Wrong Kind of Doves

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Shepherd."

The mysterious man is now in our doorway as he holds out a hand to me.

How I missed someone that stands out as much as him is beyond me. The man wears something akin to a suit. His pants are a dark grey and contrast the similarly dull tailcoat jacket that glows with a pale grey. The jacket is adorned with all kinds of frills and buttons that apply a splash of green and prismatic texture across his chest. Atop his grey hair is a top hat that looks ready to release a flock of doves.

I take his hand and the man has no issues pulling me to my feet.

"What brings you here this late mister…"

Originally, I had intended to be confrontational with whoever was bothering us this late at night. However, this man's presence seems to be sapping my own energy to emphasise his.

"An excellent question! I believe that we must first engage in introductions."

The man twists his previously empty wrist and seemingly materialises a pigeon resting in his hand. Inside the bird's beak is a business card.

"My name is Silver Baylor. You may freely refer to me as Silver."

"Yeah…I'm Noa…"

Careful from the last time I took paper from a bird, I slowly grabbed the business card. Unsurprisingly, it has his name, but it also includes an occupation of 'messenger'.

The man seems to look past me, which isn't a challenge considering he's an entire head taller than me, and places his amber eyes on the rabbit cowering behind the couch.

"There she is! The girl of the hour!"

He takes a step back and bows.

"I believe you take the name 'Mira' now. How have you fared since arriving in your new home?"

"Wait, you know Mira!?"

Silver is all smiles as he looks up to make eye contact with me.

"But of course! Matters relating to this young girl required my visit. You as well, Noa. We have much to discuss."

"A-Alright!"

I waste no time welcoming the mysterious man that may very well have answers to all of my questions. Silver doesn't even look around the room when he enters.

"Make yourselves comfortable, this may take some time."

With a snap of his fingers, a cloud of pigeons fly from his coat and crowd the empty space next to the couch. Silver briefly removes his hat and allows the birds to disappear inside, but not before a circular bar stool is left on the floor. The couch separates us as Mira and I seat ourselves on the bed.

"First thing first, well done Noa!"

Silver breaks out into a solo applause with Mira eventually getting carried along and joining him.

"D-Did I do something?"

"You have certainly realised it by now! You have managed to break free from the charm placed upon your mind. It's uncommon to see people resisting the effects, but outright destroying it is a marvel!"

"A…charm…?"

I know that I've been acting strangely since Mira arrived. A sane person wouldn't have taken on the task of taking care of somebody else in secret while attending high school. By some chance, my reason returned within the past hour.

Silver adjusts his posture on the seat and crosses his legs.

"I'm sure you are more than aware of the incredibly rare occurrence of animals undergoing something of a transformation."

"Well, yeah. How does that even happen?"

He throws one hand forward as a motion to stop. His entire outfit shakes with each exaggerated motion he takes.

"All in good time my friend. For now, a quick question. What do you think about young Mira?"

"What do I…think?"

"Simply say whatever you feel when you see her."

Mira and I turn towards each other and make eye contact. Just one look into her large blue eyes sends my body into panic. Such a cute girl is sitting with me on the bed in clothes that honestly shouldn't see the light of day. How am I supposed to look at her like this?

Silver seems satisfied by my silence and the way my head turns away.

"That precisely is the key! You feel a healthy level of attraction for someone of your age."

"Wha–! N-No! I'm not!"

"No need to be ashamed! That's one of the uncontrollable features of youth! Hahaha!"

His laughter continues for a moment before abruptly coming to an end a moment later. He leans forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his legs. For a moment, shadows are cast over his eyes.

"But that shouldn't have been possible."

"W-What do you mean…?"

I feel my hair stand on end at the change of his tone. His eyes don't seem to be looking at me, but at something internal that only he can see.

"One of the charm's functions is to restrict all sexual urges that a guardian may possibly have."

"That sounds a little excessive…"

"Quite the opposite."

Every word out of Silver's mouth contains the same impact as when he was joyful. That same impact now sends a chill down my spine.

"The children are most vulnerable when they first become human. The charm ensures that nothing unpleasant happens while they acclimate to society."

"I guess that does make sense…"

The world is a dangerous place after all. If anything, I'm surprised that they haven't just placed me back under their spell considering my age. I can't guarantee that nothing will happen if I'm left to be slowly enthralled by my new roommate.

"But that shouldn't be a problem!"

Light returns to Silver's face and he readjusts his hat.

"We've been keeping an eye on you and determined that you shouldn't be dangerous."

"Ah, thank you…"

I'm obviously thankful for the trust, but these physiological urges definitely are a pain at the moment. Turning them off has made dealing with whatever Mira throws at me much easier. It's not like I really needed them, right?

"Wait…"

For a moment, I forgot just how important that natural function is. I may be hopelessly single at the moment, but I would rather that not be the case forever.

"What would have happened if, say, I got a girlfriend?"

Silver rubs his chin for a moment. Mira is sitting next to me with absolutely no idea of what we're talking about, but Silver seems to have become similarly lost at my question.

"Well, I'd imagine you would feel zero sexual attraction. The obvious result is that you could never have children."

"Hold on! That's kind of bad! What did you almost do to me!? What would you do if I never got married because you completely cut off my desires!?"

"Worry not! Your hormones will lay in perfect balance! You would never even miss the prospect of mating!"

"That would still mean that I'm single forever!"

We truly managed to avoid the worst possible outcome. Part of me wants them to retry their previous applause to celebrate my future, not that I have any girls willing to go out with me. At least I have one less barrier imposed on me.

While I'm stressing alone, Silver just shrugs and continues.

"It matters not as you are free from the charm! You managed to unravel the magic through its second purpose."

"Seriously…there's more…"

"But of course! Now, consider your thought process. Would someone of your standing take on the role as guardian over this young rabbit?"

"Of course not…ah!"

Finally, the last piece fits into place. Silver spreads his arms out to the side like a performer preparing for the climax.

"Indeed! The second effect of the charm is to alter your sense of possibility! What you may have once discarded as foolishness now feels like a matter of course!"

"So the charm makes people stupid!?"

"That's the incorrect mindset, young Noa! We offered to make your dreams feel real! Perhaps some amount of rationality and shame is lost along the way, but you instead receive optimism! What greater gift can one provide!"

I leap to my feet with frustration. If it weren't for the large piece of furniture in the way, I would already have his collar in my grip.

"Gift! You made me say so many embarrassing things to people I just met. Not to mention, you made me deal with a problem that I never would have taken!"

"Challenging as it may be, surely you enjoyed the company?"

"Yeah, I did! Because your little charm made me!"

For some reason, I feel my blood boiling for a different reason than all of the grievances I just listed. It all stems from the smile that I've become accustomed to feeling so strongly about.

"This isn't right!"