102. Wallflower
Amanda looks focused, when she finds you that afternoon, lounging in the rocks of the kobold village. You're pondering the recent upswing in your instincts. Her face is set in a slight frown of determination as she looks up and meets your eyes. You think over the last few days, but you don't think you've done anything that would annoy her.
“Red.” Her voice is firm.
“Amanda. Something the matter?”
It only takes a few hops before you're down on the floor in front of her.
“I want to move Keth and Sith upstairs properly.”
You blink at her.
“OK?”
You blink at each other in mutual confusion for a moment, before you speak again.
“Did... you think that I was stopping them?”
“You haven't built an area for them, or for me. You said we could move into the second floor, but it's just bare right now. It kinda feels you want us to stay down here.” She crosses her arms and stares at you. It's not a side of her you think you've ever seen before.
You bob your head as you go over her words.
“I think there's been a breakdown of communications somewhere. The current state of the second floor is part of Sith's plan. I'm sure if she wanted me to focus on a demon area she would have said something. I certainly don't want to force you to stay down here, but currently there isn't much to do upstairs. Most everyone else lives down here. I thought you were OK with the progress we were making.”
You are genuinely confused by her comments. If it's been bothering her so much, why didn't she come to you at any point in the last three days?
Amanda sags, her arms slopping to her sides. “I knew it was something like that.”
You blink, even more confused. Amanda waved a hand at you.
“I was talking to Sienna. She's been trying to catch Jack's eye and was asking about how we met. Anyway, she uh, she said I should make sure you knew I had thoughts on this. Remind you that I am currently living out of a jail cell. That just because I like to be submissive in bed that that doesn't mean you can just walk over me.”
You feel a chill. “You don't think that-”
Amanda cuts you off with a wry smile. “No. No you haven't been. And Sienna didn't think that's what was happening either. But she shared some stories from her tribe and they hit a little close to home. I've been worried about that for a day or two now, that you'd end up just treating me like a toy.”
You lean backwards, and climb unsteadily to two feet, brining your head level with Amanda's, even as you stumble. She ends up half supporting you, as you stare into her eyes.
“If I ever do anything like that, you have my permission to smack me one. I'd like to think I can differentiate between someone's kinks and their personality. You tracked half the continent to find me, and that takes some serious dedication.”
You wince, as you come to some conclusions on her past behaviour. “You've not been exactly comfortable here, have you?”
She deflects. “It's gotten much better recently. The kobolds are nice to me, and the goblins are fun.”
You sigh, and drop down again. “But before you respawned they treated you like a bomb about to go off.”
She winces, and then gives you a hesitant nod. “It was easier to stay out of everything. Stay out of the way. No one hurt me or anything, or was even rude. They knew you liked me. They'd just... not really interact with me unless I instigated it, and if I did it wouldn't be long before everyone in the room remembered other things they'd like to do. If I was quiet though, I wasn't included, but not excluded either. Just part of the furniture.”
She shakes her head, favouring you with a half smile. “I just want you to know that I would appreciate it if I could get an actual room soon. And that I don't think that you've ignored my wishes, or anything. Just one of those thoughts you can't shake, you know?”
You nod. “I do.”
You shift, and half pull her down till, with a small yelp, Amanda joins you on the floor.
“Well then. What do you want, for floor two, beyond traps? What do you want your room to be like? What do you want your boss room to be like?”
She laughs, and wraps her arms around you as she leans back against the wall of the cavern, her fingers dragging across your scales. For a second, you think she's going to remain silent.
“A throne room. Big and... and silly, and cliché. Evil carvings everywhere, bone braziers, green flames. The works. I might not be that strong just yet, but I will be. And my bedroom should have books. Maybe we can have a library? And I could be off that.”
You nod, committing her words to memory.
“We can do that.”
“And... if anyone else shows up who's big and strong, maybe they can move upstairs too? And we can try and find another cook, and have somewhere to eat where most of the tables are big enough for me and Mercy, rather than just one? And...”
She trails off, and you both look towards the entrance. Someone is shouting.
You pull yourself to your feet. Amanda smiles at you, even as her skin turns ghostly green with magical energy.
“No rest for the wicked, hey?”
You wrinkle your nose, and follow her.
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