Having a new body is fun and all, but there is one thing that's been pestering me. Where in the Blue Hell is my DICK!?
“Well this is embarrassing,” I thought mirthlessly, looking up at Atharva while she pointed her sword at my face. I was currently folded up like a halfway-done lawnchair, my feet practically touching my chin. Zaelstrom was wrapped up in her tail, and she saw fit to keep smacking the side of my face with the sword.
Grunting in annoyance of being belittled like this, I grabbed the sword in my mouth and used my wings as a springboard. The muscles were surprisingly strong enough to send me over her head, but I was really going for having both of my feet slam into her cocksure mug.
I used the momentum in my body to aileron roll off the ground and land on my feet, twisting Atharva’s tail and causing her to flip onto her back with a startled yelp. Taking the opportunity while it was still ripe, I sprung onto her and slammed each of my four extremities onto hers. She was pinned, and I was applying all my weight to keep her like that.
Spitting Zaelstrom out onto the floor next to her head, I grinned like an idiot and tapped the side of her jaw with my own. “And down goes Frazier,” I remarked smugly, and thought highly of myself for exacting revenge on all the humiliating pins and tosses she gave me; not counting all the painful wallops with that Godforsaken shield she had strapped to her right arm.
“Interesting. After ten minutes of ‘fighting’ me,” she mocked, “you’ve finally managed to come out on the proverbial ‘top’! I’m impressed you were able to pin me like this, and let’s not forget your ability in placing me on the ground. It’s been quite some times since anyone’s been able to do that, without my say so!” Atharva stuck out her tongue and licked the side of my face with it. “You’re perfect for my mate after all! And you didn’t even use your highly coveted Hearth’s Fire to do so!”
I raised my brow. “What the heck are you blabbering about, Atharva? In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have a clue.” I felt her body move slightly, alerting me to foul play I hadn’t the time for, so I applied more pressure to her limb’s joints. “Stop moving about. I was state champ in Wrestling. You’re not going anywhere, girly.”
“O’really,” Atharva snarked quickly with a smile. “That technique you used earlier look very well done. As a refresher course, let me tell you who I am. The name’s Goddess-Queen Atharva: Head of House Amaranth, The Immaculate One, Aphrodite’s Lingering Shell,” She purred, sending a shiver down my spine. “The last name is... ‘Diviser of Heinous Tech!’”
My poor stomach never felt so much pain, and as I screamed and looked down in horror at the barbed tail sticking out from my stomach; Atharva saw fit to add insult to my new injury by pecking the top of my head with a kiss, using the small wings on her back to drive herself forward, and then rolling us both over with her weight so that her back was now on my stomach.
I gave a pained holler as the barbed tail sliced me internally, before wiggling itself out quickly. Giving a gasp from the pain, I tried rolling over with all my might. Being able to pin her effectively before this happened, you could only imagine the amount of worry that swelled in- and out -of my recently-pierced, toned stomach as she didn’t even budge. Looking down my chest, I saw Atharva straddle me and smile lecherously. Her face was near my stomach wound, and my ‘freak-o-meter’ assaulted the red zone, which is the second to last section.
“Looks like I win, love~! When you fought me earlier, I could tell from the look in your eyes that the use of Magic would nary be on my list of worries! But don’t worry, Silas babe~,” Atharva purred as she slid her tongue over the top edge of my stomach wound, making me wince in pain. “I’ll be tasting a lot more than your blood in a moment~!”
I was never one to be affected by emotionally damaging situations. ‘Murders and deaths happen, even though they shouldn’t, so why should I fear it happening to me,’ is what I tell myself every day. This isn’t a place to be terrified; this is a time to use some of the aggressor’s words against them. “But the only thing I got from her is Magic and Hearth’s Fire. She might as well been speaking her alien talk!”
A tugging from below made me roll my eyes. Sexual situations and acts do not bother me, so there was about a snowball in hell’s chance of me getting any type of flustered from being felt up like this. Judging from how cold air keeps hitting my waist, I say Atharva was trying to get rid of my pants.
“There’s no button, Atharva. Unless you actually cut those pants, you won’t be gettin’ in em’.” Placing a claw on my chin while earning a bemused exhale from Atharva; I quickly began pondering the multitude of possibilities that could encompass the words ‘Magic’ and ‘Hearth’s Fire.’
