Finis Chaldea

[Apollymi]

This man changed his seated position ever so slightly and Artoria gave him a glance worth of notice as she began consuming dessert. This pacing was admittedly slower than anything else, that first spoonful making to to her mouth in a moment of absolute and unbridled glee. Only when she finished such a bite, and while preparing the next would she answer this man. "You are not the only one who thinks I say things that sound like you, but nothing about my speech or way of dealing with my day to day life has changed at all. The fact that we share a few ideologies in very specific instances is coincidental at best. My words are my own!" she proclaimed. Another spoonful in her mouth as happily as the previous one. Until of course, the man mentioned how he maintained that form of his. 'Perfectly.' What a ridiculous thing to say. That spoon was dangling inside her mouth as she turned her gaze to him for just a second. She had to look now and see how she felt about it. She'd realized some time ago, that she did not consider the forms of men unless she was figuring out how best to kill them. Strangely, when it came to Gilgamesh she seemed to like his form but did that make it perfect? Well, she'd not seen it change much, he looked younger in the face, but the physical aspects of his form did not seem to change very much at all. Was that perfection? She did enjoy looking at him, she wouldn't be saying that but it was the truth... "Shameless. Absolutely shameless," she said finally averting her gaze. "Still, I cannot dislike the confidence such a statement has to be uttered with... I am starting to think I am strange," she mentioned over her next spoonful of pudding.

Ah, it was simply his intention to leave her speechless, his priority even. Artoria could say there were better uses of his time considering how easily he managed to accomplish such things. He wished to experience both parts of her, and was content to take that into his own consideration. He truly was ridiculous, but even knowing that would not allow her face to change color nor would it allow her to eat in peace. The first victor would know the first night of ecstasy? How was she supposed to take that statement? Well like most things, literally! That eye shift of hers, happened again if only because she could not truly gauge her response here and now. Deflection as he'd abandoned his bowl, that would work though not truly. "Finish your food, you are an adult man you should at least have seconds!" That would be all she said something completely unrelated and just normal enough to avoid addressing both her wandering eye and this man's ridiculous commentary. It was tantamount to speechlessness on her part but it was fine as well. She'd continue on enjoying her dessert with the utmost care knowing there were only two things she enjoyed so much. 'Actually, maybe I can finally get a cup of coffee, and set my entire world back to normal,' such was the last thing she truly missed from her other life, besides access to her gun. Onto his last statement there was a dance of confusion in her eyes. "That sounds both good and terrible depending on the stance and thing being discussed." That was honest. And she'd continue to enjoy her dessert to its completion and once once the bowl was empty would she sit it down having happily consumed way more food than most but being satisfied by it.

[Bloodedge]

Their similarities could indeed be called coincidence. However, coincidence itself could be considered tantamount to a thing called fate. Gilgamesh would choose the latter, in one of few instances he would accept such a thing. "So you agree that it is destiny. This time, fate works in my favor, making more possible what I decided long ago. And here you are, walking the predetermined path into my embrace," he mused. Strange though Artoria thought she was, he believed she functioned perfectly. It was only natural for her to enjoy his demeanor, for they were meant to be. He may have been shameless, but what shame was there to have? She may have been strange, but what did it even matter? In this situation, all things were to be viewed as the norm. "Do not think it strange. It is only natural to be smitten by all aspects of my glorious self," he stated with an odd amount of certainty.

Finish his food, Artoria basically demanded. He should have seconds as a man, she insisted further. How ludicrous. Before he even formulated a response, Gilgamesh was picking up his half-empty bowl with one hand. "Don't be ridiculous. I've grown bored of this dish; the cats can take joy in it," he said while tossing the bowl onto the ground, letting the stew within spill out for the reed cats' enjoyment... if they could get as much from that bland dish. He didn't care to gorge on stew, nor did he care much for feasting at the moment. This was all just a means to an end, a stepping stone toward his own future. "There, a better place for it. Not another bite deserves a place in my mouth. I would not have eaten at all, in fact, if not for your mention of dinner. You may rejoice, for today you have convinced me to do something I hadn't a care for. Now, we shall walk."

