Rilriss was equal parts angry and confused. For lack of a better term, her jail cell wasn't exactly fancy. She'd been present when that wicked demoness created the ship's new interior after all, but she didn’t know what to think when Durn and Witmie provided her with a hand-knit blanket and the only real bed on the ship.

  Somehow they'd convinced those Cultists to give them a sofa with a peculiar contraption. What else did she expect from a [High Devil] and her lackeys?

  A [Contriver] had designed the cushion of this sofa to unfold mechanically into the shape of a bed that was slightly more comfortable than a bedroll.

  What kind of trap is this? she wondered. Why give the most complex contraption to their prisoner?

  Rilriss sat on the sofa tapping her fingers nervously. Her only solace was in the hope that the ship would be intercepted at the border by the Knights or some other agents of goodness and order.

  Ever since she'd met that demoness and her lackeys everything had gone upside down. Not only were Witmie and Durn intent upon making constant jokes at her expense, but they seemed to have hit on Rilriss's greatest weakness. Like anyone, Rilriss had her troubles to bear. She’d been trying and failing to start a proper troop of [Bards] to play songs in worship of Beautuk, but she also had a hidden, internal temptation that she often had to suppress.

  Indeed, the presence of the nude demoness had caused those temptations to flare up once more. Wait no don’t think about it again! Normally, Rilriss would turn to music to take her mind off impure subjects, but without her kithara she’d just be singing acapella. And she hated acapella.

  Just then, there was a knock at the door and Witmie entered the cell. “We talked it over and decided it's not a problem if you have this,” the half-elf said as she presented Rilriss's kithara case. Rilriss smiled. This was the perfect mistake.

  “You're pretty low Level so we're not worried.” Witmie shrugged. “Hope it makes things a little more comfortable.”

  Blushing, Rilriss nodded. She tried to maintain her composure. She didn’t want to give away how certain she was that this kithara would be her ticket out of here.

  ***

  “What did Rilriss say?” Durn asked as Witmie returned to their new room. Durn was on the bed frame, lying on her stomach and holding an open book.

  “I think she thinks it'll be enough to escape. She doesn't realize that being in Merijest's dwelling is going to suppress some of her magic. Plus I don't think she's very high Level to begin with.” Witmie picked up the new cloak she had left on the bed and folded it roughly. She placed it next to Durn’s matching cloak, another set of gifts from Layk and the rest of the Crossbone Mysteries.

  “It sort of makes me feel bad for her,” Durn replied.

  “Yeah,” Witmie said. She kneeled on the bed then laid awkwardly so that her arms and head were resting on Durn's sturdy back. “She's kinda cute when she gets angry though.”

  “Hey, don’t go leaving me for some church girl,” Durn said with a laugh as she rolled over.

  “Ok, first of all, you were teasing her just as much as I was, and second of all–”

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  “I thought so,” Durn interrupted. “You’re pretty cute when you’re angry, too.”

  Witmie huffed, rolled her eyes, then laughed as she leaned in to kiss Durn. “You idiot.” Witmie’s hands searched for the gaps in Durn’s cloak to feel her soft skin.

  Knock, knock.

  Witmie reluctantly pulled herself up and answered the door.

  “Sorry, are you busy?” Thesa asked.

  Witmie looked back at Durn. Durn was shaking her head ‘yes’, and Witmie almost relayed the answer to Thesa, but Thesa didn’t actually wait for a full answer as she slowly leaned into the room.

  “I, uh, got some new Levels and I need some advice,” Thesa explained.

  “Why not ask Merijest?” Durn asked.

  “Well, I will, but I wanted to, um, get some other opinions on some things.”

  With a confused expression, Durn looked at Witmie. Witmie shrugged.

  “This should be easy. We just finished choosing some abilities earlier,” Witmie said. She had chosen a [Knack] called [Quick Attack] to pair with her increased [Strength] score to hit harder and faster.

  Durn, on the other hand, had taken some new spells. Namely a defensive spell called [Arrow Ward], and a healing spell called [Greater Refreshing Wind].

  After she explained all this, Witmie asked, “so what are your options?”

  Thesa began laying out her options. Witmie suggested [Starry Eyes] which would allow Thesa to get an unobstructed view of the stars regardless of time or weather. She said it might help with navigation in the seas beyond ItherBeau.

  “Ok that’s good,” Thesa said. “I also wanted some sort of healing option.” She pulled up both options and showed them to Witmie.

  “I can’t decide if that’s more gross or more cool. I’m surprised you’re considering it,” Witmie replied, wide-eyed.

  “Would it be bad if I did?”

  Witmie shrugged. “Necromancy is going to be gross sometimes. I certainly don’t mind. Now is that all you–”

  Thesa nodded vigorously as she interrupted, “yes ok but also one quick question and its just a little question so don’t think about it too hard but how do I know if I’m ready to have sex?”

  Witmie barely suppressed a laugh into an awkward smile while Durn struggled to stop cackling.

  “Wait no, forget I asked!” Thesa covered her face.

  “No, no,” Durn said, trying to be genuine between laughs. “One sec, one sec.”

  “We just didn’t realize this was what you wanted advice about,” Witmie said with a wry smile and a sigh.

  Thesa’s face remained buried in her hands. “I don’t know how people do stuff, ok?”

  “Did the convent even give you any sex education?”

  “...not really,” Thesa sighed. “The only thing was when I was nineteen, [Archknight Superior] told me, ‘We don't want Knights with babies.’” Feeling exposed, Thesa continued, “I mean, I picked up some of the basics from books and Merijest has been kind enough to, um, clarify a lot of things for me, but I still worry I’m missing something.”

  Durn huffed and then returned to her book.

  Witmie sighed heavily. “Ok, ok. I really didn’t think I’d have to give this talk… to anybody so soon.” She certainly hadn’t expected to give this talk to someone Thesa’s age.

  Although Thesa felt deeply awkward at several points throughout the discussion that followed, Witmie answered a number of lingering questions for Thesa.

  “And Glowing during sex is not necessarily a sign of anything bad. Different humanoids with different types of magic and everything can glow for perfectly benign reasons. But if the glowing is accompanied by pain or disembodied laughter, that might be a problem,” Witmie concluded.

  Thesa’s face remained in her hands.

  “And that’s pretty much everything you need to know,” Witmie concluded. “Any other questions?”

  Thesa considered saying ‘no’ and escaping the situation with whatever dignity she had left, but a question did find its way out of her mouth. “How can I even know if I want something?”

  “Well, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to,” Witmie said. “But it seems like you might want to.”

  “It does?” Thesa asked.

  “I mean, I can’t know for sure what goes through your head, but your feelings are sometimes… to me as someone who knows you and all… a little… obvious.” Witmie said.

  Thesa nodded. “I’ve never been good at hiding my emotions.”

  “What’s to be good at?” Witmie asked. “Better to be forthright.”

  Thesa nodded, still unsure.

  “You’re going to be fine, Thesa,” Witmie said. “But also, I need you to get out of the room.”

  “What?”

  “We’re supposed to get the boat moving soon. Durn and I need to finish what we were doing and you don’t want to be here for that.”

  ***

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