Mature Content Warning: None really, though John has to deal with emotions or whatever the hell is happening in this update.

Author's Notes: This update and one more are all that is left in chapter 8. After that, I will return to full-length chapter updates. There should be about 4 - 5 full chapters left. :) Though, I have considered redoing this story as a sidestory/companion story for the new worldsetting I will be using in Galataea Crystallim. :)

Chapter 8.4: What Strange Witchery...

John, exhausted from his many exertions, sighed in a slow and shallow manner. Normally, he would receive but a single girl in a given day. The rest would be required to take care of their needs on their own. Of course, that was nothing more than trading off between Kara and Honey. Neither Tera nor Mindy had been properly tamed until today.

The mage pondered the significance of the human and demi-human interactions required to allow society to continue to function. How did exhaustible, tired, humanity continually manage to stay on top of the situation? His body ached in places that he knew must exist due to his studies. However, he had never believed that he might feel their presence directly.

He popped open the lid on a StamineX bottle and tasted the energy drink. His eyebrows shot up then he made an unpleasant face. “People drink this on a daily basis?”

For a brief moment, the academically oriented man considered abandoning his studies altogether. If he had to drink such things on a regular basis, perhaps he should take up engineering? It was an idle fancy. He would never stop his training and studies in the mystic arts. Still, the thought did occur to him.

John gritted his teeth, breathed in and out once, then turned the bottle up and guzzled down the foul tasting substance. He nearly gagged on the taste. It was salty and smelled of the sea. Who would wish to drink something with such a flavor and scent?

A gentle knock came from his door. John did not need to know who that was. Only Honey would knock on a door when there was a perfectly good buzzer available. “Hello? Master.” asked a soft feminine voice.

The barest flicker of a smile crossed the man’s lips. “Enter.”

The door opened and the succubuzz walked in with a perk in her step. She held her hands out to the side at waist-height as she walked. The bee and succubuzz hybrid lifted one hand and waved at her master sweetly. “Hello, master.”

“Hello, Honey. Are you ready?”

“Ready? Uhm...” She tilted her head to the side and looked at him cutely. What was she supposed to be ready for, exactly?

The man looked at the mildly confused girl for a moment then casually lifted one hand. “Come here. I will show you.”

“Oh! That might help.” Honey perkily walked over to her master then stood in front of him, a radiant smile on her face.

The sheer innocence of the girl caused John to undergo all manner of strange emotions. Her lack of comprehension and understanding regarding the world caused him to have the most bizarre inclinations.

On more than one occasion he had forcibly stopped himself from enrolling her in long-distance educational courses. He came to his senses just in time whenever it occurred. As if a demi-human truly needed an education! Still, her absolutely lack of guile and knowledge of the world both fascinated and horrified the man.

He opened his palm and she immediately placed her cheek against his hand. John watched her carefully while she nuzzled against his hand. Soon, she closed her eyes and began to softly vibrate.

He frowned once more. The girl was so innocent and trusting. He could do anything to her at the moment, ask anything of her, and she would no doubt accept it. There were many things that he did not truly understand about social interaction due to his upbringing, but this girl acted as though she had been even more sheltered than he had been. He suspected that being raised by scientists at a demi-human research institute did not lead to many opportunities for interaction with normal people.

In many ways, Honey was like a mirror for man. Would he have been the same as she, had she grown up in an environment without the bastardy perpetuated by his father? Well, obviously not. She was only an animal after all... and yet... He still had a strange sensation of familiarity with the girl who so innocently nuzzled his hand.

Absent-mindedly John brushed him thumb against her cheek. What was it about her that caused him to become so introspective, so... abnormally desirous of familiarity with another?

John did not like to tame Honey. It felt wrong to him somehow. She was too trusting too... like, yet unlike him. He did tame her frequently, however, because she enjoyed it. Was it unfair for him to dote on the creature? Yes, but she had never once attempted or even spoken of disloyalty.

“Honey... How are you today?” asked John. The idle chatter grated against his teeth before he spat it out, but he could not help his desire to simply talk to the girl.

“Honey is good, master. But...” The girl slowly opened her eyes and looked at him before biting her lower lip.

“But?”

She nodded her head slowly. “Honey misses cuddling with master.”

“I see. Is that what you want to do today?”

Honey’s eyes opened wide and her smile became bright and cheerful. “Yes! Honey would love that.”

John nodded. He needed to attend to the needs of his minions. If this strange girl needed such a simple thing as an embrace to be happy, who was he to deny her? It was his part of their social contract after all.

He opened his other arm. “Come then.”

Honey giggled cutely then leapt onto his lap. She slipped her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly.

Slowly, they slid down atop the bed. They continued to lie there intertwined in each other’s arms. John held Honey close and the succubuzz clung to him fiercely while vibrating happily.

Soon, the girl fell asleep. John, stuck for the moment, chose not to move and accepted that his innocent minion needed nothing more from him than closeness and simple human kindness.

He could not relax in his current position, however. His mind ran quickly, though his body moved little at all. He thought of the coming days, and of the task at hand. Honey had been tamed within the last few days. She would be fine even without that special interaction today. If she wanted to press her body against his and vibrate then that was her concern.

Time passed, but honey remained in position. She seemed perfectly content to do nothing more than cuddle with her master for as long as possible.

John was left with far too much time on his hands. Unaccustomed to long hours without anything to occupy his body or mind he found that his hands started to do strange things on their own. He stared at his right hand while it lightly stroked the girl’s hair. Why would he subconsciously do such a thing?

The next bit of strangeness occurred when his left hand began to massage the small of her back. However, the strangest sight of all was not what occurred with his hands, but what he sensed.

There was a faint skirling of mystical energy. A light blue haze began to rise up from the girl and the snapping crackle of etheric energy emerged slightly.

Was she attacking him! No, he felt no sense of alarm. If anything, he felt strangely warm and content.

John noticed that the strange phenomenon intensified if he willing caressed the girl. He gently began to stroke her hair and massage her lower back.

His eyes widened when a truly bizarre desire surged within him. Horrified that he had possibly become possessed by some strange spirit, he quickly checked his personal wards. They did not require much power to create and maintain, only a bit of concentration.

No, he was not possessed. He was not being mentally manipulated, either. Curious about his strange desire, John chose to follow through with it. He continued to caress her lower back and stroke her hair, but also leaned forward and chastely kissed her on the forehead.

Honey murmured sweetly then cuddled even closer. The etheric current arced and crackled to a greater degree.

“What is the meaning of this?” asked John suddenly. He did not understand.

Honey awakened partially and mumbled something sweet and gentle. John instinctively stroked her hair. “Return to your slumber. Nothing is amiss.”

The succubuzz blinked softly then craned her head back and kissed him on the chin. “G’night.”

John’s eyes widened as a surge of unfamiliar energy lashed through him. What was going on here!

He immediately began to calculate odds while delving into his mental files. What could possibly be the meaning of this strangeness? What was this warmth? What was the cause of the ethereal light show that he currently continued to witness?

After a few brief moments passed he could only determine that there was but one answer. He had no idea what the hell was going on.