“Don’t sidestep with smooth talk,” She said, yet somehow her voice didn’t sound as stern as her words implied. “If you do pull it off, good, great, again, you just continue to amaze me. But if you can’t, if you fail, then you’ll still be good, you’ll still be great…”

“Irene…”

“You’ll still be the same person I love,” She continued. “No more, no less, alright?”

“Alright,” I said, trying to somehow stroke the little crease on her forehead away with my thumb. “I understand, and thanks… really happy to hear you say that.”

“Sure,” She replied back. “So long as you keep that in mind.

Irene proceeded to lift the mug over her lips again, this time taking her sweet time slurping away at its contents, and I got the sense that something else seemed to be bothering her… I don’t know, I just kinda have that feeling that she did.

“So,” She paused, shifted in place, and looked me dead in the eye. “You didn’t tell me about last night yet.”

Ah, God. I hate gut feelings.

“Uhh…” I croaked, feeling the sudden tension grind my brain to mush. “I don’t exactly kiss and tell…”

“No, of course not,” She said. “You kiss and you fondle, and you bite, suckle, among various other things…”

“You get what I mean…”

“Look, I knew it was only a matter of time before that Elf and you get swept away by your… ahem… urges… it was bound to happen eventually, you’re both madly in love with each other… of course you’re going to want to express that love sooner or later – and didn’t I tell you already? I don’t mind it.”

“Still…”

“What?” She said, a taunting smile poking through the edges of her mug. “Shy? Embarrassed? Guilty, hmm? Should probably come to terms with those feelings first before deciding to go after more than one girl, don’t you think?”

“True.”

“Still trying to adjust to harem life, hmm?” She said, furrowing her brow and batting sympathetic eyes. “Oh, poor little you, it must be quite a struggle, eh?”

“It’s an ongoing process,” I muttered. 

“Well, then, take your time,” She said, the sound of her slurping almost mocking. “No doubt this won’t be the last time either, I’m sure… what with Amanda and probably Adalia too… well, you certainly have your hands full.”

Not sure exactly what was in that drink of hers, but I desperately want what she’s having if that is what’s causing her to act this chill, playful and mellow.

“As for me,” She said, looking quite pleased with herself. “I’m just happy I got to you first. At the very least, I will always have that over the others.” 

What the hell, that came out of nowhere. 

“It’s not a race,” I said, still reeling over what she had just said. “And I’m not a finish line.”

“Yeah, not to you maybe,” She said with a haughty expression. “But you’re not the one here having to vie with others for a chance to catch your attention, are you?” 

That is… true. I never considered that factor. Do the others see things the same way too? Amanda probably does, but Adalia? Hell, how about Ash? Actually, come to think of it…

“Is that what you’re doing there, then?” I asked, nudging my head to the lacy, skimpy, dangerously erotic woman before me now.  “Are you… trying to catch my attention now?” 

“No, this is me just having woken up and refusing to change until I have my morning sip,” She explained, before promptly demonstrating her words with another sip away at her mug, her gaze straying in wonder. “Of course, that is the reason I would give you if you asked me, which you just did…  so, we’ll just pretend that you didn’t ask, okay? And you can just keep thinking whatever it is you’re thinking now, alright?” 

Maybe it’s the lack of contact. They do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps this is just her way of expressing that sentiment… by teasing and flirting with me first thing in the morning.

Hey, I’m not one to judge.

“So, um, just out of pure curiosity, did you happen to enjoy yourself last night?” She not-so-innocently inquired. “Or did you perhaps enjoyed yourself with me even more?”

Should I just end the call now while I still have the chance? Maybe I could pretend the signal’s breaking up, dense forests don’t make for good reception after all, should I? Yeah, I should.

“You know, flirting is a two-player game, right? It’s unfair if you don’t answer me all the – “

“Is that smoke?” 

Irene fell quiet, seemingly clueless, but I know what I saw, what I was seeing. The corner of the screen, a wafting translucent white mist molding to the shape of her ceiling… highly doubt that drink in her hand was that scalding hot to produce that much smoke up there, which could only mean…

“Is your place on fire?”

Fire. 

That was the word, that was the remainder, and it instantly clicked inside me.

“Ahh,” Irene blinked again, eyes pointed to the air, and clicking for her too. “No, she just does that sometimes… it’s harmless…”

The expression on her was a stiff one, and though she maintained a faint smile, it barely even reached her eyes.

Speaking of failing and failures… 

“Where is she anyway? I asked casually, perhaps too casually at that. “In another room?”

“Bedroom,” Irene replied. “Only got one. I sleep on the couch now, see?” 

She shifted her phone a little left, where a three-seater was set up with a blanket and some pillows, before turning the camera back towards her, a quiet sigh leaving her parted lips. 

“Not complaining,” She said with a shrug, “Actually it’s surprisingly comfier than my actual bed.” 

“The smoke is it… does it happen often?” I asked. “I don’t remember that happening whenever I paid a visit.”

“So far this is the fifth time, and as to why…” A hand flew across the screen, swiping away the smoke that’s grown even denser. “I’m not sure… her flames are intrinsically linked to her emotions, so for something like this to happen… she has to be feeling something in there.”

“Feeling what?”

“As I said, I’m not sure,” She repeated, and then after a pause, a flicker in her gaze, she quietly asked. “Well… would you like to see her?