28.1. Out of Control - Part 1

"It's not such a big deal, right?" I'm desperately trying to make light of it. "It was just a bit more windy than usual. Nothing some tidying can't fix."

"The lamp is broken, Ryuu," Erik stays patient. "That was no mere gust of breeze."

I sigh and I bury my face in my hands. My wings start shivering which seems to be a Celestial way of showing anxiety. My wings always mirror how I feel which is becoming impractical. I can never hide my feelings from Erik, even if I choose not to use my telepathy.

"It might be the same for every Celestial during sex?" I bring up, hoping I'm not the only weirdo as usual.

"It's probably natural for Celestials to leak their mana when excited," Erik ponders. "But I think you're losing control because you get absorbed in my mind too deeply, forgetting about your surroundings."

He's right, I know he is. The world disappears for me when I fully dive into him. But what can I do about it? That's how my telepathy works during our full connection.

"We'll figure it out, love," Erik hugs me and caresses my wings in a way that won't arouse me again. "That psychologist is coming today, right? He might be able to help."

"I don't think he will have a specialisation in paranormal abilities," I have to disappoint him. "I thought we wanted to talk to him about my... ehm... insecurities. I'm not telling him that I'm a telepath. At least not anytime soon."

"You might open up to him eventually," Erik is hopeful. "But for now... let's go for breakfast."

"We can't leave the room like this," I'm surprised he isn't tidying up already considering how he likes his things to be orderly.

"Leave that to the room service?" he smirks.

"Don't be a jerk," I roll my eyes. "Did you get used to living in luxury so quickly?"

"One might get used to it," he admits. "Just kidding, let's tidy this mess."

We start putting things back to their places and I find out that I can speed up the process by using telekinesis. I still have to see where to deliver the levitating objects but it helps a lot.

"That's surprisingly handy," Erik comments.

"What, you didn't consider magic handy before?" I ask while folding our clothes.

"Not really, sorry," he shrugs. "I mean... when will Celestials actually use it in real life? Where will you be allowed to use it?"

"A-allowed?" that word takes me aback. It sounds really unpleasant.

"Well, I doubt magic will become an everyday activity," he says. "Firstly, it scares humans. Secondly, it takes your precious mana and you have to eat a lot afterwards. Thirdly, it's dangerous and for what purpose would you even use it? We have technology for everything, it's the 22nd century."

I have to think about it for a while. I continue tidying but I'm, in fact, thinking frantically. My boyfriend is probably right again. Where will we use magic in everyday situations? Even when Draconia was still a game, we didn't cast spells just for the fun of it. That would be pointless and a waste of mana. Except for training, we used it only in dungeons and during questing or levelling.

"The government might propose limiting magic usage to protect citizens and prevent possible abuse of power," Erik continues and is choosing his words carefully.

"What about the Dragonkin and Clawfangs?" I remind him. "Their abilities are just as dangerous as ours. It only doesn't seem that way because they're not as flashy and hard to understand."

"Something similar I guess," he says. "I think the Prime Minister will most probably propose some kind of non-aggression agreement today."

"I suppose," I mutter, not wanting to pursue the topic further, and finish folding all our clothes. "Do we have time for a quick shower?"

"We do, it's only seven," he nods.

"Great, let's go then." I don't really have anything to take off as we usually go to sleep naked. "Can I bother you with washing my back around the wings?"

"It's no bother," he smirks.

A quick shower is hardly quick for a Celestial. I'm afraid to wet my feathers unnecessarily and as my wings grow bigger and bigger each day, it's getting progressively harder to shower in such a narrow space.

"S-sorry," I apologise because I accidentally shove my feathers into his face when turning around. Fortunately, Erik is more amused than annoyed.

"If only there was a spell to hide them," he says. "You know... like angels in fiction. They can somehow magically conjure them away when they don't need them."

"That's stupid, our wings are normal limbs just as your hands and legs are," I puff. "And even if there was a spell for that, I wouldn't use it."

"You wouldn't?" he's surprised. "Not even in situations like these?"

"No way," I shake my head. "Would you spell your legs away when sitting in front of a computer just because you don't need them at the moment?"

"I guess not," he catches my drift and finished washing me. "Okay, done."

I thank him with a light kiss as I dare nothing more intimate. I can't get lost in him again, at least not now.

We go back to the bedroom to dress up and this time I decide to try a new robe since the previous one needs washing. I decline Erik's help and try to put on all the layers using only my hands, telekinesis and the mirror. It takes me longer than I've anticipated but, in the end, I manage!

"Nifty," Erik praises my effort. He put on a new three-piece suit and he's irresistible in it, of course, but I have to resist. We don't have time to mess around.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," Vermiel greets me enthusiastically the moment we step outside our apartment. "Do you wish to dine in the cafeteria or should we bring your breakfast to the office?"

"In the cafeteria. I believe there won't be any trouble this time?" Erik narrows his eyes.

"Of course not, Royal Consort," Vermiel assures him. "We've talked to the residents and they promised to behave. Besides, you have us as your guards now."

We step into the elevator and I expect Erik will want to talk to me telepathically but his thoughts are too jumbled. The only thing I catch is that he's still upset about our wrecked apartment and afraid that we might have to absent from having sex until I get the hang of it. That prospect worries me as well.

