Another nightmare. A wall of sand swallowed me and dragged me to the depths of the planet.

  I jolted up sweating profusely. This nightmare is almost as bad as the one where I saw Giana die.

  My nightmares tend to come true. Is that how I will die? To sand?

  It was still nighttime which was strange. We went to sleep after midnight. I checked the time. I either slept for 10 minutes or the whole day. The date confirmed that I slept a whole day.

  I was relieved, it made sense as I was quite tired and never got a good rest after our adventures in Gavin.

  Everyone was sleeping. I couldn’t get up, though, as Giana was sleeping in my tails. Cc’ed by a sleeping chick…

  This didn’t bother me as there was a lot to think about.

  Noelle told her story although incomplete, Giana also told me her incomplete story so there is only Yvonne left.

  Yvonne was sleeping alone on a bed and Greg was on the other side of the room. I grinned and swapped Greg next to her.

  Even if she doesn’t have some heavy backstory, there is a lot I could talk about with her. How to crack Greg’s head open but also about Jarn technology. She is the key to infinite overpowered clothing. I had also bought up textile before assassinating Taylor, so Yvonne could get to work whenever she wants.

  I tried to get up without waking Giana. I bunched up her tails and gently rolled her on them. The sleepyhead showed visible discomfort.

  Is there that much difference? I copped a feel. Damn, this vixen needs to brush her tails.

  Softly and inaudibly… I made it outside without waking anyone. Raishin was the only one who doesn’t have sensitive ears, even though he should.

  I made it outside and looked out over the waterfall basin. No deception, I did a great job.

  Light footsteps alerted me and someone sat down next to me.

  Sorry did I wake you?

  “Y…yeah, but not because you l…left. I…I woke up when Greg appeared n…next to me.” Yvonne said with a red face.

  Ah sorry, I did something I shouldn’t have.

  “I…I don’t mind… It’s just hard to sleep when my heart is p…pounding.”

  I see, I was wondering, do you feel uncomfortable with us? I can’t imagine you’re like this with just Giana and Noelle.

  “I…I just need to get u…used to you.”

  I’m not sure what it was, but I sensed deception. There might be some truth to it, but she might find her ‘idol mode’ embarrassing. I’ve seen glimpses of it, and it was often followed by embarrassment.

  Hmm, this might sound mean, but it’s time for some manipulation!

  “H…huh?”

  Heh, you think you’re free from 9t shenanigans just because you’re in our team? Oh, how wrong you are!

  Yvonne showed terror on her face as if I was preying on her.

  I took Jarn textile out of my dimensional pocket and showed it to her. It took a bit for her to realize what was going on, and she held the textile. It instantly made her aura shift.

  “Oh, thank you, thank you!” She leaped at me and gave me a hug out of gratitude.

  She was letting the fabric glide through her fingers. “It was always one of my dreams to work with textile from Jarn or make something that could rival them, but it was soooo expensive and we were a teensy broke. Do you have more?!”

  Well, this worked unexpectedly wel… I have more, but I will use it to pull you out of your ‘timid Mode’ until it’s mostly gone.

  Yvonne put her index finger on her lips and made a pensive pose. “Hmm, I see what you’re doing.”

  Just a question, is this part of your aura shift or… is at some sort of multiple personality disorder?

  “How rude!” Yvonne said as she leaned forward and wagged her finger. “But I suppose it looks like that. Four tailed rabbits have 4 main auras to help them adapt better. Most of us are quite timid, but this isn’t helpful with the threat of deities and other problems that might be linked to our roles.”

  I see, the elves had something similar, but what you said makes sense. Either way, traveling with us will put you in danger constantly, so I’m sorry but your ‘Timid Side’ is a ticking time bomb.

  Yvonne’s ears drooped, and she looked at the floor. “I knoooow but I can’t switch easily…”

  Well, you called it ‘Idol Mode’ but as far as I can see it gets triggered by something you’re passionate about, being an idol and designer related stuff. I will be throwing Jarn textile at you to force the switch, it’s up to you to familiarize yourself with the feeling so that you can switch on will.

  Another rabbit hug. “Thank you! Giana and Noelle tried too, but they weren’t forceful enough!”

  Ugh, I feel that this is Greg’s job…

  “Whoopsie…” Yvonne jumped away. “You look like you had a woozy dream, I just thanked Agnis for helping out!”

