...okay yeah, Coventina gets up long enough to grab the Orb. She loops the chain over Laurent's head and settles back down for more cuddling.

"We'll have to return it later, but right now, I can tell you that I was completely immune while I was wearing that, so it's proven effective."

"...thank you."

He goes still for a moment, trying to figure out what effect the Orb is having on the flow of his thoughts. Probably this is not the right response but he feels like he needs to check. Is he hoping there will be something noticeable so he'll know it's doing something, or hoping there won't be so he won't feel counterproductively compelled to work against the outside influence? He isn't sure.

The Orb of Clarity's protection doesn't feel like anything to the wearer.

He nevertheless spends a solid five minutes introspecting about it before he resumes petting Sky... but, when he does, he's a little more relaxed than he was before.

"...I think I want one of these," he says. "In case of unexpected encounters. How feasible would it be to acquire one? —or—are there any passive skills with a similar effect, that I could observe someone using?"

"I'm sure there is a passive skill that does the same thing we can research that tomorrow but I think keeping the Orb is out of our budget?"

       "Luna didn't say, but I'll ask her later. Based on the rental cost it is probably out of our budget, yeah."

"Okay. Well, we can definitely look up mental protection passives tomorrow." She gives Laurent an affectionate nuzzle. "It would be good for us to take a few days off and spend some leisure time in town anyway."

"How far out of our budget, I wonder—it seems likely that we could optimize harder if we tried—" He sighs. "No, it's simpler to look into mental protection passives and try to get me a good look at one and then level. If we can find a suitable quest."

"I'd suggest banishing an alraune if you weren't, y'know. We might get in trouble if we're caught at it but I bet other adventurers have been getting away with it already, and it'd probably get you to level five in one shot and it's probably the only monster we can leave you alone-enough with for banishing to work without too much danger."

"I wouldn't have fun banishing an alraune at the moment, but if it would get me a good mental protection passive..."

"There's no rush," Eelesia says softly. "We can keep the Orb for a few days. We could keep it all week, and still turn a profit on that quest. You have time to heal, Laurent."

"I don't want to take time to heal, I want to improve myself as efficiently as possible so I stop having problems." He pauses, reviewing the words that just came out of his mouth. "...okay. Probably no banishing alraunes until I'm capable of enjoying sex again. Probably that is the wise course of action here."

Eelesia gives him a very warm smile. That reaction was... very him.

"Probably," she agrees. "Any change thatwise since yesterday?"

He sighs. "No, unless you count the fact that being on high alert against my own thoughts is probably going to make untangling that mess even more difficult, just on the general principle that feeling safe is harder under stress."

Eelesia pouts as she nuzzles him with concerned affection.

"Then I was wrong that not trying might help you let it come back on its own I guess so that means you do have to try."

"—what? I'm not sure I follow."

"I told you to stop trying to find your desire. I thought that would help. It didn't. I'm sorry."

"...I... still think it was good advice? I wouldn't have been astonished to have gone a couple of days without thinking about my sexuality much even before I broke it?"

"Oh. Okay. That's a good point. Okay."

Gentle squeeze.

"What do you think we should try? Or you should try?"

He hesitates for a moment and then resettles himself so he can pet Sky with one hand and snuggle Eelesia with the other.

"I... suppose that a reasonable course of action would be to take it very easy for a few days and not do dangerous or stressful things and in particular stay far away from any potentially mind-affecting hazards, and then..."

He sighs.

In a much quieter, slightly petulant tone of voice, he mumbles, "I don't want to have to put so much effort into making myself feel safe. Can't I just ignore all my feelings and do the maximally efficient thing to accomplish my pragmatic goals with no regard for my personal happiness?"

"Not when your lack of personal happiness is an evident impediment to the efficiency of accomplishing your pragmatic goals," Eelesia teases without missing a beat.

"Also, we care about your feelings, and I'm going to insist it is rational to so care."

He sighs again, but this time he's smiling slightly. "Thank you."

"Of course, Laurent."

Nude cuddling and snuggling continues.