Some time passed.
Sunny was now silently laying in his bed, tiredly staring up at the ceiling with indignation as if it had wronged him.
Tingyun, on the other hand, just stood awkwardly at his bedside, hands folded and lips pursed. She seemed ashamed — likely because she had failed to remain convincing.
Sunny knew. He knew that her priorities had been mystically rearranged when she became his Shadow. That she was now someone who put him over her own wellbeing. Someone who, if both of them were placed on opposite ends of a scale, would leap off without hesitation. Someone who saw her own value as lesser.
A Slave who trusted their Master.
But he had hoped that as long as he didn't make her do anything she didn't want to do, that she wouldn't. That all her actions were of her own accord, and that he wasn't taking advantage of her in any way.
But it was out of his control. Out of her control, as well.
She didn't want him to touch her tails, but she allowed him to do so anyways. Because she had to. Because that was her purpose, now. Because that was what it meant to be the Slave of a Divine Shadow.
Sunny didn't want a Slave. He detested that word more than anything. There was nothing more horrible than living a life without any autonomy. Could that even be called living? To know that your life could irreversibly change with one word? That another person held so much power over you that you couldn't even be considered human?
Just their Shadow.
Tingyun's hand brushed against Sunny's shoulder, causing him to hesitantly turn his head. She still stood there, with her dark form, ornate clothes, pink tails, and flaming eyes. She seemed unsure, nervously chewing on her lips for a few moments, before relaxing.
"Benefactor, are you familiar with Foxian culture?"
He shook his head negatively. The only culture he had any substantial knowledge about was of the ancient civilizations of the Dream Realm, and even that was limited. Where he learned of anything... well, who knew? Perhaps [Sunless] would know.
Tingyun smiled, clearly expecting that answer. He had no idea why she had asked in the first place.
"Our tails are, erm... they're not something that just anyone could touch. When I was alive, I wouldn't have even considered letting someone get their hands on my fur."
She chuckled.
"Well, I tend to go too far when it comes to my tail, even for a Foxian. Or tails, now. They're very troublesome to take care of, you know? Quality fluff is hard to come by."
Sunny was finding her joking tone tiring. He wished she could turn her attention to something else; something that was not him. He wished that she would stop trying to please him. He wished that she would just be normal.
But that was impossible. He had made her a Shadow. His Shadow. She would serve him for the rest of his life, and likely die with him. There was no other way around it.
And it terrified him. Because he knew that she would ignore her Flaw if it meant helping him in any way.
What irony, for a boy who wanted nothing more than freedom to have the power to both become and create slaves. Fate really had some twisted humor.
Sunny blinked. At some point, Tingyun had crawled atop his bed and got right up in his face. Her hair brushed against his nose as she glared at him.
"I was spilling my heart out, and you had the audacity to daydream. Shame on you."
At the very least, he managed to look somewhat embarrassed.
"Sorry, what were you saying?"
Tingyun moved her head away, sending him a disdainful look.
"I don't want to repeat myself. Instead, hm... would you like to try something, Benefactor?"
He frowned.
"Try what?"
She continued, somewhat awkwardly.
"Us Foxians have a... particular manner of apologizing amongst close family. And I thought you'd like it."
Sunny stared at her for a few moments, before turning away.
"No thanks."
Tingyun made a sound of indignation.
"You need to apologize for ignoring me!"
"What?!"
"Yes!"
He squinted at the wall.
"But we're not family?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Of course."
Sunny sighed in resignation. He didn't even know whether to believe this was her own idea or something she was only doing because she was his slave. Gathering a bit of momentum, he swiftly sat up.
"What do you want?"
Tingyun brightened up, and for a moment, he hoped that she was really asking for something she wanted to do herself.
All his hopes died with her next words.
"First, you need to strip."
He remained silent for a few moments. Then, he shuffled back, sending her a strange look.
"You, uh... I didn't know that was the kind of family we were talking about."
Tingyun furrowed her brow, crawling forward.
"You don't think I fall into the older sister archetype?"
He hurried backwards, eyes widening ever so slightly.
"That just makes it worse!"
She crawled forward faster.
"Wouldn't it make us closer?"
"I wouldn't want to do that with my hypothetical older sister!"
Then, Sunny ended up falling off of his bed with all the grace of an idiot. Tingyun's stare was blank and full of... well, nothing really. Instead, she just blinked a few times, before eventually accepting that she needed to explain better.
"That's not what we're doing."
She frowned in disappointment.
"I'm offended that you'd even imply that Foxians are all incestuous."
Sunny, who was caught in a position where his ankles were raised up while his head was against the floor, reddened in embarrassment as he tried to get back up. It wasn't his fault that he was racist!
"J-Just explain better next time!"
He paused as he managed to peek over his bed, looking at Tingyun dubiously.
"Why do I need to be naked, anyways?"
She leaned forward, lowering herself so that her face took up most of his vision.
"Skinship."
Sunny's expression must have revealed that he had no idea what she was talking about. Tingyun's eyes flickered for a moment, then she sighed.
"People tend to feel closer when there aren't any barriers separating them."
