Walking Disasters and Me

A Connected Harem – Ch 166

A few heartbeats pass as each of them look at me with eyes widened in shock. Which, fair. Probably one of the biggest revelations I could make and I did just kind of... drop it in their lap without much warning. But better to just get it out in the open than tip toe around the topic, right?

Still though, I hold their gazes even as I nervously await their responses. Sweaty palms and beads of salty liquid beginning to appear on my brow be damned.

The silence ticks on as I do my best not to wither under their continued shell-shocked faces until a realization seems to light in their eyes. At which point, I am once again cuddle piled into a heavenly oblivion, all three of them throwing themselves forward and against my sitting form.

"I would love nothing more than to hold such a special place in your heart, dear Amelia." Sam says from my side with a wavering voice and face full of tears. "I-I never... I had never thought I would ever get such a chance in my lifetime. If you would have me, then I would accept with all of my heart."

"I likewise would be overjoyed, Miss Amelia~. Please allow me to accept as well~." Comes Jun Li's reply with just as much of a watery voice from the opposite side as Sam.

The last to respond has a bit of teasing cheek to her voice as she sits in front of me, but it's still laden with the same teary undertone, "Maybe if I go along with it as well, we can spend more quality time together, eh little bird~?"

As a touch of guilt takes some of the wind out of our collective sails, the other two snap their heads toward the catkin with glaring eyes. However, she quickly chuckles and raises her hands up defensively. "I didn't say I was against it, you two. But you both have to admit this is rather... sudden for something like this. And while you both have spent a good deal of time with her - which is especially true for you, Sammy - things just haven't been the same for myself and Amelia. Which I'm not blaming her for, just to be clear."

The other two look like they're about to reply back before I grip them tightly to me with my arms. With everyone's gazes back to me, I give them all a soft yet knowing smile before saying, "She's right. Things have been beyond crazy since I got here. Even the times I was unconscious for. Gerra and I just haven't quite been as fortunate with the luxury known as time like the three of us have been. To say nothing about Akiko and Ios."

I give Jun Li and Sam a kiss on the cheek each before focusing back to Gerra whose pink tail swats side to side in curiosity. "I'm glad you don't blame me for that, but I do promise this to you. To all of you. This isn't me just offering some powerup from my system, or trying to force newborn connections without their foundations in place for the sake of convenience.

Regardless of if you accept right now and we become bonded; I will never stop loving you for the rest of my life. And I promise you Gerra, even in the event you want to wait for now, once this upcoming war is done and dusted, we will be spending more time together. Because I do feel regret over it, even if the situation wasn't entirely my fault."

I take a breath before adding in one last piece of unvarnished truth to the lot of them. "I may be young and may not know just how important and wildly impossible this whole situation may seem from y'all's perspective, but I do know this. I simply and without a doubt can not imagine my life here on Mara and beyond without all of you by my side.

I want to love, and care, and support each and every one of you just like you've so wonderfully done since I landed here dazed and confused. Not as a repayment of any debt or some unspoken obligation, but because each of you can make my knees weak and heart somersault by just giving me a smile."

I turn to Jun Li and intertwine a hand with hers. "The utter bliss I feel when I sink into Miss J's pillowy body, and her kind and caring spirit that makes my insides melt in warmth. Her charmingly cute little laugh that sounds like a bubbling river hidden by a hand~."

Turning to Samantha, I mimic the action with her hand. "The absolute pride in myself when Samantha compliments me and how her softer side slips out even though she's been through so much. Each time I see it, it makes me want to hold and shelter her from any storm or trouble."

My legs stretch forward and softly wrap around the last person present's waist as my teal eyes find her pink ones. "And you, Gerra, how your cute and wickedly sharp teasing is always sure to bring a smile to my soul. That warm possessiveness and domineering presence that you keep teetering just on the brink of being more than enough but never too much. And the unashamed dedication you have to what and who is important to you.

And while I know such abridged descriptions of your characters does not do any of you justice, we would simply be out here for months if you wanted me to list all of the things I have grown to love about each of you in their totality."

The two by my side look to be on the verge of releasing welled tears - Samantha actually doing just that as she buries her head into my neck - while Gerra looks on in a bit of a stupor before that characteristic feline grin comes back across her face.

"Well, looks like sunbeam has a challenger for the sappiest poet on Mara now, doesn't she~? Alright, little bird~, I'll accept as well. And... thank you for asking us to begin with."

