Erik blinked, not having expected her to go this far. He cocked his head a little and grinned. "You know, I appreciate how much you continue to care for your son, despite his mistakes."
Nobuntu didn’t move from her position as she whispered a cold response. "He’s my son. Of course, I would care for him regardless. He has many good qualities as well, plus... he’s all that remains of his father."
Curious, Erik took a seat across from the kneeling Nobuntu. Leaning back against the sofa pillow, he crossed his legs and spread his arms to the right and left. "Last ti I asked about his father, you shut down. Sounds like you did care about him, though. What happened?"
Finally, Nobuntu lifted her head and glared at him. "Are you going to answer my question?"
Noticing her fierceness, Erik chuckled. "Of course. I just wanted to see how much you’d let get away with. Turns out, not a lot!"
Nobuntu didn’t see the joke and continued glowering at him, her eyes demanding an answer.
Sighing, Erik rolled his eyes. He could appreciate her mother-bear behaviour, but she was being so inflexible! "Do you really think I’d be planning anything bad for him? Considering Naeku would lynch if I did?"
Nobuntu flinched back a little, her cold anger faltering. "I— I don’t know you well enough yet... Naeku couldn’t actually do anything against you, after all..."
With a snort, Erik waved his hand. "As if I’d ever fight my wives. If they wanted to beat up, I’d let them, because I’d probably deserve it." Losing his attitude for a mont, he winked playfully. "Fortunately, I keep them plenty happy."
Nobuntu ignored his innuendo and looked at him deeply, as if determining the truth of his claims. After a few monts, she gracefully stood up and sat back down on the sofa, still across from Erik. "Fine...Say I believe you, you’ve still got him doing sothing, do you not? I want to know what!"
Deciding it was finally ti to stop teasing her, Erik shrugged nonchalantly. "Do you still rember what I told you after leaving with Naeku last ti?"
"You’re trying to get him out of the spider’s web...?" she asked sceptically. She knew what he was talking about, of course, but remained completely clueless on exactly what he ant.-*
"Heh, that’s right," Erik nodded, an amused smirk on his lips. "Let tell you what your son is up to right now..."
So, he told her exactly what that was, and Nobuntu was about as expected.
"Your mother?!" she snarled in disbelief, eyes wide.
"Anything wrong with my mother...?" Erik growled softly in response, his tone turning as cold as ice, his eyes shining with deadly intentions.
Nobuntu felt a shiver travel down her spine. Much of her anger quickly beca doused in a dose of fear and reality, but not all. "I—" she muttered strangely, unsure how to continue.
"Hmpf," Erik grumbled, his anger dissipating. "You worry too much. My mother will be much better for him than this charlatan he’s been seeing in Azania. If I were you, I’d pray Runa gets him to fall head over heels for her today."
A wry expression passed over her face. There was no way she’d pray for that, though... perhaps he was right? Doubt started to seep in, and Erik felt it all through their bond.
He let her stew in it for a mont before raising an eyebrow. "Why don’t you tell about your late husband? Take your mind off the things your son is probably doing right now? I know I’d love to take my mind off the things my mother is probably doing to him right now."
A grimace spread across her face at the images he conjured. Yet, it did create a similar desire in her. A mont of silence followed before she parted her soft lips to speak again. "As you’ve guessed, he died..." she muttered, a little unwillingly.
"I’m sorry to hear that," Erik nodded genuinely, before indicating for her to continue.
Nobuntu sighed and shrugged. "I don’t know what to tell you... I loved him, and he died a long ti ago, before the awakening."
"Really?" Erik muttered curiously. "To what?"
Although shapeshifters didn’t suffer from many of the possible causes of death for humans, they did have their own problems... like the hunters.
"I don’t know," she answered with a shake of her head, her eyes now lost in the past. "He just... disappeared one day. I never found his body."
Erik raised an eyebrow. "You don’t think he was rely a coward who left you without a word?"
Instantly, she lost her lost look and glared at him coldly. "No." She rely stated. Not a hint of explanation or anything else, just a single word filled with so much conviction that even Erik’s sceptical brain sort of believed her.
"Fine!" he imdiately surrendered, throwing up his arms. After putting his arms down, he smirked mischievously. "You know, I was planning to seduce you tonight, but now I don’t feel like it’s the right ti anymore."
Nobuntu looked at him indifferently. "I see... Are you planning to make sex a part of our deal? Or will you force using this bond you’ve created between us?"
Erik chuckled, imdiately realising she’d been bottling up those questions for a while now. Fortunately for her, he shook his head. "No, of course not. I have no need for such crude thods. If you wish to decline, then do so without consequence. I’d still love to hear more about you, however... and I’ll respond in kind."
A twinkling of curiosity past through Nobuntu’s eyes. This was an opportunity she couldn’t pass by.
So, for the next few hours, they rely talked. Erik actually enjoyed talking to her, and he learned a lot. For one, he learned Naeku and Kudzai originally bonded over their shared loss of a parent. For two, he learned Nobuntu’s late husband had actually been the brother of Naeku’s mother, making him her uncle. Apparently, Nobuntu and her had not only been best friends, but also sisters-in-law.
Later, Erik also told her much of his adventures and identity. Since she wore the Bond of Service, there was little reason to keep this stuff hidden. If the Bond was ever forcefully removed, her mories of this event would be permanently wiped before anyone could touch them.
Eventually, however, the night ca to an end... and much counter to Erik’s expectations of the night, there was no sex...
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