He sent her a disbelieving glance.
"And clothes are considered a barrier now?"
Moreover, he wasn't even sure he wanted to feel closer to her. She was only his Shadow because of his whirlpool of guilt. Wouldn't he just feel worse?
Tingyun's ears flattened as she averted her gaze, sending a shock through Sunny's nervous system.
"I-If you don't want to—"
"I'll do it! Just, uhm... turn around, will you?"
Tingyun did not move. Sunny made a face beyond oddness, before climbing onto the bed. He tucked himself under the blankets as he dismissed his Transcendent armor, sending her a mean look. Unfortunately, his expression softened when she smiled in glee.
And hardened once more when she dismissed her Memories right in front of him.
Sunny realized he made a grave mistake. When it came to Shadows like Saint or Tingyun, who could make use of his Memories, he was able to grant them permission to summon or dismiss said Memories.
Which meant he had basically set himself up to get flashed — from her full breasts to her tight waist, and her wide, elegant hips followed by five gorgeous tails, skin covered in dark night—
Blood rushed in two directions. He ducked under the blankets, mentally Cursing Tingyun for her prank.
"Warn me next time!"
"Hm? It isn't anything you haven't seen before, is it?"
"...No."
What did that matter, anyways?! Was she playing dumb? Of course she was. All she ever did was tease him! Why, if he was anyone else, he would have stupidly thought that she was coming onto him!
Which wasn't true at all!
The blanket was suddenly pulled from over his head — but being the meticulous fellow that he was, Sunny had already shut his eyes. He flinched when he felt smooth hand grabbing his chin, turning his head.
"You can look. I'm not bothered."
Sunny didn't open his eyes. Tingyun squeezed, and now his chin was in a surprisingly suffocating grip.
"Okay, okay!"
He opened his eyes once more, regaling her nude figure with some hesitation. Her hair was let loose, spilling over her shoulders and back like a black waterfall. She tilted her head, brows furrowed.
"If you stare too much, I'll become self-conscious."
Sunny scowled. Wasn't she the one who told him to look? Or maybe she didn't mean at her? No, that was definitely what she meant. Why was she so confusing? This was weird.
Why was it so warm?
Suddenly, Tingyun crawled under the blankets, directly invading Sunny's safe, virgin haven. As her head rested against the pillow, he had expected it all to stop there — in a deeply uncomfortable, yet tolerable setting.
Then, she inched closer. He quickly turned so that his back was facing her.
"Goodnight!"
It was actually only a couple of hours past noon.
...But despite his clear indication of discontent, he felt the sheets shift as she approached him from behind.
Then, he was set on fire.
The moment her fingers glanced upon his skin with their searing touch, it was as if every nerve in his body was set aflame. That smoldering furnace within his body was all encompassing, but not suffocating; burning, yet not painful.
It was as if his thoughts were being incinerated to ash, leaving nothing but a lukewarm melody.
And he couldn't ignore it. He couldn't tear away the feeling of her body pressed up against his back. Of her molten breath. Of her fleeting touch, one that felt as if she was branding him.
He couldn't think. No, he could, but not in the way that humans did. All his thoughts were centered around one subject, that being the seductress burning her way through his mind until he couldn't ever imagine anything without her.
He felt like he could fall apart. That he could simply melt into her embrace, returning to Fire where all life once originated. Then, he felt her hand's grace lower to his pelvis, and he immediately realized that she had tricked him again.
This was definitely not something Foxian's did with their siblings or parents.
But he was too far in. It was like swimming in lava, if the lava wanted nothing more than to love and please you. But perhaps it was a little rude to compare a woman to lava.
Probably ruder to imply that she loved you, when she was acting only off of the voice given by your twisted power.
Her hand delicately wrapped around his—
"Yo, du— what the fuck?"
Tingyun yelped, body catching on literal fire as her form condensed into a tiny orb of immolating heat. Said heat slammed into Sunny's back, sinking right into his spine as he gasped.
'Huh?'
What was going on? What was that voice — a familiar one — and why was it in his room? How did Tingyun do that? Was that one of her new Abilities? Probably. It was really self explanatory. Was she using a mind hex on him?
Was he about to get a handy?
Did she even want to give him a handy?
Sunny didn't move for a very long time, disoriented by the sudden feeling of cold. The loss of sensation was staggering, and his thoughts couldn't help but linger on it... until they no longer could, because he had more pressing issues to worry about.
He leaped out of bed, jumping with such force that he ended up on the ceiling. His arms and legs reached out to grip the flat surface... just for him to remember that he wasn't the Shadowspawn anymore, so he ended up falling like an idiot.
But not before summoning the Moonlight Shard. He wasn't that incompetent.
Thankfully, he landed on his feat, and he immediately reached out with his shadow sense to figure out who was talking to him, and where.
...His computer?
Sunny's head whirled around. Then, he paled as he quickly got rid of the Moonlight Shard.
"O-Oh, hey there, Wolfie! It is not what it looks like. Unless it is. What does it look like? Actually, don't tell me. Let's just get this over with. Scum like me don't deserve to live..."