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Chapter 57: Welcome Back To Lordran!
🕑 Added 2023-01-11 18:37:29 +0000 UTCFor the first time in what felt like ever, I woke up without screaming or tearing miscellaneous body parts out. In fact, I feel the most comfortable I have ever been in lordran. Bar the armor.
My sleep was still worse than any I have had on earth but it was tolerable which is something that is very new to me in Lordran. I wish I didn't wear armor so that I feel the ungodly softness wrapped around me better. Then I realized.
What the hell am I sleeping on? And when the hell did my body sleep?
Then I looked up and saw her. Her chin nestled above my head as her snowy white hair cascaded down onto my helmet. Her arms and tail wrapped snugly around me.
Huh, this is the first time(that I remember of) that I have been cuddled. As the small spoon nonetheless. And to be honest, her beautiful face is the most beautiful and cute thing I have ever woken up to in my life. And this shit was just SO comfortable.
So I made no effort to get out of the rather embarrassing situation of a grown-ass man being cuddled as a small spoon and instead wriggled a bit to make myself more comfortable.
...
...
...?
Nothing?
All positive thoughts I have had about comfort should've been smothered to death by voice1 or should've spiraled into a genocidal line of thought by voice2 by now. Strange.
But I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Every minute I am not tormented by the voices in my head gnawing on my mind is a goddam vacation to me.
It also seems I have massively, massively underestimated the power of Priscilla. She managed to do something that none other in Lordran could do.
She gave me a night's sleep and managed to shut up 'Apoplex' aka voice 2. Which is basically the embodiment of all of my accumulated anger frustration and wrath balled up into a singularity of pure destructive urges.
Even getting killed more than 50 times over couldn't shut that bastard up. Even fucking ORNSTEIN couldn't shut him up. Yet she did.
Truly terrifying.
Speaking of the devil, she began waking up and let go of me unconsciously to stretch her arms, like a cat(completely adorable). Before reflexively grabbing me once again. Then she realized I woke up too.
''Are you okay now?''
Oh, I'm more than okay, in fact, this is the first time I have felt more than a corpse in the last few years. My only wish right now is that I didn't have the compulsion to wear armor and helmet 24/7.
''Yeah, thanks Pris.''
Hearing me she tilted her head to the side in confusion.
''Pris?''
Oh right, she is starved of social interaction so I doubt she has much grasp on the concept of nicknames.
''It's a nickname. Just think of it as a way to affectionately refer to someone.''
When she heard that it seemed like her eyes lit up.
''Oh, then I thank thee for the gesture. I am glad to receive such praise.''
It feels weird to hear someone speak like old English royalty yet essentially say: I have no friends and I haven't had any human interaction in the last 100 years.
After a half hour or so we finally got up to the morning sun shining down upon us. After stretching (which I didn't actually have to do since with dexterity 99 I can basically fold my arms like paper but habits are hard to shake off) I turned to her.
''Whelp, what do you say about leaving this place Pri?''
At my words, her mood suddenly became solemn and disappointed.
''I'm afraid I can't, while others can leave by plunging from here I cannot. I have tried.''
I just reached up and petted her head as response(she was kneeling). She seemed quite confused at the gesture but still leaned into it while blushing up a storm. After a bit of enjoying her fluffy hair, I retreated my hand into a cough to speak, while seeming disappointed she listened to me intently.
''Don't worry, that won't be a problem. I know a way out of everywhere, in fact, they used to call me slippery corpse back in uni.''
''I... do not know what half of that means but I would really like to see the outside world. Can thee really allow me to leave the painted world?''
In response, I stood tall and placed the pharis hat on top of my helmet, and reached for my gloves. Taking them off to reveal the scarred hands beneath as I extended one to her like an invitation.
"Not just that, I can show you the whole world. Maybe even beyond that, so will you accompany me on my journey Priscilla?"
As the words flowed from my soul she sported a smile so warm it felt like even my cold dead soul got a spark of warmth inside it. There were tiny droplets of crystal tears in her eyes as she nodded and took my hand as she stood up.
When our hands connected I felt a small spark almost jump inside me. A speck of light in the abyss. I felt a warmth in my heart I couldn't describe, but I liked the feeling.
"Yes I will!"
Grinning like an idiot under my helmet I pulled her in suddenly, making her lose her balance. And suddenly swept her off her feet. Giving her a princess carry as she looked at me with a heavy blush.
"Then let us depart!"
{Homeward}!
The space-time around us distorted as my ability warped us to the bonfire of my choosing thanks to the influence of the lordvessel. And shortly after we arrived at the bonfire in Gwynevere's room. Still in my arms, she looked around in wonder as she hadn't seen the world in decades.
Eventually, though, I had to set her down. Not because I was tired or anything, I could run for 10 hours before getting tired. But because holding someone nearly twice your size in a princess carry is not very comfortable.
But even after I set her down she still looked around in a daze. Honestly the only way that I could gauge her mood and emotions was with her tail. And if that is right then I'm worried her heart would explode soon as her tail was wagging so fast that it looked like a blur.
''Whelp, welcome to lordran Pris!''
She still looked around with tears in her slightly unbelieving. Making me feel quite awkward. No genuinely painful for me.
(Please... just respond. I'm trying to do everything I remember from theater class. Am I not acting well enough?)
Suddenly, opposite to my worries she turned around and lifted me into the air, and gave me a bear hug.
*Creak* *Crack*
With such strength that my armor bent(the same armor that could take hits from the stray demon) and cracked around half of my ribs. The sensation of my lungs being crushed was unpleasant but that was balanced out by the nice hug.
And my head was smothered by her b-
She spoke in a tiny, almost fragile voice.
''thank you''
I just hugged her back until she released me. I didn't really try to speak as a few loose ribs stabbed my lungs, and if I spoke that would be too noticeable. After she put me down and calmed down I rearranged my skeleton to put it together and used heal to get myself back into full condition.
After we chatted while we explored Anor Londo night edition. It was... fun. Unexpectedly so. Not the exploration but of seeing her reaction to things. How she approached seemingly everything with innocent curiosity. It just warmed my heart.
I could help but tease her whenever possible. And she always blushed and puffed her cheeks in mock indignation but I could tell she was enjoying it too.
Eventually, though we had to make our way back to the shrine. Or well whatever was left of it. Coming back there we saw a hill covered with grass and a few trees with some makeshift houses and tents.
Apparently, the boys were out hunting some big game while I had my chuunibyou phase and came back to no shrine and scorched land. Which Laurentius fixed with the new pyromancies he taught himself. Honestly, I kinda missed those guys.
Even Patches.
The guys were surprisingly welcoming toward Priscilla. Even Solaire who was a diehard fan of sunlight and lord Gwyn welcomed her into the Firelink camp with open arms. When I asked him about it he simply said.
''Hahahah! Do not worry my friend, all are equal under the grossly incandescent sun! Besides a friend of my friend is always a friend of mine!''
Sun bless you Solaire, you are too good for this world.
Patches on the other hand...
''Bosses mistress eh? What do I call her then? Eh, who cares.''
Apparently, he didn't really care too much about her existence other than her relation to me. Though he seemed to like her being half dragon because, and I quote: ''Anyone and anything that gives those filthy clerics the middle finger gets a plus in my books.''
As for Priscilla herself she really enjoyed meeting new people, though she still seemed to gravitate toward me more often than not. And while they were getting better acquainted I hopped down the hole and placed the lord vessel down.
After that, I made my way back to Pris while thinking about my future plans. But unlike before, with her by my side, things seemed a little brighter than before.