“The only thing I can think of for ‘Magic’ is- obviously -Magic: The Gathering. ‘Hearth’s Fire’, however, is not ringing any bells. Also, I don’t really know which element of Magic from The Gathering will correspond with my current surroundings; or if I know that Planeswalker magic will even work. Gah, to hell with it! When you have a hammer!...”
I sucked in a deep breath of air, making Atharva look up. My cheeks were puffed out, and the smell of sulfur in the back of my throat made me gag momentarily. “Not enough to hurt her seriously; even though payback for the massive hole in my fucking stomach is an alluring idea.”
Atharva chuckled. “What’s with that face you’re making, Silas babe~? Scared your package won’t be aesthetically pleasing to me~?” She fluttered her black eyelashes teasingly.
“Scared that my package won’t be aesthetically pleasing? Did... did she just insult my dick?” I blinked once or twice, and then furrowed my brow.
“What,” Atharva mused, poking me in the upper abs above the wound big enough to fit a whole fist into. “Did I strike a sour note with that one? Did you get burned?”
Smiling treacherously, I quickly emptied the flame that was crawling at the back of my neck. Even though I was mad at her teasing of my meat and two veg’; I decided that a non-lethal impact type of flame was going to be satisfactory in removing the feminine-shaped pest from my body.
My guess was correct. The pale stream of gases rocked her face, making a deep imprint in it before exploding off with the sound of dubstep being turned up to eleven. Atharva was sent soaring with a pained grunt, flying into the cardboard boxes some ten feet ahead of me. There was a metallic clunk that rung out for a couple of minutes.
I sprung onto my feet, clutching the hole in my stomach with a pained gasp.”No, but you got burned! Now, while she’s recovering...” I hobbled to the right a little and rooted myself down, making sure that my alignment was perfect with my target. Craning my head so I could look at Judgement, I gave a pained nod at it.
“I’m the Goddess-Queen...” Atharva singsonged as rapid slashes of grey decimated the cardboard boxes she vanished behind, sending the scraps flittering down in the non-existent breeze like rotten cherry blossoms. “Did you think an Impact Breath was strong enough to defeat me? I’m insulted.”
Once again, Atharva pulled off this technique where she disappeared instantly with the sound of a stick slicing through the air at high speeds. Giving a grunt of annoyance at how fast the Queen could move; I willed myself to stay still even though every nerve in my body screamed at me to move or find shelter.
“She did this before. Back then, I tried making the first move...” I thought with a smile, balling my claws into fists while chuckling. “Gonna attack me from the back again, Atharva? You’re even using your powers against me; a simple man who has lost his battle prowess due to a sudden spell of amnesia,” I goaded, hearing some teeth be sucked on to my right. Now that I had a gist at where she’s hiding; I turned my head to face her general direction. “Some Goddess you are, huh?”
I waited in the silence of the Cargo Bay for what seemed like hours. I knew she was still watching me from the safety of her Camouflage ability. Her superspeed didn’t make my job of goading her any less difficult.
“Ya’ know,” Atharva called out with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Attacking a warrior’s ego is risky business, Silas babe. You might tempt me into doing something very painful to you if the goading doesn’t stop,” She warned, the hissing I heard from the Denizens returning once more.
I bit my lip in fear. I hadn’t taken into account that she would summon more of her Denizens in response to my jeering. This situation just went from worse to ‘oh hell no’ in the blink of an eye. Even so, I was determined to see my plan through to the end. If I chose to run here, the Denizens would have their way with my back. “Hoh? You’re still sticking to the shadows? What good is your ego when you use your powers against someone weaker than you, hmm? How are you a Goddess-Queen when you torment a greenhorn like myself?”
My cocky questions were doing wonders to her psyche. Every inquiry I made, she gave a grunt of annoyance or another suck of her teeth. Smiling widely, I continued my assault undeterred. “I see; you’re nothing more than a horny woman, completely obsessed with having a long mating rod shoved between your legs, that any remaining shreds of honor have been washed down the drain. So reveal yourself, Horny-Queen; show me that I’m wrong on so many levels.”
And that, ladies and gentleman,” I thought with a small smile as Atharva reappeared in front of me, a look of pure scorn written over her face as she cocked her right arm back. “Is how you lure Fafnir over the hole.”
