Ryozanpaku

[Apollymi]

The manga Kou thought of, was also one which appeared in the mind of Tamamo. In fact, she found the entirety of the potentials of such an adventure worth more than anything she could receive from it. As such she was more than content to move along towards their new goal. Her mirror went back into her giant sleeves and she floated along her feet not touching the ground as she did. Actually thinking about it logically she was a lot like the female lead in that series. An heiress with at least one overbearing parent and an inability to make regular friends. Still the idea of a nice cozy puzzle filled dungeon with the boy she wanted to be alone with was plenty pleasing to the ear. "Hai hai, puzzles are fine too. I'm sure you're up to it!~" she said, happily and again a tiny bit more suggestively than would have been intended. A chuckle came to her as she looked at the raven-haired lass and the blue-haired slime and waved happily. "Ja ne!~" she chimed as the pair of them headed off. As Kou took his steps to the east, Tamamo floated alongside without a care in the world.

At the same time as the pair disappeared from sight, a sigh escaped Kuroka. She'd been a bit uneasy the entire time watching that pair of people speak to each other. It was quite obvious that they were interested in each other. She'd begun to wonder if they were exhibitionists and if she'd have to cover her eyes and those of the slime boy to avoid seeing too much of the pairing. Still, knowing who they both were in their previous world, she had faith in them to get their jobs done without fail. 'I don't envy them all of that extra energy.' she thought as she waited for the silme to decide on his course of action for the duration of those two's dungeon dive.

[Bloodedge]

And so, they were off. This didn't occur without an extra clause spoken by Tamamo, though, and that was just as filled with implications as everything else he heard from her this day. Already, he was sensing the return. What could he do about it, though? He certainly couldn't withdraw back into a shell after what they'd already been through. Tasks needed completing, but... he'd read and watched a few series in which the protagonists still managed an incredible job while fully fornicating the entire time they were meant to be working. All in all, he wondered if such a thing would be possible here...

Ah, but a statement required one in return. What to say, what to say... "Eheh... yeah─" he murmured, thinking it best to simply answer as close to honestly as he could. After all, she'd been picking her way through his brain through mere expressions all this time; there was no point covering on purpose while they were uninterrupted. "Well... I'm sure I will be soon, at least," he quipped. Sure, he meant that in the serious manner as well, though he was also well beyond doubting that he'd be 'up' in numerous senses again soon enough.

[Apollymi]

They left with little fuss and soon they were alone again. Somehow this felt like the right way for them to be, and Tamamo couldn't have been more pleased even if she'd tried. What could have led to an even more elated state? Kou. Specifically his rather cheeky commentary that managed to not shrink away from her own. What had the lad done? He'd responded in kind, not only taking her slight deviance at face value but managing to quip back to it. It caused her an untold amount of joy, which blistered out of her very being. She moved herself around him, slipping her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his back and speaking softly against his left ear. The whole time she held a rather amused tone, but there was still that hint of something devious just behind her. "Ara ara, don't tease me with a good time, Mikon~" her words were left to settle against the lad's neck. She didn't know why she couldn't resist teasing as such, but it was a fair deal harder without having to keep up appearances. It was as if being acknowledged in such a way further fueled her behavior and she couldn't be stopped while being entertained.

[Bloodedge]

... And of course that would be her reaction to his quip. The more Kou spoke, the deeper the hole he dug for himself became. This specific Avatar, this specific Youkai, was going to ruin his very existence with her approach... and he was going to let it happen. It was up for debate whether this was a new low, or a height he had never before been able to reach. In little to no time at all, they were encroaching upon the temple which housed Kou's desired Artifact. What a dangerous place this was. Could Kou have been worried about the traps? Not one bit. What concerned him was, in fact, the potential for completing the task when he had a personality like that of Tamamo's alongside him. Regardless of what happened inside, they first had to make their way in. "You wouldn't happen to come with the ability to hide in plain sight, would you?" he asked. Interestingly enough, interacting with Tamamo thus far was beginning to make Kou himself think twice about every spoken phrase. He wondered, if she had such an ability, if they could have been sharing very different words mere minutes before this moment.

