105 Vol 2. pt. 42 Patch 7.0: The Defiance of a Wolf and a Serpen (2/2)
”I will help you with him, but in exchange, you must let me have one hour of asking him as many questions as I can think of!”
Fenrir nods his head and Rod pulses once. ”Looks like he agrees to it as well, so let's get some training done.”
”Splendid! Come with me, come with me,” Thelmes says, leading the wolf and the fishing rod into the usual combat testing room.
It's empty, fortunately. That means that no matter what sort of odd tests they may be doing, nobody is going to be around to see.
”Alright, so what are you going to have us do?” Fenrir asks.
”Talk,” Thelmes says.
”Talk?”
”Talk.”
”About what?”
”Yourself! Share your life with your partner. Talk to him about your feelings, your dreams, your memories – talk to him about himself, even! In the same way that you would bond with another person, you will bond with him. While it will not make up for the natural bonding to be had through shared experiences together, it will still increase your bond by a noticeable amount. I think.”
”I guess that makes sense. Uhh,” Fenrir looks at Rod then at Thelmes. ”Could we… get some privacy, maybe?”
”Ah! I need to stay present to watch how the gem reacts. Worry not, anything you say will be strictly confidential.”
”Alright, then, I guess… I'll just start talking,” Fenrir says, sitting down with his back to the wall and placing Rod in front of him.
Fenrir starts off talking about topics that he doesn't mind Thelmes knowing about. He talks about his time spent in-game thus far, his friends and girlfriends, his favorite stuff such as food and colors, and more basic topics like that. He thinks that he notices a slight change in how Rod is glowing, but he isn't sure. However, he does notice Rod occasionally pulsate once or twice with what he says as if he is agreeing or disagreeing with Fenrir's opinions.
This helps Fenrir realize something. A one-way conversation isn't going to properly grow a bond. Bonds can be developed when two people are sharing their opinions, understanding each other, and treating each other fairly. Right now, Fenrir is just having a selfish, one-sided conversation.
”Do you have favorites, Rod?”
One pulse.
”How about… Thelmes, do you have something I can write on? Maybe like a whiteboard?” Fenrir asks. He isn't sure if this world has something like that, but if anybody is going to have it, it'll be the scholars.
”I do! One moment, please,” Thelmes says, rushing off and then returning a few moments later with a whiteboard, eraser, and what appears to be a pen with a tiny, black rock on the end of it. ”It works just like a marker, I assure you!”
Fenrir takes the supplies and starts writing on the board. Surely enough, it works just like a marker if not a bit bumpy at times which makes it difficult to draw straight lines.
He holds the board up to Rod after writing on it. On the board are a couple of dozen colors with a number next to each one. Black has one next to it, white has two, blue has three, and so on.
”Pick the color closest to your favorite and then pulse as many times as the number next to it,” Fenrir explains.
Rod pulsates its glow twice.
Just to make sure that Rod understands what to do and isn't just pulsing twice to say no, Fenrir changes the number next to white from two to seven.
”How about now?” Fenrir asks.
Rod pulses seven times.
”Really? Awesome, we've got the same favorite then.”
”Splendid! This is a great idea, Fenrir,” Thelmes says, reminding Fenrir that the pig-centaur-goblin-thing is still sitting next to them and watching everything.
Fenrir goes through a few more questions with Rod such as whether he has a favorite food, drink, or anything else like that. Of course, Rod signals no to most of those questions.
Wait, thinking about it, Fenrir could probably try to figure out some of Rod's history. He still really wants to know who made Rod, why Rod was left in a random fishing shop, and so forth. However, those are probably personal questions. Fenrir hasn't said anything too personal about himself yet, so he needs to open up about that first if he wants to learn about Rod.
”I'll let you ask him two hours of questions if you give me some privacy,” Fenrir says.
”Don't worry about it, Fenrir. I only have enough questions for one, probably, and if you really want privacy then I do not mind giving you some. Please do come and get me as soon as you're done, though! I want to be involved for as much are you are willing to let me be,” Thelmes says.
”Thanks, Thelmes.”
Thelmes returns to the front of the office, leaving the wolf and the fishing rod alone.
”He's eccentric, but not a bad guy,” Fenrir says.
Rod pulses once.