Charles Patricius

[Bloodedge]

Hanabira had lost consciousness from yet another collision with the wall. The way Kazuhiko saw things, he'd be better off losing consciousness on a more permanent basis. He didn't intend to let any of these culprits live. Their methods were reeked of Saxony. If Saxons were allowed to live, their methods propagated. His was the responsibility of trimming the hedges, so to speak. "Get the next one," Kazu said to Sena, expecting Hanabira to pass out again later. For now, he woke the lad with another kick to the face, another slam against the wall. Before Hanabira could speak this time, Kazuhiko was already making demands again. "You're low on chances. Do as I say, or die," he said in an eerily plain manner. Hanabira only seemed more confused. "Huh? What are... you talking..." It seemed Hanabira was effectively concussed. Neither Kei nor Kazu was successfully getting an apology in the moment. With that in mind, Kazu shifted his gaze to Sena. "Do you want this one instead? It's pretty satisfying," he claimed.

At Kei's end though, there was a demand being made of the missing lad from that original group. Three were already being punished at least, but one of them had been caught in an attempted escape. Kei wasn't having any of that, but this lad wasn't being very complacent for different reasons. "Who, me? Try another one; I haven't done shit to you freaks!" he insisted. Seiichi thought that wasn't the best idea in terms of response options. Regardless, he was more concerned with the death of those others coming without the apologies Kazu and Kei sought. "Well... I only asked because, if you wanted, I could fix those guys and keep them alive until they give in. I don't see the point of torturing someone to death if you're not even going to get results," Seiichi commented, sharing his own strange form of darkness. Speaking of darkness, Kaguya was revealing a bit on that phone call as well. "A sailor suit, huh? Did you get one too?" Hiruko asked initially. "Actually, it doesn't matter. I'll get new ones for everybody. Oh!" As if remembering he'd been rude, Hiruko switched his phone to speaker mode just then. "It's Kayacchi. She doesn't know about the yacht yet~" he said to Sakura. Moving on to the situation Kaguya and some others were in, she quickly fell into code-speak. Hiruko understood her precise meaning throughout that speech, and in fact... the way she translated left him throbbing within Sakura. Of course, there was also some disturbing information in the mix. "When you put it like that, Kayacchi, it really gets me going. I knew I made a good choice picking you. Tell you what? I've got a phone call to make anyway, so... I'll see if there are any strings to pull. Anything else while I'm on the line?" he asked. If Kaguya wanted nothing else, Hiruko supposed he'd be making another call to Makima right away.

In the storage room, Reiji was further kept from reprieve. In fact, she claimed life was too short to avoid spontaneous moments such as what she now facilitated with mobile hips. Reiji's body obviously didn't disagree; he kept hardening under those movements. What Miko had to say was inline with Sakura's earlier words, albeit with a more clear and concise purpose that didn't seem so totally random. Already one deep, he wasn't so reprehensive this time around. Would he rely on nostalgia just a bit for the sake of pleasure-seeking? Well, that didn't even seem necessary; nostalgia wasn't the sole culprit of what he currently experienced. Miko offered... 'help' of some sort. Reiji could only sigh as he gave genuine consideration to the two-way offer, surprising himself in doing so. "I should instead be wondering what's happening to me lately. Shouldn't you be regrouping with your friends? There isn't even time for what you're suggesting, and as you yourself said... I am on the clock," he stated.

[Apollymi]

"Hai!~" was the response of Sena. That fat man was being beaten into and out of consciousness in intervals as they aimed to get apologies out of these lads for their bad behavior. Of course, this was a strange and very Alayan form of parental bonding but that was fine for everyone except the humans in the room. All the while, Emirie stood behind her father, and watched as her sister seemed to be having quite a bit of fun playing the role of enforcer. Her own twin took a pretty similar pace looking after one of the other people and this was turning into something rather wholesome aside from how it started. "Yeah, I've been waiting to kick someone's ass today!" Sena claimed, well there really was no denying her parentage. Another kick would be bouncing that fat one's head off the wall again, held back enough to keep anything from happening. It seemed the only one who could actually talk was content not to take responsibility. Kei's eyes didn't leave him as he claimed they were freaks and that he'd done nothing. "No. It doesn't work like that... a group of people don't hang out, plot their weird blackmail hentai antagonist bullshit, and play a game to determine who is going to do what with girls they've never met before just for you to claim innocence here. Fence sitting isn't an option and as they actually tried it, your guilt is clear. Don't make me figure out what you did, because if I have to, what happens to you will be worse than them." Kei mentioned those words with an amount of calm which was a bit disturbing considering the violence she'd delivered. "Can you fix, just his punctured innards and leave the breaks? It's a just punishment considering he has bones the consistency of chalk while possessing the audacity to call me a beansprout," she concluded to Seiichi. But she was a control freak, and they were in control... this was the place she dwelled in the best. "I don't have a full set up here, but I could go peeking around his phone pretty easy..." Ai mentioned almost casually her own phone sitting on the table in front of her, screen lit up.

