Options

“So if I wanna do magic, I have to either take it from another which will effectively kill them or receive it from them via sexual exchanges?”

“Yes, those are the two most obvious options available to someone who wants to manipulate life energy to their fantastical advantage.”

Looking at her I face all I see is honesty and I have no reason to doubt her explanations. However, if what she says is true and she doesn’t kill things in order to take life energy then is she someone who has sex to….. “Wait, are you listening in again?”

“I told you it's not something I can just turn off.”

“I’m glad I didn’t finish that thought but you have to understand that me analyzing new information is not a set in stone conclusion that I made okay?”

She seemed to understand. “Okay and no I do not have sex to gain life energy.”

“Ha! I forgot about that thought already; thank you for letting me know, although if you didn’t want to share, then you didn’t have to”

“I get that but it only seems fair since I can read your mind… until tomorrow at least.”

“I understand but just know you don’t have to share everything okay?”

“Okay.”

“So how do you do it then if you don’t kill or fuck for life energy?”

She took a pause and looked up as if she was searching her memory. Then I see her reaction change to one of confusion. Then I realized she didn’t know what the word meant; that’s cute.

“It’s not my fault that word has so many meanings. What do you mean by it?”

“Well in this context it means to have sex.”

“Okay, understood.” She took a mental note. “Well to answer your question, I go into something that is similar to the phrase ‘medically induced coma’ in your vocabulary. Because I am in a coma, I don’t consume as much life energy and I am able to stockpile any surplus I produce.”

“But if you’re not eating how do you produce energy at all?”

“That’s why I compared it to a coma, for your world, a healer or doctor I mean uses a tube to directly send necessary nutrients directly to the stomach via a nasal tube. The anatomy of my species works in a similar way and this method is popular among those of my kind who prefer to not attain life energy through the obvious paths. It's actually very mainstream among my kind as we ostracize those that kill and view those that get energy via sex as disgusting.”

My ears perked up. There is hope for me to learn magic Yessss!!! I look at her; she seems bummed out. I think I know why but I don’t know what to say and definitely don’t have all the information necessary to console her. I need to distract her until I can learn more about her past. “Hey, I know it’s a little late but my name is Alexander or Alex. What’s your name?”

She looks at me as if brought out of a vision blinking a couple times. I see her confusion and decide to repeat myself. “Hi, My name is Alex, What’s your name?”

“My name is Nymona.”

“Hello Nymona, I am happy to meet you and thank you again for saving me when I was ****. It means a lot and I won't forget it.”