The large dark pot was half-full of water. It was an exaggerated amount of water, enough to fill a tub in one go. Sunny placed his hand in to check the temperature, it was at the perfect point and pleasant against the skin. He grabbed the gigantic pot by its handles. It was genuinely heavy, but it was nothing to him.
It was already daytime. Light streamed in through the dining room windows. Sunny had expected to wake up late, so he felt fortunate when he opened his eyes and realized the sun hadn't risen too long ago.
He cut the supply of essence from the Memory in the form of the stove he used for cooking or, in this case, heating water.
Sunny carried the pot towards the bathroom and he tapped the door a few times with the tip of his foot, signaling the mimic to open it. When the door didn't open after a few seconds, he gave it a kick that forced it to yield.
The bathroom was more than comfortable, perhaps too comfortable for someone who initially lived here alone. But, of course, that was before.
Before, the bathroom was just a single toilet and a hole with a drain where Sunny rarely washed, thanks to his transcendent, pristine body. He had no idea where the waste that passed through went, nor was he interested in knowing.
After more people circulated through the emporium, he ordered the mimic to expand the room. Now there was both a hand basin and an unusually large bathtub. The toilet had its own mini-room within the bathroom itself.
Approaching the tub, he lifted the oversized pot and poured its contents inside. While he poured the warm water, Sunny remembered he hadn't put in the stopper, so he quickly created one, thus preventing the water from escaping.
The pot in his hands dissolved into shadows. Once that happened, he left the bathroom, heading to his room. Sunny opened the door and walked in calmly, sitting on the bed right next to the blonde beauty with a disheveled appearance.
"Ready?" said Telle, who was covered up to her nose by the sheets—not out of shame or anything similar, she just enjoyed lying down that way.
"That's right! Shall we go?"
Excited, she pulled the sheets off. She was still completely exposed, but she no longer felt embarrassed for him to look at her. She stretched her arms out towards him, wiggling her little hands as if seeking a hug.
"Carry me! Carry me! I feel nothing but pain from the waist down!" Telle raised her voice happily.
Sunny offered no refusal; quite the opposite, he had to contain the silly smile that threatened to collapse any semblance of a relaxed posture, especially when Telle insisted on resting her head near his neck to kiss him along the way.
The angelic but brief journey ended when, carefully, very carefully, he submerged the girl in the water.
"Ahh..." she groaned, receiving the revitalizing caress of warmth.
Sunny pointed his finger towards some bottles resting on the edges of the tub. "Everything you need to wash is there!" he indicated.
He turned halfway, ready to leave the room to offer her privacy, but just as he was about to take the first step, a tug from the nebulous shroud interrupted him.
He turned to see what was happening and saw Telle holding him.
"Where are you going?" she growled with a hint of annoyance.
Sunny blinked. "I just wanted to give you space, do you need anything else?"
She nodded her head. "That's right! I need you to help me wash, you see... uhm..." The little suns she had for eyes fluttered in their sockets across the room before focusing back on Sunny. "My arms are tired, I can't wash properly. Could you help me?"
He gave her a look of suspicion, narrowing his eyes.
"I see you're holding me with those same tired arms."
"Ah... well, those were my last forces." After justifying herself, she let go of Sunny. Not having the strength in her legs to keep her balance and letting her arms fall limply, she began to sink into the water slowly.
"Oh no! You have to help me!"
Sunny looked at her bewildered.
"Help me, please! I'm going to drown! Seriously, I will!" Telle kept begging. Her face was about to sink into the water; in fact, it already was.
"Hglp! I'm drgounghning! Blblblblblbl..."
Sunny laughed at her antics. He let one more second pass, recording the moment in his memory.
"Poor lady! I will be forced to rescue her and help her bathe. What kind of heartless person wouldn't have the good will to do it? Definitely not me!"
He now found himself sitting by the side of the tub on another shadow chair he created on the spot. Sunny rubbed shampoo into her head, passing his fingers through the strands of her silky hair. He massaged her scalp. He paid special attention to the patches of his own fluids that had stuck both to her skin and hair. A hint of shame struck him. He had to scrub several parts of her hair to eliminate the traces.
Telle had her eyes closed, wearing a silly smile, the biggest she had ever worn in her life. She looked more like a puppy being petted than a noble Legacy, daughter of two Saints.
"Aren't you going to shower too?" she asked out of nowhere.
"After you, of course, I'm not that dirty."
Sunny couldn't say it clearly, but he thought he saw her pout because, before he could appreciate her better, he was splashed by a wave of warm water.
He blinked a couple of times, stopping the massage he was giving her.
