"Wow, these are some pretty creative ideas," Whistled Ruby with an impressed look, "Especially the way you want these X-Blades to be made, I think I'm going to enjoy working on these."

"I take it that means you can do it?" I inquired hopefully.

​​

"Hell, yeah, piece of cake!"

"Glad to hear it," I replied with a grin.

I had just finished telling her about the specifications of the X-Weapons I wanted. Most of them were just improved versions of the X-Weapons currently in my arsenal, but I also requested a few additions on top of those. That left one more matter to discuss...payment. The less I had to pay, the better, simple as that. Bringing up that subject felt kinda awkward though, hopefully she'll mention it first.

"By the way, you've been really quiet, Kilella, you okay?" Inquired Ruby, looking at her closely.

"Huh? Y-yeah, I'm fine, just seemed like shouldn't interrupt, that's all," She responded awkwardly.

"Aw, sorry, didn't mean to make you feel left out. Let me make it up to you...," Said Ruby in a low tone, that was kinda...seductive.

"Wha-...no, m-maybe later, um...oh, yeah, you two should like, uh, form a contract or something, right?"

What am I missing here? I've never seen my sister like this before.

"Nah, I find formalities annoying, contracts are stupid. At best, they state the obvious, and at worst, annoying clients could use it against me...I'm not very good with law."

I couldn't really tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing...

"I'm fine either way...so, uh, regarding payment for the weapons...," I brought up awkwardly.

"Yeah, he requested a bunch of stuff, won't that be expensive?" Inquired my sister with a look of concern.

"Actually, I don't really need to make any money right now, plus these look like they'd be fun to make, so...it doesn't have to be money."

Was I hearing things? That sounded way too good to be true. But wait, if it wasn't money, it had to be something else, even I'd feel awkward about accepting them for free...

"So, then...how should I compensate you for your work?" I asked curiously.

"Hm...I do have a suggestion," She replied, before a slight smirk spread across her lips and she reached over and ran a finger across my collarbone slowly and seductively, "When I'm done working on your requests and you come to pick them up...maybe you could let me play with you a bit...or a lot..."

Say what now?

"W-w-wait a sec, what!? A-are you b-b-being serious, Ruby!?" Exclaimed Kilella, standing up with a start, her face bright red in surprise and disbelief.

Not gonna lie, that really caught me off guard too.

"Aw, what's the matter, Kilella, don't tell me...you're jealous? You're totally welcome to come over anytime...after all, it has been a while since we hooked-."

"Ahhhh! Don't say another word!" She blurted out, covering Ruby's mouth with her hands before she could finish her sentence.

...they say you learn something new everyday, but if you ask me, there are some things that you'd be better off never learning.

"Huh, didn't know that you were into girls, sis," I remarked incredulously, saying the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm not-...well, I guess I am, but not exclusively just girls-...wait, what am I saying, y-you don't need to know anything about this aspect of me!"

"FYI, I swing both ways too, so we've got something in common, Kilella!" Chimed in Ruby with a grin, holding up her hand for a high five.

Well, that explains her reaction when she first saw me.

"Please stop talking, this is too much for my brain to process," Groaned Kilella, slumping with a defeated expression, ignoring her hand.

"That's cold, you left me hanging," Sighed Ruby with mock hurt in her voice, lowering her hand.

"Don't you think you're overreacting a bit, sis? Sure, this is kinda awkward, but it's no big deal," I said in an assuring tone, patting her back, "Seriously, I couldn't care less about what you do-...or rather, who you do."

"H-hey, don't s-say it like that! Hold on, this isn't about me! Let's stop talking about me, please! Ruby, you can't be serious about the, uh, p-payment method, are you?"

"Huh? Of course I'm serious, why wouldn't I be?" She replied with a tilt of her head.

I'd almost forgotten about that...I mean, as a guy, this kind of deal was something you wouldn't think happened in real life, only in fantasy...and porn.

"...no, really, why would you be?" Asked Kilella, sounding like unable to wrap her head around the current proceedings.

Can't lie, this was kinda surreal for me too.

"Well, think about it...like I said, I swing both ways, and you're basically my perfect type, and your brother is like a guy version of you...why wouldn't I want a piece of that?"

Okay, when she put it that way, it was kinda messed up, but hey, I wasn't complaining...much. That, and seeing my sister this flustered was kinda fun.

