Book 2 - Bonus 1 - Berri The Baseball Manager (Patreon)

[Author's Note: Hey guys. Book 2 will be out on 6/1, and it will contain 2 bonus chapters. It will also have a ton off edits, and I hope if you have KU, you consider reading through it again. There are a lot of little changes and fun improvements, conversations and things like that which will have changed and made the book more enjoyable. On the other hand, nothing overly significant in terms of plot. Chapter 11 of Book 4 is still slated to be released 5/22, but there should be one more bonus chapter like this one released next week, so you guys aren't left completely high and dry. I hope you enjoy them! This chapter takes place just before the final chapter(s) of Book 2.]

Berri was in her nest, playing on her new video-game system, with her special oversized controller. Jake had shown her that she could simulate being a baseball manager to her heart’s content. She had already tried the fantasy league, but out of season, it wasn’t nearly as much fun.

She could play this game as much as she wanted, well, within her limited free time. The sped-up characters moved across the field, and her pitcher got on the mound. He threw the ball at her masterful working of the controller, and the batter knocked it down the baseline, her team failing to move fast enough to prevent it from reaching the outfield.

Her face scrunched up in anger, as she hit the pause button, and triggered the system reset. She heard a groan.

[Again? That was the twenty-seventh time you reset this game. This is a manager game where you start with a pathetic team, there’s no way you can get a perfect game!]

“I know my team can do better! I did everything right!”

Blood looked over at their mirror to glare at her. [You are driving me a little nuts with this. I am getting good practice on my telekinesis and runes, but I am at my limits. I can only witness the same game so many times before I’ve had enough, sister. I could make your efforts even more challenging, had I wanted, you know.]

Berri looked over to the figurines that Blood was moving around, over on the mantle. Her coordination with moving the individual figures around with her mana spellforms was starting to become something special. She supposed that it would be entirely possible for her to interfere with her controller at inopportune moments.

“F-Fine, that’s the last time. I’ll…accept the result this time, whatever it might be.”

Her face scrunched up in anguish. She did not want to accept an imperfect game. She wanted to be the best! The Goddess of Baseball!

Blood snorted. [Objectively, you are already amazing. In that game, you obtain many benefits after each completed season, and your players improve year to year, making subsequent seasons easier and more likely to make it to the World Series. It was unreasonable to go for perfection on the first season with the made-up team, and you know it.]

Berri played a while longer, until she heard a knocking on the door. She knew it was Ophelia from their bond, and she nudged acceptance to her entry.

Ophelia entered and arrived next to her.

“You’re still playing that baseball game?”

“Yeah! You wanna play?”

Ophelia frowned as she looked at it. “Maybe? Why’s it moving so fast?”

Berri snorted. “Who has time to play games at regular speed? The tiny men move insanely slow, and baseball games take forever, as much as I love it. These guys even stretch, scratch their ass, and play with their cup at the plate. You think I have time for that?”

Ophelia looked bewildered. “I…guess not? I know you’ve been training properly, sister. It’s been a lot of work crafting all our equipment, too. I understand you wanting to unwind with a little fun. We can play, I’d like to try it. But maybe…closer to normal speed? That must be closer to three or four times?”

Berri nodded, and she saved her game, to be able to continue later. She formed a seat out of her tail by coiling a section of it around the middle, Blood floating a few pillows from her bed to make a makeshift seat for Ophelia. Berri would still be able to move around the room somewhat while keeping her makeshift chair for Ophelia.

Ophelia smiled at this. “Thanks, sister. Oh, you’re comfy.”

Berri smiled at her and brought up versus mode, after changing the speed down to a paltry two times. With Divine Reinforcement, that was barely an increase, the humans moving so slow. She was actually running the game at five times, before.

Blood said in her mind, [You should make this interesting. Try to get some more time with Jake.]

Berri sent a mental smirk at her sister, and said to Ophelia, “Want to make a bet?”

Ophelia chuckled. “Against you at your own game? I barely know the rules.”

“I’ll give you a handicap?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“We could wager our nights with Jake?”

