Dropping back into the Humvee, he closed the hatch and moved back into the driver’s seat. “Okay, looks like we’re ready to roll.”
Kuro was quiet as they left the Matriarch’s estate, the silence stretching as they got clear of the town and onto open road. After some time, Kuro spoke up. “Can we have some music?”
“Sure,” Alvin replied. “You want your favorites, or did you want to try some different music?”
“Different music?” Kuro asked.
“Country, jazz, blues, R&B, Gregorian chants… there are many more,” Alvin chuckled. “Our world had a lot of different types of music before the Gates opened.”
Kuro looked lost for a moment. “So many different kinds?”
“Yeah. You guys have music, don’t you?”
“Just the blade music and court songs,” Kuro said softly.
“Let’s try a little of every kind. If you like a specific type, we can come back to more of it afterwards.”
“Please, Al.”
“Humvee, three songs from each genre of music. Pick the most popular compositions known, and start with the oldest style of music and work toward present day,” Alvin said, settling into the comfortable seat as the opening notes of the first song drifted through the cabin.
The sun was angling toward the horizon hours later when Alvin sat up straighter. Just ahead of them and growing closer was the biggest city he had seen in this world. Some of the buildings climbed to six stories in height, and the walls of the city— all done in black stone— stretched for miles in either direction.
“Nightholt,” Kuro said softly as the current song came to an end.
“Stop music,” Alvin told the Humvee as he continued to take in the sight. “This is the capital?”
“Nightholt is the Capital of Darkhome, and home to Queen Night herself,” Kuro said with a hint of awe.
“Where do you expect Skyfall to take us?”
“Champion Skyfall will take you to the castle,” Kuro said without hesitation. “I would expect you to be put up in the Queen’s Rest. It is the inn most stay at when they have business with the Queen. It is the closest building to the castle.”
Alvin’s eyes went to the castle as they got closer to the walls. It was the tallest structure to be seen, its towers rising higher than the rest of the city. “Who lives in the castle?”
“The Queen, her harem and servants, and any Champion who happens to be in the capital at the time.”
“Why is it so big, then?”
“The Queen’s harem is substantial,” Kuro replied. “Last I knew, it was well over five hundred.”
“Damn, she doesn’t think small does she?” Alvin snorted.
Kuro frowned. “She is the Queen. She should have the best suitors to make Champions and Matriarchs with.”
“How many kids has she had?” Alvin asked.
“She has borne thirty children over her lifetime,” Kuro replied.
Alvin did some quick math. “This is going to sound personal, so I’m sorry, but how often do Elves have kids on average?”
Kuro blinked at him, her cheeks darkening. “Maybe a child every few hundred years.”
Nodding, Alvin now understood why the whole planet hadn’t been overrun with Elves. “Got it, and sorry. Humans can reproduce every year if no precautions are taken.”
Jaw dropping, Kuro looked at him with blank astonishment. “How has your world survived?”
“Good question,” Alvin chuckled darkly.
Chapter Twenty-four
Kuro was wrong; Skyfall directed Becky to the Queen’s Rest, escorting them inside and arranging a room for them before she left. Skyfall did let them know they would likely be summoned to the castle tomorrow. Retiring to their room after declining the bathing area and dinner, they quickly returned to their base.
“Welcome home,” Jarvis greeted them. “Miss, if you are ready, I have the ingredients all set out.”
“Let me grab a shower first,” Becky said. “Mousie, come with me.”
When they had left the room, Alvin went to the garage and summoned the vehicles to be worked on. Returning to the dining room, he smiled at the drink Jarvis had waiting for him. “Thanks, Jarvis.”
“You are most welcome, sir.”
Sipping at the coffee, Alvin looked into the kitchen. “What are you working on tonight?”
“I’ve prepared a round of filet mignon with skillet potatoes and some lightly blanched mixed vegetables. None of them are difficult, but it should be on the edge of what miss can cook, which will help her advance her skills.”
“Works and sounds delicious,” Alvin chuckled.
“I’ve selected another red wine for the evening, and I have a list of ingredients I would like you to purchase for us, sir.”
Alvin motioned with one hand, and a pad appeared on the table. “Okay, walk me through them.”
By the time Becky came out of the bedroom, Alvin had finished two cups of coffee. Seeing her walk through the room in just bra and panties made Alvin sit up straighter. She gave him a wink in passing as she headed for the kiosk room.
“I do believe your audience has all jumped ship to her, sir.”
“I don’t blame them in the least. Can she even get XP from them?”
“Not as such, sir. The devs have discontinued tipping. They did implement a small bonus for the most frequently streamed people, though. It’s nothing like it had been, but she likely has enough XP for an outfit or three, especially as clothing can no longer take upgrades.”
