63 Appreciation

As it was the main throughway in which people and goods entered and left Deisceart, Khufu gave the impression of an ancient Persian city on the threshold of modernity. The city's most prominent feature was a colossal stone temple with domed roofs colored gold, blue, or white, depending on the material used in their construction. Encircling it was a stone waterway nearly 500m wide, populated by countless boats and a handful of barges transporting freight up and down the river that fed it.

smack

'I hate tropical climates...' thought Will, slapping his neck to kill a mosquito-like insect as he followed Aelius through one of Khufu's many bazaars. The tiny bastards had adapted to be able to pierce the thin veil of Aura that protected most inhabitants of Andora, so unless he actively shielded his body with a barrier, he could still be bitten.

"Having trouble~?" asked Aelius, grinning impishly as he explained, "The trick is to soak your body with Euca Leaves of Mintsweed. It won't keep the larger variety, but it's useful for repelling small insects."

"That would explain the smell..." remarked Will, referring to the almost debilitating aroma of incense and menthol lingering in the marketplace. He was surprised a Zoan like Aelius could walk around without covering his mouth and nose. Though, as Will looked around, that appeared to be the norm.

'Damn...'

As Will and Aelius entered a clearing that served as a connecting point between three different roads, the former couldn't help but stop mid-step, his eyes drawn to and widening at the sight of a trio of brown-skinned cat girls dancing in exceedingly scant attire. Several others lounged nearby at what looked like a perfume and incense stall, but Will got the impression that wasn't the only thing they sold as a man disappeared with one of the women into a nearby bathing facility.

bump

Taking advantage of Will's apparent distraction, a bronze-skinned child who couldn't have been more than six or seven years old gave him a quick pat down before a markedly older youth bumped into him.

"Oi...if you're gonna gawk, at least get out of the way first..." grumbled the older boy, punctuating his words with a disdainful snort as he retreated in a different direction than his accomplice.

'Some things remain the same, regardless of the world...' thought Will, a faint smile adorning his face as Aelius doubled back to question, "You're not going to pursue them?"

"It's fine..." assured Will, shaking his head. He knew how difficult it could be to survive when you grew up impoverished and without anyone to care for you. He may have cared if the duo made off with anything of value, but since everything important to him was kept safely in his system's storage, he saw no reason to make the pickpocket's life even harder than it already was.

"Did you also grow up on the streets...?" asked Aelius, curiously raising his brows.

"Something like that..." replied Will, his gaze deviating toward the troupe of dancers. Decades of celibacy had dampened his passions, but as his current body was entering pubescence, the sight of several dark-skinned cat girls belly-dancing made him feel...tense.

Following Will's gaze, Aelius's expression became more playful than usual as he remarked, "The others shouldn't come looking for us before sunset. I'm down if you want to make a detour."

'Maybe in a couple of years...' thought Will, outwardly shaking his head as he excused, "I have someone waiting for me back home. Let's just leave a tip and be on our way..."

Blinking in surprise, Aelius asked, "You're engaged, Aiden?" while walking alongside Will toward the group of dancers.

"Ask me again once we reach the Capital..." responded Will, pulling out an Astralian Silver Coin and flicking it onto the carpet the dancers used as a stage. He had seen several other passersby do the same with bronze and copper coins, but since he enjoyed the tantalizing sight quite a bit, he felt a silver was the least he could offer.

Leaving Will a little taken aback, the dancer closest to the silver coin, a Zoan with dirty blonde hair fixed into a messy bun and with fringes that framed her alluring face, deftly snatched it with the toes of her left foot, transferring it to her hand before slipping it in her black, bikini-like top and giving him a wink.

"You sure you don't want to stay...?" asked Aelius, staring up at Will with a mischievous grin.

"I'm sure..." responded Will, but his actions said otherwise. He eventually came to his senses and took the initiative to depart, but for a short while, he permitted himself to be captivated by the lead dancer's pale blue eyes, glistening like precious gemstones as she held his gaze in turn...

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'Hmmm...not too bad...' thought Will, staring at his reflection in the mirror of a changing room. His fashion sense was rooted in Western sensibilities, but as he had spent much of his current incarnation refining his physique, he looked good in just about anything.

'If you admire yourself any longer, I think I'm going to vomit...' said Ohta, his voice emanating from Will's shadow.

"There's nothing inherently wrong with taking pride in one's appearance," said Will, placing his hands behind his head, popping his lats, and flexing his six, going on eight-pack. He was bound to get a sunburn and lose a lot of moisture, but since it was the norm in the region, Will figured he might as well go shirtless and get a tan. As for the rest of his outfit, he wore off-white trousers that were common in the region, a dark brown sash, a red loincloth with gold embroidery, and, in place of orthodox footwear, wear-resistant bandages, and hand-woven sandals made from a fiber similar to straw.

"Yeah, but your actions are bordering on narcissism..." contended Ohta, materializing from Will's shadow, seated cross-legged atop the changing room's bench.

Seeing Ohta's reflection in the mirror, the smugness in Will's face faded. Ohta was wearing an outfit not all that dissimilar to his own, but instead of going completely topless, he wore a thin vest with a broad-collared neck and shoulder accessory made from layers of linen, leather, and silk. Most people wouldn't see anything wrong with the outfit, but Will's expression morphed into a slight grimace as he could see Ohta for what he truly was.