[Apollymi]

Her reaction to Kou's words brought out a strange trait in the lad. It seemed that with everything on the table, he didn't at all seem like he cared, if she acted this way. It was encouraging, in more ways than a few. To be honest, she didn't mind dragging him along on her fantasies, if they were ones he shared, or could benefit from. And Tamamo's personality, dictated that she didn't mind showing the object her affection, exactly how far that affection went. She offered herself fully to him. She was far from the only version of this lass to do this but, her direct nature led her to believe that he was fine with and even happy for her dalliances. His question once again brought a chuckle from the lass, as she squeezed him. Her eyes glowed an eerie version of the golden color they possessed and her tails shown with the warmth and vibration of extra magic. "Hoh? Feeling a little naughty... in plain sight do you want to be unseen and unheard? I wonder what we'll do with that~" she teased knowing how her code lines currently worked. She had a build that was... frighteningly similar to a certain 'Queen' from a series she enjoyed. She cast an illusory magic which would serve to keep them from attracting extra attention as they moved through enemy territory. "I have in my Mystic Code the ability to hide my presence and that of my allies magically from others. I used it with an illusion which adds the idea that looking at us is forbidden. So, they shouldn't want to view us, even if they sense something is off," she summarized the ability which definitely sounded a bit more science fiction than magical, but that was simply how she understood it best. She would leave it to him to test the full bounds of this ability, but this particular task didn't seem like one which would require her full attention. Instead she nestled herself into the lad content to offer her teasing commentary and gauge his reactions.

[Bloodedge]

Just as Kou had come to expect, Tamamo took his query in a devious way. Even though he had already accepted that Ashikaga Kimiko at least rivaled his own degeneracy, but these clauses coming from Tamamo managed to be both surprising and anticipated at once. Needless to say, a few ideas made their way into his conscious mind, especially when Tamamo described the ability she made use of. For them to essentially have a perception filter surrounding them, they could do literally anything they wanted without worry. Kou was familiar with this concept, and if things were the same here, even noises made would be ignored by passers-by. "Were you... thinking really hard about Naruto when you became this one?" he asked somewhat sheepishly. He had been doing his best to avoid caving under the sensation of Tamamo pressed against his back, and now, there were sultry thoughts plaguing his mind once more. Tamamo seemed rather familiar to a protagonist in the series he mentioned, who happened to be... quite promiscuous in nature. "You're uh... not seeming too focused on the quest, y'know?" he asked, mostly in rhetoric. Of course, he didn't have much of an actual complaint to offer. All things considered, he had even given a bit of thought to whether the quest was actually more important, or not.

[Apollymi]

Tamamo explained her abilities and had faith the lad understood all that she said. Strangely, or rather maybe it was expected at this point... the lad became more than a bit distracted. Was it her movements? Her words... her overly flirty nature? Yes. Probably all of those things, and they manifested in the form of a question. Of apparently her thoughts when she created this particular Avatar. Kou rather sheepishly made reference to a series that Kimiko was more than a bit familiar with. As Tamamo, she couldn't help but offer a teasing giggle as she thought to answer his query. "If I was, it wasn't an active thought. I do like Naruto quite a lot though... it definitely hits my top three," she said with a knowing smirk. "I thought that was pretty obvious though..." she said teasing just a little as she maintained her current position without caring at all how it was taken. The lad hadn't launched any actual complaints about her behavior and as long as he didn't, she'd likely carry on without deviation. His next statement was one which covered the idea that she didn't seem to be focused on their given task. "I am not... truth be told I'd rather focus on you~" she said rather directly, her face meeting the side of his as she rubbed against him like she was enjoying the feeling of their skin making contact. It didn't go past her notice that she was obviously distracted by her own work with the lad. At the same time, she didn't feel like she was truly in any danger nor did this task require a lot of her that she couldn't do easily. Still, the lad's words didn't seem like a complaint so she didn't take it as one. "Lead on, I'll help you in whatever way I can~" again, her words could be interpreted as overly flirty, but that wouldn't make too much of a difference.