Just the same Kaguya was having a seemingly normal conversation, "New sailor suits for everyone? Doesn't that sound fun~ You're the best♥~" Kaguya said happily. Whatever the case, it seemed that Kaguya would be getting an on purpose switch to speaker from Hiruko's end, so she could hear the busy activities and the voice of Sakura, safe, sound and having fun. "Hirrun, said he'd get a bigger boat than the one we're on right now. Never been on a yacht but it sounded like fun. Are you guys going to hang out for that one too?~" Sakura asked her voice a bit hiccup-y. "Oya? A yacht party does sound like a great deal of fun. Glad you're having a good time Saku-chan♥~" Kaguya mentioned. Meanwhile, that throbbing of Hiruko was something she'd recognize and feel and move her hips to, while she kept up her own works. "Glad to keep you going, Hi-niisama. I don't have any other immediate needs, though if you could find a way to staunch those leaked trade secrets, we could keep the outraged spilled drinks to a minimum. Mi-chan wanted to talk to you... but she's acting as a distraction, so she can't come to the phone right now♥~ Quick as you like, feel free to call me back, Saku-chan I'll text you♥~" Kaguya mentioned almost playfully. "Hai!~" Sakura answered, seeming somewhat relieved but also a bit more curious... no direct mention of Kazuhiko had been made, but it was her assumption that it was him, who flipped the table. As such Sakura needed to find out his emotional state. That was her responsibility. Any call made to Makima after that would be answered within seconds, "Speak."

Speaking of taking responsibility, Miko was busy flirting with a man in a storage closet and maybe succeeding. At the very least, she could feel the stiffening of his cock and knew it would be well worth the effort of freeing it from his pants. She'd not stopped her movements against him and instead simply bent at the waist showing that deep bend in her spine as if she was looking at something on the low self, but instead her fingers were gently trailing his thigh down the length of his manhood. When questioned about her friends and the like a little smirk came to Miko's face and she peeked backwards at Reiji and explained. "I have a bad habit of wandering off for my own little adventures during this sort of thing. My friends are playing card games right now, they are super into it, they won't miss me for the duration of a lunch break. Let's call it that... everyone gets one of those, even the owner right, Reiji-san♪~" Miko questioned playfully. "My friends are trustworthy, they'll definitely let us know if we're needed, as for what's going on in your life right now, if it's anything like mine, I assume you're having a bunch of new weird fun. And there's nothing wrong with that, as random and overwhelming as it may seem, you can share it with people like us♪~" Miko chimed happily.

[Bloodedge]

And so, the addition of Sena had Hanabira out like a broken light once more. Something was already wrong with his head, so he figured she was due a bit of extra fun for the help she'd offered. "I figured you were," he said about her apparent waiting. "Good form. Emirie, what do you want done to the ones that tried you?" he asked. Kazuhiko realized the other boy was still very conscious and trying to keep himself safe via silence. His apology had been given after some 'convincing' at least, but Kazuhiko didn't intend to let him go easily. The larger one had a much more audacious approach that Kazu also hated because he'd sacrificed a comrade for personal gain. Taking Emirie's desires into consideration would come first, but that one had to pay an additional price in the end. On the topic of paid prices, the one Kei dealt with would ideally be left with his broken ribs even if his lungs were patched. Seiichi seemed contemplative in the face of her request. Could he actually repair one, but not the other? Probably. "I should be able to? Well... I'll at least try for fear of what you'll do if I disappoint. Someone should watch this group though," he said while keeping the last boy addressed by Kei from slipping through. That one apparently had no intention of admitting any guilt.

Kaguya had only one additional request: doing something about Sakura's leaks. Hiruko already gave consideration to the likelihood of that occurrence, so it was a non-issue for the girl's reputation. "I can probably get somebody to clean all your spills pretty soon. Keep an eye open. Pay to my album if you like♥~" he said as the call came to an end. With that, Hiruko was dialing Makima and reaching her in moments. Speakerphone remained active for the time being. "Arf♥~" he said playfully to start. As he needed work for another's sake this time, Hiruko was quick to address the point. "I'm looking for a favor. I've got some lucky charms who got themselves caught up in something, and they need a cleanup quicker than I can reach. Sending address. Got anybody nearby who can handle the job?" he asked, finally freeing his hands to grasp at Sakura's hips and put forth a bit of thrusting effort himself.

It seemed Miko had an excuse for everything. Her alleged habit of wandering off was enough to justify her current absence, and as for his... she was content to blame the fact that everyone else was busy with their games. It all made perfect sense, but the speed by which she presented those alibis was almost disturbing. Reiji would have been bothered enough to comment, but that arched spine under his gaze was quite the effective distraction. If that wasn't enough, there was a hand passing over that stiffening bulge to further goad him along. She alluded to the time of a lunch break. Under any normal circumstance, he would have argued the possibility of that... but after dealing with Sakura, Reiji couldn't be too surprised by anything. "You know what? I strangely believe you. I guess I'll at least listen to whatever ideas you have, against what I should call my better judgment."

[Apollymi]

Sena was congratulated on her form, and blushed with pure happiness at the compliment. "Arigatou!~" Sena chimed. As for Emirie what did she want to happen to those who tried her? "Logic says that I shouldn't really hold a grudge, but I don't think it's possible for them to reach the proper conclusion on their own. I'd rather they not be left to cause the same kinds of problems to others..." she decided with a fair bit of conciseness. She could fight and would do it herself if necessary but she maintained a certain amount of disgust about that fat one. As for Kei and Seiichi, he claimed to be able to try but needed the lad he was holding back to not be able to run off. "Fine, I'll hold him..." Kei mentioned. She realized she had some ability to use some of her lower level magic. Nothing too great, but her fingers extended an several invisible strings would attach themselves to each of that lad's limbs. She was also just enough of a sadist that she'd let him attempt to run. And if he did, he'd find himself flyign towards the ceiling and having the air knocked out of him so he couldn't scream either. All the while, Ai was mirroring his phone and seeing those same videos that had been shown by the loudmouth orange haired guy. None of these guys felt like Sakura, she had not had sex with them so... them possessing those videos that also didn't come from her phone was crazy. "He definitely has the videos too, they have watch counters," Ai mentioned of that one. Even if he wanted to claim innocence he owned someone else's porn that wasn't given to him by the person most heavily featured in it.

