Accordingly, they made a time to meet. All the while Sally was trying to figure out if this was some elaborate prank, and of course she wasn't dismissing the possibility that Bob had truly lost the plot…
After the call ended, she slowly breathed…
Inhale for 4…, hold for 7… exhale for 8… Box breathing… calming focused visualization… all these were basic techniques she had internalized in order to help her hone, heal and harness her heroine energies to the heights of wholesomeness, and soon, she felt her mind clear as she contemplated her next continuation.
She was still an Ice Queen after all. Even as she was processing and assessing what had just happened, she dialled another number, and made another call…
___
Who should she talk to about this?
Her girlfriends from University in the Queens Club? They probably wouldn't understand or be able to help yet…
Empress she would prefer to speak to in person.
"…Rowena… it's me."
"...Princess Sally! What's the matter?"
Well… it's difficult for me to explain, but… what would you do in my position…?
After Sally shared her thoughts regarding the situation, it also helped her to process and consider what to do.
She could definitely meet Bob, but at the same time, she had to make sure he wasn't a mad scientist or something, and she also had her own secrets too that she was wanting to share.
As to whether she should… well that was another matter.
___
She had of course asked Jasper already who had said that she would just have to discern and decide for herself.
"It sounds crazy Mistressss, but... If that 'Bob' truly has this ability as he says, then you would just have to understand what it involves, and decide for yourself…
That said, it's easy to get guys, but not so easy to get something you want, that is real..."
"Do you believe in and trust him to take things further? If not, then you could always just say nooo... But you should at least let him show you…"
___
"So… Rowena, hear me out. Hypothetically…what would you do if there's a guy you like, but who claims that there are multiple versions of himself that exist?"
"… This isn't hypothetical, is it…"
Rowena knew from her longstanding relationship with Ice Queen Sally that she would rarely call like this unless it was something very important.
Moreover, as an extremely attractive elite ninja-assassin and member of ARSES, she had seen and witnessed many things, Old Men with whole packages that were huge, meat with juice dribbling out… the list ended there since that was all the author currently had been bothered to write up to this point.
But that changed today.
With all her beauty, ability and experience, Rowena was basically like an older sister to Sally, and one of the few people Sally could count on.
"Well… I actually don't know yet if it's true yet, but I've made a time to meet and find out."
Rowena's eyes narrowed. With her years in espionage and covert ops going undercover on secret missions, It sounded sketchy asf.
Possibly criminal, possibly deranged… either way, Sally's safety was her first priority.
"Tell me more about the meeting… What are they after?" Rowena said, her innate protective instincts kicking in.
Sally could tell Rowena was worried.
They're after… me I guess?! Sally thought to herself.
That probably wasn't going to help to say that though, Rowena would probably capture Bob and interrogate him, possibly a traumatizing experience which didn't seem fair when Bob had seemed to be opening up his heart to her.
"It's okay lol, he's…"
Wait. What... Who exactly was Bob to her anyway?
Friend? They were more than that, Sally had to be honest. Partners? Not yet.
"…He's someone I care about. Don't… kill him yet."
Ah. Of course. The readers slapped their foreheads as if waking up from a dream.
"We keep thinking that Bob is crazy though not OP, but we forget that beyond the thin veneer of credibility and relatability, basically every character in this novel isn't normal in some way…"
"Just the way I like my characters," Author chuckled as he leisurely did some Calligraphy like a sword master from a Wuxia drama - as if ink and brush control had anything to do with being an elite fighter.
As a matter of fact, one could be forgiven for imagining that there might indeed be some correlation... the audience gasped, as they took in the dramatic, moving scene. The wind was swirling, the humble Author was dressed in rags demonstrating his 'transcendental technique' and profound understanding of the Dao on a piece of cardboard using Ramen water and a chopstick amidst an ominous darkening sky overhead, and the rumble of thunder and a drizzle of rain...
Impressive... None of this detracted from the fact that the esteemed readers could see the character he wrote was the word "Power" (动力) which, as the lightning flashed, illuminating the sky, at first seemed to fit the majestic, aura-farming vibes of the situation...
until it was followed by the word "Stone"… (石)
and the characters for "please give me" (...请给我) tacked on, which resulted in a chorus of "pfffftttssss" and other exclamations of disgust - although there was also (as usual, planted) murmurs of admiration - from the amazing audience at the sheer shamelessness of the scenario.
In this world, no one was truly normal… how could they forget this crucial point?!