Telle had thrown water at him, enough to leave him soaked from the waist up.
Coming out of his surprise, Sunny looked at the girl who was watching him mockingly. "Don't waste water, get in with me instead." Her mocking expression disappeared, replaced by one that made it look like she was begging him.
'Why do I bother trying to be a gentleman?' he thought, annoyed with himself. The nebulous shroud vanished and his shadow-made pants disintegrated.
He jumped and fell into the large tub in a ball. He splashed against the water, wetting the surrounding area.
A wave approached Telle, being unavoidable. Just as it happened, her eyes were open, and a few drops of water mixed with shampoo fell into both eyes. The irritation was immediate. The burning wasn't as strong as when something similar happened to her when she was mundane, but it still stung enough for her to rub her eyes.
In her temporary blindness, she was pulled from the waist and then enveloped in arms warmer and more comforting than the water.
Her eyes stopped stinging and Telle opened her eyes and looked up. Just above her, behind her, Sunny was hugging her. His hair was loose and wet, falling across his face.
"Happy?" he said softly without taking his eyes off her.
Her heart fluttered, and she subtly blushed.
"Yep!"
The washing continued. Sunny finished rinsing her hair. Then, he looked at the expanse of her skin, he rubbed her arms with remnants of the previous night as well. He passed under her armpits, causing her a few giggles. Telle tensed for a second when he caressed her breasts, then threw her head back, looking at him with a teasing expression.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to wash you, is something wrong?" he returned the smile.
They held each other's gaze while Sunny ran his fingers over her generous breasts. He rubbed until they were clean with the help of the surrounding soap bubbles. That didn't stop him from falling into the temptation of kneading them and playing with those salmon-colored buds.
Apparently, he was too absorbed in attending to her, because he nearly jumped when he felt a hand wrap around his member.
"So early and you're already this hard?" Telle whispered to him, narrowing her eyes.
"What are you doing?" While Sunny kneaded her breasts, she began to rub his member.
"I'm helping you wash..." she whispered, narrowing her eyes even more, as she smiled wider.
As soon as she finished speaking, his lips were intercepted in a wet kiss. He moved his lips, responding to her French-kiss initiative. Telle let herself be overwhelmed by his tongue, she didn't know how to compete against him in that. Extending her other arm back, she clung to him from his nape, trying to hold onto him.
Sunny pulled her against him, satisfying the need for closeness. He broke the kiss abruptly. His breathing deepened with every correct movement of her hand on his penis. He squeezed her breasts with more desire, she grunted in response.
Before him was her exposed neck. He didn't hesitate a second longer and plunged in, licking and kissing it.
In a daring move from Telle, she let go of his already throbbing penis, pushed her rear towards him, and pressed it, rubbing him against her buttocks.
The hands that were playing with her breasts let go only to grab her hips, pressing himself harder.
Sunny finished coupling his penis into the crack of her butt.
Because they were underwater, the friction movement felt strange, lacking the slippery factor, but it didn't feel bad, just odd.
He frowned and grabbed her hips tighter, wanting to merge with her. He threw his head back and let out a muffled moan.
Sunny expelled his seed between Telle's hand and butt, but the semen quickly diluted.
Both stayed looking at each other for a few more moments. There was clear desire in their eyes, but they couldn't continue like this forever.
The two, reluctantly, left things there, both to honor each other's time and because Telle was not truly willing; she was still recovering from the intense night.
Continuing with the shower, it was now Sunny's turn to have his hair lathered. The fingers that caressed him were relaxing him in a way he didn't think possible. This simple act managed to dissipate a weight he didn't know he was carrying.
Telle made sure to enjoy, for her part, her turn to wash him. She rubbed her face against his muscles several times.
Leaving the tub, Sunny once again carried Telle out, also taking care to dry and comb her adequately.
The bathroom door opened quickly this time at the first taps of his foot. Sunny walked out at a tranquil pace and was careful not to be too rough. After all, in his arms was Telle, very happy, clinging to his neck. He carried her in a bridal fashion and took her to the dining room. Sunny quickly fabricated simple, black, and loose clothing for her, only with the aim of covering her, for now at least.
He manifested a Shadow Chair near a free table. He leaned towards it to place the girl in it.
Telle made the mistake of letting go too soon, letting herself fall onto the chair which, no matter how padded it was, her own weight delivered a surge of pain like a stab. It pierced her from her crotch like an electric current. In reaction, she frowned in pain and clenched her teeth.
She relaxed, leaning back in the unusually comfortable chair.
"I usually serve myself coffee in the mornings, would you like one?"