"Definitely♥~" Kaguya agreed to pay the man some pictures, as soon as she was able to take them. Whatever the case, another phone call was starting and though he was still in the middle of sexual activity, but managed his usual kind of reaction. She heard that and was fine to listen to his request, even as she sat in her office in that straight backed chair with her form perfectly aligned in the middle of it. "Hi-pyon? You're picking up pets now... they grow up so fast~" she teased gently. Well, she couldn't well let her favorite pet, lose his pets over something like a cleanup. She typed the address into a special app, which pinged her other people... such a thing noted a nearby operative marked as doing 'cleaning' already. "I can send someone... but a favor like that is going to cost you. This time, you'll deliver to me the one who started it. I'll give you the opportunity to check him out first and get him to agree if you want. I find myself interested in such things from time to time, and life gets quite boring..." she mused. Still a message was sent and she immediately received one back. All it said was... ETA 4 minutes. "Clean up will arrive in 4 minutes. I assume that is quick enough. Also clock is still ticking for you, Hi-pyon. Anything else?"

Meanwhile, Miko was apparently gaining persuasive ability. She'd managed to keep up those movements and in bending over seemed to manage even more of a distraction. She didn't know how long she needed to distract this man, but if he needed to say in this room with her for an extended period of time, she could definitely make it work. Apparently, he believed her, that was good, she shivered just a little pressing her hips back against him a bit more as she rose while feeing up the length of his cock. It was definitely worth what she had in mind for it. As for what she had in mind, it was quite simple. "I'm glad you believe me, a Miko doesn't tell lies♪~" she chimed. "As for my ideas, since it's lunch, how about you feed me this~" she chirped while touching his cock. "And since it's a break, you can sit in your chair. If you're still up for it afterwards, I can sit in your lap, while you show me those things on your computer~" she mused, it would be good for there to actually be something to show for her time spent here, besides her full belly.

[Bloodedge]

According to Emirie, she may have held no grudge against the scum... yet she also didn't think the problem should be allowed growth to have negative interactions with others. It was such a respectable answer, Kazuhiko could do naught but calm himself a bit more. "I like that answer. In that case..." With that, Kazu would proceed to slide Hinokawa off the larger lad's body. "You can have that one," he said to Sena while approaching Hanabira. From then on, Kazu would be lowering himself and giving Hanabira a pummeling for quite some time. Here and there, the boy would be woken by another concussive blow. He saw glimpses of reality, only to lose them immediately, time and time again. It was during that time that Seiichi switched places with Kei. A scalpel seemed to appear in his hand, and he'd proceed to place it against the fallen lad's ribcage. What happened beyond that would be hidden from most by Seiichi's position, but there was an abrupt silencing of the boy as Seiichi rendered his 'patient' unconscious.

Makima's initial response about pets was cause for a laugh from Hiruko. "Different sorts, I think. This one here is a special variety," he said as a slap to Sakura's ass occurred. His recent collection was not the topic of importance here though, as he was now multiple requests deep with Makima. She fully acknowledged this. What she wanted in exchange for this favor was... the one responsible for a necessary cleanup. Naturally, Hiruko had no idea who that person even was... but he couldn't deny the order. "Done and done," he agreed. Upon hearing the time of arrival for cleanup, Hiruko also heard a reminder. The days he had available before seeing Makima were counting down. "I'll shorten it by a day," he challenged. "Nothing else. Oh, except... I was thinking to run a second business around these parts. I've got a growing list of clients here lately. That's just something I'll bring up when I swing by. Oh, and... there'll be a yacht or two in your area soon. That's all."

A Miko did not tell lies. Reiji was added to a growing list of people who heard that sentence from this particular girl. Maybe he could have retained more sensibilities if she had, at any point, stopped rubbing her rear against his crotch in such a stimulating way. What of her ideas though? They were made more titillating in the moment, and moreover... it sounded like he could actually have some work done in the meantime, technically. "That's ah... an interesting offer," he said, only just realizing his hips were naturally moving to facilitate a grind between Miko and himself. Even in noticing as much, he couldn't stop himself. "My sensibilities say things should be a bit more give-and-take than that... but under the circumstances, it would be best to get something done. I'll go ahead and take that chair then... if you'll just..." Technically, Reiji needed the lass to move so he could actually make it to his desk. Even so, his hips hadn't stopped shifting against hers. Life was going in such a strange direction for the humble card shop proprietor.

[Apollymi]

Apparently, the calmness of the children was enough to help mediate the anger Kazuhiko felt. He calmed down in the face of Emirie's decision, and gave one of the perpetrators to Sena to take care of. He'd begin rather steadily beating the other. All the while, the one being fixed up by Seiichi was unconscious and the one being held by Kei was still refusing. Ai, on the other hand was looking at the stills and short clips on that one's phone and clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Should I just erase this? It doesn't look like the kind of thing you'd want..." she asked aloud of Kazu. And Kaguya having finished her phone call peeked over and scoffed. "Really? This is what they think? I really hate people like this..." her own version of magic seemed to tick into life, there was a certain truth this group needed before they were sent into the next life... she stood and casually began walking over. "I apparently have someone coming to clean up this mess in a few minutes. Before then... I'd like to make sure the lesson sticks, even in the next cycle~" she offered Kazuhiko with a cheeky smile. "I'd need them lined up and conscious though~" she claimed obvious deviance crossing her face.

