Chapter 18, Spacetime and Pipeweed

There are a few other postings but they either aren’t interesting or too low pay to be worth the hassle. Like who kills rats for a few coppers? Oh, right. I did that for a few months just a few years ago but wasn’t paid for my troubles.

The goblin problem I’m mostly interested in because it would be a quick way to repay my debt to the bank before doing anything else while the bandit extermination is mostly tempting for its high reward. The high reward probably means the gold rank taking it should be on the higher end in level if they want to live through it though.

I’m seriously tempted by the letter delivery. Halscorn City is at the western edge of the Riverflow kingdom and I want to go there with Ari and experience everything with her. It’s a time sensitive delivery though and I don’t feel like rushing like a madwoman when my new life has just begun.

The escort mission doesn’t sound as exciting as the others but it’s obviously a city provided posting for adventurers. It might get a little exciting since they’re not taking anyone lower than silver but I doubt it. They would offer better pay if the caravan went into territory that was known to be very dangerous.

It will probably be a drag but I’d be back in a month with over 1 Gold after paying back my debt. That could last me a while or I could spend it on a new storage ring. I might want to get out there and do crazy dives into dungeons or explore hostile territory for treasure right at this instant but I need to get myself in order first.

I sigh as I press my token against the [Escort] - Silver posting and the information transfers to my token. There’s a lot more information if I focus on the yet to be accepted posting than what I read from the notice board previously.

The name of the caravan manager who I should speak to and a better description on where the caravan would drop me off if I don’t want to return with them is included. The only requirement to fulfill the posting is to kill anything that tries to get at the caravan or its drivers.

It also has the date for departure noted which is scheduled for tomorrow. Lucky me. I bring the token to the counter and the clerk who is still dusting his precious wall. I silently stretch out my token for him to touch so that he can accept the posting. He touches the token in my hand and quickly reviews the posting I want before giving a short nod and accepting.

Every adventurer can use their token to get more information on a posting or to collect them for study and contemplation before accepting. You can only collect postings available at your rank and below while only a clerk of the guild can accept it for you by touching your token. It is to avoid giving obviously unsuitable postings to people who would do better elsewhere and not let too many people swarm onto a popular one. I thank the clerk and he waves lazily before continuing his vigorous dusting.

“I swear, Zel. If that clerk is still there dusting the wall when we get back we’ll have to confront him about it. I’m just too curious to ignore it.”

“Let’s hope he is here in one month then.”

Putting my token back in my left pocket with my badge I seal the pocket shut. I won’t need them for the rest of the day and I’d rather not have to test what a body made of mana looks like when a token strips me of that ambiguous half. Is it half my available mana pool or half of everything connected to my soul? Scary.

Ignoring the looks I’ve been getting during my whole stay and pretending not to notice as someone tries to get my attention I go back out into the street before setting off to the shop I’d seen on my way here. I might not be able to afford anything there yet but I could as well get ready for when I return.

“Hey! White haired hottie wait up!”

Curious as to who is brazenly shouting about his attraction to me, not that I'm terribly surprised, I turn around and see a 2 meter tall guy in his early twenties running full sprint from the guildhall and heading for me. He has black shoulder length hair with a few ornaments dancing in it, a short well trimmed beard, bushy eyebrows and gray eyes.

He’s equipped with sturdy looking leather armor and has a longbow glinting with metallic parts slung across his back. I can see a few short daggers and knives across his chest and sides. He catches up quickly and only needs a few breaths to get his stamina back.

“Sorry about that but I wanted to catch your attention in the guild but you seemed preoccupied.”

“Well you’ve gotten my attention even though I am.”

[Archer - Level 92]

“Yeah, name's Rolas and I saw you taking the information from the escort posting before going to the clerk. I thought you might be taking on the same assignment as me.”

That makes all my ideas on how to quickly get rid of him vanish. If we’ll spend the next 2 weeks or month together I’d be stupid to piss him off as he is the first person coming up to me.

“I’m going to escort the caravan leaving tomorrow. Name’s Zelaria.”

“Then I was right. Good. I just wanted to warn you that they don’t provide food on the trip. We have to get it ourselves or buy it from the merchants at a slightly raised price. Just wanted you to know since it isn’t stated in this month's posting. Someone must have forgotten to add it.”

“Oh, alright. Thank you very much, Rolas. I am busy though so we’ll have to chat on the journey. See you tomorrow.”

