3.61: Noelle
After discussing everything my demon wives and I talked about with the rest of the clan, Kyra, Jade, Tifa, Emelia, and a mix of 30 members of my demon army and 10 of Gehenna’s guards traveled to the nearest friendly city in order to seek out new crafters for the clan. I also told them to keep an eye out for low level enchanters and one or two harvesters, but that crafters were the first priority.
Gehenna, Scythe, Areandra, and Hana all worked on testing Hana’s teleportation idea for the buildings, and if it proved successful, they would begin the process of creating a large-scale teleport spell to teleport the castle, and then work on actually moving it should their tests prove successful.
Bray, Ikelos, and Lucifer worked with a currently level 1 Judas and Tesrif to ensure our defenses around the castle were as secure as they could be, along with installing a few traps and defensive measures in key locations within the structure that Hana could later relocate as needed.
Since they couldn't really leave the castle in their temporary level reduced state, Aeryn, Ghost, and Ash worked on the specifics for stuff related to the PvP event. With everyone else busy with various activities Nialla and I took the opportunity to travel with Power Limiters in place and Demonspawn disguises that displayed fake character names and clan tags, along with making us look drastically different than our real bodies.
Our goal was to seek out groups who were seeking players in order to do dungeon runs. We were mainly looking for ones that had group members who didn't have a clan tag, or were part of a very small clan. My hope was to potentially recruit some of them should any prove to be useful allies. As Nialla and I walked slowly towards the closest Hellgate, we chatted about anything and everything.
“I'm not a fan of this Power Limiter thing, Allie. It makes me feel… Sluggish. I have no clue how I'm gonna fight with this thing.”
“Remember, kitten, we aren't trying to outshine our teammates, we're scouting out potential recruits.”
“I know, I know… I’ve just gotten used to the speed I normally have… So this thing makes me feel so fucking slow…”
“Noelle, can I ask you a super random question?”
“No.”
I looked at her with confusion until I saw the playful expression on her face and I rolled my eyes.
“Brat. Anyways… I know you talked about wanting to meet us in person and eventually date Em and I out of game… But to what end? Are you looking for a long-distance type thing or…?”
Nialla stopped suddenly and stared at me. Despite her current body not having her feline features, I knew that her tail would be lashing back and forth right about now.
“No. I have absolutely no reason to stay here in Cali. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and my older brother… but I was homeschooled… I’m ready to leave the nest and fly free! So… I could move to Colorado.”
“Do you want to though? That would basically mean you'd be moving for a girl. Well… Two girls, but the point remains the same.”
Nialla shrugged and gave me a grin.
“I have no clue what I wanna do with my life, Allie. I'm not even sure if I wanna go to college. I have a part time job at a bookstore, but even that is sorta boring.”
I cocked my eyebrow and gave her a questioning look.
“What do you like doing in your free time?”
“Playing video games, having sex in video games, and drawing I guess.”
“Drawing… Are we talking like just doodling for fun or is it something you're serious about?”
“I'm not good enough to be an animator or comic artist, but I've done a few commissions. I mostly do anime style art, but recently I've been messing around with photorealism. I actually designed two of my tattoos that I have. One of my cat, another of a coral snake that runs the length of my arm down to the top of my hand.”
“How many tattoos do you have?”
“I've made it a habit to get one every month since I turned 18. So I currently have eight. I actually got this character tattooed on my calf a few days ago. Sort of a pin-up like yours… Only with clothes on. I uh… Also have a bunch of piercings.”
“How many is a bunch?”
“Six on each ear, my septum and the right side of my nose. Snakebites, my tongue, both eyebrows, both of my nipples, and my belly button. I wanna get my clit hood done, but I'm too scared to go by myself.”
I openly gaped at the taller woman and she gave me a sheepish grin and shrugged.
“I've always loved the look of piercings and tattoos. Does that… Bother you?”
I shook my head and pulled her close to me.
“Not in the slightest. I think tattoos are sexy. Piercings too. I actually want to get my tongue pierced… For many reasons. And I already have both of my ears pierced once. I also think I'm going to get a wedding ring tattoo in addition to whatever ring Em gets me.”
“Ohhhhh do you already have a design for it?”
“No, not yet. I only had the idea a few days ago when I saw one of my friends mention theirs.”
“I would love to draw the design for you, if you'd let me.”
“Of course! That would be awesome. The only thing I know for sure is I want it to be rainbow colors.”
Nialla gave me a huge grin and nodded enthusiastically.
“I can definitely work with that.”
I looped my arm in Nialla's as we started walking again, before turning towards her slightly.
“Have you thought about becoming a tattoo artist?”
Nialla stopped and looked momentarily stunned. Her eyebrows went nearly to her hairline before a huge grin spread across her face.
“No. I mean… Now that you mention it, it seems obvious! I'd have to learn how to do it, obviously… But that would actually be fucking awesome!”
Nialla practically skipped forward as we continued towards our destination, and it made my heart soar with happiness to see her so excited. Before we got too much farther I put my arm on hers and stopped her. After spinning her around, I pulled her close to me in a tight embrace and I kissed her deeply. When we broke apart she gasped a little and arched her brow at me.
“What was that for?”
“Cause you are so fucking adorable and I love you.”
“Awww. Thanks. I love you too!”
“You know… You never did answer me about whether or not you want to move to Colorado.”
Nialla sighed and then gave me a serious look.