Apparently, Hiruko's new pets were of a different variety, obviously they were something else, if he'd only just gotten them and they already needed someone around for cleanup. That quick smack delivered to Sakura's ass got a little yelp out of her as she continued to move her hips against him. "Yeep!" the noise slipped out of her. If her understanding of the situation made sense, Kazuhiko and their group ended up killing some of the patrons of the card shop. She'd heard that young women didn't normally go places like that. And she'd begun extrapolating why based on the human understanding of her own experience. Whatever the case, Makima was leaning against one hand whle looking down at her phone and hearing the noise. Her request was being honored without fault and Hiruko was even shortening the amount of time he'd take to meet up with her by an entire day. "Oh? Something like that over something so small... you could always just visit more if you miss me, Hi-pyon~" she chided. Ah, but there was no seriousness there, she could always pull him back in if needed and he'd always pout himself in a position to be brought in similarly. As for his growing list of clients and the yachts, she had nothing negative to say. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea, and seems like I'll get to see a bit more of you. You don't have to limit yourself, just make sure I know if a business pops up that I can take advantage of..." Makima said. She must have been in quite the good mood, or she was trying to sweeten the deal further and tie him into this situation more. Sakura had already come to the conclusion that the woman on the phone was the same as the one who'd applied the mark to his neck. In fact as they spoke it was shimmering under her vision, seeming to grow into something more resembling of a collar with a long leash. Interesting.

At the same time, Miko had told yet another individual about her lack of lies. And beyond that, had her offer acknowledged as interesting. She smirked while moving against him and finding him to be rather naturally pushing his own hips against hers. "Isn't it, I think it's great♪~" Miko chimed softly as she would. Ah, well, as his hips naturally facilitated movements, she'd go along with him. She'd followed his movements back up towards his waist, and would be easily looping her fingers into his belt as he claimed he needed to move towards that chair, in spite of it not being as fair as he thought. "Fair is relative, Reiji-san. And I am getting a lot of what I want out of this... if it really bugs you, you can make it up to me later... and let me have a few keepsakes for my collection~" she asked almost coyly. As for getting him to the chair, she'd naturally begin moving towards it, but wouldn't be leaving much space between them, she'd guide him along by the waist, making sure their hips still had contact here and there between the chair. "I wasn't trying to pin you down or anything... but I also can't let you get away from me... I hope you don't mind~" she teased gently she'd release him near the chair. But before letting him have a seat, she'd be bent over at the waist, giving a clear view of her bottom before she turned to face him properly, giving a clear view down her recently acquired cleavage. Her fingers returned to his belt aiming to help him drop his pants before he took a seat. "I took a few liberities, I hope you don't mind but it's probably a bit easier from this angle~" she noted, aiming to free him of his pants and allow him that seat before she potentially set herself upon his groin completely.

[Bloodedge]

While Kazuhiko busied himself with the abuse of that large teen, Ai had a question for him. He may have become more calm after interacting with Sena and Emirie, but it was not a safe calmness he felt. Did he want her to erase those images and videos of Sakura in the boy's phone? "It doesn't matter. They won't be able to see it again anyway," he said with eerie nonchalance. Another swift fist to Hanabira's face ensued, and then... there was Kaguya. Apparently, she had a plan and someone to clean the bodies of these lads relatively soon. When Kazu looked to the black-haired lass, he felt something... oddly relatable from her. Whatever she had in mind was something he felt interested in witnessing. "You feel different. Whatever. Let's see your plan," he agreed. "Seiichi." At Kazu's command, the son looked up and wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow. It seemed he was done with the fallen boy, yet... there was no blood on that scalpel, nor visible wound/scarring on the boy. "Hai. I'll take care of it," the boy said while dragging his patient over. It seemed he'd have to repair a bit of the large one's brain damage as well, so he looked to Kei while establishing three-quarters of a line against the wall. "This one will only take a second. Gomen ─ could you bring the other one?"

All the while, Hiruko's chat with Makima was reaching its end. That wouldn't come without her coyly mentioning his ability to visit more often, however. "What can I say? Call me a masochist for keeping my distance. If you find yourself missing me, though, you know all the most effective ways to pull the leash♥~" he flirted as if to flip the proverbial script. His ideas were permitted with ease, but he expected as much. "I'll keep you posted. A new friend and I should be paying you a visit pretty soon," he said finally. With that, Hiruko's attention shifted to Sakura. "So, Sakucchi ─ which one of these 'stunning friends' of yours should I assume is responsible for a mess in the card shop?"

Reiji's sensibilities were argued against. Miko offered opposition, claiming her suggestion was fair enough. If he thought otherwise, however, he was free to make up the difference later. Of course that was her suggestion. "I guess it was foolish of me to think life could return to normal after recent events. We'll see..." he said. Alas, the type of person Reiji was inherently disagreed with the notion of mere consideration. He was quite the stand-up guy, in reality; he wouldn't just rest on something he considered to be an unfair exchange. Whatever 'collection' Miko spoke of was a mystery for him, but... he was already being led around by the belt by then, so surely he was fine being led into a trap. "Collection?" was the question offered. Soon after, he was positioned in front of a chair and having his trousers pulled away. Reiji took that same time to slide down into the chair, prominent erection springing forth full-force. "You're free to whatever liberties you like. I'm actually too busy judging myself to pass any judgment on you," he insisted. Oh well; Reiji would at least be trying to bring up the ordering application on his computer.