*POOM*
I exhaled any air in my lungs from the ferocity of her shield bash, my body actually leaving the ground a whole foot. The momentum from her hit slammed into my pectoral muscles, which sent me flying backwards at speeds I had no business in calculating. “Grh, it worked!”
“Siri now,” I yelled, hearing something open with the sound of depressurizing following it. And it was here that I stuck my tongue out at Atharva, whose face was the very definition of surprise now. That lasted for all about ten seconds before a metallic-like substance wall made contact with the back of my head.
I gave a grunt of pain and knew of nothing else as I passed out.
“I can’t go out with you. You’re too apathetic. Sorry.”
“Woah, Justin; you dropped that guy with one punch! That’ll learn em’ to never mess with Mr. Apathy of Chester High!”
“You think so lowly of everyone, Justin. How do you ever expect to find happiness in life if you only dwell on the bad?”
“Listen, son: there’s an easy way and a right way. Keep in mind that what’s easy, isn’t always right; and what’s right, isn’t always easy. Just keep thinking your way through situations and never give up!”
Groaning in pain, I slowly tried opening my eyes. All this did was disorient me more. With a sigh that carried incalculable amounts of exasperation and weariness, I forced my weighted eyelids open and peered at the all-white wall with a tall rectangle cut into the center of it.
“Siri motioned at me from the door I just flew through. It was all a plot; my antagonizing Queen Atharva into hitting me from the front.” I grunted in equal parts exertion and pain, shakily rising from my sitting ‘v’-legged position on the ground. My eyes lingered on my stomach for a moment, and I was surprised to see it healing itself around the edges of the wound! “Now that’s a little cool too. This body is just full of surprises.”
“Enjoy your nap, Silas babe~?”
I widened my eyes a little before closing them with a sigh of annoyance. Looking over my shoulder; I was not surprised to see Atharva there, twirling Zaelstrom like the color guards at Chester High; with one hand.
Sucking my teeth, I offered the stronger Queen a hard glare as I finally stood erect; clutching at my healing stomach as- surprisingly enough - blue blood dripped down the cracks between my fingers and jacket.
“Get bent, girly. How the hell did you get in here,” I asked with no small amount of venom, watching with disinterest as she glared at me for my rude tone.
“You should be happy I let you off with an intact pelvis, Silas. You were the only one worthy enough to sire my young.” Atharva placed a gloved claw on my shoulder and massaged it sensually, sending shivers up my spine as her freaky ass came around the side and slid her claw off while winking at me. “I really wanted to hear how you sounded during the act, but alas; you were knocked out, by your own scheme no less.”
Rolling my eyes once she was directly in front of me, I turned my back on her with a huff. “You took what you wanted. Why are you still here? What’s your purpose?” I scanned the white metal in front of me, not really caring about any answer she could give. As far as I’m concerned, she could say anything and be lying through her teeth.
“You were raped, and yet, do not desire retribution? Your memories have truly eluded you then, Silas Epista. The old you would’ve killed me where I stand, and then used my scale hide as a foot-stool when he gets weary from training. Nevertheless,” Atharva purred in that silky voice of hers as she hooked her arms around my neck and pressed herself against my back, giving a momentary sigh of comfort. “My business has been completed. I shall be heading back to Asla now. Will you not come with me; to live in a palace with me all the days of your life, and help nurture the seed that I can feel growing inside me?”
I looked over my shoulder with a stoic gaze, locking eyes with the Goddess-Queen of Asla.
“Ewwww....”
“Listen,” I began somberly, not really knowing how to broach this weird-ass topic she just brought forth. “I was never one to sugarcoat things, woman. There’s no way in hell I’d ever know happiness if I returned with you to Asla. I don’t remember the language all that well, or you for that matter.” Turning around completely; I reached out with a claw and lifted the copper-colored head of the Goddess-Queen, which had become downtrodden with my recent words.
Piercing her soul with my steely glare, I waited for any sort of response as she stared up into my eyes. “I could never be the man you once loved... ever.” Her whole world seemed to shatter from that as her eyes filled with tears and widened. Seeing this happening, I gently placed a hand on her midsection. This action caused her to gasp and look down. “But, this baby; this seed... it will love you unconditionally where I cannot. Take it as a reminder of the man you once, and still may, love. But know that I cannot return with you.”
As cool as I was sounding right here, the inside my head was like, “Please take the bait! Please take the bait! Please take the bait!”