“Allie… I know I barely know you guys, but I know without any doubt that am deeply in love with you and Emily. I want nothing more than to be next to you both. So yes, I want to move to Colorado to be with you. I have zero clue how I'm going to afford it, since my parents probably won't pay for it… But I can save my money from my job instead of getting any more tattoos and then move up there in a few months.”
“What if I were to pay for you?”
Nialla narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
“I couldn't ask you to do that, Allie. That would make me feel like I'd owe you in some way.”
I let out an awkward chuckle before exhaling loudly.
“Promise me you'll keep what I'm about to tell you secret, K?”
She knitted her brows and gave me a puzzled expression, but nodded anyway.
“I promise.”
“Money won't be an issue, Noelle. I have more than enough to help you move without it really affecting my savings in the slightest.”
Her eyes went very wide at this and she cocked her head to the side.
“Are you telling me you're loaded?”
“Yes.”
She studied my face to see if I was being serious before shrugging and giving me a playful grin.
“Cool. I'd still feel weird about letting you pay for me to move up there, but if you're willing to be my sugar mama, I guess I'm willing to swallow my pride.”
“Ok… the only reason I'm letting you get away with that comment, kitten, is because I'm ten years older than you and I find the concept hilarious. But don't think for one second I'm gonna call you my sugar baby, and you are absolutely not going to call me your sugar mama.”
“Can I ask you a serious question?”
I stopped for a moment and arched my eyebrow before smirking at her.
“No.”
Nialla rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me.
“Does me being 18 truly not bother you? Ever since you told me you don’t typically date people that much younger than you, it sorta stuck with me no matter how much I try to ignore it.”
I narrowed my eyes at her as I pulled her close to me and kissed her lips several times in quick succession. I sighed softly through my nose and stared into her eyes.
“A few years ago I made a rule about not dating anyone more than 6 years younger than me. At the time, I was 25 and this girl I was dating at the time was barely 19. I sorta helped her get her life back on track… before I helped her move into an apartment of her own, she was living in what amounted to a large closet in her sister’s wreck of an apartment, she was working an absolutely shit job, and she could barely afford groceries. I ended up helping her with a lot. I never felt like she was taking advantage of me, because she never openly asked me for anything. I just knew that if I didn’t help her with whatever it was, money, food, a ride… whatever… She would just go without until she could get it for herself. We were both polyamorous, and I truly didn’t mind her dating someone else as long as she made the appropriate time for me. Mondays and Tuesdays were our days. Sometimes it was just as simple as her coming over and we spent all day watching movies and having sex… but we also went to parks, hot springs, rock climbing, and other fun date things. Often she would sleep over at my place on Monday night and we’d go do something on Tuesday. When she met this other girl, though, things changed dramatically. I wasn’t a stranger to having sex with other people I barely knew, and my girlfriend and I had occasionally included others in our fun, but when this new girl suddenly showed up with her at my house and sorta pushed herself between us, I immediately felt off about the whole thing.”
I let out a sigh and furrowed my brow as I tried to push away the negative emotions threatening to well up.
“After we all had sex, that was when shit hit the fan. I went to pick her up from her apartment on a Monday morning, like I typically did, and when I got there this bitch was there waiting on my girlfriend to leave with her to go out for the day. I tried to push it away and asked if I could join them, still not seeing what was happening. The following day when I tried calling her, all my calls went straight to voicemail. I finally got her to text me, and when she did she was saying shit like ‘soandso says that you are only using me for sex and making me feel like I’m just here to please you. She felt like you pressured her and me into a threesome despite both of us not really being into it.’ I had no clue how to respond… so I sorta was like… What the fuck are you talking about? I started listing things that I never would have done had I been just using her for sex and all I got back was ‘I’m blocking you now.’”
I was slightly taken aback as Nialla let out a low growl and her lip quivered in obvious anger. Her hands were balled up into fists and I gently grabbed each of them and uncurled her fingers to interlace them with my own. I stood on my tiptoes and I kissed her forehead. As I smiled warmly at her, I felt her slightly relax in my embrace.
“Her obvious emotional immaturity should have clued me in that we had a toxic relationship… and I figured this was due in great part to her age and barely having any ‘world experience.’ So… from then on I said I wouldn’t date anyone that much younger than me.”
Nialla narrowed her eyes and gave me a questioning look.
“But… I probably have even less world experience than she did…”
“But you’re already making forward strides to be independent. You’re also emotionally competent enough to know what you want and how to be realistic about your feelings. I’m not saying there won’t be hurdles, but I know that together we can overcome them. As long as you remain as honest with me as you have been, I will continue to feel the way I do about you. Above all else, Noelle, I want you to be happy. And I know you want me and Emily to be happy as well. That’s enough for me. The fact I get to call myself a cougar in a couple of years when I’m 30 and you’re 20 is just a bonus.”
Nialla sniffled and laughed softly as she kissed me deeply.
“Thank you, Allie. For reals. I know sometimes I act like a kid, but I love that you don’t treat me like one when it matters. Now then… if we don’t stop with all this touchy feely stuff in the middle of the hellscape, we’re likely to attract unwanted attention. So… Miss-”
She stared at me and cocked an eyebrow as she studied what I assumed was my fake name in her display.
“Lexia… let’s go find us a party to join.
“Sounds good Lady… Catalin.”
I snorted as I realized the pun in her name and released my tight hold on her. As we set off again, I let out a contented sigh when I felt my girlfriend’s hand clutching mine tightly.