"But you-...but he's...I, uh...wha...," Stuttered my sister, unable to form a coherent sentence following Ruby's blunt remark.

"It's just a suggestion, and it's not my decision to make...it's yours, Kilzachs. So, what do you say, big boy?" She inquired in a husky, low voice, leaning forward towards me.

Remember when I mentioned that she was wearing a baggy hoodie...well, it was so baggy that when she leaned forward like she was currently doing...I could see pretty much everything...and she wasn't wearing anything under the hoodie.

"Uh, well...I say, I look forward to doing, uh, business with you," I responded almost in a daze, unable to avert my gaze.

"Zax, what're you...!?"

"I-I mean...it's a good deal, and I'll almost definitely regret it if I turn it down, so in the interest of not disappointing my future self...," I trailed off sheepishly, "Are you against it, sis?"

"...you're old enough to make your own decisions," She replied with a sigh, after a brief pause, taking a drink of water as she calmed down.

"Great, glad we could come to an agreement!" Exclaimed Ruby enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming and...yup, she was drooling, it hadn't just been my imagination earlier, "I can't wait to play with you...mm, but not yet, I'll save it as a reward for when I finish the job...the wait will make it all the more tantalizing. So, tell me, Kilzachs...are you a virgin?"

My sister choked on her water and sputtered, taken aback by the abrupt question.

"No, I've been to the red-light district a couple of times," I replied, not very honestly...I actually went there about once a month, sometimes twice a month...well, technically speaking, I had never gone since I always used Load to go back after I was done, because, you know...prostitutes are kinda expensive.

...what? I'm a guy just out of his teens, I get horny sometimes, it's perfectly natural! And I don't believe in the whole 'your first time should be special' bullcrap, so I just got it over with not long after I turned eighteen...specifically, the very next day after my eighteenth birthday. And I'm glad I did, those girls in the red-light district REALLY know what they're doing. I regret nothing. But of course, I couldn't say all that.

"Wait, you've been doing what!?" Kilella exclaimed hoarsely, yet to recover from choking on her water.

"...yeah, I should have just said that I'm a virgin."

It took a while for things to calm down, and once they did, my sister wasted no time in leaving, dragging me along with her.

"Thanks for the hospitality, Ruby, but we really shouldn't impose on you any further, so, uh...I'll see you later!"

"Aw, you guys are leaving already? Hey, Kilella, you should contact me more often, before this the last time I saw you was like two years ago, when we spent all night fu- mpfh!"

"TMI, and especially in front of my brother! And...fine, I'll keep in touch," She sighed, after hurriedly shutting Ruby up by covering her mouth with her hand.

"Yay! And Kilzachs...I'll see you soon, 'kay? It shouldn't take me too long to get this done."

"Awesome, thanks a lot!"

"Ooh, I just got an incredible idea!" Ruby suddenly exclaimed, her eyes lighting up and her face turning red as a wide, and kinda lecherous, smirk spread out on her lips, "Why don't both of you come over to pick up the weapons when I'm done, we can have a threesom-!"

"Absolutely not," My sister and I both shot her down in unison...some lines I just won't cross...

...

...

Three days later, while I was at the Academy, about an hour from the end of the final session of the day, I got a text from Ruby...

'I've finished working on your requests, come by after your done with classes'

Wow, that was fast, I'd expected it to at least take a week or two. I should reply...

'Sure, I'll be there by around 6. Also, *you're.'

...yeah, I'm kind of a grammar nazi, so what? Anyway, an hour later, I left the Academy in a hurry, impatiently excited to see the results of Ruby's work on my requests. Usually, I waited a few minutes before leaving, since I didn't want to leave along with some of the others who live in the North Quadrant...namely Tairo and Bytra, so generally, I wait till they leave before leaving myself.

But today, I just couldn't care less about that. There was one other person in my class who was from the North Quadrant, and that was Suri. And as I made my way to the Teleportation Point in the X-Warrior Zone, she was walking a few meters ahead of me. Thankfully, those other two hadn't left the Academy yet, so I didn't have to worry about running into them.