“Sure. See you Zelaria.”

I turn and and continue on my way towards the store.

“He was surprisingly genuine and not chasing us to ask to fuck. What a pleasant surprise.”

I chortled at Ari’s remark because she’d hit the nail on the head. It might just be my clothes that I practically designed to showcase a shadow of what’s beneath but I’d thought all young men in this town would only hit on me. Well maybe Rolas was doing it in a sly way by showing me kindness, instead of offering to pay me like James, but I don’t think so.

Reaching the squat and slightly lopsided wooden building that had drawn my attention I once more read the sign over the door that says it sells storage rings. It’s named ‘Gudrun’s Artificing and more’. Quite charming, really.

I step through the door and take in the rows upon rows of shelves with all sorts of trinkets that I have never seen before. There are storage rings of course and they sit in a glass case on the counter but the rest of the shelves' contents are a mystery.

Twaang! aang! an.

There’s a noise like a charged spring going off and I jump at the sudden noise. A hearty laugh from behind one of the shelves makes me step further in and reveal a squat woman chuckling while smiling broadly at me.

“Welcome to Gudrun’s Artificing and more, dear. I do like my custom doorbell as using a simple bell is just so boring since everyone expects it. My own SDCA or Spring Door Customer Announcer version 2.63 is great for giving me a good laugh at any new customer making an entrance.”

I simply stare at the matronly woman and she keeps beaming up at me. I shake my head like a wet dog as if coming out of a trance from processing whatever the woman is going on about.

“Artificing… and more. I see.”

Her smile grows even wider. Almost an evil grin as she approaches me while wringing her hands. Seeing an eventual disaster of me having to listen to this woman explain her ambiguous ‘and more’ littered all over the shelves I follow up my reply with another one, slowly backing away from her.

“I’m really just here to look at storage rings.”

“Bah, I knew it. It’s always about those damn storage rings.”

She deflates and disappears behind another shelf as if her customers have already left. What an odd woman. Ari sends me a mental shrug clearly being as confused by this as I am. Ignoring the potentially mad artificer behind me I approach the glass case and look over the different storage rings.

All of them are beautiful. Each one a unique piece with designs varying from simple engraved bands to rings that seem to be made entirely out of precious gems with golden threads woven in intricate designs. This Gudrun sure does good storage rings for someone who plainly resents people buying them.

I activate [Mana Sense] and [Mana Sight] while keeping the sensing radius just large enough to encompass the glass case. I had been worried it had been warded against magical sense perusal but it seems Gudrun doesn’t care if someone sees her ring's inner workings. She is obviously confident that she can do them better than any copycat anyway.

I can see why that is. It’s as beautiful on the inside as the outside. Mana structures of different elemental alignments cover every available space. They’re so complex I almost get a headache studying them. I keep looking and memorizing though. I might not be able to afford a storage ring now but maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to create my own as a mana construct. That would make my life so much easier.

A slight cough behind me draws my attention away after what must have been minutes of silently staring at it. I turn around and see Gudrun looking up at me with a raised eyebrow that clearly says that she knows exactly what I’m doing. Unfazed I simply tell the truth as this woman probably could appreciate someone else taking a fancy to creating artifacts.

“I wanted to study your storage rings in the hope that I could figure out how they work. I’d love to buy one right now but I literally only have 2 silvers since I lost my old ring in an accident.”

“Well I don’t care about that. Study all you like since it’s not like you’ll be able to create them anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“Try identifying me.”

[Artificer - ???]

I stare. That’s the first time in what seems to be forever my [Identify] has shown three question marks instead of the level of something. Is this old woman that high of a level? How high though? Level 200? 400? 500? More? My mind is racing with different answers and possibilities but one thing's for certain. She is either hiding her level somehow or I’m too weak to identify her properly.

“I can’t argue with that. They’re the most beautiful storage rings I’ve ever seen. Maybe not the rings themselves, they’re still beautiful though, but I mean the inner workings. They’re fascinating.”

“Well of course. There are not many storage rings out there with this level of functionality.”

“What can they do? I think you did something with fire and ice mana and the spatial mana is all over the place. I can’t figure it out.”

“The fire and ice is for keeping the temperature of anything going in the same while the space is warped enough that the time dilation is at a ratio of 1/70. There’s no better storage rings for keeping whatever you store in there as good as new for long periods.”

“Time dilation? Is there time magic in there? I’ve never even heard of that before.”