[Apollymi]

He wished agreement? He thought the coincidental alignment of their natures counted as destiny. he claimed that such steps being taken would lead the woman straight to him as destiny preordained? Well, she wanted to argue that point, but here she was, having dinner with him. She was conversing with him, and even secretly looking forward to sharing intimacy with him. She'd decided over the last thousand years that she should belong to him, but that was a strange thing to realize. "Our likeness is coincidental, though I will agree that it makes us more agreeable than disagreeable. That is the closest you will get to admittance out of me," she specified. She did not like being defied nor did she like submitting herself to anything, as such this toed a very fine line in her own mind. Regardless she could be happy for a moment or two. According to Gilgamesh she was not to think her attraction to him strange, it was fine to be smitten with him, he claimed. He spoke this sentence truthfully. She stared at him unabashedly for a second before busting into melodious laughter. "Haha... hahahaha~" she couldn't help it, she covered her mouth and her eyes were still alight just a bit. Until she managed to get herself back under control. "I am only so confident about my ability to kill things. I imagine such surety in life is some sort of curse the rest of us could not bear... that is so you, Gil." She referenced gently, having slipped just a tad at the end there, having her word choice slip enough to use a shortened version of his name, as she referred to him within her own mind outside of her general proper reference to him.

Artoria had told the King of Heroes to finish his food, but apparently he had no intention of it. He gave his food to the reed cats in his usual grandiose fashion. Claiming first and foremost to have grown bored of it, and then making the more audacious claim that he wouldn't have eaten at all today, if Artoria hadn't expressed interest in her own consumption. There was a moment of mixed emotion in the Queen of Knights in a moment like this. He'd eaten because she wanted to, so that was an overall positive. Though his words implied he still was not truly taking care of himself... which was annoying. He wished to start on their walk officially, that would be fun, he gave her credit for his new supposed habit. "Of course I mentioned food, I fought a man for eight days straight. Food is necessity! One must always be prepared for the next battle!" she claimed as if this was the point. It was not, it was a matter of emotional turmoil that was happening right now. "You are not allowed to make me feel three different ways at once. I was quite serious when I told you to take better care of yourself..." she said in a manner which was almost huffy and demanding. "But I suppose this first step is reasonable," she said placing the spoon of her favored dessert down having properly finished it. "Fine, we can walk now... though you hardly need one after consuming less food than a starving field mouse."

[Bloodedge]

"For now, yes," the king agreed just slightly. He would obviously get nothing more out of her, but when Artoria herself caved to the emotional overload she was certain to experience, she too would claim there was no better place for her! "Hold fast to your notions while they last. A life separate from me, within even your mind, will one day be blasphemous as a thought!" he continued. Artoria continued to address his demeanor, even laughing and proclaiming his perfection and attractiveness to be a curse. Well, she wasn't wrong, considering the amount of women who swarmed to him over the centuries. Such was the curse of any king, applied to none more than he. Something could have, even would have been said regarding this notion, but pause was taken instead. Gil, she called him. Where in the world did that come from? It was so shocking to hear, he could say nothing about it. Had his own mother even addressed him in such a way? He couldn't recall if he tried, but that thought pattern would do nothing to detract from the moment. He'd been under the impression that a leap forward had been taken, but no─ this was akin to taking sudden flight and soaring the distance.

Gilgamesh stood. Yes, that was the most sensible thing to do. He should not have been shocked by a mere form of address, so obviously what he needed was to start walking. None needed to know that he'd been rendered speechless by anything; he'd just move on without a hitch... or so he thought. By the time Artoria spoke of eating to be prepared for the next battle, he was turning away from the table. "Hmph. I suppose you are right. You especially should remain prepared for the greatest battle of your life," he said in the aftermath, not thinking of legitimate combat once. It seemed Gilgamesh was still content to shove his own debauchery into the Queen of Knights' mind, as if the point couldn't be driven home enough. For her talk of him taking care of himself, he believed she needed to remain mentally prepared to see the world quite differently. He didn't have need of such precautions; she did. "My intake of sustenance is nothing worth concern! Your mind need only mull over how you will avoid being separated from your own physical shell later on!" The audacity it took for her to draw such comparisons. No matter; he'd abandoned that table, the gazebo and the reed cats, taking the first paces along the riverside. There were many more creatures to pass along the way, many marshes and groves alike, and occasionally people who drew water from the major river.