A relieved smile comes to meet hers as an unseen weight gets lifted off my shoulders. Sure, I would have just asked them again at some point if any of them had said no right now, but that means we may have missed out on the title getting upgraded for whoever missed out. A consideration both insignificant and all too important which makes the whole thing even more of a relief.

Even then, I meant what I said. Even if Gerra had turned me down for now, I wouldn't have loved her any less than I do now or would in the future. And while we may be kind of trampling on the notion of 'soulmates' as Mara describes them... I know I would do anything for these women after finally starting to accept the brutality that comes with protecting the things you love.

In a careful manner so as to not disturb the silently sobbing mess resting on my shoulder, I lean forward and press my lips to the awaiting ones of Gerra. Both of us pressing and meshing those velvet cushions together more than a few times - and with a few heady moans - before breaking off and doing the same with Jun Li. Both Gerra's singular tail and Miss J's trio now eagerly flicking back and forth against the checkered picnic blanket.

Eventually, Sam recomposes herself some and retreats from my neck with a roaring blush and still puffy red eyes. Giggling softly, I wipe away the remaining wet streaks with my thumb and then treat her to the same loving kiss as the others.

As we break away, I give her a playful look and ask, "Better~?"

She just huffs but nods her head a couple times in an adorable way that makes all of us softly chime out our still subdued laughter. "Glad to hear it~. Alright, is everyone ready? I know when Akiko and I did this, it was a bit more er... chaotic, so I don't really know what to expect."

"Don't worry about it little bird, we'll just face it together like we always do. You included~." Gerra replies confidently, not a hint or waver of hesitation in her tone.

Seeing the other two nod their assent, I give them my own in reply before closing my eyes and focusing on the quest again.

[Admin Quest Completed! Integrate into Your New Home!

You're not in Kansas anymore hun! Work hard to make friends here in Akiko's estate. The candidates are Samantha, Gerra, Jun Li, and Akiko~!

Friendship progress: N/A

Lover progress 4/4]

Hidden Conditions Met!

For successfully having all four candidates as lovers, you can now choose to make any partners who are not soulbonded to you [Intertwined Souls]!

Make the change now? Yes / No]

I mentally select the 'Yes' option without any lingering regrets and instantly feel three new connections form in my soul space. The void seems to... wobble for a bit before stabilizing again, and while there isn't some prismatic bridge like between Sandra and I, I can faintly sense where the new tethers are and who they belong to.

As I'm about to experimentally tug at one, a familiar voice pops up next to me. "Looks like its getting crowded in here, huh baby girl~?"

With the usual enthusiasm - even if its only been an hour at most - I go to turn and embrace Sandra in my arms before coming to a halt. Her usually put together form looking weary and spent even if she tries to play it off with that signature cocky smile.

After only a slight second of confusion, I cross my arms and deliver her the most deadpan of deadpans. "What happened to just talking it out with Ilya, Sandra?"That playful energy bleeds out of her as she looks away a bit shamefully. "W-we did talk. And kind of... aired out our grievances. Definitely didn't fight or anything. At least nothing serious. Just a couple spats of planet destroying energy, really, and it was settled as a tie and everything's fine now! I promise!"

My hands fly over and pinch her waist while giving her the sternest glare I can muster. "Sandra Dufort! I can't believe you still went and fought Ilya after all my warnings and your promises. And without even bringing me along! What if you had gotten seriously hurt?! We just brought you back, are you trying to leave me already?!"

"O-ow! No of course, not Aims! I promise it wasn't what you're thin - OW!! - okay, I get it!! Uncle! Let me just finish what I was going to say before you rip my sides off!!"

I finally release her abused and now slightly glowing pink skin, eyes telling her that the punishment will resume if she doesn't give a hell of a good reason for going back on her word to me.

She gulps, posture similar to a child being scolded as she rubs her sides. "Damn, that hurt..." A little growl leaves my lips before she throws her hands up between us. "Okay, okay! So, there I was just minding my own business-"

"Sandra." Is all I have to say before that last little bit of pride and diversion crumbles into dust, her head hanging low in defeat.

"I couldn't keep her from waking up forever, so I pooled as much of Raphiel's power as I could into the chains and barriers I placed around her spot in my soul. When she started waking up, they finally started to give. We did talk at first, but she didn't take too kindly to being restrained and I didn't take too kindly to how flippant she was about our whole ordeal.

I will say, I didn't start anything! She lashed out one of those freaky tentacles and broke one of my chains keeping her subdued which made the rest snap and break off as well. After that, she started trying to return the favor and we went toe to toe for a little while. Big flashy movies, anime cut aways, massive explosions, the works. We both ended up exhausting ourselves and coming to an uneasy truce about things after Raphiel showed up. She can't control me, and I couldn't beat her."

