12.2. Don't Be Afraid of Us - Part 2

"Oh, right, I totally forgot about her," I chew my lip. "She didn't even add me at Vortex."

"Well... as one of the developers her compatibility level must have been really high, right?" Ingri ponders. "If the Japanese government needed patients for research, I think there's a good chance she volunteered. Taking responsibility is a Japanese quirk, right?"

"Don't look at me, my mentality is European," I shrug. "But I think you might be right."

Then we spend some time trying to find out how all the equipment works. The IT department was very generous and brought also cameras, microphones, 3D projectors and other stuff for professional streamers their employer must have requested.

"Should we wait for Liana to shoot the video?" Fefnir scratches his chin when he positions the camera.

"She's still sleeping, let her rest," I shake my head.

"How do you know that?" Ingri narrows her eyes.

A hint of panic runs down my spine. Does she suspect something? Am I too obvious with Erik?

"She would have called us," I say quickly.

"Hmm," Fefnir murmurs. "AstaTech's servers are really great. It seems I can connect several thousand people into one videocall. Being able to manage such a thing is a different matter but the good news is—we can do it. Can we continue using your account, Aefener?"

"Sure, sure," I nod and hope that it'll distract Ingri.

Fortunately, it does. Ingri turns into my social manager again and eagerly helps Fefnir to set my password and tinker with various settings.

"Damn," my head spins when I see the current count. 102 million followers.

"It's a good thing, right?" Erik nudges me. "It means that you've got many fans who aren't transforming players."

"Y-yeah... if you put it that way," I admit he's right. "It's still unnerving, though. I didn't mind talking to my fans before because it was through my avatar. Showing my true face..."

"Your beautiful true face," he gently grabs my chin and kisses me because he feels my uncertainly and low self-esteem.

"That's exactly what we need," Ingri exclaims excitedly.

Erik rolls his eyes and pulls away.

"No, seriously, something like this," Ingri insists. "Let's make a video in which we show that humans and new races can still love each other."

"I have to agree with Ingri on this," Fefnir seconds. "And Liana suggested something similar."

I'm still not sure about it but Erik surprisingly agrees with the idea as well. We devote an hour to writing a script and preparing the background and it does feel like I'm back to my streaming career.

Don't fret, you've done it countless times before, Erik encourages me since he catches my anxiety.

When Draconia was just a game, I oppose.

It's me who should be nervous, he laughs. I'm basically debuting.

Your nerves are steel compared to me.

Not when it comes to public speeches.

I anxiously look Ingri's way but she's adjusting the camera and doesn't pay attention to us.

We have to be careful with our telepathic communication, I warn him. Ingri suspects something.

But you are considering telling them, right?

Eventually... yeah. When I'm ready.

"Okay, done," Ingri announces.

"Do we look alright?" Erik gets nervous after all. "Shouldn't we comb our hair better or change clothes?"

"Nah, look natural," Fefnir waves his hand.

I gulp when Ingri gesticulates at us and turns on recording. We went through what we'd like to say to the world three times but we still stutter so we have to re-shoot several times. We're holding hands visibly to the camera and kiss lightly at the end so that there's no doubt what our relationship is.

"I think it's really cute," Ingri is content when we review the thing. "It's evident that you're nervous but that makes it only more believable and relatable."

The minute we upload the video, views start skyrocketing. I have to look away from the counting.

"Don't worry, we did well and it's for the world," Erik scratches my left wing. "Besides, your feathers are growing rapidly, the wings are even prettier."

I carefully stretch my wings to the sides to take a better look. Proper feathers really are growing quickly which pleases me. Just like ingame, I enjoy that feeling of my back not being bare. Erik smirks because he feels what I'm thinking about and he starts to playfully caress my wings.

"Oh, s-stop," I moan.

"Too much pressure?" he pauses immediately, concerned he might have caused me pain as I'm not fully healed yet.

"N-no... but... ehm...," I blush, embarrassed. "Not in front of them."

Fefnir and Ingri look at me, dumbfounded. Then Ingri realises what's going on and starts to chuckle uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Fefnir's confused.

"Let's say Celestials will get a very peculiar erogenous spot," she's laughing.

"What, the wings?" Fefnir slaps his forehead.

"Figures," she shrugs. "Celestial wings are supposed to be extremely sensitive... for all sorts of things it seems."

"You're still a minor, Ingri," Fefnir sighs.

"I'm of legal age for these things," she objects. "Not that I've actually done it myself yet but... ehm... I read..."

"Gay fic," Erik finishes for her and repeats her utterance: "Figures."

"Oooh, I bet you've read tons of Draconia gay fanfic on our Aefener, here? And wings were the main attraction?" Fefnir bursts laughing so hard that his tailbone must hurt like hell. But he can't help it.

"Seriously, what is it with girls and their obsession with boys love?" Erik shakes his head, annoyed. "Are we a spectacle to you or what?"

"You two certainly are," Fefnir has to dry his laugh tears. "Giving Ingri a good show every time she looks at you."