I honestly expected to be beheaded on the spot, but when Atharva crashed into my chest while weeping; you could only imagine the look of pure stupidity gracing my features in that time. Zaelstrom fell to the ground, and Ouroboros Aegis dispelled back into the metal pauldrons; Atharva opting to clutch my opened jacket’s opening sides like her weapons.
“... You’re right,” She sighed out, still sniffling onto my bare chest. Sighing from the awkwardness of having a female you’ve never meant rape and then snuggle me, I placed a hand on the back on her head and rubbed it; because it was the spur of the moment and I really didn’t have much choice after breaking her heart like that. “... You’re not the Silas I want and need back on Asla.”
“Ah,” I agreed, “I’m not. But I’m sure the seed that has taken root within you will grow into someone even greater than I was. It was nice meeting you,” I paused, “again. Take care on your voyage back to Asla,” I lifted her head by her chin and offered a fake smile, hoping she’ll take the freakin’ hint and go away. “My Queen.”
I didn’t have time to prepare for the french kiss that came after that. Her tongue invaded my mouth again, and I barely held back the notion of barfing all over her tonsils from the fact that she raped me earlier in order to get a prodigal heir. But her kiss was filled with so much loss and passion that I dismissed my repulsion, if only by a little amount.
Breaking it off, Atharva decided this was a good time to bend down and pick up Zaelstrom. Placing a hand over the blade while holding the entire sword horizontally with the handle; Atharva closed her tear-filled eyes and adopted a face of concentration.
I had to address the pachyderm farm. “Uh, what the hell are you doing with Zaelstrom?”
Atharva didn’t respond, either because she was ignoring me or felt like there was no reason to entertain me with an answer. Instead, she continued humming to herself as the sword glinted and gleamed in the all-white room.
And then, when the room was completely silent; Atharva saw fit to open her eyes quickly, showing the completely red sockets as blood-red tendrils of a gaseous substance leaked from the corners of them. As if this wasn’t creepy enough, Atharva started hissing the words to an incantation I could never understand.
“Si renthisj ekess wer, Zaelstrom,” Atharva hissed, her voice echoing like a hundred heathen practitioners singing praises to pagan gods over the corpse of a burning virgin. My nerves were committing suicide one after the other as Zaelstrom started to float out of her hand and angle itself to having the tip face the floor. There it hung suspended, like a criminal after a quick lynching.
The sky-blue, diamond-looking katana was then encompassed in a shell of blood red. Atharva’s head tilted to the left with an audible crack, making me jump minutely as her bones snapped. “Xkhat klael huena throdenil!” Atharva, despite her broken neck, saw fit to finish this creepy-ass ritual at long last; crossing her forearms into an ‘X’ as the field around Zaelstrom dissipated in a flash of black and red.
The sword fell and embedded itself in the ground as Atharva stumbled backwards a little. I saw that as her back arched further than her legs could keep up with, she was going to fall. Leaping towards her quickly; I brought my arms up in the forklift position, cradling her sides in the embrace of my rippling forearms. Of course, this only served to make me fall with her.
I was winded from the impact of my stomach against the unforgiving metal, but Atharva looked rather well off from all that transpired. “Good for her. Least she didn’t get her ass handed to her for ten minutes straight,” I thought morosely, wincing when the pain of an impaled section of your body being hit registered. “Not counting the fucking pain of landing on a hole in your goddamn stomach.”
“B-bwuh?” Atharva looked rather out of it as she leaned her head forward to look at me. “You caught me, Silas? You really aren’t yourself...” Atharva trailed off momentarily, taking a deep breath and then removing herself from my hold. “I should get going now. Asla is at war right now, and it’ll only stop if either I or you return as victor from a hard-fought battle.”
I raised my eyebrow, still on the ground but not letting that fact deter its raising. “You mean the one you won?”
“Your tone indicates this is no longer a problem. You would be right, Silas. A child,” She placed a hand on her stomach and looked down at me. “Will be all it takes to stop the fighting between Alphas and Omegas. This is due to the fact that a child conceived of both Alpha and Omega blood; you” Atharva said as she pointed at me. “Would have denounced all violence with the Queen and sired a child. I am an Alpha, Silas. A Sigma is the product of an Alpha and Omega coming together,” She explained with a sagely nod, crossing her arms and waiting for a question to be fired at her.