Gudrun laughs.

“No girl. No time magic. I’ve looked for it but I found another answer. Space and time are connected. It took many years, believe me, but I managed to work it out in the end.”

Gudrun honestly doesn’t seem to mind my curiosity as she continues on her way doing various stuff behind shelves while I get back to studying Gudrun’s work. I’d have to come here and buy one of her items included in the ‘and more’ category as thanks since I don’t think I’ll be needing to buy a storage ring anymore.

Gudrun probably doesn't know that she gave me an answer that makes everything else I’m seeing fall into place with what my long years of manipulating and studying mana structures have taught me. I was just so confused because of the fire and ice mana and the strange structure the spatial mana took on but with her explanation it all made some sense.

I’m not entirely sure yet that I can replicate this but I keep at it. Gudrun comes back to check up on me a few times but I don’t even notice her as I’m putting every bit of my mental power into figuring every single part of what I’m seeing.

If I wanted to copy her I would have already been on my way since I’ve long ago memorized it but I can’t do that. I have to create something new, an arcane storage ring. And to do that I need understanding.

I’ve been still as a statue for 2 hours before finally standing up. I’m pleased to see Gudrun’s head snap in my direction as if startled. She had probably forgotten about me, standing still as I was.

“Thank you Gudrun, for your words and for allowing me to study your brilliant work. I’ll come by when I get some money and you can try selling me your other things you seemed so eager to showcase at the moment I walked in here.”

Gudrun’s almost evil and manic grin returns for a split second before smoothing out in a facade of reluctance while shooing me out with a hand and going back to her tinkering.

“You’ve done it now, Zel. We’re dead the next time we step in here.”

I smile at that. If Ari and I can work out how to produce a storage ring of our own then I’ll gladly spend another day in that shop even if pulled around by an overexcited artificer.

“Should we buy some pipeweed with the money we have left? We’ll be on the road for a while this time.”

“Sure! I’m excited to see what you enjoy so much about it. It can’t be better than sex and violence.”

“Oh, you’ll be enjoying this then.”

Leaving Ari with that ambiguous comment and not giving her any hints of what I mean we look around the marketplace for a good pipeweed store. I have to ask for directions again but the older man carrying wooden planks while smoking a pipe gives me hope that the store he directs me to is a good one.

The store isn’t very large and the white paint covering its front is peeling slightly. A few wrinkly old men sit on a bench just outside while smoking and drinking in the afternoon sun. One of them has a pipe that goes down to his knees with a tiny bowl filled with something purple. I’m curious about the color and I ask him about it.

“What is this if you don’t mind me asking, sir? I haven’t seen purple pipeweed before.”

They all looked startled at me coming up and interrupting their peaceful puffing but not angry. The older man I asked even smiles as he showcases his bowl with a happy note in his tone.

“No, I don’t mind you asking, young miss. It’s a newly imported grass from the far south. Even further south than the nexus if I understood it correctly and it’s certainly exotic. It’s called Morning Dew. If the stories I’ve heard about the expansive desert south of the nexus are correct then that would explain the name.”

“What stories?”

“Well you know, the kind of wonder and adventure. The three of us were adventurers back in the day, you see. As an adventurer you always collect gossip from distant lands you might travel one day. We never did travel there but I still remember the stories.”

Lighting his pipe with a tiny twitch of his pinky finger I barely even catch he takes a long drag before exhaling with a contented sigh and continuing.

“It’s said that there are mountains of sand that move down there. Sand elementals are terrifying creatures from what I’ve heard. There are also supposedly many oases you can stumble upon in the desert while in the middle of nowhere. A different natural manifestation of magic in each one that’s supposedly more beautiful than the aurora of the north.

"Then they have these giant cactus forests. Hundreds of meters tall from what I heard. And this is where I think the name originates from ‘cause every morning down there the cactuses supposedly excretes a purple liquid that is said to bring you into true bliss. You apparently develop a tolerance towards it after a single sip.”

“Purple grass from south of the nexus called Morning Dew. I think you’re right. Thank you so much and have a good afternoon.”

They wave and I enter, absently wondering what this nexus he spoke of is, and immediately get assaulted with a plethora of different pleasant smells. Its interior is crammed with glass jars with pipeweed on display and both simple and luxurious pipes line the walls. An older man with graying hair and a bald patch stands behind the counter and smiles warmly as I approach.

“Welcome, young miss. How may I help you today?”