Ophelia frowned. “No. Those aren’t really ours to wager, are they? Jake wants his time with us just as much as we want our time with him. We’d need to ask him, and I don’t think he’d like it.”

Berri realized she had a good point.

[It’s a bust. It was worth a shot. I can’t think of anything else I want to win from her, she helps us with anything we ask already.]

But Berri had an idea, “I’ll do what you wanna do for a couple of hours if you win, or you’ll do what I want if I win.”

Ophelia said, “I’d probably do that for you anyway, though? Unless it’s baseball, you almost killed me last time. Baseball gloves are not meant to catch shots with such force and speed!”

Berri frowned in thought. “Maybe Jake can make an enchanted glove? Or just use a barrier!”

Ophelia scoffed. “That’s not playing! Perhaps if we did it for training. Now that I think of it, let’s just do that! When you hit the ball with your new weapon, it’ll be like firing a cannon. I should practice being able to defend against it.”

Berri shook her head. Ophelia somehow just sucked all the fun out of it. Still, she supposed that was better than nothing.

Berri said, “Maybe later. I guess, let’s just play for now?”

Ophelia chuckled. “Sure thing.”

Berri helped Ophelia pick a decent team, to give herself an appropriate challenge she selected a worse one. It was Ophelia’s at bat first. She showed her the controls, and made her more or less prepared for a proper battle.

Berri pitched two balls first to test out her opponent. Ophelia properly watched the ball and the strike zone, at least familiar enough with the rules.

On the third pitch, Ophelia’s timing was quite good. Unfortunately for her, her aim was not great against Berri’s expert slider, and the ball was fielded and the first out achieved.

Berri went for two more balls, but made them dangerously close to the strike zone with a curveball. If not for a computer determining they were not strikes, an Umpire might have made another call.

She threw another pitch and another out similarly as the ball was fielded, and Ophelia was frowning in confusion.

Berri could tell she wondered why the ball went where it did when it was hit, and the reasoning was because of the type of pitch, how the ball spun.

Ophelia was not far from figuring this out, but it likely wouldn’t matter. She had a few more special pitches to mix in.

Ophelia managed to get on base with the next hit, surprising Berri. But the next, Berri achieved the final out of the inning, switching over to being at bat. She got a little excited, and it must have shown on her face, as Ophelia narrowed her eyes at Berri.

Ophelia did her best to pitch something challenging to hit, but that did not matter. If it went down the strike zone, her bat would hit the ball to where she wanted it. And why would she want anything less than a home run?

The ball went into the stands, the crowd going wild. Berri could see Ophelia had a bad premonition, but Berri pretended it was a lucky shot, swaying in place and cheering.

Of course, Ophelia was not one that was quick to give up. She tried several things, like pitching just outside the strike zone, curves, sliders, knuckle balls, none of that mattered. If Berri could play a game worthy of a perfect one at five times speed, how could she have a problem at two?

Ophelia laughed at the absurdity. “I’ll have to call this your win, sister. I’m glad we didn’t bet anything, you’re truly amazing at it… The bet was Blood’s idea, wasn’t it?”

Berri froze, and Blood laughed. Blood spoke, “That’s right. If I have to sit and watch her play and think about baseball all the time, I might as well get some benefits, don’t you think? Still, I hadn’t thought it through. I’m sorry, sister. That would have been mean, hustling you out of your precious time.”

Ophelia shrugged. “It’s fine, if I accepted that would have been my loss. Let’s play something else?”

Berri said, “I know you like that fighting game?”

“Let’s play!”

Blood helped load up the fighting game. With her, they now had three players. They took turns, and now Berri had a real challenge. She was winning as much as she was losing.

Blood said, “It’s too bad I can’t play against you, sister. My telekinesis is far from a replacement for our hands. It may never be.”

Ophelia seemed hopeful. “You never know! When we reach the next tier, both our minds and bodies will improve in ways we can hardly imagine. Thanks to our reward, we might be closer to Tier 3 than we are to Tier 2. Then, maybe the Framework will help you make it a skill of your own.”

Fhesiah arrived at the door. “You girls having fun here? Oh, you’re playing the fighting one.”