[Bloodedge]

"Really? I'd have never guessed," Kou stated without an ounce of seriousness. Aside from choosing the form of a kitsune, having a pet Direwolf named Youko, and a few other key things, it couldn't have been more obvious that Ashikaga Kimiko favored that particular series above most others. In fact, it could just as easily be said that she had an interest in the character named Youko; that was a bittersweet thought. Could he measure up to that? Did it even matter, when that character was an imaginary existence? Why was he even comparing himself to a fictional being? He shook his head to try and shake off the thought, deciding to move forward into the old temple.

On the way in, Tamamo admitted that she hardly cared for the task at hand, and instead set her gaze upon Kou. Suddenly, his previous train of thought all but dissipated into the recesses of his mind. There was, of course, also a provocative hint to her offer of aide. What was he to actually do about any of this? All things considered, he could have probably gotten away with throwing himself at the lass right there at the temple's entrance; it seemed as if she'd have actually enjoyed such a thing, and he was physically on his way to being very prepared once again. As opposed to outright doing something like that, he decided simply to... continue bantering, and see what happened in the long-run. "Guess I can't complain about that or anything. I mean... that's the sort of thing that happens, right?" he asked. Things that they both read and watched would easily imply that any random pair of people could engage in coitus abruptly, even with other things on the line, and all would be well. If that were to happen here, though... who could know the true outcome?

[Apollymi]

Kou's sarcastic retort brought a giggle to the pink haired lass. "Hoh? What a cheeky reply..." she mused. It was nice to know that all of her habits weren't unseen even though the nicer lens of her other Avatar. She was quite fond of the characters in that series, in particular the male leads tended to have all of her attention. That being said, she could still almost see the lad's thoughts across his face. She wondered what he got out of comparing himself to fictional people. She might have done something similar herself, but... she'd taken the approach of becoming what she considered better versions of female characters she might have compared herself too. Ah, but that wasn't something which would be obvious for quite a while. Still the lad's thought pattern didn't seem to stay and he was eventually distracted back into banter.

As they entered this temple she gave a casual look around the place with her arms still wrapped around the lad's body. She couldn't help but chuckle at his statement. "Well no complaints is fine... but I might prefer when you seem like you are barely controlling yourself," the lass teased. Was this true? Yes. She definitely took some kind of satisfaction from the lad acknowledging his feelings for her. His physical reactions being the sort of thing she enjoyed the most. Being able to see on his face and body that he appreciated her actions and words was among the best feelings she had. She leaned her face into his in the moments and pressed her lips softly against his cheek. "You can take that as you like. Or me~" her voice was still teasing but there was a hint of seriousness in her that made it obvious that even in gentle flirty banter she was being quite serious in her desire to be with him.

[Bloodedge]

Cheeky, was it? He supposed so. As far as Kou was concerned, his retort was a simple part of standard progression in conversation. In this case, though, it was undoubtedly a bit... different from the norm. He spoke with intent, whether he meant to do so on the surface or not. There was an oddity in the works. What Kou thought within, and what he expressed outwardly, were being somewhat mixed up, as it were. The fault, of course, was Tamamo's. Every word she spoke was confusing, arousing, and generally exciting in addition to quite a few other things. Kou barely being able to control himself was constantly up for debate, and it didn't help when she added that closing statement about what he could take, and how. It couldn't have been more clear how many options he was being given; they were quite infinite in concept.