“Hello. I’d like you to pick something out that will last me two weeks on the road at a cost of 2 silvers. I’d like something more expensive but that’s all I’ve got until I make it back next month.”

“Morning and evening use?”

“Yes.”

“That would be doable but it will have to be one of the cheapest variants of pipeweed we’ve got. It’s not bad per se but it has a few rough edges to the aroma and taste that the more expensive ones don’t.”

“That sounds perfect, thank you. Can I have a look at your selection?”

He nods and bends behind the counter before rising once more and setting three jars on the counter top, unsealing each one in turn and letting me have a good whiff of the different grasses. In the end I chose the first one he unsealed as it is the closest one to what I had smoked before the dungeon delve.

It’s a simple dark green pipeweed that looks practically like every other variant of the cheaper grasses you can buy. It smells of orange and apple which is the closest to whatever I had been smoking before. I can’t remember what it was called but it was citrus flavored. This strain of pipeweed on the other hand is apparently called Sunrise.

Paying the old shopkeeper with my last two silvers, he hands me a thin and cheap weed pouch at the cost of a day’s less weed. It’s worth it as I don’t want to keep my pipeweed in my pockets. I leave the shop and wave merrily at the three older men before making my way to a small park in the middle district I’d seen on my way in.

I lean back on a bench covered in shadow from a huge oak that’s almost grown through one of the surrounding buildings and simply let my mind unwind. It’s been a hectic day as going without human contact for so long and then straight into all this is disorienting. I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I’ll be surrounded by fewer people and tasks.

The park I’m in is about a hundred meters in diameter and has lush grass with a pond in the middle. A duck floats between lily pads and seems almost asleep in its lazy movements. A few reeds break through the pond mud at its other end, swaying in the soft breeze that reaches the park between houses in this town built at an incline. A black cat is slinking through the grass some distance from the pond, trying to get closer to the duck. Excluding the machinations of cat and bird I’m sitting all alone and at peace.

“How about a few notifications we’ve held off?”

“Sure, Ari. Bring them up.”

Ding! General skill [Running] has leveled from [49] to [54].

Ding! General skill [Sprinting] has leveled from [45] to [48].

Ding! General skill [Jumping] has leveled from [56] to [59].

Ding! Skill [Mana Sight] has leveled from [66] to [70].

Ding! Skill [Mana Sense] has leveled from [249] to [252].

Ding! Skill [Passive Power] has leveled from [290] to [296].

Ding! Skill [Capacitor] has leveled from [9] to [32].

I’ve been using my capacitor at every opportunity I could since I got it a few days ago and it has already reached a high enough level to make a difference in a fight. Not a large one but still noticeable at least and the rest of my skill levels are mostly just from running all the way here as fast as I could without getting tired.

“We should start brainstorming on how to create our storage ring, Zel.”

“Oh, yes! That’s right. Thank you Ari dear for reminding me. I had forgotten about it after our chat with those older gentlemen. He spoke of things I have never heard about. What is this nexus he mentioned? It seemed like a place or a marker of some sort. And the desert seems fascinating. I want to try that purple drug he mentioned.”

“Yeah, we’ll have to go there at some point on our adventure I’d say.”

“So back on track. Do you have any ideas for this? I think we have to start working on something to figure it out. I just can’t get my head around a spatial mana structure that isn’t natural.”

“Spatial mana is supposedly one of the most elusive kinds of naturally occurring mana. Almost like arcane in difficulty if you will. But creating some sort of Arcane Spatial Magic Ring Construct version 1.0, to use Gudrun’s terminology, will likely be difficult as hell.”

I snort at that and agree. We’ll have to feel this out and probably experiment a lot before getting it right. As we’re alone right now and I can’t leave the town, not having the money to spend paying the entrance fee, there’s nothing else to do. There’s really no way for me to hide the mana I’m working on in the darkness though. It stands out even if people without mana sensing abilities can’t tell what I’m doing. I hope they don’t summon the guards on me as I work.

A few people walk through the park but I’m left alone as the sun sets and the new moon rises, closely followed by the stars. Ari and I first try to create an arcane spatial mana structure to get a feel for it but it always comes apart. We try again and again with small modifications to what we’re manifesting while mentally brainstorming ideas and theories back and forth in a continuous stream of thought.

