Reborn From the Cosmos

I follow the sound of humming to the bedroom. My hand snaps out to the grip the doorway as another flashback consumes my senses; I hear the same humming in the dark bedroom only illuminated by slivers of moonlight, Talia curled in the arms of a womanly figure made of darkness and scales. She opens her strange eyes as two clawed fingers tilt her head up, smiling softly…

I tightly squeeze my eyes shut as I breathe through the surge of lust, inwardly cursing the sudden heat between my legs. Focus. Important things to do today. Guild and rebels going to kill each other. Monster city. Dealing with a fake seer.

The possible catastrophes do their job and settle my mind. When I open my eyes, the sensual vision is gone, replaced by a normal room bathed in bright sunlight. Someone cleaned up, replacing the utterly destroyed sheets and reinforcing the bedframe with rings of stone. Talia stands at the foot of the bed, several dresses arrayed along the edge of the mattress.

I make sure I'm in control of myself before stepping further into the room. "Hey there."

Our flower looks up, flashing one of those nearly imperceptible smiles of hers. I casually examine her, looking for any damage; Talia is by far the most fragile person in the house. My concern amounts to nothing. There isn't so much as a mark on her. As expected, Kierra won't be rough with her flower. She also doesn't seem distressed. All good signs.

"Good morning, Lou."

"Someone's in a good mood."

"It wouldn't bode well for the future if the last few days put me in anything other than a good mood."

I wince. "About that…" Emboldened by one successful conversation, I jump right into it. "Did you notice anything strange about your perception? Maybe some unusual intensity in your emotions or responses?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Don't panic. That was—"

"Kierra."

I stop short, staring at her. "Uh…"

She chuckles, turning back to the clothes. "Part of an interrogator's duties is hunting down rogue mental casters. Part of my training involved being able to notice when my mind was being influenced, by magic or other means. Poorly trained mental casters often use drugs to supplement their subpar techniques. I noticed what was happening immediately. Given I didn't feel any mana intrusion, it had to be something I ingested."

Her eyes twinkle with rare mirth. "As the only things I ingested before the effects appeared were the people on the bed, it had to be from one of you three. Alana hasn't altered her body. You are not the type to spring a surprise like that on your lovers. Neither is Kierra, but she was not in control of herself. Or perhaps, a facet of her personality was completely in charge. I assumed she was the source, something that was easy to confirm."

Er. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Like she said, the mind is her domain. How could she not notice something being done to it? She also isn't the type to lose herself to pleasure, not like the other perverts in the house. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Her head tilts the slightest bit. "Why would I?"

"Are you…fine with it?

Her smile widens. "When we made our agreement, I gave myself to you. I did so doubting you'd ever abuse that power but I was willing to accept much worse than being a sheltered mistress. Kierra's surprise was disorientating but benign. Hardly worth mentioning."

Yeah, she's a unique one. I can't imagine anyone casually talking about selling themselves like that. No, wait. I can think of one other time. Geneva was just as flippant as she spoke of enslaving herself to me.

A slightly worrying comparison.

"You look like you expected a different reaction."

"I did. Though I was pretty quick to forgive too when I learned she didn't do it on purpose. Like you said, it's disorientating and a bit annoying, but not malicious. I'm not even experiencing side-effects like Alana." Poor girl.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Talia perks up. "Effects? Suggestions or associations?"

"What are those?"

"A suggestion is an action implanted in the subconscious, triggered by a specific stimulus. It can be anything, from a trigger word to something as innocuous as a smell. When the subject registers the trigger, they perform the suggested act with no conscious thought. There are even cases where they can't remember acting, as it doesn't involve their conscious mind.

"An association is similar, but rather than an action, a feeling is attached to the trigger. The subject registers the trigger and then suddenly feel a powerful surge of whatever emotion they now associate it with. They might not necessarily act, but if someone suddenly feels an intense wave of anger, you can assume they will lash out."

"That. The second one. Well…maybe a bit of the first?" Does orgasming count as an action?

"What is happening?"

