she passed His Imperial Majesty a sheet of paper that the head butler of the McArthur estate had personally handed to her this morning.

Alison watched with bated breath as the publicly acknowledged strongest man on the planet glanced at the day-plan before he sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

'He's no supermodel but even I have to admit that's rather fetching. Why is it so attractive when men run their hands through their hair? A mystery of the world, I suppose,' she pondered.

"Yeah, we're not doing all of this stuff," Daz flatly stated. "I waited patiently yesterday evening in consideration of my fiancée's tiredness, now though, I'm the one who's tired. We're meeting her mother in the next hour one way or another. I've had it up to here with all the political bullshit. Can you arrange a meeting or do I need to do it myself?"

Alison's brain blanked for a solid five seconds before she managed to stutter out, "I-I'll make a few calls! P-Please don't do anything rash, I implore you!"

Daz leaned against the wall of the hallway and he then folded his arms across his chest. "You've got an hour. Make sure High Queen McArthur is made perfectly aware that I have no patience for child-abusers, so if she tries to stall despite my stance being made clear, then I'll level her palace to the ground and have a chat with her when she's bloody and broken."

"Daz, mean. Also, cool," Madison commented from his side.

Alison watched as the young McArthur heir took a place next to the emperor of New Earth and its sister kingdoms. Madison then slowly let herself slid down to the wall into a seated position.

'I wish I could be so carefree...' Alison sheer her head and collected herself. "I-I'll be right back!" she replied before sprinting down the hallway while she fished into her pocket to quickly pull out her phone.

As soon as she had rounded a corner she immediately called her direct supervisor, Dorothy McArthur, the team leader of Maid Unit Sigma.

"Alison, dear? Why on Earth are you phoning me, of all people? Did something happen with the Young Miss and the Hamilio boy? I certainly hope not. The interview was enough of a mistake already given the split public reaction to it," the elderly woman on the other end asked.

Alison took a very quick second to compose herself before she explained, "Crowthorne is not happy. He threw the plan back in my face and demanded to meet with the head of the family within an hour. If Lady McArthur refuses, he threatened to destroy our ancestral home. I... I don't know what to do!"

"Bollocks. Code Red it is then. Take a deep breath, dear. We went over this in your orientation, didn't we, darling? This wasn't entirely unexpected. I've texted you Sigmund's number. Give him a ring and let him know what's going on. He'll contact the head from there. You've done great so far, dear, really, you have," the poshly accented team leader praised before abruptly hanging up.

Alison moved her phone from her ear to in front of her face and simply looked at it in confusion. "She... She hung up on me? That old witch... Fuck. What do you mean, Code Red? What orientation? I was just told to look after them during their stay, nothing else!"

Alison felt very lost right now. Lost and pissed off. With a heavy sigh, she dialled up the number she'd been supplied. What else could she do?

***

"What, plan, say?" Madison asked, tilting her head back to glance up at Daz. This resulted in Mr Barrier getting squished against the wall and the back of her head.

The furry blob of blue didn't seem to mind not jiggle. If Daz had to guess, the creature was trying to get him to ignore its existence. 'You won't get out of talking to me later, you strange little thing.'

"They wanted us to go on a T.V. morning talk show, meet some of the country's most well-known rankers, have lunch with some wealthy businessman, then do a public demonstration of our personal power before finally meeting your mother in private," Daz recited what the piece of paper he'd been given had listed.

Madison made a long 'hmm' noise then nodded. "Boring."

"More than that. I think it was a test from your mother to see how far she can push my boundaries. Maybe she tried to alter some things and is seeing if she can manipulate me. Me or you, I'm not sure," Daz observed. "That or this place is just insane."

"Can't, be, both?" Madison questioned with a tilt of her head.

"Maybe. I don't know anything about your mother beyond what you've told me, really," Daz admitted. "You don't know the power given by Alteration at level four or level five, right?"

"Nope. Don't, care, too. Maybe, Rose, know..." Madison hugged her knees and pressed them firmly against her torso. "Mother, bad, person. Scary."

Daz smiled lightly. "With me by your side, nothing can possibly come close to my level of scariness."

He witnessed the love of his life activate her Ember of Expression to smile warmly at him. "Not, scary. Daz, cute."

[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 19%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 20%.]

