79 Restless
After passing out for nearly three hours due to a mix of exhaustion and overstimulation, Alisaie awoke to find herself snuggling up to Andrew as he was immersed in the combat sim. He had covered her naked body in a thick blanket, so she felt a little sluggish as she sat up, staring at Andrew for several seconds before reaching over him to pick up the tablet to see what he was up to.
Finding Andrew in the midst of battling what looked like a Behemoth with his bare hands, Alisaie couldn't help marveling at his strength and speed. She had grown much stronger thanks to the benefits of Andrew's system, but she couldn't imagine darting around the battlefield or directly trading blows with monsters dozens of times her size. Blocking them with magic? Sure. Sending a ten-ton monstrosity reeling with a punch? No way...
Shifting her gaze from the tablet to Andrew's crotch, a faint tinge of red spread through Alisaie's cheeks as a certain thought pervaded her mind. She attempted to quash it, but with how 'thorough' Andrew had been the previous evening, her arousal compounded faster than her reason could suppress it...
"Get ahold of yourself, Alisaie...!" exclaimed the white-haired Elezen, her voice a loud whisper as she slapped the sides of her face with her hands. She doubted Andrew would mind, but 'attacking' him in his sleep was just deviant. The most sensible thing to do was to take a bath and depart, but if Andrew 'awoke' and she wasn't present, he might be hurt...
Fortunately for Alisaie, Andrew had heard her as the tablet's microphone picked up her voice and broadcasted it within the combat sim. As a result, he promptly removed the headset, grinning as he found her staring at his dick with a notably desirous look in her eyes.
Startling Alisaie considerably, Andrew remarked, "I say this to all of my women, but my body is as much yours as yours is mine. If you're feeling horny and I can help to alleviate it, you don't need to ask my permission."
Recovering from her startled state, Alisaie averted her eyes and opened her mouth as if she were going to retort, but no words came out. She had made the conscious decision to be more careful with her words after their 'altercation,' but Andrew appeared to have different thoughts, hooking his tail around her waist and drawing her into his embrace as he stated, "You don't need to walk on eggshells or force yourself to change, Alisaie. If it wasn't obvious, I like your haughty, princess-like behavior. What upset me was the thought of you one day leaving. I want you to be happy, sure, but I want to 'make' you happy, not see you fall into the arms of another..."
"..."
Not sure how to respond, Alisaie just placed her head on Andrew's chest. When she became his Proxy, she did so out of 'necessity.' The notion they might fall in love never crossed her mind, but every time she and Andrew came together, Alisaie felt as though the defenses of her heart crumbled like a shoreline assailed by ceaseless waves...
"You're a greedy, insatiable brute..." muttered Alisaie, breaking a lengthy silence.
"If it lets me be with amazing girls like you, I don't mind being a brute..." replied Andrew, punctuating his words by kissing the crown of Alisaie's head. A lengthy silence followed, but in Andrew's experience, that was usually a good thing.
Demonstrating this, Alisaie hesitated for several minutes before muttering, "Then...once peace has been restored to the realm, you ought to propose to me. After that, I will truly be yours..."
"I'll be counting the days," mused Andrew, feeling slightly disappointed but sporting a smile as he slid his hand down Alisaie's body and gave her bottom a possessive caress. He had hoped she was mustering the resolve to cross the line, but he would be lying if he said the thought of their first time being in her wedding dress wasn't appealing...
Fortunately, though Alisaie was resolved to wait until their wedding night, that didn't stop her from grabbing Andrew's dick and stroking his shaft as she abruptly started licking his nipple. She had, in fact, considered giving up her virginity right then and there, but she felt she should at least speak with her mother and bring the matter before the Forum. Her father would doubtlessly disapprove of the arrangement, but if she mentioned Valhalla and spoke of the possibility of accumulating knowledge in worlds beyond their own, she should be able to gain the support of the Bibliothec Faction and Sharlayan as a whole...
With such thoughts in her mind, Alisaie eventually brought her lips to the tip of Andrew's dick, lubricating it with her spit before lowering her head as he caressed her hair and slid his tail between her thighs...
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[June 18th, 1800]
"You seem restless..." said Garnet, despite Andrew resting with his head on her thighs, eyes closed and completely silent. "Does the forthcoming operation concern you so?" she asked, referring to 'Operation Trident,' a joint assault where the forces of Limsa, Ul'dah, and Gridania would assail three different Garlean strongholds, their ultimate goal the destruction of the Ultima Weapon in Castrum Meridanium.
"I have faith in their success..." replied Andrew, his tone calm. So long as the Eorzean Alliance had Ardbert, his allies, and the blessing of Hydaelyn, the odds of them being defeated were slim. And that was 'without' access to Item Boxes and the perks offered by his system. With them, it was hard to imagine the operation failing.
"Then, what troubles you?" asked Garnet, combing her fingers through Andrew's hair. She could imagine a few reasons, but she didn't want to voice them aloud in case she guessed incorrectly and made things more awkward than they needed to be.
"I feel helpless," replied Andrew, opening his eyes slightly as he added, "I understand how important my life is to the Alliance, but it feels...stifling to sit around, waiting for an emergency to arise. But I also don't want to step on anyone's toes, so my thoughts invariably wander to worlds unvisited..."
"Mmm...I presumed as much..." muttered Garnet, adopting a helpless but loving smile as she traced her index finger along Andrew's ear and added, "I suspect that, until you link all sixteen worlds, you won't be able to avoid thinking about them. It could be related to the reason why you were given your power. Perhaps you feel incomplete without them...?"
"Maybe..." muttered Andrew, speculating, "It could also be because I haven't received 'closure' from any of the worlds I've linked. Even in this one, there are countless loose ends that, due to my interference, I have no easy way of tying up. The thought that Kuja or Garland might one day appear to destroy everything we've built haunts me..."