What sort of man could he purport to be if he didn't take advantage of a situation like this? Sure, there were things to be done. However, his mind, heart, body and groin were all locked in a heated argument over what held higher importance here and now. "Or─" he nearly repeated her clause fully, but his words were lost. It was far too late for recovery now; he was at full mast, standing still in the opening of the temple's first corridor en route to the treasure he sought. This was the moment he imagined. There were different types of youkai wandering the temple, yet none of them seemed to realize these two were inside at all. Even if they could be seen, there was nothing more than the light of well-spaced torches throughout the halls, and dark patches between each pair. What better time was there to break? "A─... can you really be that open about stuff? It just seems... I dunno..."

[Apollymi]

Once again, Tamamo could practically feel the lad thinking through his options. Even as they approached a poorly lit corridor she looked down it with nothing but thoughts of deviance. She didn't even bother trying to shake them off, unlike her other selves. Also, it seemed that the lad stopped his own statement once more, or rather the repeat of the one she just said. It seemed like the lad was at war within himself, what would win out in this case? It seemed at least his physical reaction said it would be his body but he posed another question to the kitsune which caused her expression to soften gently. She shifted around him in this moment. Once she was before him, she looked him in the eye closing the distance between their bodies and reaching out for the side of his face. "I said it before didn't I?" she asked though she had no problem reiterating herself so that there could be nothing but clarity between them. "I can be like this... with you," she said softly. "Rather, I can show you all of who I am and offer that to you~" Tamamo said while looking very directly at the lad, her golden eyes glittered with several emotions but the base didn't change.

Tamamo was simply more direct than her other selves managed to be because of her own disposition. She'd show him all of herself for a couple reasons, because she liked him and didn't want to be dishonest. She enjoyed knowing that he liked her and wanted to experience the things she fantasized about with him. Their current predicament was such a moment as one which appeared in her mind as a potential to be explored. So, why not goad the lad into a bit of fun, and help him and herself out in the process? Why couldn't they both have fun and get work done? "I know it probably seems like a lot, but... we are both kind of a lot," she said looking at the lad directly. Her basic premise was always the same. She offered herself to the lad, at every turn, this version of her, was just a bit more direct about what it was she was actually offering. The kind of person to not only take advantage of a situation that presented itself, but to make the situation if she wanted the experience enough.

[Bloodedge]

Tamamo said it before, and was content to say it again. Now though, she was even more direct, more literal about it. She continued shooting offers in Kou's directions, whether intended for the moment or not. No... it would be more accurate to assume they were all intended for whatever moment they were taken in, and the evidence was simply the way she looked at him. The hand upon Kou's cheek came with a surprising warmth, yet not in a true physical sense at all. Perhaps said warmth was merely a byproduct of arousal, or even adrenaline due to the present location being where they discussed these matters. "I'm guessing you mean that literally and metaphorically," he said with a sigh. At this point, it was impossible to believe Tamamo wouldn't literally and figuratively bare herself to the lad. With that in mind, there was only one thing worth doing...

Each incarnation of Aiba Yugi spent most of its time in this world acting as an Adventurer, even as a gamer and puzzle-solver. At what point would he behave as a man if he continued that way? They were both indeed 'kind of a lot' as Tamamo put it, but that was fine, wasn't it? At some point, there would be no avoiding the fact that he could not simply offer himself as Kou, as Akashi, even as Licht or Amakusa; true progress would require an offering of Aiba Yugi... at least in the mental and emotional sense. Resolve began to find him, or perhaps he found it? In a way, he made the executive decision to avoid the statistic of gamer guys who put girls off, before it became a potential. "... Alright then. You're the business-savvy one; what's this offer?"

[Apollymi]

With her hand upon his face, Tamamo found herself searching the lad's expression for any hint of what was going on in his mind. She found that she could read him rather easily, but since he hadn't given her an answer about peeking into his mind, she wouldn't use this to figure him out. He seemed to think she meant her offer in two senses... which was quite true. Or rather she meant it in every sense, to offer herself to the lad in every way she could think to do it. "Hai. Both of those work for what I mean..." she said softly. She realized that she was indeed a bit more than most people could or would want to put up with, but in the time they'd spent together (and what a long time it was), she'd come to believe in him a bit more than everyone else.