"You mean she can't control you right up until you freaking lose Raphiel's powers, Sandra!! This is why I didn't want you to fighther!!" I bark back as I begin to shake her side to side, her head whipping to and fro.

"Aims, she already knew I'd be losing them! The reason she said she couldn't control me even if she wanted was due to the strength and nature of my soul, not the borrowed power from Raphiel!" Her voice replies as it ping pongs from my left ear to right.

"And you just believed her?? What if she was lying, Sandra?! As far as any of us know, Ilya is the craftier, more cunning of the two. No offense to Ios, of course." I add on the last part just incase Ios watching like the usual voyeur she is.

I do end up giving Sandra a rest as I posit the question, her head shaking no as soon as it becomes still. "She might be, but I didn't sense any lies in her words or intents. Not while we were talking or while we were trading hands for a few minutes. At the least, it was enough to ward off my suspicion of her for now. Even if I am still a bit miffed about our whole situation and her hand in it."

My eyes squint as I reach though the prismatic bond and verify 'who' is on the other side of it. Thankfully, everything I feel back doesn't register any alarm, the uniqueness and still sometimes infuriating being before me firmly identified as my sister.

"Wow, rude. As if I would let anything replace me or something now that we're about to be together~." Sandra says with some of her usual cheek returning.

I can only sigh before shaking my head and leveling a pointed finger into her face. "You're lucky I trust you when you say you didn't start the actual fight. Otherwise, you're first week back with me would be sleeping on the couch every night, missy. But honestly, how would anyone wake up to being wrapped up from head to toe in bondage and not be pissed, Sandra?"

A massive grin pulls to her face, my pointer finger quickly shifting to flat palm to cover what was surely going to be a lewd reply that marks me as that someone. "D-don't answer that." I tack on with a blush even as she full on licks the hand covering her mouth.

Which, ironically, is enough to fully break the tension between us as I pull my hand back from her face. "Ew! What the hell?!"

"Oh please, we're about to do more than just licking palms when I get back baby girl~."

"Ugh!!" I groan out despite the entire soul space flooding in pink, "Why are you like this?!"

"Because you love it~."

"I - you - Ugh!"

I dart forward and cup her cheeks in my hands, making sure to smear a bit of her traitorous saliva while doing so, and lock her lips with mine. Both of us pressing together for a few moments before breaking away.

A mostly insincere glare on my features as I put no effort into the pinch on her slightly wet cheek. "I do love you, dork. But seriously, don't worry me like this again."

She gives a genuine look of apology as she nods, "I'll try my best. I didn't know if Ilya was going to try to obfuscate and deny things if she wasn't pressed. And the only way that either I or Raphiel knew to press a being like her was to put her at as much disadvantage as possible when waking up. I admit, it wasn't the safest plan, but... I needed answers. For both of us."

I give her a look as some of that earlier angst fades away. "Raphiel was the one who came up with this whole situation?"

"Eh..." Sandra replies as her hand lays flat and waggles in the air, "It was a joint idea. She wasn't wholly responsible for it, and she did pop in and put a stop to things once Ilya and I started getting heated. It was rather impressive, honestly. I can control all her powers right now, but not like how she uses them. And let me tell you, she's a master at using them. We're going to redefine the word 'monster' in every dictionary in the universe, Amelia."

Damn. That actually does sounds like a badass fight, one that I would've like to have seen. But she's still theoretically in the doghouse at the moment, so instead of voicing that I simply cross my arms and give a harumph. "Hmph. Well, at least you seemed to actually think this out and have a fallback plan. Much as I would have loved to actually be there to help you and see that awesome fight," Damn it, Amelia! "I guess I'll just be thankful you didn't end up getting hurt and that you and Ilya aren't going to be at each other's throat for the next thousand years or something."

Sandra smirks even wider after the slipup as she coyly answers back, "Well, we can watch it from my memories anytime~. But you have more important things to do right now and I've already eaten into the girl's time with you enough as it is. Maybe some other day we can have a movie night with all of us and watch our patron deities go ham, hehe. Now, go let the girls know everything worked~. I love you, baby girl~."

I can't help but nod and lean forward again, our lips meeting and parting in their own goodbye as I verbally do the same. "Alright, I'll hold you to that then~. I love you too~. Get some rest sunshine, I want you looking perfect when you meet everyone~."

And with that, I leave the growingly blushing yet still smiling form of my sister and return to the present.