"Do you think acquiring Paling or Wall technology might put your heart at ease...?" asked Garnet, referring to the nearly indestructible barriers found in Final Fantasies XII and XV.
"It would certainly help..." admitted Andrew. However, as the Invincible was a superweapon capable of foddering Eidolons that could destroy all of Alexandria, he doubted any conventional shield could stop it. The Wall from Final Fantasy XV could probably do so, but it was powered by that world's Crystal. Etro had permitted them to harvest lesser Crystals from the shores of Valhalla, but Alexandria's recently formed R&D Department was still developing engines that could use them as a replacement power source for Mist.
"Then you should go," asserted Garnet. "And if you feel that closure might help to alleviate your wanderlust, you have my permission to remain there as long as you need. The Alliance and I can endure a few weeks without your attention..."
"..."
Though he felt compelled to ask if she was certain, Andrew remained silent and placed his hand on Garnet's increasingly pregnant belly. He felt his place was at her side, but just as she suggested, he doubted he could 'relax' until all the worlds were Linked. He could always Link them and let matters take their course, but with many of the latter entries in the series ending in tragedy, his power obligated him to ensure a better end...
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[June 21st, 1800]
Opening his eyes, Andrew found himself in the shade of a sand-marked tone pillar, a pervasive, arid heat causing his skin to dry as the sounds of pedestrian traffic and street barkers perked his ears.
Equipping the Body Temp Ability, Andrew felt a cool breeze wash over him as he stood up to take in his surroundings. The entirely stone streets were packed with lightly dressed people, many of which walked around without clothes to cover their sun-kissed torsos. The few who did, wore thin vests or a garment resembling a tube top, exposing their midriffs to combat the heat.
Though most of the pedestrians walking about were humans with tan skin, faded brown hair, and brown eyes, Andrew noted a number of non-human races present. The most common were the lizard-like Bangaa, with long faces, strong limbs, and bodies covered in red or blue scales, but there were also pig-like Seeqs and at least two dog-like humanoids with droopy ears known as Nu Moh.
"Well, this is definitely Rabanastre..." remarked Andrew, the cloudless sky, sand-weathered stone buildings, and bazaar-like markets making it clear he was in the right place. The only questions were, where in the city was he, and at which point in the timeline?
Fortunately, even without needing to ask around, Andrew received his answer as a group of men wearing greyish-black armor with silvery-gold trim entered the area, compelling most people to clear a path, hide behind pillars, or slink into alleyways. Their presence was a sure sign that the city was under Archadian occupation, so Andrew could surmise his arrival was sometime after the nation's fall and before the start of the game's central narrative.
Evading the eyes of the Imperials, Andrew slinked down an alleyway of his own, emerging in an equally bustling street. Then, as his attire drew quite a bit of attention, he elected to go shirtless for a bit, drawing even more attention but for a completely different reason.
"Hey there, handsome. If you've excess Gil, I can help lighten your purse," said a bronze-skinned woman with short brown hair, the lower half of her face hidden behind a veil and her body garbed in an outfit reminiscent of an Arabian bellydancer, complete with harem pants and multiple beaded accessories.
Though the woman wasn't his type, Andrew smiled and proferred a coin purse as he replied, "Answer my questions, and my purse is yours to do with as you please."
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Following the dancer's directions, Andrew found himself outside a large stone building with a hand-carved wooden sign denoting it as Migelo's Sundries, a fairly popular store on the East Side of Rabanastre, famous for its owner's ability to procure just about anything if given enough time and Gil.
Making his way into the store, Andrew found ornately tiled walls, well-worn but expensive-looking carpets, and a wide array of items that gave the popular shop a kind of convenience store vibe. It even had icy-blue crystals mounted within highly secure metal lanterns, discharging cold air to prevent the overpopulated store from becoming too muggy.
Spotting Andrew the moment he came in, a young girl with honey eyes and blonde hair fastened into pigtails, with long fringe bangs framing her face, approached him, unabashedly remarking, "You don't look like you're from around here. Can I help you with something?"
Recognizing the girl, garbed in an ornate, skintight, blue and gold outfit with short, white-lace sleeves, bronze, wing-like armlets, and knee-high boots that resembled short-toed bronze greaves, Andrew adopted a smile and replied, "That depends. I'm told this is a store I can find and buy just about anything."
Extending his right hand, Andrew added, "I'm Andrew, by the way. Might I ask for yours?"
"Penelo," replied the girl, accepting Andrew's hand with a smile. Then, once the handshake was over, she happily explained, "Here at Migelo's, our store policy is that anything that isn't bolted down is for sale. If it is, you just need to pay more."
"How much for some of your time?" asked Andrew, causing Penelo's eyes to widen as she became statuesque. Andrew hadn't intended anything by them, but his words could easily be misconstrued.
Doing just that, Penelo linked her hands behind her, pivoting on her foot nervously as she averted her eyes and meekly replied, "It's my first time, so 10,000 Gil upfront..."
Freezing just as Penelo had done, Andrew internally asked himself, 'What did I just hear...?' as the lithe blonde stared at him from the corner of her eyes, eventually muttering, "If 10,000 is too much, then 5,000 upfront and 500 for every hour..."
Though he felt like the cogs in his head had been jammed, Andrew pulled out a pouch filled with Gil, handing it over for Penelo to peruse. She didn't recognize the markings, but she could tell from the weight and luster that the coins were pure gold. A single large gold coin was valued at 1,000 Gil, so with the purse containing more than a hundred, Penelo felt weak in the knees as she withdrew five and handed it back, saying, "Follow me..." in a faint, nearly inaudible tone.
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(A/N: O_O...)