[Apollymi]

Talking to his children had garnered Kazuhiko some calm but apparently that wasn't a true calm. No, it was a dangerous one, that should have implied something scary, but alas, those who'd spent any reasonable amount of time on Alaya, didn't seem to be afraid. Maybe a little confusion here and here, but most of this group wouldn't even flinch at the oddity. "Hai hai," Ai mentioned. It being left up to her, meant she'd delete them if only because she didn't think Sakura deserved to be preserved in a state that obviously wasn't at all her idea. Meanwhile, Kaguya proposed a plan which involved very little but also would feed into the lesson to be learned which she felt the need to impart. As one who was coveted most often by those undeserving she felt it necessary to end this here and now. "Oya? I'm sure nothing has changed about me... has to be something added to you♥~" she flirted. In truth she also felt the kindred relationship between them, whatever the case, a little pulse of power, just enough to effect the current space and trap the four humans in the space between dreams and reality was channeled. No noises they made would be heard and the only thing they could properly see would be Kaguya and Kazuhiko standing before them. "One more thing... after you're done kids, look away. Cover the baby's eyes Chi-chan... this isn't for them~" she said. Anya only managed to look a bit surprised. All the while Kei watched as some very interesting work was completed by Seiichi before he had another call to answer to. "That's some nice work, but it's not like I'm impressed or anything..." she scoffed, a typical tsundere being actually legitimately impressed. "I can move him, it's no big deal..." she said. As she moved the last human into position against the wall. The brain damage whenever it healed would begin the show. At the same time both Sena and Emirie turned their backs to the sight of the wall and stood behind their father, assuming that if Kaguya said there was something they didn't need to see, the honestly didn't need to see it.

At the same time, Hiruko and Makima were having their conversation wrap up quite nicely. There was something to be said about turning the proverbial page on Makima she could be annoying by it, but there were allowances to be made to Hiruko, always. "Hm, I suppose that is always possible... though you are quite the masochist in most cases. Color me surprised to find you with pets of your own~" she mused as if she'd not considered it an idea before. "Fine, I'll be waiting... say goodbye," she stated knowing that when he did she'd simply hang up the phone. As for the question posed to Sakura directly, who would need a clean up at the card shop. "I felt it earlier... it'd have to be Kazzun... though he's normally quite evenly tempered so if he made such a decision then he had a good reason," she stated simply. "I should go check on him, his emotional stability is supposed to be something I am monitoring. Though it might still be too soon," she said taking very seriously the duty she'd been tasked with, but still she was moving her hips. It was as if the motions themselves were part of her thought processes. All the while, she was feeling a different one stir, that one was also familiar, Kaguya was doing something a little magical too. How interesting.

Meanwhile, apparently Reiji thought himself foolish for thinking his life could return to normal. "You aren't the only one like that... I tried it too, but it's more fun this way~" Miko commiserated earnestly. "Thank you for the consideration~" she chimed at the end, seemingly pleased that he'd even actually consider her request for more later. Her own life had been turned upside down merely a week ago, but standing here in a store room with a humble shop keep who's dick she'd managed to talk out of his pants, she was suddenly feeling a bit more confident in her decisions. As for the question of her collection, Miko could only smile, phone in hand as she opened up her camera and situated herself between the legs of Reiji as he took his seat with his erection up in the air. "I might be a bit of an amateur photographer. I like a specific kind of keepsake for these kinds of moments. A bit like people who take pictures of their plates at fancy restaurants~" she explained gently as she posed beside an upright cock for a few cute selfies. Including various faces and amounts of distraction in her eyes. If one looked at those pictures they would see a bit of drool that leaked down the corner of her mouth. 'I'm so lucky I keep finding delicious things!~' she mentally chimed. "Before I get properly started though, great dick, Reiji-san~" she slipped that mild bit of inappropriate speech in before, slipping her tongue around the tip of his cock and letting her hand begin to stroke it as well. It was so nice. It had such good weight to it, and it tasted good. The wetness of her mouth would be joined by her loins once again. Oh well, she'd try and leave him to his paperwork... maybe. Well, until it became obvious that the hand she was using to stroke his member wasn't because she just intended to let him stay at the front of her mouth. No, slowly did she move it back, burying her face further and further into his lap, until such a time that he would reach the back of her throat and find acceptance, and the first gentle hum against his cock's tip. All while she was peeking up at him from below.

[Bloodedge]

While Seiichi was working through an on-the-spot repair of Hanabira's concussions, Kei commented on his work with the other lad. He'd only been born today, so naturally... he wasn't too familiar with the behavioral patterns of a tsundere. She claimed he'd done some nice work, but further stated that she wasn't impressed. Interestingly enough, Seiichi took that to mean he should have completed the task more efficiently, and perhaps much quicker. He felt humbled, to say the least."... Hai. Sumimasen; it was the best I could do. I'll try harder next time," he said apologetically. All the while, Kazu was watching Kaguya set up a bit of magic while claiming nothing was different within herself. Maybe she was right; maybe it was him going through something different. "Hm," he mumbled in response while Seiichi shifted out of the way. All four culprits were conscious and unable to be heard outside their current space. "So what's the plan?"

Hiruko was told to say goodbye. Makima ended phone calls in so few ways, he could have easily expected that one. In fact, he did... and he was ready to be a little cheeky in response. "See you soon♥~" he said, foregoing a proper goodbye. He never knew if something like that got under Makima's skin, or for what reason if it did... but it was worth an internal laugh. With that matter out of the way, Sakura named the individual she thought was at fault for a few murders. The way she spoke of this 'Kazzun' person and her connection to him were cause for a few assumptions. "Kazzun huh? I wonder why you're responsible for emotional stability with almost half a dozen bodies down. Who's he affiliated with?" Hiruko wondered.

