Chapter 137: This Is A Hospital Part 1
Having left the school and headed for the hospital, Carl Klaire and Kyubi found they were far from sitting idle.
Lydia was spending every spare moment training those she had recruited from the families that joined the faction. As a result they were looking at her more like a daughter of Lillim than a succubus.
When they initially walked in there was only a single individual on the front desk. "Hello, ho-... Oh! You're Carl aren't you? Sorry, I haven't seen you since that weird spontaneous party Lillim insisted on."
"Yeah and everyone was a bit too confused to pay attention to details that night. Where is everyone? We thought we'd come visit."
The woman replied with a somewhat shaky voice and pale expression. "Oh, the others, they're a bit busy with on the job training..."
"Why do you suddenly look and sound like you saw a ghost?"
"It's just that, well, Lydia is a bit relentless with training and won't appreciate interruptions."
Carl looked back at Klaire and Kyubi with concern.
"You don't think..."
"...That Lydia has gone workaholic-mode again? Yeah, sounds like it and there's no picture this time." Klaire replied as she shook her head from side to side and shrugged her shoulders. "Guns or games?"
"Sorry, do you two mind filling me in?"
Kyubi asked the question as the sense of tension had built to a point where it felt like they were getting ready for a fight.
"Lydia is celibate... That doesn't agree with a succubi's physiology, so when she gets particularly stressed it shows in a dangerously obsessive personality." Klaire explained the situation, going on to use how she was after losing her IDC job.
"She's a horny psycho? well why doesn't she just find someone to release that pent up frustration with?" Kyubi remained entirely oblivious to the fact that Lydia chose to abstain from relationships for a reason that Carl had experienced himself.
"She can't... She's a very powerful succubus, and can even turn Lillim's daughters against her. She refuses to be with anyone because she can never be sure they aren't simply being affected by her."
"Ah, I see, an impressive feat. Between the loyalty, fear and common sense, I didn't think anything could turn her daughters against her. I see why she has problems with intimacy..." Kyubi thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers theatrically as she once again seemed to get younger.
"You're very cute Kyubi and we'll talk about how you seem to quite literally change ages on the holiday, but right now, could you tell us the plan?"
"Okay my sweet Klaire, we're going to help Lydia find love!"
"Kyubi, I love you, but our age you, is worse than me." Carl chuckled, before asking for details.
"Sorry! Talking about setting her up makes me feel younger than I have in years and besides isn't twenty year old me to your liking? How bout you Klaire?"
A few subtle nods and throat clearing coughs later they were back on track.
"So, this plan of yours?..."
"Right, yeah... So, I was thinking, she can just double date with us. You can use your aura to snuff out her pheromones, maybe even adjust Healy or make something new to suppress them when you aren't around."
"Is that even possible?"
"Of course, did you forget you already overwhelmed her once? Believe it or not their pheromones are the result of a mutated racial divinity. If you worked your powers together, it may be possible to even grant her full control one day."
"It doesn't seem like it will be easy to achieve that. I'll ask her, but I won't do anything like that without permission."
"Good I'd let Klaire gobble you up completely if you did. Now let's go!"
"Carl, our girlfriend was clearly a bit hyper at our age, Let's see how much we can learn about her before this wears off."
After that, they had the woman working reception point the way and went to go and follow an immature and unpredictable Kyubi's plan, which neither of them really had any expectations for.
As they started on their way, Kyubi hooked an elbow with them and skipped along, following the directions until they came to the ward where Lydia was training the others.
When they arrived and saw the black-ringed eyes and sunken faces, Carl and Klaire winced and knew immediately that it was going to be an ugly situation. Lydia had temper at the best of times, but they knew the last time she had spun out it took both of their mums to rein her in.
"Kyubi, let's handle this deli-" Carl had spoken as softly as possible, but that simply excited this younger Kyubi they were dealing with.
"Lydia! Call us your charms, because we're gonna help you get lucky!"
[ GROUP MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM CARL : LYDIA IS IN FULL MELTDOWN... KYUBI LOOKS ABOUT TWENTY. IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE REQUIRED. ]
Carl barely had enough time to send the message before a tray of surgical equipment was hurled at them, bouncing ineffectually off of their barriers.
"Wow, did you see that? Lydia's super tough!"
"Kyubi, I promise, if you stop antagonising her I'll help you burn off some energy..." Klaire turned bright red, but it was worth it to try and end the madness Kyubi had unleashed.
"That sounds great, but stop acting scared of her. Can you two release your auras already? Klaire, protect the others, Carl, you get to neutralise her."
Just as portals opened, they did as instructed and Lydia soon collapsed under the weight of Carl's aura.
"What is all this?" Faylorna asked upon seeing Carl seemingly attack Lydia, before turning her gaze upon Kyubi. "Kyubi? I've never seen you look so young before, it seems my Klaire and Carl have been a bit too kind to you..."
"Carl, please tell me what Kitsune is." Lillim interrupted.
"Well originally Kyubi called them the infant form of the Celestial fox, but after telling us about the hierarchy, I think she meant the pre-elevated form."
"Correct, which means that their temperaments are the same. What kind of personalities do youthful Kitsune have?"
"The kind that can't be taken at face value..."
"So, why would you follow this one to something you know is stupid?"
"...Because I'm stupid too?"
"Awww, but you're so cute my lovely..." Kyubi said before pouncing on him and giggling.
Danielle suddenly rushed past and got to Lydia's side, then picked her up and ran back through the portal she had come through with Faylorna.
"Why did she grab Lydia? I got it when we were kids and we could have been hurt, but Lydia couldn't hurt us now could she?"
Kyubi giggled again. "Haha! You guys are so silly, do you still think she's a normal hybrid? She's more like Gilgamesh I guess, you know? Two thirds Succubus and one third human. I could see her hiding her horns, wings and tail."
"Carl, Klaire, can I borrow your girlfriend for a short while? I think it would be best to return her to a more mature state, the difference between looking twenty and thirty-five is actually about two thousand years of development.
I'm willing to bet that you don't want to have to deal with an immortal, toddler with an affinity for Chaos and Mind and at an age she had barely learnt that just because she can doesn't mean she should."
"Sorry Kyubi, I'm on Grandma's side with this..."
"Well, I kinda made a promise..."
"Looks Like Klaire's taking me, Lillim can lecture whatever's left and Carl can kiss it all better."
"Typical fox tart..." Tiamat grumbled. "...Klaire, don't be afraid to get rough with her if she starts acting up."
"...No offense Klaire, but you could stand to get a bit rougher with me regardless."
"Okay Kyubi, that's enough, let's get you home and try to make you feel a bit more like yourself then shall we?" As Kyubi opened a portal and Klaire stood there more embarrassed than she had ever been before, Klaire pushed Kyubi through then produced a gun before following.
"I don't know what's gonna happen but I'm glad that I have no part in it... How do we get Kyubi back when this happens?"
"...Carl, I know you want to be able to pull her back from every issue, but leave that duty to us please."
"Why?"
"Because Carl, the only way to make her older is to make her feel the weight of the years she's endured. We're going to remind her vividly of her family's massacre, a cruelty for her benefit."
"So this is a "only as young as you feel" kinda thing?"
"Surprisingly apt, yes. Her age and her state of mind are connected much more deeply than most."
"Well thanks, I feel bad for asking you and not her, but that was dangerous. Anyway, can you three help everyone here while I go check on Lydia?"
"Of course, I told her this ridiculous charade wouldn't last, bring it to an end."
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