The cafeteria is even busier than yesterday but people mostly go out of our way. But they still dig out their phones to take a photo of us or shoot a short video for their social media profiles which is kind of unsettling, to be honest. I've always dreaded this sort of publicity. I mean... one wrong move and my telepathy can be out.

So far I've been pretty good at concealing it but that was mainly because I was keeping contact with other people to absolute minimum. With my levelled-up telepathy and Draconians constantly all over me, there's a danger I might connect to someone on reflex.

Fortunately, my new guards are menacingly frowning at anyone who would like to touch me without permission. Maybe it's not so bad to have Celestials guarding me after all. At least they seem to have much greater respect than my human bodyguards. What they lack in training, they make up by simply being Draconians.

"I want to choose myself," I say adamantly in case Vermiel gets the same funny idea as Miruel yesterday. I approach the counter before they can stop me.

"Hello," I greet the staff politely and notice that, except for one man who is supervising them, it's all Draconians. I'm glad Liana's job division works.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," the Draconians beam at me. Huh? Isn't it a bit overboard? Never mind, I don't want to keep the line so I study the menu.

"I'll have eggs with bacon and toast," Erik orders first, giving me more time to choose. "And an espresso."

"Pancakes for me then... blueberry, please," I finally order as well. "And latte."

"Please, go to sit down, Your Majesty, we'll bring it to you," the staff tells me because the guards are gesticulating wildly at them that there's no way I'm waiting at the counter.

I look across the cafeteria only to find out that all tables are full. Forced socialising again? Who should we join? My race does seem eager I go sit with them. Then I notice Emi who's waving at me. Her table is full as well but she's throwing out some of her pack members to make space for us.

A slight dislike overcomes me. It's so subtle but at the same time intense that I have to stop for a second. Do I feel... reluctant to sit next to Clawfangs? It seems absurd but what if it's true? Ever since that incident with my ripped feather I don't feel quite the same. Is it my Celestial nature finally fully awakening?

No, that's nonsense. There's no reason why I shouldn't sit with Clawfangs for a change. Sure, they're quite unruly compared Celestials but that's just a superficial thing. I have to get to know other races better. Common people I mean, not just rulers.

"Hi, Emi," I approach her table and try to sound relaxed even though I'm not. Her pack is staring at me. They don't even make an effort to hide that they're sniffing me, Erik and my escort.

"Come, come," she pats two empty chairs next to her. "God knows I need some other people around since these guys won't leave me alone."

Emi isn't complaining, not really. I can tell she loves having other Clawfangs around. But I guess even that can be tiresome sometimes. And even a super-extroverted Alpha wants some alone time.

"How are the kittens?" Erik pushes some small talk and he's also uneasy. He doesn't feel nervous around Celestials that much because we look quite innocent and meek. But Clawfangs are... well, all claws and fangs, obviously. And fur.

"You mean these adorable fluffs?" Emi grins and one kitten pokes from under her blouse. The others are in care of her pack members. "We've pretty much proven that certain animals are drawn to us. Call it pheromones or whatever."

"Certain?" Erik is curious.

"Predators," Emi specifies. "Naturally, prey animals flee. Riel here has a pet rabbit and it's now absolutely scared of her."

"It's true," a wolfish Clawfang woman sitting next to Emi's left sighs sadly. "I had to give him to my sister. The poor critter can't stand my presence."

"We are carnivores," Emi shrugs. "Humans can choose to go vegan, we can't. Scientists are still studying our physiology but that much is proven already."

"Your breakfast, Your Majesty," one of the staff, an Earthborn woman, puts a tray in front of me. Eriks gets his share, too.

I catch unpleasant feelings coming from the tables occupied by Celestials. It seems they hate the fact that I didn't go sit with them. Overall, Draconians react towards their rulers very strongly, I observe. Emi is obviously adored by her kind and she already calls them a pack, even though they originally belonged to different guilds. Fefnir walks into the cafeteria just a few minutes after us and he's also surrounded by his race. So, is this behaviour normal to us? Are Draconians naturally drawn to their rulers?

"Ryuu, your telekinesis!" Erik warns me all of a sudden.

"Oh, damn," only now I notice that my napkin is levitating. I was thinking that it was a bit in my way but I didn't intend to use my ability!

"Problems controlling new powers?" Riel is surprised.

It can't become public knowledge that you're struggling. Talk yourself out of it, Erik tells me hastily.

"I'm just amazed how natural it feels," I quickly come up with something. "It doesn't take much to levitate things when you get the hang of it."

"Telekinesis is a Celestial racial ability, it should feel natural," Emi helps me out. "Just as it feels natural for us to be around animals."

Everyone seems to be happy with my answer. I sigh out, relieved. That was close.

*****

We get to Liana's office slightly after eight and find her and Ingri already hard at work. They're preparing notes for our meeting that is taking place in just an hour.

"Ehm... should we have come even earlier?" Fefnir, who joined us on the way, asks. And he's not the only one feeling embarrassed—we all are.

"Don't turn workaholic like me," Liana shakes her head. "And Ingri was doing her school assignment until now actually. I wouldn't use a minor like that."

Shouldn't you tell them about your abilities getting out of control? Erik nudges me.

Right now? No way, they're too stressed out already, I refuse.

We go through our notes from yesterday and our anxiety rises. I think our arguments are valid enough but it's not like we know how to establish an ambassy. Liana was discussing the issue with some specialists but nobody really knows how it turns out. There's no precedent for our case, we have to be the ones who establish it.