Apparently, Reiji wasn't the only one going through the strangest motions. Miko proved herself to be an unusually worldly teen who'd already been through a similar process, and Sakura earlier seemed to be some sort of center point for it all. Regardless, he was able to learn of the 'collection' Miko mentioned. She called herself an amateur photographer, reminding him of some images he still had from Sakura before. Maybe that was what the young ones were into now? Well, if it evened things out even a little, he absolutely couldn't say no. "Sou ka. I might be a little out of touch. I suppose I don't mind. You seem trustworthy enough, even if I'm now deathly curious about your entire generation," he said with a sigh. Miko was free to have whatever pictures she wanted... but Reiji was apparently not free to get much done while she carried on. She grabbed his cock; that was normal. She licked the tip; that was also to be expected. She even gave him a compliment on its quality; a bit surprising, but less so than it would have been a few days prior. By the time he thought to click open a few tabs, however... Reiji was learning that perhaps Sakura wasn't the anomaly he thought her to be. She took his shaft to the mouth like a seasoned veteran, and further took it back as if gag reflexes didn't exist. "Hnng─!" he groaned, his attention snapping to Miko immediately. "Of course. Why am I even surprised? I really am out of touch..."

[Apollymi]

Seiichi was being opened to tsundere abuse in a very specific way. That was going to cause an argument between Kei and Miko later, but Ai thought it was going to be amusing so she didn't say anything. To Kei's credit when she heard those words, she hadn't meant for them to be taken that way. Even so, she was not going to lose face by explaining herself. No, she'd instead doubly commit, "Hmphf, see that you do," she said seemingly confident. "Oh? Is that what that looks like from the outside?" Angelica wondered aloud. Everything she'd seen so far of these people, said they were worse than those kept in Olivier's prison, killing them would make her no real difference. As Kazuhiko thought about his nature changing instead of Kaguya's she could only smirk as she went on to explain the perfectly simple plan. "Remember how I told you I cursed my ex my first day? Well, the truth is, such a curse wasn't something I tried to do on purpose. I've come to realize that people who covet while having nothing to offer in return really piss me off. Especially when it is the type of thing that could toy with the lives of others. I've lived that life, I wouldn't wish it on anyone else..." she explained a bit of the backstory. "Basically, I am going to force them to remember they are unworthy, now and forever. As far as I understand it, this will stick even if they die. It will probably also make them cucks but the basically already are, I can feel it~" she explained. "So, if you'll agree to be the prop in this case. I'll make sure they never forget, then you can end this as you see fit. I'm not too picky about the end details~" she explained finally. Basically she wanted to inflict magical karma and could do it, using Kazuhiko as a catalyst so long as he was willing to be part of her point.

Meanwhile Hiruko was told to say goodbye to Makima and as he hung up he didn't. She frowned lately after her phone clicked off, and then smirked chuckling just a little. Was she amused or upset? Well, time would tell... it didn't really matter, she'd be seeing him soon. It seemed her use of his nickname was one which didn't hit Hiruko. She couldn't recall if she'd spoken about him in great detail or not. "Hai, well, Kimura Kazuhiko is his name, but Kazzun is my preferred point of reference for him. I met him a fairly low point in his life and helped him out. It was relatively recent so he asked me to keep an eye on him as he hadn't been feeling emotionally the same as before the incident. I don't think six is a large number of bodies considering his history, but I would like to hear out why he decided the deaths were necessary to be certain," she explained in general terms. As they continued on from that point in the conversation., she thought about his affliation, "He doesn't have one... here." she said seeming to have stopped herself from giving a greater explanation than that. There was an odd balancing aspect to this whole magical versus mundane world thing.

Reiji was far from the only person being sucked into some odd parts of his life. Miko might have seemed oddly worldly but she was in truth quite a bit older than she seemed and without reservations given ehr own more recent experiences. If she wanted to do something and it was possible, she'd try to do it. Reiji was currently on this list, and she was already working herself up to a great deal of fun. She'd taken her pictures and gotten settled, "Hm, I think we are a bit more sensory than before... I could be wrong about that, but it seems right," she explained of her thoughts on her own generation. Fully immersed in the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations.... that's how she'd describe herself. Still, it almost seemed like Reiji might be in for a relatively normal experience for an actual adult but... his cock went beyond the space of a gag relfex and he jerked. She found herself smirking, as much as was possible with a mouth full of dick her tongue gently caressing one side, as the hand no longer occupying his shaft went further down looking for treasures to play with, his family jewels would indeed do. Just the same her other hand would remain in place, taking up space as she gently lifted her head, but that wasn't all, no, she'd found the joy of choking on a cock due to her own machinations as well, so she'd do ethat too, staring up at him innocently as her throat gurgled and churned around him. 'This is fun!~' she mentally mused. Ah well, she had to keep the surprises coming and it wasn't like this was painful for her or anything. If nothing else, ti gave her cheeks a bit of extra pallor and her jaws time to relax while she alternated her methods around the core of his body.

[Bloodedge]

"... Hai," Seiichi said, seeming just slightly defeated ─ albeit slightly motivated as well. That aside, Kaguya shared her plan to affect the quartet of card players in this life and the next ─ something Kazuhiko could actually get behind. He wasn't sure what kind of catalyst he was needed as, but... he had a few ideas, and Kaguya was trustworthy. It was likely something sexual in nature, based on her request to have the young ones look away. Oh well. "Do what you think is right. They aren't making it out of here, but I'd rather not deal with more actual Saxons because these douchebags reincarnated," he said. From that point forward, Kazu would take the 'wait and see' approach for whatever Kaguya intended.