Telle looked up at the voice. She smiled and nodded her head at Sunny.
"Can it be with milk?" she said, remembering at the last moment before he crossed through the kitchen door.
Sunny looked at her for a few moments before flashing a mischievous smile.
"Gods, please! Look at you. Just a little while ago you couldn't move your legs, and you already want that... Maybe I should reconsider the mental image I have of you," he teased.
Telle subtly blushed. She was taken by surprise by the way he twisted her words.
"N-it's not funny..." she giggled shakily, looking away.
Sunny contained the imminent laughter as best he could. "Alright, with milk it is," he said, emphasizing it, before crossing through the door.
Telle clenched her fists against her chest. The teasing bothered her, but there was also a vestige of excitement in her, which she deliberately buried.
Soon after, Sunny returned with a metal tray. He sat across from the girl, landing the tray between the two of them. On top of it were the two cups with their respective saucers and cutlery, next to them a sugar bowl and a curious figure of an animal she didn't recognize.
Telle paid attention to the curious craftsmanship. She took it between her hands, analyzing it, realizing it had a handle to loop her finger through. In the middle of the figure's back, there was a hole where she could see the stored milk.
She looked up with her eyes shining like authentic suns. "Can I know what this cute little thing is? Where did you get it? What is it? What is it?!" Telle asked intensely. She had leaned abruptly towards him; if it weren't for another pang of pain that almost made the figure fall from her hands, she could have lunged at him.
Again, Sunny saw her face contort in pain. He clenched his teeth, trying not to laugh.
"I see you liked it," he smiled as he began to explain.
"It's a milk jug. A partner of mine gave it to me. She said she bought it thinking it reminded her of me in some way. And as for what it is... I think it's a cow. I don't know for sure. Have you seen one?"
She shook her head. Half of her attention was on his explanation and the other half was on appreciating the little cow.
"No, I haven't... Truthfully, I'm embarrassed to ask you but... Does milk come from cows, right? I'm sorry if I sound very silly or ignorant. It's not to excuse myself, but my education was never directed at focusing on explaining some common sense things to me." She lowered her voice as she gave her explanation, shrinking. "My parents educated me that way so..." she added at the end, whispering.
Sunny shook his head. "Don't worry. I don't know either, but I think so! Why else would there be a cow milk jug if it wasn't the case?"
"It makes sense... but where do they get the milk from the cow?" Telle asked, tilting her head.
"Uhm... maybe it's their blood?"
"Their blood?" Her voice seemed to tremble, as did her body. Telle directed her gaze towards the milk jug, more specifically at the contents. She shuddered at the thought. She stopped holding the figure, putting it aside with repulsion. She meditated on the information, remaining pensive.
"Maybe you're right... If the milk goes inside the cow milk jug, could it refer to it being its blood? I think... I think it makes sense... But isn't cow meat red? If its blood is milk, shouldn't cow meat be white?" She spoke with increasing uncertainty. She clung to the idea that her assumptions were silly, but things were making more and more sense.
Sunny intertwined his fingers, resting them against his chin.
"Have you ever seen raw cow meat? I haven't. Why can we assume it's red?"
The question struck Telle like a bolt, the bolt of truth. Each of her suspicions gained more meaning with every question. She swallowed as the truth blossomed within her.
"You're saying... that people drink the blood of cows... those little cows?" she pointed shakily towards the cow figurine, which went from seeming like the absolute symbol of tenderness and art to a blasphemous atrocity.
Sunny maintained his posture. It seemed as if the sunlight that had come out a couple of hours ago was dimming around him.
"Listen to me, Telle. If people enjoy consuming honey, a product that is in itself an authentic act of rebellion—consuming bee vomit—processing it and selling it as if it were something mundane is just a sample of what people with a little power do to the helpless. What else makes them dishonor the life of an animal by squeezing its blood like a lemon to give it to children?"
Another bolt struck Telle, making her shudder. Her face darkened, and her expression was horrified.
She avoided looking at the symbol of the atrocious act of mockery of suffering that held the white blood.
"The gods had nothing to do with this creation. This handcrafted sculpture is a physical declaration of humanity's contempt for the natural order. It is the pure manifestation of arrogance, a mockery of suffering..." The light vanished from her face completely. In that instant, Telle questioned the very meaning of life.
The atmosphere became tense; each of them had their own deep and dark thoughts about human nature.
Telle's hands trembled, her breathing was deep. She closed her eyes tightly before opening them slowly; when she did, there was an unstoppable resolve in them.
She extended her hand towards the milk jug, passing her finger through the handle, pulled it towards her, and looked at it for a few moments with hesitation.
