97 Ponderance

Following their return to Bhujerba, everyone ditched the Atomos they had expropriated before dispersing into the town to let things die down before boarding the Strahl to a private dock beneath Ondore's manor. During the period separating these two moments, Andrew separated from the rest of the group, finding himself a perch on the edge of the Sky Continent to lie down and mull over his thoughts.

Though he didn't regret what he had said to Ashe, Andrew couldn't help feeling he had taken things too far. He couldn't really imagine what it was like to lose someone he loved, so the two years Ashe spent 'doing nothing' were likely spent grieving the loss of her husband. That didn't give her the right to send tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of people to their deaths, but he could have handled things better.

"Here you are..." came a pleasant voice, emanating from the forest behind Andrew as Fran emerged, stopping near him before crossing her arms and stating, "We will soon away to meet the Marquis. Will you be joining us...?"

Instead of answering Fran's question, Andrew opened his eyes, staring at her from below and asking, "Did you track me here by scent...?"

"It is not the aroma of your body that I can track, but the distinctive flow of energy surrounding you," said Fran, uncrossing her arms to wave her left hand through the air as she explained, "The Mist swirls about you like a gradually building tempest. The longer you stay in one place, the easier it is for those attuned to the Mist to notice your presence."

"Mmm..."

Closing his eyes, Andrew left Fran feeling at a loss and slightly taken aback as he asked, "Any chance I could convince you to continue this conversation while seated atop me? I'm feeling frustrated and confused right now, and the accompaniment of a good woman would go a long way toward calming my nerves..."

Recrossing her arms, Fran asked, "What conversation is there to have? I only came to inquire about your intentions. If you require someone to lend an ear, I'm certain someone of your 'means' could find plenty..."

Leaving Fran at another loss, Andrew casually revealed, "I'm thinking of flying over to Vayne and killing him on the spot, bringing an end to all of this. I initially planned to observe and only lend a hand when asked, but I'm not good at acting mysteriously and entrusting others to make what I believe to be the correct decision..."

Catching Andrew off guard, Fran, following a lengthy silence, sat atop his lower abdomen, prompting him to open his eyes as she remarked, "Now is the time to explain the true reason for your presence here..."

"I could, but then there's no going back..." replied Andrew, causing Fran to furrow her brows as he placed his hands on her waist and adjusted her so that she was positioned closer to his bulge. However, rather than chastise or rebuke him, she remarked, "There is freedom in truth...keeping secrets, unless it is to protect something beloved, places an undue burden on the heart and mind..."

"Then let's share..." said Andrew, maintaining his hold on Fran's waist and tracing his thumbs along the edge of the fabric covering her crotch as he added, "I'll answer whatever questions you have of me. In exchange, you have to answer truthfully to mine..."

Narrowing her eyes, Fran softly asserted, "I have all but buried my past. All that I am is before you, plain and clear..."

"Then we'll start with that..." said Andrew, adopting a faint smile as he asked, "Why did you choose to leave your home and bury your past...?"

"..."

Following a tense silence, where Andrew thought she might not answer, Fran attested, "I explained this to you previously..." before reaching up to remove her helmet, setting it to the side as she added, "I sought freedom and purpose beyond the life and role assigned to me. I oft regret the path my younger self decided, but I'll not know if it was a mistake until I draw my final breath..."

Seeing Fran let her hair down as well, Andrew thought to ask what she was doing but was preempted by the leporine beauty leaning forward, pinning his shoulders, and staring directly at him as she asked, "Now, tell me...where do you originate? Why have you come here...?"

"That's two questions..." remarked Andrew, but Fran just stared at him with her carmine eyes, silent and unblinking.

Adopting an awkward smile, Andrew revealed, "I came here from a distant Kingdom called Alexandria. As for my purpose...it is to witness the making of history and the restoration of Dalmasca. To that end, I intended to lend my services to Princess Ashelia. Then, once the dust settled and matters reached their natural conclusion, I intended to invite Dalmasca to become a member of a powerful alliance..."

Raising her right brow slightly, Fran questioned, "This alliance you speak of...how does it compare to the might of Archadia and Rozarria?"

Narrowing his eyes, Andrew warned, "If you're going to question me one-sidedly, don't expect my hands and tail to remain idle..."

Punctuating his words, Andrew slid his tail between Fran's ass cheeks, rubbing against her most sensitive spot. To his surprise, she didn't even bat an eye to his actions, expressing, "So long as you speak true and your lips remain in motion, certain...liberties can be allowed."

"Now you're speaking my language..." mused Andrew, gliding his hands to her ass and starting to massage it as he answered her previous question, explaining, "Even without the alliance, I could probably destroy Archadia and Rozarria on my own. With the support of certain members, it wouldn't even be a contest..."

Responding with a curt nod, Fran asked, "And what of the Dusk Shard? I heard you tell the Princess you didn't possess it. If that is true, where has it gone...?"

"I entrusted it to another and had them toss it into a pocket dimension," answered Andrew, subsequently reminding, "Remember what I told you back in the cave? I have no use for nethicite, but I know it's what Vayne and his co-conspirators seek. With that in mind, I decided it was best to remove it from the equation."

"You intend to do the same with the rest of the nethicite...?" asked Fran, her naturally husky voice beginning to carry a faint but fervid undertone as her body became noticeably hotter.