In the meantime, Hiruko was also receiving an explanation ─ about the one called Kazuhiko specifically. He had a few details about his relationship to Sakura, drew some conclusions about that, and even had reason to believe he was worth inspection. A history of killing was alluded to, despite Hiruko having no idea who this person was. Well... he did have one idea now. Sakura claimed the lad had no affiliations here, but... "None here. That's pretty specific. What's he to you then?" he wondered. "And what's 'here' specifically?" That smooth voice did not come from Hiruko. Behind the pair, by the boat's window, there was another male of similar height and build to Hiruko. This man had short ginger hair and dull blue eyes. Spiritually, he seemed only a hair's breadth above a normal human. He wore a beaded earring with a red crystal on his left ear. A few lighter blond streaks could be seen in his hair, with one prominent one on the left side of his bangs. He also sported a gray jacket left unbuttoned at the bottom to reveal a belt, attached to which was a strange blue gemstone. He wore a red scarf across his chest and over his left shoulder. Paired with his jacket was a pair of gray long pants that ran down to his black boots, with one half of both boots folded down, and a chain attached to the right-side boot. He also wore a thigh garter and short gloves. Most surprising of all about this man's appearance was, however... the fact that he couldn't have been onboard before, according to Hiruko ─ who was suddenly stunned silent. Whatever the case, this man's attention was on Sakura for the time being. "Well Girlie? You're giving half-answers here."

Speaking of stunned men, Reiji wouldn't be recovering soon. He thought Sakura was some sort of standout enigma, but this random brunette was proving to be in the same realm of ridiculousness... and she was just getting started. A hand traveled to his balls, as if that were a necessity at all. Reiji was already throbbing, experiencing the threat of premature ejaculation from the unexpected throat work. His attention had basically been ripped away from the monitor by force, and now... it was sticking as Miko showed something that may have been a weakness? Well, it wasn't something he minded at all. The extra sensation applied to him due to that bout of choking was as pleasant to him as it was worrisome. "Haah!" he gasped while reaching for his sensibilities again. "Shouldn't you calm down a little? That doesn't see─em safe!" he chided.

[Apollymi]

The reaction of Seiichi was about what could be expected, there was an obvious bit of motivation. Oh well, some things would take longer than others to figure out. What wouldn't take long to figure out was what Kaguya intended to do. There was a little show, a last grace for these four individuals, if only to help end their existence. "Hai hai~ I'm glad you trust me, consider this my interview for that personal assistant job offering♥~" Kaguya mused as she stepped around. The pure magical attractive quality of her existence aiming to draw in all four sets of eyes as she spoke to them while standing in front of Kazuhiko. "Your types are all the same, some guy who could never act on his own... listening to some other guy brag and misconstrue the truth to flex. But you wouldn't know a real flex if it appeared directly in front of you," she mused. "Let me guess, you all saw Sakura walk in with him... and though he brought a bombshell with him... and it turned your stomachs. Screw the fact that they were just trying to have fun... and were minding their own business, you simply couldn't bare to see it~" she mused, she stood in front of Kazuhiko, shaking her ass, looking back occasionally and opening the buttons of his shirt. A godly torso with more muscles than any seventeen year old boy should have would be shown and Kaguya would ever so gently place a kiss on his neck while speaking this little story into existence. All the while with active magic flowing she was able to read their hearts so clearly while piecing together their punishment. "So you plotted and you schemed. You set her up to meet the supposed bitch breaker, right? All you wanted was to take from someone else, assuming that if that one could do it any of you could. Thinking maybe he'd give you some crumbs, his videos, his images, his work...the actions of cucks. Getting off on other people doing what you can't~ But you don't understand something like that only works in your shitty NTR hentai~" she mused. Her legs were spreading, splitting in that clean space of the floor until she was lined up with Kazuhiko's pants blocking their view undoing his pants and giving him a playful wink. "I don't appreciate your assumptions. I saw that fake bitch breaker, and while it's way bigger than what someone like you shrimp dicked kids can manage... it's nothing compared to something... immaculate. No one her caliber would be broken by that... so now and forever remember~" she said slipping to the side as she removed Kazuhiko's dick from his pants and showed exactly how big it was. "This is what you thought that Kakihara thing could compete against... and this is why none of you, especially him... ever stood a chance... Sayonara~" she said as she stood. She'd put him back in his pants, knowing that her magic would be looping that same image in their heads until their deaths, her disappointed and disgusted stare at their tiny cocks while she looked adoringly upon his. "That should do, as you were... I'll make the rest of that up to you~" she whispered to him as she aimed to put him back in his pants and return the state of his clothes. Only two minutes of loop existed but it would be quite the dangerous thing playing in their minds until their brains stopped working.

While magic was used to force plots and cuckery onto those who tried to use them as weapons... Sakura was stuck between trying to make proper explanations and avoiding revealing the truth of long life magical existences. He had no affiliations here but what was he to her. A pause came from Sakura strangely in both her mind and her body. How was she to explain that? The human term 'boyfriend' was age appropriate but didn't seem like enough. The truth tha she'd allowed him to use her body and soul as a catalyst to create himself after a wayward god tried to steal his existence was too far out. She was spiritually his wife, but the term wife still applied better to Angelica as far as she was concerned. "That question is slightly difficult for me," she admitted. "Compli..." she stopped speaking. Why? Well another voice was added to the mix. She was on a boat, she'd seen Hiruko clear off. So who was this man? "If you are asking where here is... Osaka, a river on a boat... if you're asking in relation to my previous statement, answering you would be problematic for me," she clarified. Sakura looked at him and only became more confused. That look wasn't from this time and place, though he didn't appear more than human. His face was somewhat familiar but not enough. His manner of speaking was quite different and as her eyes drew into that jewel on his waist, almost literal question marks appeared over her head. "That phrase tickles... half answers are all I can give... life is a bit complicated right now. You are also very complex," she stated honestly. There was something odd going on here and now her attention was marginally divided.