Matching Will's frown, Ohta remarked, "There you go again..." in a low, ill-tempered tone. "Just what is it about my body that bothers you? You only seem to have this kind of reaction when it concerns me."

"Hmmm..."

Crossing his arms and shifting his gaze upward, Will appeared to seriously consider his response before answering, "It's because, at least to me, you look like a girl. Happy?"

"Wha-"

Taken aback by Will's response, though he somewhat anticipated it, Ohta was left slack-jawed.

"I knew it...there really is something wrong with your head..." muttered Ohta, a faint blush coloring his cheeks as he crossed his arms and averted his gaze from Will's muscular back. He should have felt angry, but instead, the most prominent emotion he was experiencing was...confusion.

"Sure. Let's go with that..." conceded Will, regaining a smile but keeping his eyes closed as he waited for Ohta to return to his shadow and, ideally, choose a new outfit.

Noticing Will's closed eyes, an annoyed frown marred Ohta's expression as he asked, "You know I'm a dude, right? Even if I look like a girl to your messed up brain, that doesn't change what I am."

"..."

Feeling even more annoyed by Will's silence, the artery of Ohta's right temple began to twitch and bulge. He didn't appreciate being ignored, so, for the briefest of moments, he seriously considered stripping down and forcing Will to acknowledge he was a boy. However, as he was more than a little self-conscious about his size, he ultimately decided against it.

rustle rustle rustle

"Is this better...?" asked Ohta, his expression deadpan and his voice a lazy drone.

Opening his eyes and half-turning, Will found Ohta wearing a sleeveless linen shirt. The off-white fabric was a little too breathable, but since Ohta had compromised by even putting it on, Will nodded approvingly and said, "It suits you."

"Really? I'm soooooo happy you approve..." responded Ohta, punctuating his words with a dramatic eye roll. Will was about to issue a faint chuckle in response, but Ohta did something that caught him surprise, leaving him completely at a loss.

"Do these things really bother you that much...?" asked Ohta, hooking his thumbs through the openings for his arms and pulling the fabric together to expose the pale protrusions underneath. Will didn't hurriedly avert his eyes like he was seeing something he shouldn't, but his expression made it clear he wasn't amused.

"Oh, come on..." groaned Ohta, allowing the fabric to revert to its original shape as he argued, "Literally everyone has them, man. Just turn around and take a look at your reflection. What do you think those two things on your chest are? Birthmarks?"

Closing his eyes and exhaling from his nose, Will decided not to try and argue his case. Ohta genuinely believed he was a boy, and revealing his suspicions before he was certain would only complicate things. Thus, after a moment of deliberation, he opened his eyes and said, "If you want to walk around topless, go right ahead. Just remember, it's something you decided. Don't turn around and blame me in the future..."

"Blame you for what...?" asked Ohta, his expression and tone incredulous. The possibility that Will was threatening him briefly crossed his mind, but as there was a pretty vast gulf in their capabilities, he promptly dismissed it. That left only a handful of possibilities...

"Are you trying to say you might make a move on me...?" asked Ohta, his voice low and expression hardening. At a glance, he looked like he was ready to send Will flying through the changing room's mirror and wall, but beneath his irate facade, he was incredibly flustered.

Hearing alarm bells in his mind, Will resisted his initial urge to vehemently refute the prospect of him making a move. He still remembered how Ohta reacted to his off-handed remark back at the Inn, so he crossed his arms, raised his gaze to the ceiling, and made a show of seriously pondering his response.

"Are you for real, man?" asked Ohta, his expression and tone notably on edge as he added, "You know I was just messing with you, right? I mean, you and me? Even if we weren't both dudes, we're about as compatible as oil and water...hahaha..."

Seeing Will open his eyes and look down at him, Ohta felt his entire body tense. It was only for a brief moment, but he got the impression that Will wasn't entirely opposed to the idea as their gazes met, and he noticed no overt aversion or disgust in his eyes.

"..."

"..."

Following a tense staring contest, Ohta was the first to break eye contact, his cheeks and ears tinted a rosy hue as he looked away and repeated his usual, "There's seriously something wrong with your head..."

"I don't doubt it..." conceded Will, shrugging. Then, as he had been inside the changing room for some time, he looked to its entrance and added, "I should probably go. If I stay much longer, Aelius or one of the employees might come to check on me..."

"Hey..."

Before Will could leave, Ohta called out to him in a quiet voice, compelling him to stop and turn. When he did, he was left speechless when Ohta, red to the tips of his pointed ears, remarked, "You do look good...your outfit, I mean. It suits you..."

Recovering quickly, though he felt somewhat disjointed, Will's expression softened in a faint smile as he replied, "Thanks, Ohta. And sorry if I made you uncomfortable..."

"Just go already..." retorted Ohta, rolling his eyes before abruptly rocking his body and plunging sideways into Will's shadow. The latter found this adorable, but as the possibility of Ohta being Sarah seemed to increase with each passing day, he also felt a growing sense of...foreboding. After all, he knew how obsessive Justin was. Then there was Andrika, who had developed a kind of codependency toward him. She would eventually get over it if he had a relationship with someone in-world, but since she quite literally loathed Sarah, Will couldn't even fathom how much drama would arise if he and Ohta actually had a fling...

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