[Apollymi]

According to the man she spoke with, Artoria should hold fast to her thoughts while she could. Apparently, it'd become blasphemous for her to entertain life without him at some point, even in her own mind. "I suppose then, it is good I have never cared about committing acts of blasphemy~" she mused. Knowing full well she'd do what she liked, regardless of how contradictory it was. Ah, but there was something else, her little vocal slip was noticed but she was unaware. Gilgamesh got up and walked away and was rather quiet for a few moments thereafter? Strange, she'd expected some sort of rebuttal and maybe even some of that laughter of his after she made such a statement about his cursed nature. But she got nothing, a narrowing of Artoria's eyes occurred as she stood to make her way to him, giving a few passing reed cats general pats. 'Did I just surprise him?' she was curious, what about her most recent speech made him quiet so much? Well, whenever she figured it out, she'd use it, as a sharpened knife, such was exactly her nature.

Ah, he moved on quickly. Claiming she should be prepared for her next battle. They both knew he meant no true form of combat, Artoria had become used to this level of metaphor though it made it no less surprising as an immediate rebuttal to something as simple as the need to take sustenance. Or maybe it did... a confusion of two hungers would not be too far outside of normal perception. "Oh? Is this what is like to witness deflection at work? I must say I am surprised..." she mused knowing he was trying and succeeding at putting strange thoughts into her head. Even so, she'd noted that quiet moment already she was not about to lose completely in such an exchange, flustered though she always was. It was according to Gilgamesh no concern of hers to worry over his sustanence. She should worry about her own mind? She scoffed, he was literally the most audacious being to walk this planet and undoubtedly thickheaded. By the time he took those first few paces she was at his side with nothing short of her normal calm visage on her face, well, aside from the semi-constant redness of her cheeks. "I have all the time in the world to worry about what I wish, as you already claimed to deal with all the pieces of me separating from each other. I will amuse myself with whatever random thought I wish to entertain and you will accept it!" Everything they said to each other sounded strangely like an argument, or perhaps this was simply what happened when two people of authority near absolution stared at each other for too long? Ah well, whatever the case, she was content enough to walk around with him, stealing occasional glances, taking in nature and the like. It was really strange to consider she may like this sort of thing with someone else involved when she considered that she'd spent the previous week trying to slay a man honorably.

[Bloodedge]

This woman was quite the snippy one, in spite of her nigh-perpetual state of fluster. If he had to list his favorite features about Artoria, that snip would likely be somewhere near the top of the list. Such defiance only excited him more when it came from her, regardless of his usual hatred for it. To speak against him was to commit a crime. Only when she did so, was the act instead a challenge to be accepted posthaste. "Mindful of your ways. Never have you been more susceptible to actually being punished for those acts of defiance against the heavens," he stated.

It took only moments for Artoria to point out his... deflection, as it were. How dare she? Well, she wasn't going to be getting any sort of reactions from him about that. A quick exhale through the nose, focus forward, and he was on his way past the topic as quickly as he passed the lesser creatures scurrying about. Just the same, he thought to bypass these ridiculous notions of keeping fed and such─ things far less necessary for one so divine as he. Side-by-side they walked, while continuing to play their own versions of the petulant child on one side or the other. Ah, it was his turn yet again, wasn't it? "You think you have so much time because of that? You fool, that grants you less freedom! I will be flooding your mind and body alike, no matter which form of either you choose to take. Time to have such random thoughts as you claim, is not something I plan to allow." Indeed, it seemed an argument occurred between the two. Was it, though? One could just as easily consider it some strange form of flirting, if viewed from the right angle. Gilgamesh certainly saw it as such; these little debates were titillating in the strangest way. That snarky attitude Artoria let leak out from time to time was almost its own odd form of therapy.

[Apollymi]

Artoria received a warning!? She should be mindful of her ways, because she'd become quite susceptible to taking punishment for working against the heavens? Did the King of Heroes know who he was talking to? Did he truly think that she feared punishment? Especially from him? "Never have I been more apt to be defiant than in the face of anyone claiming to punish me. Heavens be damned," Artoria made such a proclamation with all the normal vigor she did most things. Artoria Pendragon took domination from no one, least of all the blonde haired man at her side. She could almost see such statements playfully, and likely should since she couldn't get the color to leave her face. She was actually very normally prone to such catty behavior. It was exceedingly obvious when watching her speak with her elder sister, given she spoiled her younger one to the point that doting wasn't an apt descriptor.