Just seeing her lips curling up was enough to get his heart pounding and force his love for her to flourish.

"Hah, cute? Me? I have a feeling Mu would dispute you on that one considering what his Embers let him see when he's around me," Daz laughed.

"Don't, care. To, me, you, cute. Cute, handsome, kind, loving... damaged, like, me. Not, perfect, but, love, you, despite, flaws," Madison said as her cheeks flushed with a shade of pink. Her smile became one of embarrassment but also one of deep love.

[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 21%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 22%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 23%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 24%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 25%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 26%.]

"... You should use your Ember of Expression more often. Apparently, it's able to make me love you more than I already did. Love's an interesting emotion. It seems to have no limit," Daz commented.

Madison brushed her hair behind her ear. "Ember, of, Love, gain, mastery?"

"Yup," Daz answered.

"Mine, does, too. Every, time, I, talk, to, you. Or, Rose. Also, when, with, twins, for, long, time... Esper, kids, too. World, full, of, pain. Full, of, love, equally, too," Madison claimed, shocking Daz somewhat.

"Every time? What's your mastery level?" he asked immediately.

It wasn't that he didn't believe her. Daz didn't need his Eyes of Truth to know every word she spoke to him was nothing but honest. He was just left speechless at her claim.

'None of my Embers do that. The closest thing I can think of is when my Ember of Endurace explosively grew during my recent fight with Crusher and the time my Ember of Majesty jumped a whole realm after seeing that thread world involved with the Mark of the Fallen Ones' Heavenly Edict,' Daz pondered.

"Let, check. Always, increasing. Hard, to, track," Madison said to which Daz happily nodded. A few seconds later, she said, "Learned, Level, final, mastery, fifty, nine, percent. Proud?"

"Of course I am. Learned level... that must be the stage after Beginner then? So two stages above Initial?" Madison nodded in agreement. "What's your ranking on the Ember Insight leaderboard?"

"Hmm..." A few more seconds passed before she answered, "14."

"I'm at 21. I started at 24. You started after me... Hmm... Well, I already know what the reward is for the top ten thanks to both Mu and Mister Sorola. I'm very proud of you. Want to try using the Ember actively on me and see what happens? Not much else better to do while we wait," Daz suggested.

Madison slowly clambered up to her feet. She dusted off her backside then nodded. Her smile faded, a sign of her no longer channelling her energy into maintaining her active state of the Ember of Expression.

She put a hand on Daz's shoulder. Slowly, a pink glow formed and swirled around in her eyes. Not a moment later, this glow turned into a stream which acted like a bridge between Madison's irises and his.

A powerful feeling of longing, of lust, of possession, of trust, of deepness, but most importantly, of love, overwhelmed Daz.

All of these feelings centred around Madison. Without meaning to or even thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

Daz pressed his forehead against hers and then stared into her green eyes that were tainted with the pink glow. He then kissed her softly. And then he kissed her again. And again. And again...

[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 26%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 27%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 28%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 29%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 30%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 31%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 32%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 33%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 34%.]

Daz ignored the messages. He instead let himself be controlled by the only emotion he could feel right now; overwhelming love.

***

[Ember of Love [Entry-level (middle mastery)] has increased to 69%.]

"Uh... Um, am I interrupting something? T-The hour's almost up, so..." Daz heard a voice say.

He then felt Madison cancel her active usage of the Ember of Love, returning his mind to its normal state.

Daz kept hugging Madison closed to himself for a moment before he gradually pulled away from her. He then slowly wiped his mouth and turned to face the McArthur woman who had interrupted them, not failing to glance at his lover's heated cheeks while he did so.

"Yes, we were training. It's fine though. Will her mother meet us or am I to ruin a historic building today?" Daz asked emotionlessly.

'For me to have broken through the Initial mastery phase of the entry-level and then progressed more than halfway through the middle mastery stage just by making out with Maddy for... how long? It couldn't have been more than 45-minutes. Simply incredible,' he thought.

"Oh, uh, right. Training. Um... yes, Lady McArthur has agreed to meet with you both as per your request. If you'd follow me? Transport to the Primary Palace of the McArthur estate has been arranged," the young woman a few years Daz's senior going purely based of looks said.

Daz nodded as he carefully but confidently grabbed Madison's hand. "Lead the way."