After taking a long breath, she poured the contents of the little cow into the still steaming coffee. The liquid came out of the cow's mouth. Before, it would have seemed like the best thing in the world; now, it only exposed the reality of human audacity.
"Are you going to drink it anyway?" Sunny asked, not judging her, just surprised.
She nodded melancholically.
"A little cow died for this... the least I can do to honor its suffering is to drink this..."
She took the spoon next to the cup and put 5 spoonfuls of sugar inside. She stirred, helping to dissolve the sweet crystals. Once ready, Telle brought the cup to her lips, sipping the warm coffee. Swallowing it in one gulp, she put the cup back in place.
Sunny observed the girl, narrowing his eyes.
"You're lying," he accused sharply.
She tilted her head.
"Lying? What am I lying about?"
The hands that were on his chin dropped to rest on the table, still intertwined.
"No, you're not lying. I didn't express myself well. What I mean is that you're not fooling anyone..."
The atmosphere became even more tense. Neither of them looked away from the other, Telle almost sweating.
"I can see that you're sad, horrified. That's true, I can't refute that fact, your eyes tell me so. But... You didn't drink that cup out of compassion for the dead cow."
The accusation was sharp. "Hypocrite," Sunny meant to say in a few words. He separated his hands and pointed his index finger at her with his right hand.
"You're sad and horrified because despite being aware and assimilating everything I'm telling you, you still wanted to drink the milk. You are not indifferent to the cow's suffering, but despite that, you decide to enjoy it even if you don't agree. That is worse than any indifference."
Silence reigned between them. The accusing gaze was what crowned that moment.
Telle bowed her head. "I see... then..."
Slowly, and yet with power, she raised it while looking fixedly into his eyes.
"I solemnly declare: I like cow's milk," she declared with unparalleled firmness, as if she were in front of an inquisitor being accused of believing in heliocentrism, fervently attached to her crime.
"You just confessed to being an accessory to murder, do you understand? I will have to punish you."
"I'm not afraid of you," she said without flinching.
Sunny suddenly stood up from the chair, pushing his arms against the table. He walked slowly until he stopped next to her; his gaze was somber and penetrating.
He extended his hand, grabbing the cheek of the sinner, forcing her to look towards him. In an instant less than a blink, he leaned towards her, joining his lips with hers.
He was enveloped by firm arms that forced him to continue the kiss for a few more seconds.
Neither of them could endure the kiss any longer. Not for lack of air this time, it was because neither could contain their laughter any longer.
Leaning on the other's forehead, they laughed, almost dissolving into guffaws.
Recovering the air lost in the laughter, they enjoyed the closeness.
"You just kissed my bloody lips, doesn't that make you an accomplice too?" Telle accused, laughing at the end.
"I plead guilty, I also like cow's milk." Having said that, Sunny joined his lips with hers again.
On his own lips, he tasted the sweetness of the coffee. That only increased the charm of the moment; the kiss slowly became more intense.
Just then, the tinkling of a bell announced the arrival of someone.
He abruptly separated from Telle, who was softly flushed, with a gentle pop as their lips parted. He stood still for a second.
'Who am I going to kill today?' Sunny thought, smiling darkly before turning around. He turned halfway, and his violent smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
"Good morning! Looks like you had a good time, or rather, you're still having one, as I can see," Aiko greeted. She had a smirk of satisfaction. Beside her was Beth, with a more confused look. Both were dressed casually.
Aiko stood at the door with her hands on her hips. Beth walked past her, heading directly toward Sunny.
She wrapped him in a hug followed by a quick kiss on the mouth.
Telle, who was next to him, froze, and her previously flushed expression turned impassive again, but her eyes, betraying her once more, hinted at the confusion in her heart.
"Good morning, Sunny, I missed you..." Beth said, smiling at him. She turned her gaze to one side, right where Telle was sitting, pressing her hands against her chest.
"I see... so it finally happened." She stopped looking at the girl and turned to look at him. "I think you took your time, to be honest," she let out, smiling at the end.
Telle seemed even more confused, but deep down, she sensed the situation.
Sunny turned towards her, giving her a pleading look that told her: "I'll explain, please wait for me."
She nodded. There wasn't too much to explain. Deep down, she assumed this was a possibility from the start: that she was only an intruder, that her stay here was temporary.
Aiko, who had been watching the three of them, gloated contentedly contemplating the scenario she had created. Finally, she advanced towards Sunny, hopping, floating for half a second with her Aspect. She also hugged him, kissing him on the cheek.