Around midnight we finally manage to get a mana structure that’s stable and not immediately collapsing. We’re a little unsure if it’s only stable now and increasing the load on it will somehow collapse space around us and cast us into the void. It’s a fine balance between brilliance and madness. Gudrun could probably show us how to walk that line.

We decide to try our luck and with the simple design of a sleek, thin band without adornments we slowly build a ring using the arcane spatial mana structure, particle by particle. There are many layers to the structure since expanding and bending space even a little is ludicrously finicky. Every layer on top of the base is basically there to keep the whole thing together and only manifest in the physical space it’s located in as a ring.

The mana structure seems to take on a very dark gray, almost black color. We didn’t even bother trying to aim for a specific color since just getting it to work is the priority. The finished construct, yet to be activated, looks like a centimeter wide and flat band of metal that will fit snugly on my right hand ring finger.

“The moment of truth, Ari.”

“Let’s do it, Zel.”

I flood the construct with power. All of it. My whole capacitor and primary powersource flow into the ring and it grows slightly darker yet, now almost void black, as it drinks in the power. As the last drop of my stored mana leaves me I feel a painful snap followed by a quick reversal go off in my soul, like a twig being broken and immediately returned to perfect form.

My vision goes blurry and my senses are a mess as Ari also felt whatever that was and when it settles down a few seconds later we get the answer.

Ding! You have learned the general skill [Arcane Spatial Ring].

[Arcane Spatial Ring]

A skill for manifesting then using an arcane spatial mana structure in the form of a ring. This skill may passively use your mana to always stay on the preferred finger, returning when said finger is lost and regrown. Spatial and temporal distortion is currently calculated using [Skill Level * (0.1 Cubic meters)] and [xTime] : [Skill Level * (xTime / 10)] respectively. Skill can not level if upkeep draws more power than 1 / 4 of mana regeneration.

Ding! General skill [Arcane Spatial Ring] has leveled from [1] to [12].

Ding! You have bound [Arcane Spatial Ring] to your mana signature.

“Whaaat?”

“Our sloppy attempt was good enough to create a skill for it? Seriously?”

“This changes everything! A storage ring we literally can’t lose.”

We excitedly check out our new sleek and fancy band of arcane spatial stuff. Its polished surface looks almost like onyx in the moonlight and I feel the mental connection that had violently snapped into place before and jolted us. It now feels no different than any other spatial ring or the token in my pocket.

Using a bit of mental will I can push open the connection to take a look inside without actually seeing anything. It’s like a stream of information of what’s there and how much more I can fit in there. The space is supposedly about a cubic meter. It’s not very much but it’s not like I need that much storage space right now.

I happily place the band on my right ring finger, seemingly sticking in place when I let go and I can feel that it won’t come off no matter how much someone else pulls on it. My finger will break first before regenerating and the ring will then snap back into place on it using arcane spatial mana structures to bend and traverse the distance.

I pull out my token and badge before willing them to go into storage. And they’re gone just like that. Mentally looking at the storage ring I can feel their presence there. I next put my weed pouch in there to keep it safe and secure. It’s literally the most precious and vulnerable thing I own as anything else on me is either useless to others or will return once dropped.

Lifting up my hand against the slowly sinking moon I study the ring with a smile. This will be one of my most useful skills going forward. I’ll be needing to store different amounts of things on most adventuring postings I accept in the future and I’d go crazy or broke if I didn’t have this.

“Might as well create our smoking pipe right now with this much luck on our side.”

“Nice. I’ve been looking forward to it. We might even get to test it tonight.”

The stars are still visible. We have maybe another 4 hours until sunrise. I think I can complete the pipe in less than one hour and we’ll surely need the rest of the night for what I’ve got planned for our first smoking session.

I start shaping mana into different shapes of pipes I’ve seen before settling on a shape of a slightly longer curved pipe with a medium sized bowl. It will be comfortable to use while sitting still and not at all practical when moving. We’ll only be smoking when still anyway.

I use the same mana structure as our mana bone for the base of the pipe. It gives the pipe an ivory look with almost invisible arcane patterns across it. It looks quite nice. I then add a little flare by creating a weak and completely useless but good looking mana structure that almost glints like real gold and I twine it into hypnotic patterns across the pipe's length, letting the gold-like arcane material sink into the mana bone and keeping the thing smooth. I choose the colors to fit the theme I’m starting to go towards. White, gold and black.

“Looks good, Zel.”

“Thanks. Alright now to find a quiet and private spot.”

