Chapter 98: Chapter 93

Molls went and got a plate of food. Within a few moments, she was back at my side and smiling at me.

“Find a good place to sit?” Molls asked.

I blinked and took a deep breath. “Sorry no, I was just people-watching. The last time there were this many people at the campground, I was miserable.”

She started scanning over the crowd, before pointing at a nearby card table that had been dragged out of storage. “There, that one is about to clear up. We can take it.”

I nodded and we began moving. As she predicted, the people eating there were nearly finished, and started getting up to return home, carrying their own dirty dishes with them. The hobbs didn’t hand out or clean dishes, merely filled them with food.

Molls moved a small plastic chair out of the way and placed her body so that she was equal height to the table, setting her own small red plate down in front of herself. “And are you miserable now too?”

I smiled and shook my head. “You know, it’s funny. I’m not. I should be, after what happened this morning. But I’m just not. I survived the morning, my people are thriving, and a beautiful Nah’gh woman wanted to have breakfast with me.”

Her scales flushed pink, but it was only temporary again, as purple followed close after. She looked at me with lidded eyes and smiled. “Flatterer. Speaking of breakfast, where is yours?”

“Oh I had some earlier, with Axle. We were working in the underground area, getting some lights hung for our new people. They’re going to be setting up a growing operation down there.” I shrugged and continued, “I just wanted to spend some time with you.”

Molls smiled at me, her scales a vibrant purple color. “Stop it, you’ll give us away in front of your affiliate.”

“I don’t care who knows,” I said, reaching across the table for her hand. “Or what anyone thinks.”

The look in her eyes suddenly changed, and a flicker of yellow entered her scales. She reached out and squeezed my hand, before letting it go again and focusing on her plate, full of cubed fried yarsp.

“If our relationship were to veer,” she paused and took a breath, rolling her eyes before continuing, “overtly romantic or sexual, it could cause unrest and discomfiture among the affiliate’s general populace. So says the church, general priesthood introductory manual.”

I scowled. “Why?”

“Because of privacy concerns, of course. Any affiliate member who speaks with me for guidance and support in any matter knows I can report those conversations to you, as a matter of regular affiliate operation.” 

Molls paused to pluck a cube of yarsp meat off her plate with two sharp finger claws and swallow it whole. 

“If it was public knowledge that you and I were sharing a more intimate relationship, the general affiliate may hesitate to be open with me in session.”

“Ahh. Pillow talk,” I said, nodding.

“Pillow talk?” Molls asked, blinking, and tilting her head.

I chuckled. “Yeah, talk that happens over a pillow.”

She flushed pink and looked at her plate, but I could see a smile spreading across her entire mouth. “Yes, exactly. The expectation is that more of what they share with me will be shared directly with their affiliate head, and that creates a chilling effect on those who seek my aid.”

Molls looked up at me, still smiling widely.

I returned the smile, as she continued eating her yarsp cubes. She flicked her tongue out over each cube before she ingested it, seeming to delight in the scent as much as the flavor. Space bacon was pretty good, I had to admit.

“Hey, hold on, why are you allowed to share their therapy sessions with me? Shouldn’t those be totally confidential?” I asked.

Molls swallowed her plate’s final cube and wiped at her lips with a cloth napkin. “An affiliate must be run, or all life within it would cease. There are strict confidentiality rules, I was trained in them. For example, I obviously won’t be sharing any of the things you tell me in confidence with anyone. Nor would I share any of your affiliate’s or associate’s sessions with anyone but you, and any managers you deem necessary. Standard church operation, and by now, most of BuyMort has adopted their practices.”

“So the smooth operation of the business is more important than a patient's right to confidentiality,” I said.

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Molls hesitated, meeting my eyes with a small scowl. “That is not . . . Tyson, you fluster me when you misinterpret the will of BuyMort in this way. The smooth operation of your affiliate means that nobody here dies because of the yarsps, instead feasting on them all around us, in a communal meal. If something were to threaten it from within, and I were to hear about it during therapy, I would be well within my ethical bounds to inform someone who could intervene.”

I nodded, slowly and carefully. “Of course, Molls, I apologize. It’s not my intention to accuse you, I just have a lot of mistrust toward BuyMort.”

“Toward everything but your friends, so far as I can tell,” Molls said. She glanced at the barbeque pits before turning back to me. “I’m glad to be counted among them.”

“You’re more than just a friend to me, Molls. No point in trying to pretend on that front, I’m not a good liar,” I said, with a soft smile.

She returned the smile, her scales nearly glowing purple. “I feel the same, Tyson,” she whispered. “But I would appreciate discretion around the general affiliate.” Molls glanced at the stacks of cooked yarsp behind the cooks and swallowed.

“Are you still hungry? There’s plenty,” I said.

She blinked and straightened, lifting from her place. “Thank you, I rather am. Yarsp is delicious, and I would very much like some more.”

I watched her get in line again, holding onto her little red plate. When she returned, it was heaped. Two small steaks were underneath several more cubes, all seared to perfection.

She began eating again, and I watched the people around us. Our resident young artist, Mel, was there, with a group of people who looked like they could be her family, as was Jada. The Knowle stood out, being taller than anyone else, but she quietly formed up in line and got a heaping bowl of food, mostly yarsp.

My community ate a lot of meat, but the pallets full of yarsp steaks just kept growing. Before we were finished and chatting happily, there were nearly a dozen pallets completely full of freshly butchered meat.

Hobbs were already beginning to drag it into the barn, to try and protect it from the day’s heat, but I knew cold storage was already full of Sundew’s products and plants. More plans for the affiliate sunk into my head, as I shared an enjoyable hour chatting and laughing with Molls. She ate another three plates of yarsp.

After a little while, I noticed more and more tremors under her scales, and she kept rubbing her hands together idly.

“You’re freezing cold right now, aren’t you?” I asked with a smile.

“Yes!” She exclaimed. “I’m having fun with you though, and it’s nice to be around so many people again.” Molls sighed, before continuing, “I should get back though, I need to spend some time today preparing for my inquisition. Oh, and I have a client today!”

She was beaming at that last part.

“Oh? Good! I thought you were giving up on being our priest, you had me worried,” I said.

Molls straightened from the small table again, and I stood with her. “I was upset last night, that’s all. When someone approached me at Phyllis’ place, I just couldn’t say no. Helping people is what I do, it’s who I am.”

I smiled at her. “Part of why I like you so much, Molls.” I extended a hand toward my privacy mounds in the near distance. “Can I walk you home?”

She glanced at the crowd of people behind me and gently shook her head, with a smile and another flush of purple to her scales. “No thank you, Tyson,” she started. “But I would like to see you again sometime soon if that’s alright. I rather enjoy spending time with you, now that I’ve gotten to know you a bit better.”

“I’m not a leering ruffian anymore?” I asked, grinning.

She laughed, accidentally opening her real mouth a little. “You most assuredly are, but I find myself liking that about you more and more. You’re a handsome leering ruffian at the least.”

I grinned and snorted in response, looking up into her giant, green eyes.

Molls smiled at me, meeting my gaze for a long moment before she turned and slithered toward home.

I sighed and stared at my pallets of yarsp meat. Seeing Molls had been seriously uplifting, but I needed to get back to work.

 

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