[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5kR2yJq.png[/img] Hermes Xiaoli[/center] The trio fell into a rhythm. Xiaoli spent her day making a wardrobe for herself and Hermes, while the Dreamer kept working on her martial art, even going so far as to bug Xiaoli for paper she had pressed from the local trees so that she could attempt to draw the formations she was practicing. Poppler would buzz in and out at leisure, living his secret life from the prying eyes of the duo. The day came to a close as quickly as it started, and night flew by just as quick. Hermes was the first to retire to the bedroom, but not before a dip in the brook, which she did with concerned privacy. She happily slipped into the new cloths Xiaoli had made specifically for sleep and disappeared into the room and under the sheets. Xiaoli spent a few more hours by herself, taking in the sensations of Tendlepog and occasionally being accompanied by Poppler. Finally, she too decided to sleep, slipping in next to Hermes. Hours passed, and the insects of Tendlepog buzzed their early morning songs, calling forth a humid day. Xiaoli’s gentle snore turned into a sudden snort, causing Hermes’ eyes to snap open. She blinked and leaned up on her elbow to look at her partner with tired eyes. Xiaoli smacked her lips and turned to her side, still very much asleep. Hermes rubbed an eye and let herself fall back onto the bed with a [i]whoosh[/i] of air puffing from her pillows. The Dreamer groaned for a while, whining to herself before rolling onto her side, face looking down from the bed. “Better be dreaming,” She muttered as she reached down and snatched her book from her bag (which she had kept much closer to the bed this time). Falling back onto her pillows she shimmied her shoulders down until she was nearly engulfed in the blankets, using the spine of the book to keep the blanket off her face as she stared upwards at the empty pages. Slowly Hermes eyes widened as she stared at the pages. She froze, her eyes scanning the blank book over and over, pages flipping every now and again. Her eyes began to dry as she stared, until all at once she had fallen completely still, stuck in a trance of some sort. Her eyes remained glued, and a frown stretched across her face. With a low, drawn-out groan, Xiaoli stirred from her sleep and let out a “hmmph?” at the rocking movements in bed. “What time is it?” she muttered partially into the pillow. The book closed, “We never defined times,” Hermes said in a defeated voice, pulling what she remembered from a previous stint through the book, “but it is morning.” Xiaoli rolled over to face Hermes and furrowed her brow. “Oh, dear, not having defined time is nothing to be upset about. It’ll happen eventually!” She gave a smile and moved her hand over to caress Hermes’ closest cheek. Hermes leaned her head into the palm of Xiaoli’s hand but didn’t smile, “It’s not that.” Xiaoli’s smile faded and her expression grew grave. “What? What is it? Did something happen?” “Look,” Hermes opened the book to a nondescript blank page and showed Xiaoli. The Dreamer seemed to shrink as she presented it. Xiaoli raised an eyebrow and sighed. “Hermes, my love, the page is blank. Did it stop working, is that why you’re upset?” Hermes flicked the book back to her and scanned the empty page and groaned, slapping the book shut and letting it slip back into her bag, “No.” She sat up, “I was reading about-- well, being a mother.” “Ooooh… Yeah, children do tend to be a little messy in the beginning, but--” Xiaoli scanned her look again and her face paled. “Oh… You were reading about pregnancy, weren’t you?” “Uh,” Hermes face strained, “There seems to be a detail that Kalmar had left out.” She sighed, “I need another Dreamer to make… Dreamers, but I’m the only Dreamer.” Xiaoli’s face lost whatever colour was left and her eyes emptied of joy. “... Oh…” was all she could muster for a moment as her head slowly keeled forward. She clutched her left arm with her right, now staring into her lap. Then, after a long pause, she looked back up, newfound colour entering her eyes and spreading outwards around the face. “That may not be a problem,” she said with a pensive look. She put a finger on her chin and, almost reluctantly so, said: “We… Could pray to one of the Exalted Creators to make you a…” She rolled the words around in her mouth as if they were poison. “... A reproductive partner…” “I… uh,” Hermes’ pang of anxiety turned to embarrassment, “Well, a few things.” She protested, putting a hand on Xiaoli’s arm, “I- I saw what that would be like.” She shook her head, “I don’t want that… besides… the Dreamers are my creation, and I want to be able to create them with someone whom I choose.” “Oh, thank the Crea-! I mean…” Xiaoli cleared her throat and cast her arms around Hermes’ neck and pulled her in for a tight hug. “That’s beautiful, my love, but I can’t… You know…” She cleared her throat yet again and patted Hermes’ stomach. “I don’t have the… Necessary assets.” “I know,” Hermes brow slanted, “-Wait.” She cocked her head and scooted close, eliciting a slight recoil from Xiaoli, “Did you-” Hermes mulled over on her words, “Are you saying you want to help create the dreamers.” She shook her head, “Like, you know, really help -- as in -- be a parent?” Xiaoli blinked and blushed. “W-w-well, I thought that was obvious! I want to be with you, Hermes, and I want to be there when your children