She separated from him, taking a few steps back, enough to see both Sunny and Telle. Beth had suddenly moved aside.
She looked at both of them, but mainly at Telle.
"Well, did you two have fun?" she asked, smiling.
Telle's eyes trembled, and her serene expression cracked at the question that reminded her of everything that had happened. Her only response was to turn away.
Sunny's flaw forced him to answer, but he did so reluctantly, subtly frowning.
"I suppose so..." he replied without particular emotion.
The teasing didn't bother him particularly, mostly because he wasn't fully concentrating on what she was saying, but rather his attention was behind her.
"Come on! Don't look at me like that!" Aiko exclaimed playfully. She puffed out her chest as if she were proud. She leaned forward. "After all, I-"
A loud sound of a stick breaking against something hard rang out. Some splinters flew near where the newly bought broom broke.
Aiko, who was leaning forward, fell face forward onto the floor after the crash that occurred on her head.
Sunny stared at Aiko, blinked a couple of times, then looked up at Beth, who had a broom handle in her hands, now broken in half.
The girl on the floor had gone limp shortly after falling, but as the seconds passed, she shuddered and grabbed her head, groaning in pain. Her previously combed and tidy hair was now full of tiny and larger splinters.
She turned towards where the blow came from and found her aggressor.
"W-why did you do that?"
Beth looked at her on the floor for a few seconds.
"I just intuited that you did something bad, so my body acted on its own, I'm sorry?"
"JUST FOR THAT!?" she yelled.
The aggressor turned towards Sunny with a finger on her lower lip.
"Was I wrong?"
He shook his head before answering. "Not really. You did well, I guess."
Telle, who until that moment was watching, completely confused and feeling out of place in the situation, almost dropped her jaw witnessing this whole circus. She had let down her guard, so the tug on her hand took her by surprise. She turned by inertia towards the tug.
There sat next to her the girl who had hit Aiko with a stick. She held Telle's hand with both hands. As a final nail in the coffin to confuse her, she smiled at her with excessive joy.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Bethany! Please call me Beth! What's your name!?" she exclaimed with every word she spoke.
Telle blinked and even backed away because of the intensity of the woman in front of her.
"T-Telle of-... just Telle," she said in a low voice.
Her response only caused Beth to smile wider. What disconcerted her the most was that the magnitude of her emotion was not forced, quite the opposite.
"Gods, you're a cutie... What is that I smell? Is it my shampoo?"
Telle felt her heart shrink. "Y-yes... I'm sorry." She looked down.
"Don't apologize, it doesn't bother me. Use it if you like. I don't come around here that often, so it's just there just in case, and even if it wasn't, it doesn't matter. But forget that! Why don't you tell me how everything went!?" With every question, she leaned more over the girl, making her back up until the chair wouldn't allow her further. Telle turned her gaze towards Sunny, seeking some kind of rescue, but he was already involved in another situation, leaving her aside.
She swallowed and prepared to face the intense woman.
Sunny looked down at Aiko, who was rubbing her head. He remained thoughtful as he stared at her intently. Finally, he knelt down towards her.
He extended his hand, placing it on top of where she was hit, and caressed it. With his other hand, he dedicated himself to removing the splinters from her hair.
"I'm sorry..." the defeated Aiko murmured.
"Don't say that."
She raised her head, meeting his relaxed face.
"Boss... aren't you mad at me?"
Sunny shook his head.
"I'm a little, just a little annoyed, but not with you, it's with myself. Seeing you reminded me of some things..."
He looked away before sighing and looking her in the eyes again, this time offering a half-smile.
"Besides, you yourself told me: if I'm going to do something, do it without regrets... I think you're right about that. I appreciate that you always think of me and my happiness... even if in a somewhat strange way."
He brushed the bangs from her forehead with his fingers and gave her a kiss in the middle of it.
Aiko, after his lips left her forehead, looked at him at length again with her mouth slightly open.
"Mh?... Do I have something on my face?"
Aiko kept looking at him for a while longer before speaking. "Did I ever tell you I love you?"
"Yes, many times. Why?"
"It's just that I think I just fell even more in love."
Sunny chuckled, grabbed her by the shoulders, and with a little push upwards, lifted her off the floor.
"We'll talk better later. Shall we get ready for the day?"
A slight blush found its way onto her usually shameless face. As soon as she was released, she clung to his arm, floating. Deep down, she wanted to say some very important words to him, but she kept them to herself.
Sunny turned towards where Telle was. Unlike when he last looked, Beth seemed to have calmed down, and both were chatting. Telle at least showed signs that she would slowly loosen up. That made him smile.