Ari sends me mental waves of clear confusion but I ignore her and move towards one of the corners of the park. There behind a few crates and between two abandoned looking stone houses is a small space, blocked from view from all four sides by the crates and three thick stone walls. It isn’t larger than 2 meters wide and long and probably has crates standing there normally. Perfect.

I jump down and manifest two thick blankets of silky arcane material which I place on the ground. It’s quite a drain with their size but I don’t care. As long as my regeneration can keep up we’re good. I can feel Ari getting over her confusion and slowly getting as excited as me. She knows what those blankets signify by now.

“Alright, Ari. It isn’t really that chilly out here but please dampen my sense of cold without altering my other senses. It will be a slightly more pleasing experience if we feel warm and fuzzy like a few days ago when by the brook.”

“Sure. I can do that.”

I leave it to Ari and almost immediately start feeling warmer. She’s really excited isn’t she?

I retrieve our weed pouch and open it, pluck a few leaves and fill the bowl before closing and sending the pouch back into storage. I then mimic the older man earlier today and light the bowl without any movement. My fire however is golden and I keep it at a low power to only produce smoke and not burn fast. It’s not exactly the same as the celestial flames as it doesn't have the sticky properties, only the color.

I take a long and slow pull on the pipe, feeling the hot smoke enter my mouth with a refreshing taste of oranges and apples. The smoke makes its way down my lungs before I breathe it out into a slightly wobbly smoke ring. Ari has to fully focus to process all this new information from the drug but it only takes her another drag from me and a little mental communication to get it to what feels right.

Taking another long pull I hold it a little longer while looking at the stars. They seem to smile down at me. Waving merrily as if pleased by my life’s choices and me sitting in this street corner smoking pipeweed. I completely agree with them but I don’t voice it. Pipeweed might be strong but you don’t really lose your logical reasoning.

It’s more like the world aligns with your heart and your mind gets to experience it. There’s also the euphoria. It’s starting to slowly make itself known and I take the few final drags on my pipe before the pipeweed is no more.

Letting out the smoke I disperse my pipe and simply enjoy the euphoria for a while. I can feel Ari doing the same as her mental walls have started coming down. I’m probably as relaxed as her and we’re in more harmony than ever before.

I start by dispersing my top first. My already rock hard nipples are practically begging to be sucked but I can’t do it myself. My thoughts must have spilled over to Ari as I suddenly feel, as vividly as if real, lips on my nipples and a tiny scraping of teeth.

I moan loudly into the night in both surprise and delight at this new trick of Ari’s. She sends me an aroused and pleased feeling back before sending the information that I can barely understand to mean that she has disconnected us from our vocal cords. No need to worry that anyone will hear me.

I disperse the rest of the clothes as Ari’s biting and sucking on my nipple and massage of my left, perky breast drives us insane with lust. Sending a hand down towards my already drenched slit I stimulate my clit while Ari’s working on my top. It is bliss.

Our mental defenses are completely gone and we melt together in mutual carnal desire. Ari kisses my lips and our tongues entwine. I can feel her weight on my lap as she wraps her arms around me before we delve into each other's mouths. Exploring and enjoying each other.

Mentally lying down and moving Ari to face downwards with her slit on my face I dig in deep and suck on her. Her reverberating almost hysterical cries of ecstasy drives me over the edge as well. She soon reciprocates and we both eat each other out while the heaven smelling pleasure runs down our cheeks.

Ari suddenly reorienting herself to face me once more goes in for another kiss. But I stop her with a finger on her lush lips. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. What we’re doing and Ari… I can see her. She looks like me but not entirely. She has silver eyes and raven black hair but looks otherwise almost exactly like me. Ari seemingly comes to her senses for that same split second that could have lasted for an eternity before she smiles, eyes hungry and pushes our lips together once more.

It feels real. It is real. I can’t describe it as anything else. I’m fucking my other half in a mental space conjured from drugs and carnal lust. Having left our mental defenses completely open to each other for the first with the drugs guiding our hearts we’d ended up here. In paradise.

I renew my grip on Ari’s thighs as I squeeze and move my hands lower while teasing her by avoiding anything too sensitive. Ari only increases the passion with which she licks my lips, explores my mouth and kisses me to vent her growing sexual tension. I move my hands to the inside of her thighs and slowly, ever so slowly, make my way downwards.