What kind of child was Artoria being in a moment like this? The kind that had found a new button to press and would continue to do so until it either did what she wanted or broke. Actually, though she had no idea of it, Lancelot had not been far off in describing her personality to the younger knights. She found something to play with, and she played with it until it broke... whether that form of play was combat, verbal assault or in the context of their previous life a video game the lass did not seem to know anything but excitement in the face of challenges. "I am confused as to why you think I will be granted anything. If I am so inclined to have it, it is not as if I cannot take it unto myself..." she claimed though it was quite interesting to consider that he thought to keep her pinned in such a way. "I need no allowances nor granted freedoms... I will do as I please," she chided this man in casual conversation. She doubted they sounded like they were doing anything other than arguing, but strangely she found no animosity in their sentences. Aggression yes, but there was no contempt... it was more or less, a strange dance performed with stranger words between steps. Admittedly, such a thing was fun. Artoria had come to expect nothing but deference from others, even her sisters fell to her whims when she forced the issue, there was something a bit entertaining knowing Gilgamesh would do no such thing. Was this part of her attraction to him? Knowing that he'd keep up his efforts irrespective of the might she presented? Should she worry that all was battle even flirting conversation between them?

[Bloodedge]

Defiant as Artoria was in all aspects, according to the woman herself, she'd never felt more inclined to defy than she did now. Surely then, she accepted and welcomed the punishment that would come as a result. Very well. Since she thought to be defiant in the face of those who would punish her, she could do so directly in his face now. Gilgamesh stepped out ahead, turning as he stopped and leaning into the woman's face. "Then you should hold to that aptitude as well," he said while reaching out to take her by the chin once more. His forefinger alone began to stroke her skin as he did so. "Your punishment will be a long-lasting one. Rest assured, it will be a most thorough application of every method in my arsenal. Based on how you address this matter, I assume you're ready to face this form of adversity?"

There was no need for confusion, just as Artoria herself claimed there was no need for allowances. She would do as she pleased, and he would embrace the fact that she aimed to do so. In fact, he'd challenge her to do that at every turn. She claimed she would take that which she was inclined to possess. Surely she knew the ramifications of such a statement. "Fuha~. A shared sentiment, I suppose. It is the privilege of our kind to take as we please. Yours is an inclination left unclear though, is it not? You speak of your utopia, and you speak of your ideals. Have you finally discovered the concept of desire?" In the midst of his speech, Gilgamesh did away with any idea of restraint, though such a thing hardly existed for him anyway. He was close enough to steal a kiss, so he pressed their lips together just briefly─ just long enough to bridge sentences with the act. "I do wonder when it will awaken fully. Tell me, my Queen of Knights, what have you to speak of in terms of your own desire?"

[Apollymi]

Catty behavior, and words spoken with reckless abandon. That is what Artoria was doing for the duration of this walk. Casually they stepped forward until of course, Gilgamesh stepped out in front of her. Her eyes widened for a moment as she found his hand at her chin once more a single finger tracing her face. Why were his hands so big?! It was outrageous and uncalled for someone to be so much larger than her. Was she ready to face the form of adversity he presented? "I never mentioned being unprepared in the first place, but I take no undeserved punishments. Do not tease me," she claimed actually managing to be somewhat firm about it. Still, that intense blush on her face was not doing her any real favors. One day she might succeed in being firm with this man while he was standing directly in front of her like this, but presently her mind travelled back to the last time they were in such a position and it did nothing to steady her in any resolve to be properly defiant.

What was more, with him leaned in so close the only real escape would be a step back, which by her own nature she would not take. Defiance, she stood where she was, no give... but also no take. A claim was made, they were similar again? Well, that was expected... her inclination was left unclear? A scoff occurred, she was here when she could be literally anywhere else. Obviously his company was what she sought, did that alone count as desire though? She was unsure... But before she could have even thought to mention any of that, Gilgamesh brought their lips together in a brief meeting. In that singular instance her mind lost all semblance of normalcy. Why did he kiss her like that? She did not remember telling him he should stop? Nor did she remember telling him he could. What was this now? His Queen of Knights? She stared at him, with fires flickering behind those eyes of hers. She definitely liked that for reasons she could not explain. Exasperated and on the verge of tantrum what would Artoria actually say while being so close to him, "I... just told you not to tease me," she stated again. "I do not understand that concept but I came here because I wanted to and I have already said I wished to see you... " she mentioned. That sounded too soft to her, surely there was something else she could add to such a sentiment. "I do not remember saying you could be so miserly when giving to me," Pouty was the Queen of Knights, defiant, sweet and fiery, a ball of confusion who still did not truly understand desire but found herself in Gilgamesh's company instead of anyone else. She bounced just slightly and brought their lips together of her own accord as this was something she wanted.