Ophelia nodded. “Much more fun than being crushed at baseball. You want to join us?”

Fhesiah floated over. “I would like a match. Your topic of discussion excited me. I do wonder how my race will be improved, is there really something above a dragon? But perhaps the Framework could bring my Dark Kitsune bloodline closer to the Dragon side.”

Berri thought it was interesting, but were dragons really that good? Snake girls were clearly the best. She’d keep that thought to herself and Blood rather than sharing that.

Berri handed Fhesiah another controller, as she would likely want to use a regular-sized one for her turns.

Fhesiah looked over at Ophelia. “What do you think will happen to the valkyrie race?”

Berri said, “Oh! Maybe she’ll be more like a bird?”

Ophelia scoffed. “I’m not like a bird! I just have wings. I’ll definitely become more like a warrior!”

Fhesiah narrowed her eyes as she inspected Ophelia. “Just what do you think that would that mean?”

Ophelia blushed. “I-I don’t know. Maybe I’ll become bigger?”

Berri nodded. “Yes, you are too small. Bigger is definitely better.”

Fhesiah said, “Hmm, but then wouldn’t it become a hot dog in a hallway situation? Bloodberri was luckily designed in such a way that this is not a problem, but somehow I have doubt about valkyries.”

Ophelia looked worried. “Er, that’s not possible, is it?” She frowned in confusion.

Fhesiah just stared at her, as Ophelia’s face shifted from worry, to fear, likely thinking about the many implications of becoming larger. As it did, Fhesiah’s smile became wider as she enjoyed the expression.

Fhesiah laughed. “I’m just playing with you, sister. Your expressions are just too cute. Besides, I can help with that, even if it happens. But no, I actually have a good idea what could possibly happen for you.”

Ophelia asked, “What?”

Fhesiah continued, “Many of the gods and goddesses have races in which they created, which have a portion of their divine sparks. In some cases, they created races in their image, and in others, they merged their sparks with others. The Greek Pantheon have many, but the almost base race of theirs are the Olympians, which are a Tier 2 race. The Nordic Pantheon have the Nords, which are the same. There is such thing as a Nordic Valkyrie, and the Valkyreans which are similar, yet different from that. What I found interesting was that Athena has a race of her own alone: the Athenians, a Tier 3 race.”

Berri was excited, maybe Echidna had her own race? Just what would that be like?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ophelia asking, “What are the Athenians like?”

Fhesiah but a finger to her lips, and Berri could tell she was about to tease the battle angel some more. “Hmm, let’s see. They have a big beak–”

“B-Beak?!” Ophelia looked more worried and scared than ever, like a kicked puppy.

“Yes, a big beak, and the legs of a bird, big wings with feathers all over their body. Don’t worry though, they are quite strong. You should like that they can shoot the feathers from their wings and tail, that are as large as spears. You did like spears, didn’t you?”

“W-What? Feathers from their butt?” She narrowed her eyes at Fhesiah. “You’re just messing with me.”

Berri laughed along with Fhesiah. She decided not to remind Ophelia that she ate birds, and they were delicious. This was fun!

They played for a while, the four of them enjoying their fights.

Jake arrived through the door, and Berri cheered.

“Jake!”

Ophelia said, “Wha–”

Berri rocketed toward Jake, Ophelia letting go of the controller as her seat and herself flew toward the door, but kept its form. Berri embraced Jake in a hug, her luxuriating the feel of his face between her breasts.

Jake chuckled. “I’d have come to you, you know. You girls having fun?”

Ophelia laughed from her seat, as it now floated near Jake. “It was fun for a while, but Berri is unreal at baseball, it would have taken forever to get to the next inning. We switched to a fighting game just as Fhesiah arrived.”

Berri said, “I’d have let the game move on when I felt like it. We were just talking about potential race evolution stuff!”

He nodded and started heading over to where they sat down in front of the TV. “It’s exciting, but it’s quite a ways away, isn’t it? Still, I do wonder what’ll happen to all of us.”

