“Do you think I’m guilty of this?”
"You're taking advantage of that poor girl."
The words echoed through his head, unbidden in their continued manifestations.
He'd been expecting the row with Elodi after he discovered that sometimes his...lover's attempts to follow his aetheric trail would lead her off after the reflection. Such efforts have caused the Xaela to visit Eulmore once already, which was utterly disastrous to his attempts at educating her on modern societal expectations. Another attempt had led the Auri woman to Il Mheg, which was catastrophic in an entirely different fashion.
Oddly, his companion had found his reflection not in Norvrandt, but here on the Source. There was a slight moment of mistaking Elodi for himself, one that the shard gave him an earful over. Afterwards, the woman had plenty of chance to interrogate his wayward bedmate.
Elodi's conclusions and her accusations have left him unsettled. He had only recently begun to explore precisely what he thought of his Xaelic companion. The sudden invasion of his mirror's perceptions on the matter now makes him question his own.
Several hours later, he and the little Auri woman were settling down for dinner. As she often was, his companion skirted the edges of mania, chirping about her misadventures with a pixie while he prepared their meal. He can't help but smile, and sometimes shake his head, at her enthusiasm for the mischievous creatures who were so diametrically opposed to her kind.
Out of nowhere, as was often the case, she suddenly shifts the gears of their conversation, studying him intently before asking, "You seem rather tense, Para. Do you want me to prepare a bath for you?"
Her use of the diminutive of his name catches his attention. While she was slowly starting to call him at least 'Master Paradyme' or 'Paradyme' more frequently, such diminutives were reserved for particular moments. The last time she'd called him 'Para', she pampered him for hours. She bathed him in a distinctive bath she'd prepared before they retired and spent the night cuddling.
And he had enjoyed every minute of it after realising the genuine effort she was putting into such work.
"You're taking advantage of that poor girl."
He's considering her offer when Elodi's words again invade his consciousness, and he nearly drops the plate he's just picked up. Squinting, his hand reaches up to remove his glasses so he can massage the bridge of his nose. The little Xaela's in such a good mood, he doesn't want to ruin it, yet he can't banish the thought.
The feathering of clawed fingertips across his temples draws him back to the present, and he opens his eyes to discover his companion's joined him. She's staring up at him with a concerned expression, her tail already coiling around his free-hand's wrist in an attempt to comfort him. Managing a weak smile, his glasses are placed back upon his features before his hands reach up to gently smooth over her upper arms.
"What's wrong?" she softly inquires, still massaging at his temples.
It's too late now. Her bright mood has shattered, and she's demanding an explanation of him. He can either admit his concerns or try to lie to her to erase her worries.
Except...he discovers he can't bring himself to lie - not to her.
His hands reach up to hers, lowering them before guiding her back to the dining room table. At first, he considers sitting her down in one chair while he takes the other, but quickly shoves aside the thought. Instead, he sits down before pulling her onto his lap and embracing her slight form.
Taking a deep breath, he begins to try to explain things to her as a hand soothes over her lower back.
"I spoke to Elodi earlier. The conversation was...unpleasant," he begins with a sigh. He leans forward, and his forehead comes to rest against hers before he continues. "She is of the mind that I'm taking advantage of you, in all meanings of the words. Do you think I’m guilty of this?"
His companion's brow furrows a bit at the question, considering the accusation the other woman's levelled against him. The side of her finger lifts to rest against her chin as she thinks through everything, a faint little noise of concentration sounding from her lips.
"I don't think so? I've wanted to do everything that's been asked of me," she muses aloud. "Or I've done something I thought you might like, willingly. So...how can you be taking advantage of me?"
The answer doesn't manage still his mind, not in the slightest. He's too well aware that she's at least partially bound by his will, if not more than he's been willing to admit. As much as he's done everything he possibly can to avoid ever acting upon such consciously, he questions whether he does so without thinking. Ultimately, there's been very little she's done that he hasn't been pleased with. She even managed to make playing with the wax of candles enjoyable for him - and he's never liked it before.
"...because I summoned you," he finally admits, the words very raw and ugly after being denied for so long. "I summoned you and thus bound you to my will. As much as either of us would like otherwise, I'm still your Master."
At first, she simply stares at him, a little dumbfounded by the fact he's finally admitted such after weeks of denial. Then she does something that unnerves him even more than her wide-eyed staring.
She begins to giggle, almost uncontrollably.
Her bright and erratic laughter lacks so much control, she nearly spills out of his lap. Had he not been holding onto her as he was, she would have fallen right to the floor. The giggling is a little bewildering, after how intense his admission was, leaving him blinking rapidly as he tightens his arms about her.
"...Epis, this isn't..." he starts to interject, finding his embarrassment is keeping him from being able to properly do so.
Without warning, she wriggles out of his arms before giving him a peck on his cheek, leaving him even more bewildered by her behaviour. He's given a little wink as her giggling subsides enough for her to speak.
"Oh, Para! Silly boy!" she chirps brightly. "You're aether's still too restricted for you to be able to control me!"
As if to prove her point, she starts skipping out of the room, almost singing, "I'm off to Eulmore - don't wait up!"
She's gone before he can finish yelling, "EPIS NO!"
((I am so not sorry! Thanks for the ask, @paradymeshift! I regret nothing, dear.))