[Bloodedge]

"H'oh? As you see fit," was Gilgamesh's initial response. Certainly, she took no punishment undeserved. What he had in mind, however, was something well-earned and long, long, long overdue. Of course, teasing would always precede delivery. As one prepared for the hunt, he would ensure all of his equipment was in order. Artoria herself was the ultimate tool with which he would hunt down bliss everlasting. Of course, said tool had to be properly tempered.

What would come of that tempering, though? Artoria reiterated that he was not to tease her, and moreover, she had a very interesting rebuttal to the impact of lips he brought about. Miserly, was he? So then, she was finally more fully accepting of the progression between them? Good. Ah, but there was something far more interesting than that in progress. She would not simply be awaiting his less stingy approach; she'd take matters into her own hands... or rather, lips. What a first it was for Artoria Pendragon to be the one encroaching upon his lips, but would he complain? Never. Gilgamesh was not one in need of avouchment, but this press of lips against lips not of his own doing was something quite... new. Moreover, it could be viewed as yet another stepping stone en route to glorious victory. Naturally, he could do naught but embrace the moment. She wished for their lips to meet? Then those lips would have a full discussion amongst each other as his retort. There would be numerous breaks, numerous moments of contact, and numerous slips of a tongue into small spaces forced between. This could easily be taken as some form of challenge, and it was only natural that he meet said test. There was no need to be concerned about the fact that he could speak no more; why would he need to do something like that anyway? Regardless of the path taken, this was the first step in a desired outcome.

[Apollymi]

As she saw fit? That was exactly the sort of thing she expected him to say. Regardless of their general stance, Gilgamesh always seemed like he would give to her whatever it was she wished to take from him. That was good. In this case, what she decided was a kiss. Of course, she hadn't really considered the ramifications of doing such a thing. Impulsivity was just as much apart of Artoria Pendragon as her reserved face, and in the moment it was clear to both of them which one had won out. 'I should not have done this...' was her initial thought. Still as she began to kiss him, truly she couldn't find fault in this line of action. 'But I do not dislike it.' she reminded herself. As lips met with lips in varied cycles she found herself easily embracing this action. Though at the same time she could not allow herself to fall prey to her physical desires as they chose to manifest here and now. 'I cannot let him rule me!' she proclaimed within her mind. Only to meet tongue occasionally and melt completely. 'Or maybe just him, there are exceptions to every rule after all...' her mind bounced around so much she seemed not to realize that she had taken a step forward. Her hand met his chest again, he really was perfectly muscled at least. She would not tell him herself but she did at least appreciate his body. Actually, with every twist and turn of mouth, with every fleeting meeting of tongue, the lass known as Artoria Pendragon developed a strange amount of feeling within her loins. She'd started this, she was sober, she had no reason to question the feeling beyond only feeling it one time before now. Obviously, this was solely the fault of the King of Heroes, and his ridiculous challenges. No, it was not a problem at all that she had no method or enough gumption to back down, it was a problem that he presented a challenge that she could not fully acknowledge. But as she took every moment she could not help but sink, deeper and deeper. She could not pull away. 'I do not wish to pull away. If this is desire I do not find it negative.' Poor girl, she had no idea how deep her desires actually went but if that gentle feeling within her loins was anything to go by, it was quite far. A gentle shifting of her legs occurred as they continued and she would indeed take all she wished from Gilgamesh.

[Bloodedge]

Forever moving forward, neither stopping nor turning from a set goal. Such was the way of Artoria Pendragon as she'd been seen for a thousand years. Who would have expected something so out-of-character as a kiss to be something that notion was applied to? Well... Gilgamesh himself expected as much. Perhaps expected wasn't even the right word. He would have insisted upon this being the case whenever that initial step was finally taken, and here she was, taking that singular step off the cliff at the edge of a world. Lips and tongues danced, and Gilgamesh's eyes parted slightly as he took note of a few minor shifts in Artoria's position. Ah yes, he saw it. She was falling from that sheltered world of hers, being taken by the gravity of his own world. The time it took for her to enter the atmosphere could be reduced to minutes, even seconds on a whim, but no... he would see them dance in the vacuum of space for a while longer. The queen battled within her own mind for reasons not shared, though those same reasons didn't matter at all. Victory was both in sight and more vivid than ever before. He'd aim to take her mind via the efforts of a tongue that eventually swam through her mouth like an angry eel, laying claim to the space within by law of touch-ownership. Artoria chose to sink, but he had long since chosen to submerge her.

