Jebidiah's Change Bk. 01 Ch. 04

Jebidiah held up his hands and stood. "Girls, please. My friends. Think of what you are asking for here. If we go through with this you are burdened with me for life. And male consort? If I father children to any of you there's a chance they will be Talentless as well. We don't know all the ramifications of this"

"Jeb!" Crystal nearly shouted this time. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Stop that self deprecating good natured brain of yours for a minute and listen. Really listen. We all know you. We all want this. All of us are walking into this with eyes wide open. We had even discussed with our Houses allowing a bond without knowing of this other shit happening."

"But Crys, you could do better for yourself, all of you could." Jebidiah's voice was reaching the pleading level. "I only want the best for you all and I'm not sure I am."

"No." Crystal stood and gestured down her body. "Look at me. I am Lost. I am a goblin and was nearly destroyed as Judgement. I am only here because of you." A tear broke through, falling down one cheek. "Look at me. I'm green for fucks sake!" She pulled at a canine "I have fangs! I have fucking claws!" In her anger she took a swipe at the table top and left gouges in the wood. "I was so afraid to let you see me like this, not the way you knew me. I wanted to hide but Dana wouldn't let me. I was scared when I woke up Changed and knew I would die. I was terrified of what you would do when you walked through that door and saw me like this. You walked into this room and before anything else you hugged me and accepted me. Why wouldn't I or anyone else want you?"

Jebidiah, beyond shocked at her heartfelt outburst, looked around and saw most of the other girls teared up as well. Polly quietly added a "Hear hear" while wiping at an eye. He looked back at Crystal and his brain took over while his emotions unpacked what she had said. "You don't understand. Think about this logically. I can't offer what your Houses would demand. I have no social benefit, I am more a liability than an asset. Yes you are green, and while it may take some getting used to you are still the beautiful Crystal I know and love. Your looks had nothing to do with that." Crystal's mouth popped open as if to respond but just stayed open so Jeb continued. "Anyone else with any sense will see you for who you are. I don't see how you can doubt yourself."

There was a tap on his shoulder that distracted him. He looked to see who it was just in time to see the fist connect to his face and he tumbled backwards from the table to land on his ass. A very angry Dana stalked toward him. "You fucking stupid imbecilic pigheaded dolt! Again with this shit. By all the Divines I will break your dick off and use it to stir my coffee." Jebidiah scooted back on the floor till he bumped into the wall, starting to feel some real fear. Dana pointed behind her to where Crystal now sat wide eyed along with open mouthed.

"She just poured her fucking heart out to you. She was in absolute knots and had to be talked down at least twenty fucking cliffs to get her calm enough to face you. She is pouring her heart out because you gave her the chance. Then you have the balls to reject us, the audacity to reject her, while telling her you fucking love her?!? And I know you. Oh I know you don't even realize you did it!" Dana was yelling loud enough now that Jebidiah caught one of the guards closing the door after peeking in, apparently getting enough of the gist of the conversation to stay out of it. Jebidiah stammered "I.. I did?"

"Yes you most certainly fucking did. Just like you corrected Stephanie without noticing. Just like you just fucking interupted my fucking uncle, the fucking Queen's fucking husband and didn't fucking notice." By now Dana had moved close enough she was crouched down on her haunches in front of Jebidiah and punctuated every "fucking" by poking him in the chest. "Just fucking like you fucking called me fucking 'love' and didn't fucking notice!" The last word was almost a primal scream. Jeb meekly said "I did?"

"AHHRRGGGG!" Dana cried out. She grabbed hold of the front of his tunic and pulled him close so their noses almost touched. Then, surprisingly, calmly asked "Master Artificer Jebidiah Ryan Overton, or Jebidiah Tonstar Valor, whoever you really are, do you love me?"

"Of course I do." he answered with a little indignation in his voice.

She pointed behind her in Crystal's general direction. "Do you love Crystal?"

"Of course I do, how could I not?"

She waved her arm vaguely behind her "What about Tenner? Joy? Do you love either?"

Jebidiah, completely confused and fear gone, answered "I don't get this Dana, of course I do, I love all of you."

"Good," She said. She pulled him the rest of the way in for a kiss, let go of his tunic and stood up. "I'm glad we got that settled."

Jebidiah took the opportunity to wipe the trickle of blood from his split lip and said "What in the seven hells just happened? What got settled?"

Dana turned away from him and walked back to her chair at the table. Everyone at the table had stood up, getting a better view at what was going on. When Dana had turned around they abruptly sat back in their chairs like a classroom caught out of their seats. "You love us, we love you." She waved a hand around her as she said it. "Now that we have that settled, man up and fuck us already. Except Stern, unless you and he wants."

Joy slowly raised her hand then asked "Do we get to vote on who goes first?"