The embarrassing situation is saved by my Vortex messenger beeping. Gotrid is calling again and sends me at least two dozen invitations. We put the call on the big screen.

"Heya Gotrid," Fefnir greets him. "Thanks to Liana's awesome IT team, we now have the means to connect everyone into one mega server."

"Nice," Gotrid smiles even though he looks dead tired. "And I saw the video, it's really cute."

"Let's try that massive videocall thing," Ingri adds everyone who's currently online. "However much I love social media, I can't respond to everyone writing to you, Aefener."

I expect the players to be a bit shy at first but the moment Ingri switches on the videocall and starts approving participants, countless faces start appearing on all three screens. The camera is still facing me and Erik.

"Aefener!"

"Oh, it's really him."

"And that guy from the video."

"Where's our viceroy?"

"Is she really Laura Richter?"

"My parents are forcing me to go to hospital. I don't want to!"

"It hurts so much."

Thanks to admin rights, Ingri quickly puts everyone on mute because the commotion is too overwhelming.

"H-hello guys," I greet them and try to count all those miniature faces on three screens. I fail, of course, but I guess we have more than a hundred people connected.

Since everyone joined the chat with their Vortex profiles, I can see their ingame nicknames and not real names that wouldn't tell my anything. I spot Taranah, Maineia, Reniel and many others I know from the royal guild and also countless people I don't know so they must be either Fefnir's or Ingri's acquaintances.

"If you want to speak, click the raise the hand button and we'll unmute you," Fefnir tells them and sits next to us. Ingri squeezes to my right. It's still too many people who want to talk but now it's at least manageable.

"Gotrid, can you tell everyone what's the situation in the USA?" I ask him specifically.

"Not great, not terrible," Gotrid sighs and I see a few people sitting around him. I'm glad he isn't alone. "The military is securing the centres of all big cities but they aren't doing anything... yet. The government is constantly imploring us not to go outside. The players whose compatibility level wasn't that high are still okay as their transformation isn't visible yet but high-levels are struggling."

"And what's the mood of the public overseas?" Erik asks.

"People are scared," Gotrid says truthfully. "Americans have always been preppers but nobody remembers such hysteria. They're especially afraid of what we'll be potentially able to do in the future."

"Right, my strength is getting out of control a bit," Fefnir admits. "I've just damaged a chair by accident."

"Physical strength is at least understandable," Gotrid says. "They're scared of magic."

All participants are suddenly raising their hands and I bet I know what they want to ask.

"Aefener," Gotrid coughs and looks at me intently. "Can you do magic? Did you... try?"

"E-ehm...," I look in panic at Erik.

They are too many people, what if someone babbles about it online? I'm worried. I agree with Liana, people will go crazy when they find out for sure.

Keeping it secret for a few more days would be great but I'm afraid your friends already suspect that...

"You can, can't you?" a woman sitting next to Gotrid snaps and doesn't let Erik finish his thought. "I can see it in your face."

Shit, my expression gave me away. I'm not a good liar. Never been.

"My Emperor," Gotrid begs, "we have to know."

"I... I can do telekinesis," I say slowly and quickly add: "Don't tell anyone yet, okay? We need to keep our people safe for as long as possible. This confirmation is sure to spiral things out of control."

It's a good thing that connected players are muted because I see them shouting to their cameras, begging me to show them.

I sign resignedly and let a few objects levitate around me. Of course, it causes a huge uproar. I notice Taranah is violently gesticulating, asking to speak up. Together with Uriel, he was the head of our magic research team ingame. I unmute him.

"Aefener, that's amazing and terrifying at the same time!" he exclaims. "We've been hoping the transformation won't be just physical but now that we know for sure also our powers are becoming real as well... damn!"

"Please, don't tell anyone else, okay?" I repeat desperately. "I know that you'd like to tell at least your gaming friends but it'd be impossible to keep secret. Hold on for just a few days, please."

People are nodding but I'm afraid it's in vain. Some of them are bound to tell others.

Did I screw up? I clutch Erik's hand.

It's not your fault, lying isn't in your nature, he answers reassuringly.

I'm good at lying only about one thing—my telepathy, I admit.

That's not exactly lying, Ryuu, that's rather omitting a certain information. When I asked you directly about it, you couldn't lie, remember?

"Real magic... here!" Taranah is freaking out and muted people too.

Out of the blue, I can feel a sharp sensation of pain that isn't my own. It belongs to... Liana!

"L-Li," I let out, horrified.

Ingri and Fefnir look at me, not understanding why I'm mentioning her now and why my voice sounds so concerned without any cause. Another reason why I've always been afraid to make close friends in real life. I was sure they'd notice sooner or later that I can perceive something they can't.

"W-we should maybe check up on her?" I suggest, trying to save the situation.

In the end, I'm saved by Hana bursting into the study, this time without her decent knocking.

"Miss Richter... she...," the housekeeper is panting. "Her wings are coming out!"