Ari shudders and moans into my mouth as she releases before I even get there. I won’t let that stop me as I find my target and move in. Before I manage to please her Ari pushes me down on my back, once again kneading my breasts and sucking on my nipples, her face flushed and her breathing heavy.

I don’t miss the mischievous twinkle in her eyes while I shudder under her ministrations. I close my eyes in preparation to give my lover the chance to play her mischief. A large, rubbery cock ramming into me and sending me over the edge is not what I expected and I bolt upright only to plant my face in Ari’s wonderful and slick bust, glinting with sweat and our combined juices.

Her mischievous silver eyes look down upon me and I see her holding a very realistic rendition of a large erect cock with one hand and rubbing it against her slit while her warm breathy moans brush against my face. Ari has somehow managed to influence our little paradise to create a new toy for us. I am not complaining.

She pushes me down once more before lifting the cock to her mouth and taking it whole, licking our juices off it while keeping eye contact with me. She then gently caresses my thigh before slowly pushing the toy back into me.

Another release while I look into her bewitching eyes and the cock bottoms out. She smiles again and pulls it out before once more swallowing it and licking off the juices. Never breaking eye contact. It’s too much, even for me.

I jump at her, getting a squeal in response before pushing her down to dominate her in turn. I’m going to take her to heights of ecstasy even I haven’t reached. I grab the cock from her hand before lowering myself to her slit and starting my exploration. I’m determined to explore it all and the flow of pleasure and the trembling of legs next to me tell me it’s appreciated.

When an almost continuous stream is flowing out of Ari’s slit I sit back up, licking my lips while keeping Ari pressed down and making sure our newly established eye contact is not going to break I ram the cock straight into her. Ari’s eyes widen and her moan is almost a wheeze as she doesn’t manage to process the sudden influx of sensations gripping her.

I don’t let up though. I decided to dominate her and so I will. Keeping my eyes locked with hers I lower myself down and bite her lip at the same time I thrust into her again. I keep thrusting while making my exploration of her mouth and never breaking eye contact.

Ari doesn’t look away or even blink. There’s no need for words. We are two parts of a whole and I can see the blossoming love in her eyes that is no doubt shining through my own.

We stay like that for an indefinite time. Me pleasuring her until even her muscle spasms stops. Never looking away from each other's eyes. I then slow down, taking care to unwind and give her time to readjust back from the journey of bliss she doubtlessly just experienced.

After finally stopping and pulling the toy out, literally dripping with Ari’s fragrance, I lick it clean while I look into her eyes. There’s more there now. There’s even more than love in Ari’s eyes. It’s a wild concoction of love, admiration, overwhelming lust and also understanding. She had dominated me and I dominated her in turn. There is a balance we must keep. Both when fucking each other and in life.

I hadn’t really known how to breach this subject with Ari. She’s usually quiet if nothing life changing or very amusing is happening and I want her to know that we’re equals. And it seems this has somehow gotten it through to her without me voicing it. I use a few words now to solidify what I can see her realizing.

“Ari, my love, my dear, my other half and companion for life. We’re equals, now and forever.”

Putting on a slightly cocky grin that’s still glowing with tenderness I continue.

“That also means I’ll dominate you if you dominate me. Remember that, alright?”

I bend down, placing a deep kiss on her lips and giving her another long loving look before I put up my mental defenses once more. Separating me from her and closing the space of our shared carnal lust and love, to be opened at a later date for sure. I’ll make sure of it.

When I return with my mind to my body I remember where I was when all this went down. Luckily it seems that disconnecting so thoroughly from reality and entering that wonderful place with my lover had made my physical body stay put. My hand is still on my slit where juices have flown in streams before dispersing.

I lift my hand to my mouth and lick it clean. The erotic taste is so much like Ari’s and very enjoyable. I send a soft mental wave of love Ari’s way to make sure she’s okay after all this and I get a powerful pulse of love and lust back. Seems like me dominating her really put her in high gear. I remember her liking the pain she experienced when our souls first came into contact. Maybe adding a little pain next time will push her higher still.

Continuing this will have to wait though. We had been out for about an hour as that’s how long the pipe weed’s high usually lasts when smoking a medium bowl. It had felt much longer in our mental lovenest but I guess it might have actually been more love making being done between us in there than what would fit in an actual hour out here.

The sun will be up soon and I have to get ready even though I would rather just get back to Ari and spend more time with her. We’ll do that once this posting is completed and we can rent a room for ourselves to be safe and spend as long as we want in each other's embrace.