So, she watched him for a few seconds longer. He seemed to be coming to some sort of conclusion. Perhaps... making up his mind about something, but she couldn't quite read it off his face alone. It wouldn't be until he spoke that she understood what he'd been doing in his own mind over the last few moments. Her eyes widened a bit at his question. Strangely, she didn't initially believe such a thing would be placed back into her lap. Ah, but that was kind of how this dance between them went, wasn't it? One of them would put an idea out into the open, and the other would give a logical consideration of it before placing it back. Their negotiations were always argued from a point of fairness. Why should this have been any different? "Hoh? I didn't expect you to phrase it like that... well the offer is what it was always going to be. Equal partnership," she said still maintaining that same distance. Well, that was untruthful, she moved a bit closer, though just shy of touching him directly. "We can share all things with each other equally. We can have the spoils and make up any differences, as friends, as adventurers, as gamers... and as a couple. I don't mean just this face either, I mean... the actual me. I want to share all of me with you, as my equal..." she summarized. There was something very real about what this lass said. She intended to share herself with this lad, not just their adventures but their perversions and hobbies as well. They already had so much in common, they were already so much alike not progressing past this point, just seemed an unnecessary hold up. Did they need to have this conversation right just now? Not really, it could have waited but... since he brought it up, there was no time like the present.

[Bloodedge]

"No surprise there," he said. In actuality, there was a bit of relief to be taken from this confirmation. That alone did wonders for his state of mind, and interestingly, the same could be said of his physical state as well. What's more, Tamamo drew closer and closer yet while explaining the 'offer' he'd questioned. What she brought up was not, in this particular case, exactly what he meant. It was, however, relevant nonetheless. She offered the entity known as Ashikaga Kimiko. Was the offer for Aiba Yugi, though? Did she even have enough information to make that decision? Well, perhaps it didn't matter. Kou and his other forms were, in fact, making an effort to consider this world as the only remaining life for the rest of time; the other details didn't matter in that case.

"Well... that's not exactly what I meant, but yeah... I get it. Like everything else, it sounds like a fair deal," he said with certainty. Truthfully, he was winning the agreement in every way he could think of. If she saw enough desirable traits within him to think otherwise though, that was fine as well. "Sign me up then. I might've been confused, though; I thought that was just another innuendo at first. Suman."

[Apollymi]

It would seem that Tamamo brought to the forefront an explanation which wasn't exactly the answer to the lad's question. She had the right vantage point, to stare into this lad's face while he accepted the things she said. She watched him visibly relax as she claimed that both of his interpretations of her words were right. She also watched the gears of his mind turn as she made her proper offer to him. How strange was it that she'd taken this conversation so far away from just innuendo? Not at all, in her own mind. Perhaps this would require a bit more explanation? Definitely. But at the moment, it wasn't necessary. Kou, accepted what she said with no further prompting, claiming it to be a fair deal. He even apologized because he hadn't meant for her to explain everything she meant. The smile that graced her face grew to the point that the sharp canines in her mouth were revealed and she, stepped into him, pressing the soft flesh of her body into his after gaining his acceptance. "iie, I've said before, everything has to be negotiated from a point of fairness. The innuendo was intended and still stands... just like other things~" she said winking at the lad before allowing her rather devious gaze down his body. "But... it would have been unfair of me to take advantage of our likeness without fully explaining what I wanted, and giving you the opportunity to counter~" she said as she leaned into his person wrapped her arms around his neck in a manner most suggestive. "I'm a little... voracious," she said flicking the lad's ear with her tongue. "Take that as you like~" she finished up. What would they do now? Well her offers were open and at least one was accepted, and the physical aspect of her offer was apparently always on the table so to speak. So, at this point all she could do was wait to see what the lad would do in response to what she'd offered.