Bloom

When someone stares at you it is very uncomfortable.

When they stare a short time it can be a bit weird.

When they stare a long time, depending on the length, one can find themselves losing mental control.

I have a simple solution that I employ in these types of situations.

I.

Do.

Nothing.

Hah!

That’s right, I do nothing, just because I do nothing while sleeping, does not mean I just sleep through the stare.

That would be rude.

I meditate.

Yes, that’s right, I meditate through a long stare.

S’neli held some suspicions I’m sure, but since she was pressured so much it didn’t matter. The nameless slave girl had used a sliver of Dao, yet even such a tiny fraction of power was enough to blur events. A mind protects itself by reducing the memory of a traumatic event. That’s why in many cases, such as those types of crimes victims cannot remember clearly. It isn’t that they can’t, it is that their own minds fight to protect them by forgetting key traumas.

The same situation protects me now.

S’neli is suspicious sure, so what?

Can’t prove anything nah nah, na nah nah!

So what if she used a blowtorch to attempt to get a reaction from me. I have nerves of wood, nothing breaks my composure. Besides, heat at that level is barely noticeable to me.

Drowning, falling from a great height, pressure tests, nothing fazes me.

I’m just a normal new species with extraordinary properties!

As long as I don’t act weird now how could anything go wrong?

F’neli walked into the lab in a rush, his robes swishing with importance. As the caravan leader he was the one who had to deal with the fallout from what occurred at a certain mansion.

“Sister! How. Could. You!” F’neli shouted in fury, “You know Von Arlen is part of the moderate Vampire faction! Our family has been trying to connect with them for decades, ever since they took over this part of the trade route!”

S’neli had an expression that appeared as if someone had shoved cow manure in her face, “I couldn’t care less what that bloodsucking piece of garbage wants! There are tens of pretty girls in our family, why does that piece of trash keep bothering me, dammit!”

“Who knows why a vampire does anything!? That’s not the point, the point is we have a chance to move the clan’s standing higher than a mere one or two ranks here!” F’neli said, trying to control his tone.

“Really? Do you have another alchemist rank four lying around? What? No? Then who is going to provide the elders with Eternal Life Elixir, hmm?” S’neli said waving her hands theatrically in the air, “Think before you babble some pathetic string of meaningless crap like ‘marry for the clan’s interests’ eh? What do you think benefits the clan more? Elders living longer, or a few extra ranks gained in our trade empire? Pah!”

F’neli tried to control his face purpling in anger before he threw his hands up in the air and strutted out of the lab.

S’neli gave a sniff before moving to sit down in front of me in a chair she’d placed there several days ago.

I ignore the stare that was directed at me.

I ignore the fingers tapping on the chair armrests.

I ignore the coaxing conversation attempts.

I feel like I completely understand those poor plants that have to listen to music of their owner’s choosing to grow ‘healthier’. Let me say, S’neli does not in my opinion have the ability to choose music.

Tone deaf.

No, no that’s being kind to deaf people.

S’neli’s ability to choose horrible music is a talent all in a different league of its own.

I often have theorized lately that this is perhaps and attempt to garner a reaction from me.

To that end, I have finally decided today after suffering for a few hours…

This music device, it must be purged in fire.