Becky came back out of the kiosk room after a short while. Alvin’s eyebrows went up as he looked her over. Black stockings encased her legs, the garter belt clips visible against her thighs. Her skirt wasn’t quite long enough to cover them, and the material encased her round ass tightly. Eyes climbing higher, he saw she was wearing a shirt with words stretched across her ample chest. Lips curling into a smile, he shook his head as she went past him toward the bedroom, another set of clothing over her shoulder.
“She’s definitely more than a fucking handful,” Alvin chuckled.
“Isn’t that what her shirt said, sir?”
“It did say, ‘I’m more than a handful,’ so I guess you could be right,” Alvin snickered. “Now that they’re done, I’ll go grab a shower while you two cook,” he said, getting to his feet.
Becky stopped him for a deep, longing kiss which Alvin returned eagerly when he went into the bedroom. When she finally stepped away, her eyes smoldered as she looked back at him. Adjusting himself, Alvin went on to the bathroom and let his clothing vanish. Seeing that the bathroom was empty, Alvin’s lips pursed and he went searching for Kuro, as he hadn’t seen her under the bed, either.
He found her in the dungeon, tied to one of the benches with a wand strapped to her thigh. The head was rested over her sex, and she had a ball gag securely strapped in place. Stepping back as he hadn’t been seen, Alvin went back to the bathroom, letting out a deep breath.
Fucking gods, Gothy is making it hard to ignore Mousie, Alvin grumbled internally as he headed for the shower, his body in full agreement with his thoughts.
Alvin used a bit of cold water to calm down before he dialed up the heat and actually cleaned up. Once he was done with the shower, he hopped into the tub and relaxed for a bit longer.
“Get nice and clean… hello, Hero. I was wondering where you had gotten off to,” Becky said, escorting Kuro into the shower.
He had been dozing, and when he sat upright, Alvin saw Becky smirking at him as Kuro stepped into the shower. “Dinner?”
“A few more minutes. I had to let Mousie out of her predicament and was going to let you know.”
Standing up, Alvin got out of the tub and gratefully took the towel from Becky. “You’re evil,” Alvin chuckled.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d take the bait of her bound and being tormented or not,” Becky smirked. “I figured you’d resist, but it looks like the idea has your attention,” she finished, looking at his rising member.
A shiver ran through her. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Now go finish dinner. You’re the one cooking, after all,” Alvin said, shooing her away.
“As you wish, Hero,” Becky husked as she swayed out of the room, knowing Alvin was watching her the whole way.
“I’m going to pay you back, but not in the way you’re imagining,” Alvin muttered under his breath.
As he was getting dressed, Alvin considered grabbing a set of comfortable clothes for just lounging around the base, but dismissed it. Going out to the main room, he took a seat at the table and poured himself a glass of wine.
“Dinner will be ready in a few moments, sir,” Jarvis said from the kitchen.
“Sounds good,” Alvin said, pouring everyone a glass of wine. “It smells wonderful, Gothy.”
“Thank you,” Becky said, slightly distracted as she focused on something.
Kuro sat at the table, wearing an outfit even more provocative than Becky’s, drawing Alvin’s eye. A loose, white gauze top barely did anything to cover her, showing off the white bra she wore. Her bottoms were harem pants, similar to what a belly dancer would wear, and just as revealing as the top was. Her outfit wasn’t meant to conceal, but rather to entice the eye.
Alvin covered his face for a moment as he held a sigh in. Damn it Gothy. Putting a pleasant smile on his face, Alvin looked up to find Kuro sneaking glances at him. “I see Gothy chose your outfit,” he managed.
“Gothy said that this is to be my attire when we retire for the evening, until she chooses another for me,” Kuro stated. Her voice was firm and her cheeks darkened only slightly, though she did look away from him.
“She does love the way you look,” Alvin stated. “Can’t say I blame her.”
Kuro’s cheeks darkened more, the blush spreading down onto her chest. “You don’t have to say anything, Al.”
“Just stating facts as I see them,” Alvin replied, pulling his eyes off the contrast of white gauze and dark skin.
“Dinner,” Becky said as she began to plate food. “How did I do, Jarvis?”
“Very well, miss. I would be surprised if you didn’t gain this as a recipe now,” Jarvis said, handing her plates as she went.
Once she finished getting the meal dished, Becky’s eyes unfocused for a moment her grin widened. “I did. Will that happen all the time?”
“Unlikely,” Jarvis replied as he took two of the plates, following Becky as she did the same. “You had a very high chance of learning this dish because I was teaching you, and it was at the upper end of your range, due to the ingredients and the process used.”
“How was the cooking part?” Alvin asked as Becky set a plate before him, the aroma making his mouth water.
“I don’t really recall it that well,” Becky said as she took her seat, the other plate going in front of her while Jarvis served Kuro and himself. “It’s like Jarvis said: when crafting, you enter a fugue.”
“Good to know that it works that way,” Alvin said.
“It did take somewhat longer than normal because you hadn’t made this dish before,” Jarvis said as everyone began to cut into the filets. “Now that it is one of your known recipes, you will be able to produce it much faster. If you blanch more vegetables, that skill will translate to other dishes that include it in the cooking process, making those easier for you to learn.”
Becky nodded, her eyes closing as she took her first bite. Alvin had to agree; it was perfectly cooked. “Damn Gothy, if you cook like this, I might not want to leave the base.”
Becky grinned at him. “Just my cooking?”
“You know better than that,” Alvin chuckled, taking another bite.
They ate their meal, occasionally praising the cook and food. When they had all cleaned their plates, Alvin was surprised no buff had appeared. Before he could ask, Jarvis shook his head, interrupting Becky just as she started to speak.
“You need to be a Journeyman Cook at least to have any chance of getting buffs from your meals. At the rank of Chef, it becomes automatic. At the moment, miss, you are an Apprentice Cook. Another few meals like this should bump you over the line into Journeyman.”
“I’ll do it,” Becky nodded.
Alvin refilled their wine glasses and held his up. “To Gothy’s first system-approved meal.” Becky stuck her tongue out at him, but her eyes sparkled. Once everyone had touched glasses and had a drink, Alvin stood up. “That was delightful. I think we should retire for the night.”
Quickly getting to her feet, Becky nodded. “Yes.”
Kuro also rose gracefully. “Sleep is good.”
“I hope you all have a good evening,” Jarvis said as he began gathering the dishes.
Becky put Kuro into her cage before she turned to Alvin, a wicked gleam in her eyes. Alvin winked at her. “Gothy, are you ready?”
“Oh yes,” Becky purred as she stepped toward him.
“Stop,” Alvin commanded, her collar forcing her to obey instantly. “Don’t speak,” he went on when she opened her mouth to object. “Strip,” he added. Becky’s clothing vanished, leaving her entirely nude, and Alvin let his eyes rake over her. “Stay right there.”
Coming back from the dungeon he smiled at her, holding her bondage jacket in his hands. He didn’t say a word as he got her into it and led her to the bed. He joined her, got the entertainment system going, and cuddled her so they both faced the screen.
“Tonight is enforced cuddles. You may shift to get comfortable. You can also speak, but no complaining. This is for being evil, and I know you love it,” Alvin said as Firefly began to play.
“I do love it,” Becky whispered, snuggling closer. “I was hoping for some rough fucking, but this also feels good.”
“I figured you missed me controlling you in a non-sexual way, at least a little,” Alvin murmured as he stroked her hair and held his bound lover.
“I still fear that when we’re not having sex, you might lose interest in me. This helps me know otherwise,” Becky murmured.
“I’ll always love you,” Alvin replied just as softly as they watched the screen.
Chapter Twenty-five
Waking up to Becky’s snores, Alvin chuckled softly. “My delicate princess.”
Becky murmured in her sleep and rolled over, pressing her back to his chest. Letting his hands trail lightly over her jacketed form, Alvin smiled. I think she was happy, but it’s hard to tell sometimes.
“Al? Can I be let out please?” Kuro’s soft voice drifted up from under the bed.
With a regretful sigh, Alvin moved away from Becky. He walked around the bed, realizing they hadn’t closed the shutters. Alvin was a little puzzled, looking at the controls. Kuro could easily have opened it on her own.
“Thank you,” Kuro said as she climbed out. “The play on the wall last night… was that something from your world?”
“That was a make-believe story conceived on my world,” Alvin replied. “We never had space flight like that.”
“Ahh,” Kuro nodded as she headed for the bathroom.
“Hero?” Becky muttered as she stirred on the bed.
“Morning, Gothy,” Alvin said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. “Did you enjoy last night?”
A soft smile came to her lips. “Yes. Thank you.”
“Glad to hear it,” Alvin replied as he leaned down to kiss her gently. “Kuro is in the bathroom. Did you need to go?”
“Yes,” Becky said, trying to sit up and realizing she was still in her jacket.
“Let me help,” Alvin smiled as he got her upright. “Mousie,” Alvin smiled as Kuro came out of the bathroom. “Gothy needs some help with the bathroom. Could you assist her?”
“Hero, just take the jacket off,” Becky said.
“No,” Alvin grinned.
“Hero, please,” Becky asked again, her face serious.
Meeting her eyes, he leaned in to whisper
to her. “Don’t want to look weak in front of Mousie?”
“I’m supposed to be in charge of her. Not being able to even use the bathroom without help is too much,” Becky whispered back. “Please.”
Relenting, Alvin reached around her and began unbuckling her jacket. “I understand, Gothy. Your duality requires some things. Being forced by me is one thing, but being helpless with her is another.”
“Thank you,” Becky whispered, her voice tight with emotion.
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