I feel a bit of secondhand embarrassment on Alana's behalf, but Talia isn't someone to keep this from. She might be able to help, something I'd prefer over trying to make sure Geneva doesn't stick her fingers in places they don't belong. "Whenever Alana hears Kierra's nickname for her, she has cums. Just a little."

Talia's eyes widen a fraction, the closest she comes to slack-jawed shock. Then she does something new. She giggles, a soft little sound, like a little girl trying to suppress her laughter after hearing a juicy secret. I desperately command my brain to save the memory in perfect detail, inwardly sighing knowing that I can't. The woman is surprisingly adorable for someone who emotes so little.

She proves as much again as the sound only last a moment before her expression returns to a blank mask. "My apologies. It reminded me of the stories my teacher would tell me about the dangers of the mental affinity, the terrible things unchecked casters have done in the past. They were meant to make me cautious, but I found them more amusing than anything. All the incredible things they could do with their magic and they spent decades honing their abilities to make their enemies think they were cows or some other nonsense."

Depends on the enemy.

"It sounds like a strong case of association."

"Can you fix it?"

"Does she want it fixed?"

What kind of question is that? Of course she does…right? "I'd assume so. Why wouldn't she?"

"It's hardly being made to bathe in mud or think an ugly, old man is a handsome prince."

"Let's call it being prepared."

She hums in thought. "Fix is a strong word. Associations are not broken wheels that can be replaced. There is no missing piece to be replaced or hole to be filled." She notes my incomprehension and pauses, collecting her thoughts. "Imagine someone had a horrible experience as a child that makes them deathly afraid of spiders. Nothing they try as an adult helps. They association between spiders and something horrible is deeply rooted in their mind. Do you think erasing that memory will cure them of their fear?"

"Shouldn't it? No bad experience, no reason to fear spiders, no fear."

She nods. "Correct. The problem is everything else that association is connected to. Let's say this person met their spouse as a child. Their first impression of their future lover was the other child killing a spider for them. A simple act, but the subject's fear magnifies the threat. As a result, a child stomping a bug now becomes a hero slaying a dragon—"

"Really?"

"A bit of exaggeration but the principle is sound. More importantly, the subject's perception of their lover is now tied to the feelings inspired in that event. Take away the fear of spiders, you take away their fear in their moment. What was once a heroic act now is the gross act of killing something. The trust and admiration that is the foundation of their relationship is cracked."

A sudden ball of cold appears in my chest. "Are you saying getting rid of her association can make her stop loving us?"

"Perhaps not. I'm no master of the mind, not yet. But think about her association. To create such a strong reaction, it must draw from something powerful. Since it is focused on Kierra, it is drawing on their intimacy and connection. To dampen the association, you would have to change her perception of those things. A very…risky thing."

"No." The word comes out as a command, utterly uncompromising. Maybe a threat. Just the thought of someone, anyone, corrupting or twisting our feelings for one another…I'd do unspeakable things.

Talia bows her head. "I would never."

"I know! I…" Sigh. "Sorry. That is a very scary thing to imagine."

"Mm. If she can live it with it, she should. At least until I hone my abilities further."

"Don't trust Geneva to do the job properly either, huh?"

"The difference between medicine and poison in this case is so thin, I'm not sure there is an order that can keep her from crossing it."

"Yeah. She should understand as much." I run an irritated hand through my hair. Nothing to be done about it. "Want to get out of the house? I'm going to see a fake seer before talking to a bunch of maniacs about making a city of monsters."

"As interesting as that sounds, I'll decline if you have no need of me. It has been several days since I checked on the Teppin sisters. I would check their progress and continue my work. I believe I am close to a breakthrough with the older girl."

"Oh? Something to do with the dresses?"

"Gifts."

"Huh. Let me know when they're sensible. I owe those girls a conversation." When I took them as detained guests, I expected to return them back to their lives, or as much of them as they could salvage, as I fled the city. No chance of that now. They're no longer nobles. This isn't their home anymore. Worst case, their father is going to be framed as a traitor to the crown.

Saints damn it, I should talk to Butterfly about that. They don't deserve to be imprisoned for life or executed for the crown to cover its ass. Strip him of his name and wealth but let the poor man reunite with his daughters and live out the rest of his days in a quiet village.