Shrugging his shoulders, Andrew responded, "Maybe, maybe not. I may have been harsh on her previously, but I plan to support the Princess in her quest to reclaim her throne. After this, she will likely seek the legacy of her ancestor, the Dawn Shard. I don't want to make things too difficult for her, so I will let her hold onto it unless it becomes a problem."

"I see..." muttered Fran, rising to a seated position. She still had many questions she wanted to ask, but if things continued as they were, her composure wouldn't last.

"Are we finished...?" asked Andrew, baiting the white-haired rabbit by appending, "I thought you would have at least asked about Penelo, how we stay in contact, and the sudden increase in her capabilities..."

Narrowing her eyes, Fran asked, "You mean to tempt me with the promise of power...?"

"More like the means to gain power more easily..." replied Andrew. "If you didn't make an effort after the fact, the primary benefit you would receive is the ability to store a functionally infinite number of items..."

"..."

Though she wouldn't have believed anyone else making such a claim, Fran couldn't ignore it when it came from Andrew. If she could acquire his ability to materialize and store items instantly, it would doubtlessly prove useful, especially in her career as a Sky Pirate...

Furrowing her brows slightly, Fran remarked, "Ordinarily, I would say that my purity cannot be purchased. But if you can prove your claim and grant me the ability you profess, I will consider parting with—what's this...?"

Seeing a transparent blue window appear before her, asking if she would like to become Andrew's friend, a look of puzzlement marred Fran's face until he explained, "Even I don't know the specifics, but I can link people together through an interdimensional network and share power with them. There is more to it, but until Dalmasca has been restored, there's only so much I can tell you."

"Am I able to opt out of being your 'friend' at a later date?" asked Fran, causing the smile on Andrew's face to turn wry as he answered, "Yes, but you'd lose access to the system's functions, and it would cause me to feel extremely awkward..."

"Nn..."

Extending her inordinately long index finger, Fran accepted Andrew's friend request by physically tapping the icon that said yes. Afterward, while continuing to massage her ass and rub her pussy with his tail, he walked her through the system's functions, causing her eyes to widen when he got to the part about Jobs and the ease with which she could now learn various Magicks, Technicks, and Abilities...

...

..

.

Though she confessed that the power Andrew granted her more than merited the prize she had promised, Fran informed him it would have to wait since the others were already awaiting them to depart for Ondore's mansion. As compensation, since he didn't feel like heading to the estate, she said she would try and smooth things over by apologizing to Ashe on his behalf. It was apparent to the perceptive Viera that Andrew intended to make a similar 'proposition' to the Princess, so she volunteered to help him out in exchange for freeing her from her obligation.

Since it was against his principles to 'force' the matter, Andrew agreed to Fran's terms without a fuss. He felt like she had tricked him, but he didn't mind as he didn't know how to face Ashe after slapping and lecturing her. If Fran succeeded in smoothing things over, it would make his plans and any apologies much easier...

"This is really embarrassing..." said Penelo, blushing up to her ears as she tried on the standard uniform of an Alexandrian Knight. The green leotard created a sharp v-shape from the front, but from behind, it left her perky ass cheeks completely exposed.

"You wear it well," contended Andrew, admiring the sight from his position on the bed. Penelo had stayed back with him when everyone else went to Ondore's estate, but instead of using her to 'vent' his frustrations, Andrew invited her to cuddle. One thing led to another, and now she was trying on increasingly scant outfits.

"You said the same thing about the previous outfits..." remarked Penelo, puffing out her cheeks in a pretend pout. She would have preferred more detailed feedback, but she couldn't really complain about Andrew saying she looked good no matter what she tried on.

Picking up the next outfit, a bunny suit, Penelo's blush deepened as she manually stripped out of her Alexandrian Knight's 'costume' and tried it on. She could save a lot of time using the Equip function, but Andrew had told her that he liked watching her strip, evidenced by his eyes appearing to glow as he observed her with a somewhat predatory smile.

Unfortunately, just as Penelo was shimmying into the hose that went on under the black leotard, Andrew received a message from Fran, causing his focus to shift from the pigtailed girl's posterior to the window before him.

Reading the contents of Fran's message, Andrew's brows perked as he asked himself, 'Could it really be that simple...?'

Though she didn't go into detail about what she had said, Fran informed Andrew that Ashe desired his power and was 'requesting' his presence in her room. She didn't outright say what Ashe was requesting him for, but it was fairly obvious, given the context of their earlier discussion.

'Right now...?' asked Andrew, not saying what he was doing but implying he was indisposed.

'Not right this instant,' replied Fran, adding, 'She will retire to her quarters within the hour and requests that you arrive later and with apt discretion.'

'Then tell her to get some rest as I'll arrive around midnight,' said Andrew, refusing to drop everything and simply abandon Penelo. She had stayed back to cheer him up, so it would be what some in his previous life called a 'dick move' if he abruptly left her alone. Fortunately, Fran responded in the affirmative, giving Andrew and Penelo a little more than four hours to 'break in' her bunny costume...

...

..

.

(A/N: Sorry for the late post. I spent 75.3 hours playing Baldur's Gate 3 over the span of four days, so I was a bit burnt out xD.)