are born, and see them grow to be as beautiful in both body and soul as their mother.” She leaned in and pecked her on the cheek. Hermes smiled with a glowing contentment before suddenly shouting a little loud, “What about Arae!?” Xiaoli blinked and recoiled slightly again. “What about Her Holiness Ara--” Her eyes widened along with her smile. “Hermes, you are a genius.” “Yeah!” Hermes all but hopped out of bed, “We are going to do this!” Xiaoli hopped after, skipping around next to Hermes like a firecracker. “We’re going to be mothers!” she exclaimed, her arms shooting up into the air. After a few hops, she calmed down and pointed at Hermes. “Pack your things, Hermes! We are leaving immediately!” Hermes swung her bag over her woolen shirt and quickly slipped on her sandals, “We shouldn’t be long, after all.” Xiaoli let out a hum. “... Alternatively, we could try prayer. According to His Lordship, prayer should be the most convenient way for mortals to contact the gods. Maybe, just maybe…” Xiaoli stormed out the house without hearing Hermes’ opinion on the matter. She began to grab rocks and sticks from the mansion’s building material pile and put them by the forest border at the southeastern edge of the clearing. Clapping her hands together, the stones began to fuse into a single large rock, which she pushed into an upright position. Then, she arranged the sticks in a roughly circular manner before pointing her finger at them. The sticks began to sprout smaller branches as if they were alive. The branches arranged themselves into the symbol of the Dragon Mother - at least as well as she remembered it from the carpet in Arae’s room aboard Jiangzhou. Once the symbol was complete, she stuck it to the stone, shuffled a few paces back and prostrated herself before the stone. “Oh, most blessed and kind of all the gods, Your Holiness Arae - the Dragon Mother. Please take a minute to hear this humble one’s prayer…” Xiaoli paused to take a deep breath. “My love and I have travelled far and struggled much to achieve fertility for her, only to realise that our plan was flawed from the beginning. We are incapable of creating a family as we are - therefore, we beseech Your Holiest of beings with utmost humility to answer our prayers so that we may bring our children into this world.” She looked up at the shrine. “Thank you,” she said and bowed her head again. “[i][color=f6989d]This raises a lot of questions,[/color][/i]” Arae spoke to them telepathically. Xiaoli nearly jumped to her feet, but quickly realised what was going on. [i]“Y-your Holiness! Forgive this servant’s insolence in contacting You like this, but… Well, the matter is dire. Whatever questions Your Holiness may have, these servants will gladly answer.”[/i] Xiaoli blinked over at Hermes who had wandered out as if to see if she, too, was receiving the mental messages. Her wide eyes seemed to verify. “[i][color=f6989d]The first I shall ask is perhaps the most important: How does Hermes intend to get pregnant? How do you wish for all of this to happen? You two already know there are no others of Hermes’ species, and you, Xiaoli, are, well, of the same gender.[/color][/i]” “Arae,” Hermes knelt down by the stone, “My mind is yours for you to peer into, that is where my desire is held.” A peer into Hermes’ mind, and the truth was clear to Arae. “[i][color=f6989d]I see…[/color][/i]” Arae said. “[i][color=f6989d]Your love for each other is strong. While this is rather unorthodox, I shall grant you your wish.[/color][/i]” Xiaoli then began to feel a warm sensation wash over her. This lasted only for a few seconds before fading away. “[i][color=f6989d]Now then, do try not to have too much fun,[/color][/i]” Arae said mischievously. Soon after she said this, her presence from their minds vanished, leaving the two of them in peace. Xiaoli blinked. Hermes blinked back and looked at Xiaoli, “Is it done?” Xiaoli let her hands pat her body a little and she looked at Hermes. She clutched her head. “Well, that was a strange sensation. I don’t even know if anything’s different about me - w-well, I mean, it should be, but...” She looked down at her hands. Hermes copied Xiaoli's hum and took her hands, squeezing them gently. Xiaoli looked up and smiled weakly at Hermes. “... I guess we can find out?” [hider=That’s enough, friggin perverts] Xiaoli wakes Hermes up once again and once again she delves into the knowledge of Abanoc. There she learns a vital piece of the reproductive puzzle and decides she needs another dreamer, but when pressed about getting one, she declines. Instead the duo pray to Arae for an alternative, which is then granted by the God of Families, like a G. Also to note, they made the first altar to a god, and it isn’t even to K’nell or Shengshi, talk about ungrateful. Prestige and might: Hermes jumped from 12 to 15 prestige Arae spent 2mp on making the Dreamer Race [/hider] [hider=What Hermes saw in the book] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EShUeudtaFg]Thanks a lot Abanoc[/url] [/hider] [hider=Cheap shot] Xiaoli hopped after, skipping around next to Hermes like a firecracker. “We’re going to be mothers!” she exclaimed, her arms shooting up into the air. After a few hops, she calmed down and pointed at Hermes. “Pack your things, Hermes! We are leaving immediately!” Damn! If Orvus showed that much excitement in the bedroom, I’m pretty fucking sure Rowan wouldn’t have left him. [/hider]