Veridis Quo

Chapter 38 - I Really Don't Care...

There were a lot of nice things in life.

Breathing clean air, beholding a magnificent landscape, watching the clouds drift in the blue sky while lying on golf-course grass... hiking around Miya's cottage, spending time with Juno, getting some peace of mind from Yahya and the crumbling social relations of herbs and carvs... consuming ludicrous amounts of ice cream.

Those were the reasons off the top of my head – on top of my head! Anyone could find a reason to keep pushing through no matter the burden. Even the ordinary life of the lower class wasn't that bad, though betting on reincarnation wasn't advisable due to lack of solid evidence and...

I was getting sidetracked thanks to the excess comfort I was experiencing.

I was in heaven, no taking back that one.

Today was as ordinary as any other day; the sun was high in the sky, the heat was slowly but surely dissipating as leaves bled and burned and pussed, students were studying, same old teachers, an ever-growing audience on the web, same with the albums on my channel, maintaining good grades...

I liked it that way.

I could repeat the same spiel forevermore... or until my brain hurt and I sentenced myself to watching stupid comedy or anything akin to that one show about a bunch of dudes hurting each other because it was funny. In extremely elaborate ways, mind you!

If I was a sadist, I'd go on their equivalent of leaked live streams.

No, that was just... no.

The government was always surveilling my every move, so going on those sites would raise a band of red flags.

Plus, I didn't want to needlessly worry my birbie.

My sweet, mature, fluffy birbie...

...

Where was I?

Something, something, spying on me...

...

Meh, probably nonsense in its entirety.

Shaking my head, though more like rubbing in it, I sighed into the plumage engulfing my face, the soft feathers caressing my unblemished skin.

Although I was far from done growing, those oils Miya recommended – gifted – me did wonders over a singular month, eliminating nearly every minute pimple and blackhead.

Her kindness was unending and absolute. There was no way I could begin to hope to repay it, tenfold and no less!

So, I did what I could for her.

In today's case, per her request, cuddling.

Smiling against the quality fluff, I hummed as a hand scratched the back of my head, discovering an itch I never knew existed.

Our relationship was... unique.

What started as a doctor-patient dynamic eventually evolved into a family, plain and simple, no sugarcoating. Why would I sprinkle sugar on tooth-rotting sweetness? I always flossed and brushed my teeth twice a day, hygiene wasn't a joke.

Did I regret this development? Nope.

Did I decline Miya contact? Never, not once...

...We don't speak of the lab...

With those two answered confidently, did I feel... weird?

Most certainly.

It wasn't that I hated her. I mentally wretched at the suggestion, subconsciously nuzzling into where her collarbones met the upper ribcage.