I teleported back to the North Quadrant and got into a bus that would take me to the area Ruby's apartment was in. Suri got on the same bus, and to my surprise, sat next to me. Okay, I know she's been relatively friendlier towards me lately, but this seems a bit much...I mean, I don't really mind or anything, but it is kinda awkward...I wasn't used to stuff like people deliberately sitting next to me.

"Do you live around here? I've never seen you take this bus before," She suddenly inquired, as the silence began to feel awkward.

"Huh? Oh, uh...no, I don't, I'm just paying someone a visit," I replied, a bit caught off-guard.

"...why do you look wary, like I'm about to bite your head off or something?"

Sheesh, she's pretty blunt, huh. Not that I could talk.

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but you do kinda give off a sort of unapproachable vibe...I thought you were doing it intentionally," I answered sheepishly.

"I...guess that's true, I don't usually like people talking to me, but...I'm not so cold that I'd treat someone who saved my life in that way," She muttered awkwardly.

"That's, uh...really not a big deal or anything," I responded, just as awkwardly...I felt weird about accepting gratitude for something I wouldn't have done if it hadn't benefited me.

The conversation petered out on that note, which made for a pretty uncomfortable ride from that point on. I almost let out a huge sigh of relief when I finally reached my stop. The moment I got up from my seat, so did she...and exited the bus along with me. Okay, this isn't exactly strange, this section of the Residential District had a bunch of affordable places for rent, so naturally a lot of people lived here.

Huh, she's walking in the same direction as Ruby's place...well, there were a few other apartment buildings next to the one I was heading to, so maybe...

"Oh, you're visiting someone here? I live in this building too," Remarked Suri with a look of surprise.

Well, yeah, I was more than a little surprised too.

"Huh, talk about a coincidence."

"Which apartment number are you visiting?" She asked, as we entered through the sliding door.

"Number 309. Which one to you live in?"

"Believe it or not, number 420."

"Woah, for real? That's awesome! Do you live here with your family?" I inquired, following her into the elevator.

"Yeah, though it's just my mom and I, I don't have any siblings, and my asshole dad ran out on us when I was a kid."

Yikes, maybe I shouldn't have asked that, I was just trying to keep a polite conversation going, but I might've stepped on a sensitive topic. I'd decided to put a bit more effort into socializing, since I realized that keeping people at too great a distance would only make things harder for me in the future. What made me realize it was my lack of connections, if it wasn't for my sister, I'd probably have never gotten in touch with Ruby and would still be looking for better weapons.

Therefore, I'll create friendly relationships with people who I can tolerate, I'll still have to be mindful about letting anyone get too close, but I could definitely stand to ease up on the distance I kept people at, even just a bit. And I could definitely tolerate Suri, in fact, I respected her, due to her taste in sweets.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that...but I can relate, I despise my father too...actually, even referring to him as my father ticks me off," I sighed, grimacing as I thought of that old douchebag.

Relatability, having something in common with someone was a good way to earn their trust.

"I'm not particularly torn up about it or anything, so no worries. Oh, I almost forgot...I should really thank you for selling me one of those limited item desserts the other day, it meant a lot to me, so thanks!"

I mean, she paid me double price for it, so there was really no need to thank me...

"It's cool, I was pretty stuffed after two anyway, not sure I'd have been able to eat a third one...but man, that was probably the best dessert I've ever had."

"I know, right!? The soft, gooey-ness of the brownie..."

"The rich chocolate lava and the red velvet chunks soaked in it..."

"Ohh, and the crunchy chocolate chunks were amazing..."

"Mhm, and the impact of the pop rocks worked really well somehow, not to mention the light sweetness of the powdered sugar-...oh, we're at the third floor, I get off here," I hopped off, as the elevator opened.

Woah, what was that right then...I felt in perfect sync with her. That was weird, but not in an unpleasant way. In fact, that was kinda nice.

"Oh, okay...see you tomorrow, then...hey, we should-...," She began, before trailing off as I looked at her inquiringly, "Never mind, um...see ya later."

"Sure, uh...see ya later."

Huh, I wonder what that was about...eh, I'll think about later. Because right now, I had something else on my mind...

I walked up to Ruby's apartment door and rang the bell, stepping back as I waited for her to open it. It didn't take longer than a few seconds for the door to swing wide open, a hand shooting out from inside, grabbing my collar and pulling me in before I could even blink...

_____________________________________________

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!

Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:

https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP