Bit of both this time

When the carriage arrives you are greeted by Mary. She smiles when she sees you, then gets bit more neutral as her eyes drift to the sword in your hand, then avoid looking at you entirely once Green comes into view. "Hello Princess Mary." You say walking over and putting a kiss on her cheek. It's a lot more forward than you usually are, and there is no taunting at all.

Mary bites her lip as her eyes return to your face. You cannot understate just how guilty this woman looks. Honestly you'd kinda sorta forgiven both her and Green.You were going to be a lot more careful in the future, however its not like you weren't involved in being stole from. Literally you're only job is to not let the sword get lost until you return it to Sarean and you hadn't even noticed it missing the entire ride home and for a decent chunk after that. But seeing Mary's guilty face that kinda sorta became factual determination.

"Hello Christopher. Listen about yesterday." Mary started fidgeting.

"Don't worry about it. I think you made up for it by letting Vatarie win." You offered her that figuring it would open up the chance for her to taunt you and get back to normal.

"I didn't, she won fairly." Mary's voice hardened, insulted that you would believe she'd let someone win. The two of you were awkwardly silent as your interrupting her apology by wounding her pride, and her snapping at your attempt to defuse.

"Wow, mum was right you two do suck at this." Green observed from the side line. You looked at Mary and the two of you let out a relaxing laugh. "Good thing I'm here." Green observed as she walking into the muster grounds.

Mary patted her pants, wiping away imaginary sand. "Back to the beach, we'll run through your forms without magic once then move to imbuing." She walked ahead of you and you followed behind.

"Thanks." You said.

She slowed until you were even paced with her and put an arm over your shoulders to whisper, "You can thank me afterwards. Though I should get Lady Vatarie to give you some lessons in being 'thankful'. Unlike you, I actually enjoyed her platitudes." She chuckled to make clear her taunt.

"Guess that means until I learn properly I shouldn't 'thank' you at all." Your response earned a more serious response than you were expecting.

"Or I could give you some extra lessons."

"No, no, you're right no more 'thanking' you at all until I know exactly how to express my gratitude."

"But you'd only know if you're doing it right by trying it out on me." It was kinda cute how Mary had, upon realizing that she'd just taken oral off the table, was desperately trying to put it back on.

"Well that is why I have Lady Vatarie to give me lessons. Though maybe one person isn't enough to judge." You mused feeling Mary about to try jumping in to offer herself as another judge. "I'll ask Asune as well."

Beside you Mary looked like she was deflating slightly. Not wanting to admit defeat by asking you to not withdraw tongue privileges but also not wanting to have tongue privileges revoked because of a poorly thought out taunt. "I think it would be better to be judged by the person you should be thanking."

You hum out a long musing tone before saying, "You're right." You could feel a bit of both pride at having won the self inflicted battle and relief at having not lost it. "I'll ask Green to be the judge since she knows you best and as you said, I shouldn't put you through something you don't enjoy until I am absolutely positive you'll enjoy it."

Mary tried to think of a response that wasn't capitulation but she didn't have time as you arrived at the beach with Green already warming up.

"Hey Green." You called out making her look over. "Mary said I can't eat her out until I can do so correctly so I need you to be the judge." You said cheerfully.

"Wha - Sure thing!" Green's initial confusion was drowned out by her putting together what had just been offered.

"That is ok isn't it Mary?" You ask the woman trying to not grind her teeth beside you.

"Yes, that is exactly what I wanted." She said through lips that barely parted. "Why don't you start running forms now."

You walked away trying to not bask to much in your victory. It didn't work all that well as you could feel Mary's aura forlornly trying to hold onto you as you left. You think you might have just made a small part of her die. As you ran through your forms you'd look over and see Green putting together what happened as a smirk spread across her face and a grimace spread on Mary's. That's going to be fun later on. Wonder how long you and Green can keep Mary's pussy out of your mouth before Mary loses it.

When you finished your forms Mary's abandoned hope had been replaced with professionalism. She made a few comments about the forms but mostly that you'd improved since yesterday, thank you Nika. Afterwards she told you to imbue.

You blew out a breath and let the magic surge through your arm and up the spine on the sword. The feeling of the blade as you sunk magic into it was almost greedy. The light that started coming it getting brighter and brighter until even closed eye made no difference. Then, just like before, the light was gone, replaced with the dull glow from the flecks of darker gray scattered along the blade.

Mary swallowed then cleared her throat. You notice a look of, not solely respect but a little fear. "How does it feel?" She asked gingerly grabbing your hand, checking how tightly you were holding the sword and pull a few fingers a little more open.

"A little different." You said. No sword was ever heavy for you, and its not like imbuing made the sword feel like an 'extension of you arm' as some would put it, it still feels like a hunk of metal on a stick, only now it's a hunk of metal on a stick that might be a lot more dangerous than the normal level of hunk of metal of stick. "Can't say the imbuing does all that much for the feel of the sword."

Mary put her left hand over yours and moved around to hug your bag. "Let me." She moved her left hand so you relaxed, letting her move your arm around however she wanted.

She gave a few flicks left and right, then a wide swing, then pointed the sword straight and wiggled it around a little. "Having fun?" You asked not sure what this was accomplishing.

"You're imbuings not right." She said flatly. "Watch." She let you go and took a sword from Green who'd approached with one while she was puppeting you. A neatly segmented web shot out from her hand coating her sword then sinking in. She felt it pointed out. "Copy me." You did the same. Both sword were point out over the sea and she rotated hers flat side up. You did the same and she waved her sword up and down.

You watched the two swords closely but could not see what she was getting at. "I don't get it." You said rather than try to figure it out.

"That's weird." Green said from beside you, she walked towards the blade and watched them closely as the waved in the air. Then she held out a hand. "Why is yours making the air hot?" She asked looking at you.

You looked at the blade and then you saw it. The air above the blade was shimmering from the heat it was producing by moving through the air. You couldn't see it becasue you were looking at the ocean, not the smoothest surface. You looked at Mary's and saw no such shimmer.

"It's not hot." Mary said lowering her sword while encouraging you keep waving, "It's more like ..." She trailed off as she held out her hand.

"Itching?" Green ventured.

"More like tingling?" Mary tried.

You watched their hands for a few more seconds until you saw their skin turn red. They both took their hands away and stared at them as the skin got a little puffy for a moment then returned to normal.

This was setting off something in your head. Some looonnnnggg forgotten bit of information. What could your sword be radiating? It affected light like heat waves, rapidly burnt skin that seemed to resist being healed like normal burns while puffing up, and felt like itching or tingling ...