  I turned around and was face to face with a sleepy headed vixen, her hair was a mess and it looked comically. “Ugh, it suddenly felt like I got dropped into a pile of cardboard. “

  Uh sorry about that, I didn’t want to wake you up.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “What’s up Yv? You’re in your ‘Idol Mode’.”

  “Giana! You won’t believe this! Agnis has found this amazing way to help me switch! It makes me feel wonderfully flowery!”

  I have no idea what she’s saying…

  “Oh, that’s great!”

  Yvonne wildly shook my hand and went back inside.

  “Working hard, I see, Leader!”

  Ugh, gimme a break. I just warned her that being timid is a bad idea with all the bullshit we will encounter. Nice bed hair by the way.

  I grinned and Giana hastily fixed her hair. “Say, mind giving me a tour of this place?”

  My hideout is there, that’s the waterfall basin and that’s the waterfall. The end!

  The headlock Giana gave me indicated that she expected more from this tour. “You know what I mean!”

  Ok ok! My bad! I will put in some effort!

  I got released and offered my arm which Giana refused as she took a seat in my tails.

  I knew it, my tails are chick magnets…

  The first destination was the river that fed the waterfall. It was where i caught clear frogs years ago for my poison tests. Giana showed interests and we spent some time catching frogs together. She was a Golden Angel and they could have some medical significance.

  After that I showed her where I first encountered Asshole, Vinny’s stepfather and the dungeon Vinny and I had dug out.

  This toxic vixen wanted to enter it, but I didn’t feel like fighting the shadow behemoth again so I had to drag her away from it.

  We snuck into the dragon hideout and pulled some fox pranks.

  The stupid dragons had no idea what was going on!

  It was brief but I also showed her a bit of the desert. It was just for 15 minutes but I hated every second. The things I would do for Giana.

  We returned to the water basin after that because sand made me feel dirty and we spent hours swimming and floating in the water basin.

  Giana and I had returned to my hideout and the first thing I noticed was that Raishin was eating all my bananas, Greg and Yvonne were observing the wildlife and Noelle was punching the rock wall.

  Uhm Noelle what are you doing?

  Noelle kept punching.

  …Big sis’ what are you doing?

  Noelle stopped punching, turned around and wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Oh hey! I’m expanding your hideout.”

  But why?

  “Don’t you think it’s a bit too cramped for six people?”

  Fair point, I will leave it up to you.

  Noelle continued punching and a large part of it collapsed. She stomped the rocks into rock dust and continued.

  “She does this when she’s frustrated.” Giana said as she looked at Raishin.

  It would be nice if he would just act normal for once… Anyway, not my problem!

  I went outside and jumped in the basin to float around to relax. I then noticed something important.

  Oh no!

  I drew everyone’s attention, but I didn’t care. This impossibly obnoxious substance had transcended reality as I noticed sand in my tails.

  Not again!

  Using [Tail Dynamo] underwater got rid of most of it, but it wasn’t all powerful.

  I hate sand…

  Giana [Transformed] into a bikini and joined me. “Here, let me help.”

  It might have been an excuse for her to touch my tails, but I don’t care! Sand needs to go!

  I should make a skill called [De-sand] or find a Dimsha to ban sand and lasers!

  “Hahaha, how are you this silly? It’s just sand!”

  I put up a serious face.

  Oh really? Just sand?! Ok then you go sleep in a sandbox tonight then!

  “Nono! I apologize! I was wrong!” Giana put her tails to work to help me de-sand my tails. Phuh, just sand, how ridiculous.

  Giana and I spent 2 hours getting all the sand out of my tails.

  What about your tails? Don’t you need to get the sand out of them too?

  “But mine aren’t as fluffy as yours…”

  Hmm might be a gender thing. I take pride in my tails, it’s like… uhh like your hair! Would you leave sand in your hear?

  Giana got pale. “Oh no my hair!”

  I helped Giana wash her hair and making it sandless. The both of us were sand-less after 4 hours.

  “I’m sorry Deca, I now understand.”

  Don’t worry.

  Both of us were floating on the basin, exhausted from the de-sanding process.

  “Hey, lil’ bro, Giana! We’re going to check out the desert! Wanna come?”

  Whoa, what’s with those expressions, you two? I suppose foxes don’t like sand. Let’s just go with the 4 of us, then.

  Raishin, Greg, Noelle and Yvonne left to take a look at the sandy hell. It looked more like Raishin got dragged, though. We waved at them from our comfortable sand-less water basin.

  “I prefer water to sand.”

  Agreed.