Her expectations would not be tarnished. “I see,” I commented indifferently, standing back up and zipping up my jacket so that a low-cut ‘V’ was the outcome of the action. “What’s the difference between Alpha and Omega. I’ll make an inference about Sigmas based on what you tell me, by the way.”
“Alphas are gifted with magic; Omegas are blessed with critical minds. When I reveal the truth about our relations to the masses back on Asla, the war will stop.” Atharva dusted herself off and made her way over to the opening of the ship. I followed her warily, not trusting her completely.
“Magic? Huh, like the ability to control fire and whatnot? Sounds awesome,” I snarked, dusting myself off as well. I shifted my weight between my right foot and left, practically bouncing as I did so. When all the kinks were knocked out finally; I found myself at the back of Atharva who was using her tail to curve around my midsection. “Maybe it’ll help with the hole in my stomach,” I droned out without amusement, still a little butthurt from the wound that pulsated pain every once in a while.
“Be grateful it was just the tip of my tail and not the entire spade. You wouldn’t be able to form sentences has the poison barbs taken route inside of your bloodstream.” Atharva’s voice was like a pretty handkerchief given to you by an orphan, who later revealed herself to be a repeat rapist that doused said hanky in chloroform.
I gave a nervous chuckle, wincing when the side of spade brushed overtop of my concealed wound. “Yeah... so do you know any magic that will help me with this wound of mine? Is it better to let it heal on its own?” Both of these questions were meant to curb her attention towards my plight and drop the caresses of her tail.
Scrounging my face up in disappointment when she not only turned around, but kept her tail-spade on my stomach; I contemplated many ways on how to eat barbecued alien dragoness, even if the endeavor to do so would probably end with my horrid defeat and another hole next to or above my abdominals.
“If you use the Eldest Tongue of Common, magic should be within your palm. Just remember the Three Paths of Magic, and you should be able to avoid any,” Atharva went on to explain more, but I silenced her train of thought with an ill-timed cough.
I ignored the narrowed eyes and went on with my question. “Don’t just skip over the whole ‘Three Paths of Magic’ thing like it’s nothing, Atharva.” My subtle demand made her narrowed eyes brighten a little, and I could’ve sworn there was a spark of mischievousness in them as well.
Atharva poked me in the chest with a gloved finger, making me raise an eyebrow again. She smiled as she said, “Hearth’s Fire: it is a living manifestation of the First and Third Paths; Power and Will. This flame is also your staple weapon, for you have a strong distaste towards giving up and an otherworldly synonymous power and soul about you. Which brings me to your Element.” Atharva removed her tail from around my side and stomach, placing a gloved claw on my left eye.
“When my Stalker slashed you earlier, they left a large amount of microbionic symbiotes that tunneled through your wound and into your bloodstream. They acted as relays, speaking to me through the Draconic Link, so that I may know of your abilities and adjust my combat style as such.” Atharva grinned cheekily as she caressed my face, completely satisfied with touching me in any way, shape, or form.
“If I wanted to, your heart could’ve been disintegrated and discharged from your rectum. My symbiotes will forever be inside you, relaying me information about your current situations and such.” Laughing out loud, Atharva removed her claw from my eye and placed it on my cheek. “I know everything you’re thinking about right now, and from before our little tussle. Which means the classification of your Element is a cakewalk, Silas; it’s Fire.”
I rolled my eyes and turned away from her caress, walking back into Judgement and looking around. By the door where I stepped away from Atharva, there was a silver door that was metal in nature to my-right-her-left. That door held no indications of an apparatus to enter it, such as a handle or sensor. “Which probably means Siri operates everything in here. Ugh... all this white is bothering me.”
Turning back around, I nearly bumped into a glass egg seat. But because of my curiosity, I fell when I did touch it with a claw; for it rotated around and caught me- by the fucking stomach no less -and proceeded to keep spinning around. Its fun was halted abruptly when I made quick use of my feet, however; stopping the sadistic chair from twirling as I brought myself to the rightful seating position.
Footsteps made me turn my head, coming face to hip with Atharva as she came around and sat on my knee; leaning back so that her head was under mine and her muzzle on my neck. “You’re not going to activate the Comfort Camouflage protocol,” Atharva purred, her eyelids fluttering in weariness instead of lust. Her voice was becoming lethargic and strained, and I could tell that sleep was clawing at her from the inside out.
