Match No. 1 (Dax):How long do you think you can go without checking in with our female? Care to explain yourselves? You’re wasting everybody’s ti here!
Silence answered him still.
One second passed. Then another. A full minute slipped by, followed by a second. The group chat remained eerily still, as if every other participant had collectively vanished into the void.
Dax stared at the glowing interface, montarily at a loss for words.
Rory, however, had anticipated exactly this outco. Not even a flicker of surprise crossed her face. She reached out and gave Dax a light, reassuring pat on the shoulder, her tone calm and untroubled.
"They’re probably tied up with sothing important. Don’t overthink it."
She paused, then added casually, "I’m going to soothe Paros for now. You should take a break too."
With that, she turned away without another glance at the chat and headed down the corridor toward Paros’s quarters, leaving Dax behind with the faint hum of the smart systems and his growing irritation.
Dax remained rooted in place, eyes locked on the chat window glowing faintly on his wrist console.
What is wrong with these beasts? he fud internally. Not a single one of them bothers to check in with the Female Master. Are they all out of their minds?
Annoyance prickled under his skin. Just as he was about to shut the interface off entirely, the screen flashed—new ssages had arrived.
Match No. 2 (Jasper):
My apologies, my lady. I was stranded in Duskora, beyond the system’s range, with no signal. That’s why I couldn’t contact you sooner.
Match No. 2 (Jasper):
The mont I regained access, I rushed back as fast as I could.
Finally.
The tension in Dax’s brow eased, his frown smoothing into sothing resembling satisfaction. The corner of his lips lifted into a calculated smile as he imdiately opened a private channel.
While matches couldn’t add each other as contacts, the group system still allowed direct ssaging between participants.
Dax:
So, my dear fellow, what exactly were you doing in Duskora? Do you have any idea how upset the Female Master has been because of your silence?
Jasper had only just arrived in Madabra. The instant his light-brain detected a stable signal, he’d opened it—only to be greeted by the newly ford group chat and Dax’s pointed accusation.
He’d rushed to explain himself, but words on a screen felt inadequate. He wanted to open a holo-monitor, to speak face-to-face and convey his sincerity directly.
Just as he was about to access Rory’s private channel, Dax’s direct ssage appeared.
Jasper froze.
After reading it twice, he swallowed and typed a careful reply.
Jasper:
Is... is the Female Master truly that angry with ?
Dax:
Of course she is. The mont I spoke up in the group chat, every other suitor contacted her privately. You were the very last one to respond. How could she not be upset?
In truth, it was only because Rory had an unusually gentle temperant. Any other female would have erupted in fury long ago after being ignored so completely.
Edric felt as though the world had tilted on its axis.
I’m finished, he thought bleakly. Completely finished. She’s angry with . What am I supposed to do now?
The emotional shock was so intense that his serpent traits surfaced uncontrollably. His long tail burst free, slamming against the floor and thrashing in anxious coils. Cold-blooded therians already struggled to win favor with females, and being the last to reach out? The thought alone made his scales feel icy.
When Dax noticed the prolonged silence, his grin widened further. He sent another ssage, pressing the advantage.
Dax:
Listen, friend. Let give you so advice. She’s upset right now. Whatever you do, don’t contact her again—you’ll only make things worse.
Jasper:
Then... what should I do?
Dax:
Relax. We’re all in this together. I know you didn’t an to ignore her. I’ll talk to her on your behalf.
Dax:
Once I calm her down, I’ll let you know when it’s safe to reach out.
Could he really be that considerate?
Suspicion flickered through Jasper’s mind, but desperation quickly drowned it out. He stared at Rory’s light-brain ID for a long mont, conflicted—before ultimately deciding that words alone weren’t enough. If he wanted to prove his sincerity, he had to act.
He retracted his thrashing tail, found a quiet corner, and initiated a video call to Rory.
The call failed.
Unbeknownst to him, Rory was already in Paros’s room, in the middle of a soothing session. During those monts, interruptions were forbidden; her light-brain had been silenced completely.
Jasper could only stare at the darkened screen.
anwhile, inside the room, Rory managed to sustain the session for a full ten minutes—twice as long as before. Paros reclined against the bed, one arm draped lazily across his forehead, his posture loose and unguarded.
Satisfaction softened his features as his Dragon Kind tail unfurled freely. The black scales shimred beneath the lights, catching hints of iridescence with every subtle movent. The fin at the tail’s tip curled around Rory’s waist, its cool, smooth scales brushing lightly against her clothes.
Her waist is so slender, Paros mused. So fragile... I might break her if I’m not careful.
Rory, however, remained perfectly calm. Before coming to this world, she’d once kept a corn snake as a pet—one that loved coiling snugly around her waist. Compared to that, this was nothing. And even now, after the session, she felt steadier than she ever had before.
With practiced ease, she reached down and gently pried his tail away. A Dragon Kind’s tail was heavier and firr than a serpent’s, but it still yielded under her touch.
"That concludes today’s session," she said evenly. "I need to go rest now."
She stood and turned to leave without hesitation.
"Wait."
Paros’s voice stopped her mid-step.
Rory paused, puzzled, and glanced back at him. "Yes?"
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