And no one in that room is innocent

FIVE MINUTES LATER:

The trio of Lani, John and Amilia are left alone in the room. A silence brewing between the three as they sit around, bored by their current predicament.

Amilia lets out a long exhale before finally deciding to cut into the silence by saying, "Alright, what's your story half-marked?".

John looks at Amilia confused, "Uhh, w-what?".

Amilia shifts her body to the edge of Kyuala's bed, now directly facing John before saying, "You're a freshie, it's obvious, yet you're already demon-kissed. What's up with that?".

John clears his throat, trying to figure out his story but that's when Lani saves the day, "He dropped in and was immediately found by demon-worshippers. They **** him into the ritual and got him marked. By the time I found him, he had just escaped from them".

John looks at Lani with a surprised expression and Amilia does the same before speaking, "Damn, I knew those demon-worshippers we're fucked up, heard rumours that they'd steal folk for rituals, but didn't think it was true. I'm sorry to hear that".

"It's uhh... it's okay. I just... don't want to think about anymore" John says, adding a hint of sadness in his voice to sell the lie which seems to work as Amilia looks away with an almost guilty expression on her face.

It's back to silence in the room for a few moments after, but eventually curiosity takes over Amilia ask she then asks, "So, what... did you... get?".

John raises an eyebrow at Lani but as the fairy goes to speak for him again, John cuts her off, "I uhh... I don't know. It was all so quick, I haven't really, found out yet".

Amilia simply replies with, "Oh" nodding her head as she answers, eventually a grin pops up on her face as she then says, "Well, hopefully they gave you something good... maybe even a super cock".

Amilia laughs, as does John who couldn't hold it in. Even Lani lets out a little giggle of her own, the ice in the room finally being melted.

As they all calm down, Lani becomes the curious one as she asks, "So, how did you and Kyuala meet?".

Amilia let's out an exhaling chuckle before answering, "Well, we would've been, what? Five, six winters old? Anyway, we met in a camp not too far from here. My parents were nomads, moved around a lot, trying to find work or whatever it was they were looking for. One of the earliest memories I have was us entering this huge orc camp, my mom even got a job as a cook. I was put into this little school-like place, and that's where I met Kyuala, just two bored kids who hated numbers and wanted to climb trees".

Lani smiles, finally learning something about the cat that isn't of a sexual nature was a nice change of pace for both the fairy and John.

Eventually John gets an idea, and so he asks, "What about you Lani?".

Lani looks at her companion confused, "What do you mean?".

"I dunno, what's it like being a fairy? Do you automatically become a guide at a certain age or?". John asks inquisitively.

John is backed by Amilia who says, "I've always wondered what a fairies life is like too".

Lani immediately feels uncomfortable, not used to being the center of attention, her face feeling hotter than before. Eventually she calms herself down enough to speak, "Uhh, well, unfortunately it's not as great as theorized. We're taught to be guides at five summers, we learn everything else of course, but that's the main thing. We eventually graduate after 15 scholar years, and then we become guides".

"Wait, you're 20?" John asks without hesitation.

"Yes, wait, how old did you think I was?" Lani adds, a little offence taken which is audible in her tone.

That's when John says, "I don't know. I always imagined fairies being these old beings like a hundred at the youngest".

"A hundred?!" Lani almost shouts, scaring John a little.

The outburst makes Amilia laugh as she comments, "Ooh, I get to see an angry fairy! I wonder what she'll do to you!".

John looks at Amilia with a scared expression, but then looks back at Lani who's starting to walk over the desk, getting closer to him while saying, "You thought I was a hundred?!".

John leans back in the chair before saying, "No, not you! I just assumed-".

"That I was a hundred!" Lani finishes his sentence, making John stammer to answer again.

He eventually gets out, "No! I didn't think you were a hundred! I swear!".

Lani hops down onto John's body and climbs up, now standing on his chest while angrily staring directly into his eyes with her balled fists against her hips. After a few tense moments, Lani's expression changes from fury to amusement as she begins to laugh which confuses the living hell out of John.

Amilia then joins in on the laughter, both her and Lani seemingly making fun of John. Eventually, Lani gives John a friendly slap on the cheek as she says, "I got you so good!".

Lani then flies back, still laughing as she lies down on the desk, holding her ribs as she begins to roll from side-to-side. Amilia however wipes away a tear of joy as she starts to calm down.

The door then suddenly opens and in walks Kyuala with a tray of bowls and a small glass of liquid in one hand along with three tankards in the other. As she walks over to the desk, she asks, "So, what did I miss?".