All around Ben, an impromptu festival raged on, which had started setting up almost immediately after he’d sent all the townsfolk away so he could confirm the quality of Inux’s body. To them, their beloved talos’s return was the most meaningful thing to happen since the invasion points had been marked, and they were happy to party with all of the joy and excitement they felt.
A party Ben would eventually let himself enjoy in a bit as well. With everything going on, it was practically guaranteed they wouldn’t be leaving that day like they planned, with the maliae wanting them to be the secondary stars of the show, just behind Inux himself, and the children enjoyed the festivities that the event provided. With food, drink, music, and games abounding, there was only one final thing he wanted to make before he finally stopped and let himself enjoy things.
Well, a few things, technically, Ben laughed to himself as he finished a storage ring, much the same that he’d once made for Amy, filled with all of the weapons that Inux was trained to use of the best quality he could make. This should go a decent way to keeping him alive during the next wave, and maybe if we’re lucky, get him to the third tier too. He’s definitely close, I can feel it, which means I should also make him a band with my authorities too before I forget and-
“Hey,” Thera said, pulling his attention as she reached his side. “You aren’t going to be sitting there working all day when everyone else is having fun, are you?”
“No, almost finished. The kids?”
“I’m letting them babysit Verbum. It’s not like they’re going to be able to get out of your range.”
“True. So, what’s up? Just miss my cute face?”
“Ha, just wanted to remind you to have fun. You did this, you should enjoy the celebration."
“Wrong, you did this. I completely missed the fact that I could have just shoved his soul into his homunculus years ago by this point, and as penance, I must ensure he has the best equipment he can get so he isn’t immediately left regretting having a body with a pain response.”
“Suit yourself. You think he’s adapting to it then?”
“Oh yeah, he’s going to be fine,” Ben said, keeping an eye on the other’s state using his soul, wanting to make sure that he looked for anything wrong before he left, but so far found nothing. “If anything, the hardest part he’s going to have to deal with is how the rest of the town is going to treat him now that he’s got living flesh.”
“Well, it currently looks like they’re treating him as if their favourite person in the entire world has just come back to life, so I don’t think that’s anything to worry about.”
“Yeah, I more meant living, fertile flesh.”
“... No.”
“He’s literally the last member of their people's legendary defenders, made by a god who sacrificed themself to save them, in a race with an uneven gender ratio, who now also has certain… biological functions he previously lacked. You think there aren’t plenty there who already noticed? Even the priests with us when you made it immediately picked up on that and started plotting.”
“You did not seriously let me make a repeat of Bloom’s situation without even giving me warning,” Thera complained as she collapsed beside him, the idea of just how popular some there were going to want Inux’s new body to be was enough to stress her out. “I literally put some of you in that thing.”
“Yeah, biologically he’s going to be something like a first or second cousin. Don’t let that part stress you out,” Ben laughed. “Heck, don’t let any of it stress you out. This is his first time having a living body, and he just woke up at the end of the world, there’s worse things than him getting to have a bit of fun with it.”
“‘A bit of fun’ shouldn’t carry the risk of children,” she groaned. “Oh, gods above, before we leave, can you at least mention all of this to him? Maybe give him the talk while you’re at it.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“He’s thousands of years older than me; I’m pretty sure he knows how babies are made.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t going to have to figure out how to deal with being hit on back when he was a machine.”
“If the maliae are anything like humans, then you might be surprised.”
“Of course, how could I forget that you’re from a race of perverts. Just knowing you, it should have been obvious from the start that your people would be attracted to objects.”
“I have a very normal relationship with the things I create, thank you very much, but if it looks like a person, acts like a person, and can be treated like a person, then there’s always going to be some who aren’t going to care. I don’t think I need to remind you that there can be some pretty wild crossbreeds on this planet, the idea of one of the maliae on the past finding themselves attracted to Inux or any of the other talos isn’t exactly far fetched when they were designed to look just like the people they were protecting.”
“Mmh, maybe, but I still think you should warn him,” Thera sighed. “And now, with that fun new bit of stress on my mind, I’m going to go to try and find the kids and forget all about it. Don’t take too long, okay? We all want to enjoy this with you too.”
“I’ll be a few more minutes, tops,” Ben promised, stopping what he was doing to give Thera a kiss before she went off to find whatever Delair and Mora had dragged Verbum into before continuing to finish his last bit of work, ending just as another came to join him.
“Considering all you’ve done for me, I’d rather see you enjoying this too,” Inux told him, Ben grinning in response.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the man of the hour? Managed to escape your adoring entourage then?”
“I let them all know I needed a few minutes,” Linux said as he sat down beside him. “I can’t let my saviour go without proper thanks, can I?”
“Then you need to be talking to Thera, since it was her idea to make you a real body.”
“Ha, and I will make sure I thank her after, but you’re the one who’s kept my soul from slipping away, and you’re the one who’s been working to help me for so long. Besides, it’s not like the one you made me will get no use. I can think of plenty of options I can put it towards, where living flesh wouldn’t be ideal.”
“Well, as long as it gets a bit of use, then I guess I can be satisfied, but for now, don’t worry about that. Here.”
“Hmm? A ring?” Inux said, taking what was offered to look over.
“A storage ring. A little bit of equipment I was able to figure out while you’d been gone, with as limited stock as things get. Only the people I like get one, so make sure to be properly honoured and don’t lose it.”
“Then I will accept it with joy. Storage ring, then? I assume it has the properties of a spatial bag if it’s being used to hold something. With this size and your skill, I assume it can fit a few potions and rations, perhaps a weapon as well?”
“Why don’t you try it on and find out,” Ben laughed, getting to enjoy the sight of Inux’s genuine shock as all of the options it held connected to his mind, letting Ben go on. “I made you a few weapons for every weapon skill you have, they should suit your new body, and I included a small book in there for you to pull out and read on your own time that explains all of the enchantments on each one. As well, a few sets of armour since you’re going to need to protect yourself now that a few good pokes will leave you bleeding everywhere… presumably. Since your soul warped the body you’re using to more reflect the machine one you’d been using for thousands of years, there’s a good chance you have more natural defense than one would expect, but I’ll let you test that out on your own time.”
Inux still seemed stunned for a moment before shaking his head to himself, pulling away from his thoughts to focus back on Ben. “Well, far be it from me to decline the work of a master craftsman. I will put them all to good use. Thank you, Ben.”
“Put this to good use too, while you’re at it,” Ben said, materializing an authority band on the other’s arm, seeing Inux look at it with curiosity. “An authority band. Long story short, it will make your training significantly more efficient. You have the potential to get to the third tier, so make sure you use it for all it’s worth. You reach that level and then I won’t need to worry about you running out of bodies in the future; you can just comfortably die and become a god.”
“Ha, as nice as that sounds, I’d rather keep living down here for as long as I can. Their current gods can protect the maliae from above; I’m better suited to standing guard down below.”
“Maybe that’s for the best,” Ben laughed back. “From the look of things, if you were to ascend, it seems like their original gods would lose all of their believers from everyone converting directly to you.”
“Mmh, I couldn’t imagine as much myself, but either way, it doesn’t matter. When all is said and done, it’s better to be alive, yes?”
“Yes,” Ben agreed as the two of them took a moment to admire the festivities around them, everyone happy, everyone enjoying themselves, in a way that Ben had rarely gotten to see since the invasion points were first marked. “I guess we’ll all just have to do our best to keep on living.”
