Relaxing

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Alright, sorry, weird day yesterday, so we're doing a double-feature today.

As the majority of the family filed out to perform their daily duties, Ahsch found himself sitting on the couch, with Ariin, Mahat, and Stisea snuggled in close - the former two sat on either side of him and leaned up against him, while Stisea sat on the floor between his legs, her head resting against his thigh. Contrary to what happened most of the time, at least since he’d begun ‘gathering a harem,’ the conversation was casual and non-lewd, though Ariin and Mahat would slip a joke or reference in now or then.

It was shockingly relaxing. Ahsch felt a tension he hadn’t even known he carried drain away as the chatter went by, and ended up settling into the couch with his head leaned back, eyes closed peacefully as he listened to three of his girls talk. A commotion caused by the youngest pair of his sisters prompted him to look up, but his relaxation was maintained when he saw that Sola and Luna were dragging Aena towards some toys in the far corner of the family room, insisting that the angel play with them.

With a confused expression somehow communicated through her utterly blank face, the first of Enochiel’s angel’s looked to Ahsch for guidance. The hrafthi smiled indulgently. “Do what you feel like,” he instructed her.

Aena stilled for a long moment, long enough that the twin lion-girls started pouting. Then, with the sudden decisiveness of a lightswitch, Aena turned away from her Creator and Master and towards the toys. “Please instruct me how to play,” she requested, causing the twins to cheer excitedly.

Ariin gave her brother a sly look, but he immediately shot down any mischievous ideas she had with a sharp glare. Don’t, he warned her. Give it at least another nine years before you even start suggesting that. He looked at the youngest of his sisters. They’re too pure and wholesome for our ‘weirdness.’

His twin smothered a snort, but smiled at her understanding as she nodded, leaning in to murmur, “As you wish, Master.”

Rolling his eyes, Ahsch relaxed back again, listening to the sounds of the room - and of the house beyond, Enhanced Senses giving him a good image of what was going on.

Maviem and Kebir were clearly the week’s lunch cooks, given the rabbit- and lion-women were putting something together in the kitchen ‘already,’ though even just an hour after breakfast that was hardly a surprise, given the sheer size of the family and additional mouths to feed in Ahsch’s party. Betyn was teaching her and Maviem’s youngest daughters some of the more advanced principles of magic in one of the further rooms of the house, the holustaur’s rich voice just barely discernible above Sola and Luna’s antics and the bustle in the kitchen.

And in hushed, not-quite-urgent tones…

A frown crossed Ahsch’s face and he perked his ears, head tilting slightly to try and catch his mother and mentor’s voices better. Unfortunately, they spoke quietly enough that he only caught a few words here and there. ‘Favor,’ ‘daughter,’ ‘leave…’

A break in the voices and a pointedly-directed flare of _power _from Rwnil made Ahsch quickly turn his attention anywhere other than his mother and the Ascendant. Curiosity was not worth her ire.

Resuming his much safer, passive awareness of the goings-on, Ahsch relaxed back once again. After several minutes, Mahat stretched, stood up, and made her way outside. I want to have some fun, she informed him, and Ahsch knew she was going to hunt. With a little prompting from the hrafthi, Stisea claimed the abandoned spot on the couch and made herself comfortable.

A few minutes after that, Kirasiel came into the family room. She stood quietly for a minute, watching Sola and Luna guide a bemused Aena through their game, before turning her attention to her fiance and owner. With a deep breath and a heavy swallow, she walked over and slipped into Stisea’s old spot between his legs, though she faced her Master as she leaned her head against his thigh.

Ahsch gave her the attention she was silently asking for. “Master,” she said softly, avoiding being overheard by the young twins in the room. “I have a request.” Ahsch nodded that he was listening, and Kirasiel bit her lip nervously. “I… I want to go back to the Canyon.”

The hrafthi stared at her for a long moment, caught flat-footed. “Why?” he eventually queried, brows pulled together in confusion.

Kirasiel took several moments to respond. “I want to… I want to see if I’ve…” She shrank away, as though afraid of the reaction her reasoning would garner. “I want to meet Phashak and know if I’ve… if she still thinks I’m only…” She choked up.

Ahsch felt stuck, as he could tell what his fiance meant. She wanted to see if Phashak still wanted to kill her.

On the one hand, Ahsch had to admit a morbid curiosity to know the answer himself. But at the same time, irritating such a powerful being for that reason felt - if he was blunt - stupid. He could understand, even empathize with the reasons Kirasiel would risk it, but at the same time…

He shook his head. “Bothering a goddess who already seems rather… bored doesn’t appeal to me,” he said. “But… if Phashim comes calling at some point, then I promise I’ll ask after that topic.”

Kirasiel hid her disappointment behind her understanding, and nodded in acceptance of her Master’s decision. Still, Heart Sight saw through her rather feeble veil, and Ahsch felt some guilt for disappointing her. “Maybe instead…” he said, thinking hard for a moment. “Maybe instead we could do the expedition that you had originally came here for. At the very least, we could find some valuable resources to take back to R’sath.”

The royal girl thought for a few moments, a slow smile stealing across her lips. “That… I would like that, Master,” she agreed. Then she flushed and ducked her head. “And I promise not to cause you so much trouble this time.”

Ahsch laughed softly. “I’m not too worried about that,” he assured her. “After all, if you misbehave, I can always torment you all night.”

From the way Kirasiel’s blush deepened and how she bit her lip, Ahsch knew that his Enthralled fiance was hardly opposed to the torment he had in mind. After all, she enjoyed being teased and denied almost as much as Ariin did, not to mention all the rest of the ‘horrible, awful’ things her ‘evil’ owner ‘****’ her to do.