[Apollymi]

Artoria was not pulling back, the things going on in her mind not withstanding, she had nothing but the desire to push forward. One day, some might realize that this would be her ultimate downfall as a person, to move forward, to face challenges and to not back down in the face of anything. Strangely, this was not a negative thing to have happen to her, to fall into Gilgamesh was likely one of the most positive things that could come from valor-seeking reckless abandon. Here and now, there were lips and tongues moving against each other, and she found comfort? That was a strange thing to realize but she did always seem to feel at ease around Gilgamesh, less guarded than other faces of herself were ever allowed to be. This lack of restraint was not something she did actively, but instead something that slipped through the cracks of her psyche.

Speaking of slipping, there was this man's tongue slipping into her mouth. This had now happened three times and how would she react to it in a moment like this? She'd initiated this kiss, she would not let him control it, but she'd take to less forceful methods. Strategizing. Like drawing an attack into ones self to aim a proper strike. Her mouth relaxed around its invader. If he wished to invade like an angry eel she would hold the castle with needy placating strokes of her own tongue. She'd once been told by the lady pharaoh that it was possible to tame any monster she wished, thinking about it in such a light, she'd start at the lower end of the animal kingdom and work her way forward. They were no longer simply playing chicken, Artoria aimed to experience the man before her as fully as she could. This was not a matter of surrender, she could deal with it mentally as something else entirely, having fully accepted her attraction to this man and this man alone. How far would she fall, as that hand upon his chest seemed to steady her she only gained more confidence in herself. It was quite an interesting thing for her to note about herself in the moment. Well, she'd come here to find out something specific but she wasn't so impatient as to rush while she figured out what all came with the search. Life was a journey.

[Bloodedge]

What an interesting battle this was proving to be. As if to spit in the face of her own growing arousal, Artoria decided to seek victory even during a kiss. That poor, foolish little woman. She was more than a thousand years too early to take on this challenge, but he would allow it even prematurely. He would not, however, allow her to simply have her way indefinitely. Each time Artoria's tongue lashed out, his own contorted around it. It seemed to occur with such purpose, as if he meant to taste every speck of that wet muscle when it presented itself. It was in these moments that breaths were taken and spread into the air between mouths. The queen had been keeping her hand pressed against him for some time now, but that was not quite enough. So then, it was only sensible that he hook his free arm around the woman to pull her into himself, while his in-use hand shifted from holding her chin to grasping the whole lower half of her face from the same starting point. The thrill was only just beginning, though that did not mean he would let it be a fleeting thing as well. Even this intermediary encounter would serve glorious purpose in the grand scheme of things.

[Apollymi]

All was battle between these two, but that was also fine. Artoria did not like to lose, but she always found herself on the defensive when this man was what she was facing. This was somehow more amusing than it should have been to her, though she strangely had no idea why she found it such. If she had a moment to think about it, she'd probably have realized that her fight against Lucius Tiberius had also been an uphill battle she had enjoyed all for the release of victory at the end. Technically speaking, she was always chasing the same kind of feeling, she simply had not yet realized it. Oh well, there were currently far more important things to ponder.

For instance, the tongue of Gilgamesh, thoroughly inspecting her own in a way which made her knees weaken. Good thing there was now an arm wrapped around her person. Oh, not a good thing, or a very good thing? She found herself held against his fore, the grip of his hand on her face changing she felt so very small. Beyond such a feeling there was a direct contrast, one which did not normally exist. She was certain she was muscular for a girl and as such was always confused by how soft she felt wrapped up in his arms like this. Oh... and her back held a large window upon it, she could feel his skin against her own in multiple places... it was far too much. Between those movements of tongue and heated breaths would come a moan one that Artoria recognized as her own but was far too busy to be concerned about directly. 'One day this treacherous body of mine will obey me!' What an interesting thought. 'His too!' Domination at its finest. Oh well, she was allowed to have her hopes and dreams as she allowed everyone else theirs. Now then, with him holding her like this, that hand of hers, once used to steady herself in her assault of his lips moved upward. Finger tips grazed collar bones, shoulders and all before coming to rest around the back of his neck. One day, she'd figure out what she found so attractive about this man's build, but until she did, she'd appreciate it the same way she did all things that came in contact with her hands.