Berri said, “Ophelia’s gonna be a big bird, with a beak! That shoots feathers out of her butt!”

Ophelia said, “Am not! Uh, what are the Athenians actually like, Fhesiah?”

Jake was more or less caught up with their conversation in a mere instant, thanks to how fast their thoughts passed through to him. She made him a seat on her tail as well, him sitting down with a smile.

Fhesiah said, “They don’t look much different than you do, to be honest. They might be bigger, this is true. However, the Olympians and Nords are too, increasing their heights to over seven feet tall on average, and much taller than that as they get stronger. So if Jake becomes similar, this won’t be a problem, as cute as it was to make you worry. Athenian’s wings are definitely that of a golden owl, rather than the almost dove wings that you have. They are known for their powerful magic affinity, and I guess they have wings on their ankles, like the wings of Mercury or Hermes.”

She shifted and looked right at Ophelia again with a smirk. “They do have tail feathers, and they may or may not be able to shoot them.”

Ophelia blushed. “W-Why do you have to make it weird?”

Blood asked, “What about Hestia? Does she have a special race?”

Fhesiah smiled. “It appears either the information is not available to us, or she just has it under lock and key. Nobody in our sector appears to know. However, it appears that it’s highly likely it would be like Athena’s race. Ultimately, her race should be based on Olympians.”

Jake said, “So maybe an Olympian but with a Hearth in their chest? That matches what my armor kind of looks like, now that I think of it.”

Fhesiah smiled. “I think that will likely be all of us. Most Tier 2 would be working on creating their core as they step into it. Rather than upgrading our metaphysical core or having a tiny core like in the case of Bloodberri, it could take on a physical form.”

Ophelia said, “A lot can happen. We don’t know how our Hearth bonds will work then, either. We’ll have to get there first!”

The now five of them played for a while, enjoying taking turns. They were well-matched now, though Jake still had an advantage. Berri and Blood were still learning, but were still able to compete and get wins occasionally.

Eventually, they had their fill of the game. Berri said, “This was fun! We should play more often.”

Jake sighed. “I’d love to, but there’s just not enough time in the day. Need that hyperbolic time chamber for our training.”

Fhesiah said. “Hmm. I can think of much more fun things to do with unlimited time. And a chamber. And a hyperbola.”

Ophelia groaned. “Why’s it always gotta be like that with you?”

Blood snorted. “Like you have room to talk. It’s always about fighting or training, with you.”

Ophelia blushed. “I like other things! It’s just, the others are kind of…private.”

Blood floated a book from their shelf and into their hands. “I can see why you enjoy these. In The Tempestuous Knight, Knight Ofelia shows a character that is similar, yet very different from you. Then, Baron Hart is like a Jake that grew up with parents with high expectations and responsibilities. Still, very different, as he was quite forceful with his desires.”

Ophelia blushed even further, and Berri could see Jake just looked on in amusement. “W-Where did you get that?”

Blood shrugged. “It was lying out on the table. Didn’t you leave it there? Well, anyway, I just borrowed it.”

“I most certainly did not!” She looked at Fhesiah, who was now inspecting her nails. “You had it, didn’t you?”

“Who, me? Even if I did, aren’t we sister-wives? What’s yours is mine, and mine is yours, and all that? I was looking for ideas. Have to keep things fresh, after all.”

Ophelia groaned. “Whatever. Can you at least put it back?”

“Of course I can. I was just trying to see if I could get more partners in crime.”

Blood laughed. “That was devious of you. Still, shouldn’t you be happy, Ophelia? Now we have something we all share, besides Jake. I have a hard time reading, though, other than when Berri is asleep.”

Ophelia and Jake said at the same time, “What?”

Berri said, “We take turns sleeping when we feel like it. That’s just one of the many reasons snake girls are the best. Is it time to eat yet? We’re starving!”

Jake chuckled. “Like dolphins? You two are amazing. I’ll heat something up. Let’s–grrk”

Berri sped for the kitchen, with her Lord in tow within her tail. He was small, but he made her feel incredible, and bring her so much happiness. She loved her new family, and looked forward to all the fun they would have together.