“Comfort Camo? I guess she’s talking about something Siri can do to spruce the place up? Wouldn’t hurt to try...” I trailed off mentally.
“Siri,” I called out, knowing the hologram was in here somewhere because she opened the door and the lights were on. “What are the options available for the Comfort Camouflage protocol?”
It was with a ding that Siri appeared in front of me with her claws on her hips, tapping her foot with a raised eyebrow to boot. “And where’s my ‘thank you’, Mr. Slave Driver? I put my life on the line to get you in here, and the only thing you’re concerned about is a camouflage program?” The hologram woman wasn’t mad, just disappointed with my priorities apparently.
“Thank you, Siri.” I rolled my eyes as she narrowed hers with humph. “Now, what are the camos available for Judgement? I’m actually curious about this whole thing.” Siri, in response to my command, decided to turn her back on me with yet another humph of disgust.
Sighing deeply, I apologized to her. “Once again, I’m sorry for talking to you like that. I’m just curious is all. And another thing,” I pointed at the hologram as she uncrossed her arms and placed the back of her claws’ writs on her hips. “Even though I was still raped; I thank you for at least helping me try to get away from this one.” I jerked my head down to indicate Atharva, whose eyes were closed as she slept on me.
Siri rolled her eyes and disappeared, making me raise a brow at the suspicious action. She didn’t even answer me, which made her disappearance all the more concerning. But my nerves were relaxed when her womanly voice echoed throughout the room.
“Three Comfort Camo settings exist for the Traveler-Class Shuttle, Judgement. Toasty Log Cabin Den, Humble Prairie House, or... hmm...” Siri sounded perplexed at the last one, making me clear my throat.
“Continue?”
“Ah, yes; Manhattan Apartment Complex. I’m afraid this one is lost on me, Silas.”
I, for one, was now laughing my ass off in the chair. This abrupt laughing spout caused Atharva to shoot up from her slumber and slam her muzzle into my bottom jaw, slamming it shut against my top jaw and making me bite my tongue. The rows of teeth did nothing for me too.
Groaning in pain as Atharva looked at me like I had grown a second head; I hastily decided that a nice fireplace would be the perfect setting to destroying the pain in my mouth and all the crazy shit that’s happened so far. “A dirty apartment ain’t gonna do shit for making me feel better about all this.”
“Siri, do the Toasty Log Cabin, please,” I commanded wearily as Atharva settled back down, frowning at me as I offered her an apologetic smile. Grumbling to herself, she grabbed hold of my arms and forcefully induced a hug around her.
“That’s... better...” She dozed, making me snicker as consciousness was stripped from her again. Ever so slowly did I remove my arms from around her, giving a smile of victory when I finally rested my hands behind my head and she didn’t wake up.
“Deploying camouflage,” Siri enthused, before the whole place was illuminated in a bright flash and reverberated with a dull hum. When next I opened my eyes, they nearly fell out from how wide I made them.
Apparently, I was in some type of Command Bridge. This was strangely apropos, considering the door I flew through was located near the front of Judgement. The white backdrop was concealing the entire room into looking like the Command Bridge from the Ark. Now that the camo was activated, the walls resembled deep brown tree logs, while the floor and steps flanking a huge circle in the middle of the room became a freshly waxed hardwood floor.
I knew all this was digitized, but as a fire was lit in the middle of that large circle podium in the middle of the room, those thoughts melted away. “The only thing missing is that smell of earth and freshly cooked deer jerky. There better be deer on that planet now...” I trailed off hungrily, thinking about the smoky, meaty aroma of the freshly cooked delicacy.
The Command Bridge was now more home-y in feeling, which is odd considering I’ve never stepped foot into an actual log cabin. I felt like a successful huntsman, who desperately wants head trophies of different stag and wildcats upon his log walls. But most of all, I wanted some fucking sleep.
“This must be the part where I wake up after falling asleep here. Makes sense if you think about it.” Yawning in weariness, I smacked my lips and sunk further down into the egg glass chair. The glass actually felt like a waterbed, and massaged my back sensually. This only served to bring me further down into the throes of unconsciousness.
I grabbed Atharva by her waist with my hands and hiked her up more, so that her backside was on my lap and her head on my own. She smiled, giving me a playful nip to the side of my face as I drifted off.
“At least I can write this dream down in my... dream... journal...”