Cool it.

Laying back and closing my eyes; I let the long weary walk from Bounty, all the way to Bludbag, finally take its toll. It wasn't long before I sat on that hill once more, sitting on that stump that once was a tree; Fawk's Cleansing Fire crackling in it's fire pit nearby the picnic blanket.

"Ah. I was wondering why your domain had an exterior."

Eve had already managed to hop into my portion of the Seknium; not that my perception of time had ever been accurate in this place. For all I knew, she would have had to incite an hour long incantation.

The Compuro, however, looked very different. Her clothing had changed into a familiar full-body covering made of a strange, silky material; the same kind I had seen in Fawk's memories. As well, much of her body seemed different. Her hands, for instance, no longer had that pliable flesh-like rubber; instead being naught but metal, with joints visible. Her screen was no longer present; instead, the sharp features of a young woman were etched into steel; worked into interweaving plates that mimicked the facial movements of a human. It was similar to what I had seen of Logic's new self; a perfect a diagram of humanity, made in metal.

"Oh, apologies. Many prefer an 'older model' of themselves in their dreams. It often provides comfort; or closure." Eve says, flicking the hair-like wiring on her head away from her face.

Oh; I see...

I feel myself grow an inch or so taller; my scales fade, my wings vanish, and my teeth dull. Before long, I've adopted an old Self; the visage of Damian Walker. As she said, I do feel slightly more comfortable; more... me... when I look like this.

"This is what I looked like back on Earth. An 'Older Model', if you will." I stretch out my legs, and look down to my hands; wondering if this was a truly a good idea.

Could I have one of my "episodes" while dreaming? What would that even be like?

My Clinician forces a copy of my desk-chair into the dream; seating herself next to me as she speaks. "I am glad you caught on. Would you be willing to... show me..."

I hold back howls of laughter as I say. "I thought we weren't doing urge training today!"

"What!? No! I meant your old body's injuries!" Eve's faceplate visibly heats up, turning red hot.

I can see why it exploded...

I look down at my arm; first readying myself mentally, and then forcing it to take the desired past appearance. The severed stump manifested, with burn scarring on each inch of flesh. Eve looks over the arm; yanking the sleeve of my shirt clean off. Not that it mattered in a dream. She runs those cold, metal fingers of hers over the burnt flesh.

"The burns are from an oil fire of some sort... odd..." She whispers to herself. "The amputation is surgical; meaning the limb was rendered useless, and deemed a danger to the patient's well being..."

Eve pulls back. "Which of your other injuries do you remember?"

Slowly, we worked out way through each detail of my old wounded self; notes drafted internally by my Clinician on how to overcome the lingering traumas there in. Namely...

"A workout routine?" I ask.

"Yes." She confirms, forcing one of those boards we had in Sammy's room to manifest within my dream; she began sketching out detailed depictions of my unique musculature with mechanical precision. "By expressly focusing in on these once damaged or missing muscle groups, your subconscious will slowly begin accepting your new body; as well, for a Ruya-Kin, you are very out of shape, and lack very basic nutrition. Namely, Elements. How often have you been consuming your inclined Elements?"

Ooh... that's bad.

"...Twice... ever?"

Eve whispers as she smacks herself hard in the face; something that might have cracked her screen in the real world. "Damn it Prissy... why did you have to skip our dietary-information classes..."

"Wait, why do I need to eat Elements?" I ask; a bit afraid of having yet another horrific bombshell dropped on my life; which awful fate will it be this time?! Exploding? Being eaten by a magical sky worm? Excess hang-nails?

After calming herself quickly, the Compuro explains. "Ruya-Kin, be they Dragons, Wyrms, Leviathans, or even Kobolds, need to consume their attuned element at least once a day. To them; to you, I should say, it is like water... especially when their Element is Water. It is a necessity of life. While you wouldn't have starved to death within the next few years, you are still suffering from mystic-malnutrition on some level. May I ask, have you been unable to breathe your flame recently?"

Processing this information, I think back to the fight with the Skeletal Black-Hood. "Yes, actually; I tried back at the Dungeon entrance..."

"Oh, that's what that face was... I thought you were making mock kissing gestures at the enemy." She says, a damnably-coy little smile crossing her fictional faceplate.

She shakes it off, returning to her work. "As for more common nutrition, your mix of Fae and Draconic natures leads me to conclude that continuing your current balanced diet of greens and meat would be most advisable; althought, that odd 'pizza' confection had a staggering sodium count..."

Wondering a bit at her words, I ask. "What about being a mix of those two means I should have a balanced diet? Not that I'm complaining; just curious."

Eve sighs. "Gods, I am going to strangle Priscilla... Fae are strict carnivores; Ruya-Kin are herbivores, although they often indulge in geophagy, the consumption of earthen material. Mostly gold, or other precious metals."

I find this to be a good launching point for another question. "Is that why I have that... issue; with gold, I mean?"

"Its the most mild instance of plutomania that plagues Ruya-Kin. It's hard-wired, if you will." Says Eve, tapping at the wires at the back of her head. "Far better than some; eating swathes of their own hordes, or... fornicating... with it, in some cases. Let's just say that Golden Golems have an interesting origin, and leave it there..."

Her cheeks heat up once more, as new jets of steam spout out the sides of her head; only, she remained burning hot. "Anyway! On to your exercise routine; which I will have planned by tonight at soonest, tomorrow morning at latest. Many of your muscles are on the verge of atrophy with how little you've used them."

"What!? I've fought to the death with several people! How can I be..." I argue, only for a pair of mechanical fingers to pinch my lips.

"Each species on this planet has evolved for hundreds of thousands of years to engage in near-constant warfare." She says, raising her other hand high for some unknown reason. "It effects every aspect of biological life; and even some non-biological. Their muscles, their metabolism, their culture..."

I'm slapped harshly across the face in both my dream, and in the waking-world, which suddenly forces my eyes wide open. Hovering over me, undressed; with the space between her legs dripping in anticipation, is Eve. Her screen displays two hazy eyes, a blush mark dividing them. She pulls at my pants as she whispers her last examples...

"Their libido... And their breeding habits..."