Meanwhile, Miko was having a good time, putting good tricks into use against the unprepared. If she'd known this one had already had sex with Sakura, she might have been doing quite a bit more to solidify her placement. As it was, she was only just avoiding the use of her full magical abilities and not speaking around her full throat. Instead she was vibrating and gagging on his cock instead. Slick wet, gurgling noises accompanied his gasps as she looked up into his face. By her own feeling of his dick within her hands she was quite sure he was enjoying. She found he self smirking and slurping her way to his cock being outside of her mouth. Her hands stayed moving, tracing her saliva around and slicking him as she licked her own lips and grinned, she felt that wetness reach his balls and moved it around as well, seemingly amused by the sensation in her hands.. "Do you really want me to? I'm perfectly safe..." she mused as she flicked her tongue at the tip of his cock multiple times rapidly, seeming to 'lalalala~' with the movements. "You could even choose the speed of my head movements yourself if you liked~" she mentioned almost casually. Miko enjoyed this part quite a bit, so she'd enjoy the sensation of putting his cock back into her mouth all the while looking up at Reiji rather innocently. He could take advantage or not, but she'd still find herself back at work, running her tongue along the length of his cock, tracing down to his sack, keeping her hand constantly movement even as she changed the targe of her mouth to his family jewels.

[Bloodedge]

Kaguya was signing herself up for an interview. As Kazu recalled, she was to become his 'personal assistant' of some sort. She went on to speak with the line of boys, even beginning to put on a show. Sadly, Kazu didn't get to see the best parts of said show. He could tell her ass was shaking, but only the worthless ones got to see any of that. As he was now, Kazu scoffed internally. Those four had another reason to die. With his shirt being unfastened and even a kiss placed on his neck, he was rather easily riled-up to boot. Kaguya continued her verbal observations of the humans. By the end, she fell into a full split, winked at him, and freed his cock. Kazu could be naught but excited whether it showed or not. a shift to the side disappointed more than just him, though. The four ahead were aghast, in utter disbelief, and a bit... afraid. "What the fuck is that..." one of them said. Of course they'd all seen Kakihara Shota and accepted his superiority, but something like that was at least in the realm of human possibility. That thing they saw now couldn't have been a dick, yet the very same girl who'd been arousing them all for a couple of minutes treated it like a thing to covet. In the end, she was putting it away... which was the biggest issue for Kazuhiko. She claimed she would be making it up to him later, but why? He saw no point in that. "Why? Aren't we proving a point?" Kazu asked, those crimson orbs staring down into Kaguya's face. "I heard something about a 'bitch breaker'. They can't conceptualize the breaking part."

Sakura couldn't find a way to give Hiruko a proper explanation. He didn't need every detail to know there was something of great importance between them, so naturally... he figured this Kazuhiko was the #1 guy they'd discussed previously. Alas, he had little chance to continue on that topic. Even with Sakura riding in his lap, Hiruko appeared to be in defensive mode upon the arrival of a strange ginger. Stranger still, Sakura began conversing with that man immediately. Such an odd girl she was. "Careful," Hiruko warned. "He's dangerous. Don't give too much information." To that, the orange-haired man chuckled. That was something to address later. For now, he was content to keep up discussions with Sakura. "Osaka... a boat... two things you've never seen, and one you'd never heard of until today... right?" he asked as if he already knew the answer. With that, he stepped forward. It seemed as if the intercourse happening on this boat was of no concern to this man as he sauntered over to the other side of the table ─ a position he could take to look Sakura in the face. He'd seen her looking down. Though he knew exactly what her eyes were drawn to, it seemed he was content to flirt. "See something you like? It'd probably be way too much for you," he boasted casually, despite not showing any sort of bulge that went beyond existing expectations. "Anyway... no point lying. Why would you say half is all you can give? Because you believe it? Or because you think that's how it's supposed to be? I'm curious." While this man spoke, Hiruko remained mostly silent. He was watching, observing and... trying to get a read on this person without any success thus far. That simply didn't happen; he couldn't wrap his head around it.

In the meantime, Reiji was asked a question... or rather, he was stood above an open trap. Did he want Miko to calm down? In all actuality, he wanted the exact opposite. If she hadn't stopped to speak, he would have been a goner already. Perhaps that would have been the best outcome for getting back to work, but this wasn't the sort of thing one wanted to stop before it was fully explored. "I ah─... If you're sure everything is fine, I can't really complain," he said. As for the permission Miko gave to control her head if desired, there was only one problem. "That would take a lot of audacity from me. I'll be honest... I─ah," Interrupted again by the return of Miko's mouth, Reiji had little choice but to collect his thoughts all over again. "I don't think I'll make it more than a few seconds longer whether I do that or not─" he admitted.

[Apollymi]

Kaguya did her entire routine, hearing the question of that one boy and finding it amusing. She could hear them, Kazuhiko could hear them, but their voices would be mumbles to everyone else. They really thought that Kakihara or whatever his name was, truly was something worth gawking at. They'd basically backed the wrong horse, and would be losing... everything. Before she could properly put him away though he had a complaint to lodge. "Well I did offer to make it up to you... don't tease me with a look like that♥~" she mused. "I'm pretty flexible about stuff like this so if you want to add a little to the plan, and show a group of cucks how little chance they have of cucking someone else... I'm more than willing to go along♥~" Kaguya flirted without complaint, even turning to place her rear against his manhood and in a single moment coming to a conclusion even as she shook her ass against him. "Still, seems like a lot for me right now, though that doesn't make me want to do it less I love a good breaking, but can you do it in the right amount of time and still finish them off?♥~" she questioned teasingly. She'd bend over completely this time giving him her ass to look at under that skirt and even giving a proper peek at her pretty pink little thong that matched the writing on her t-shirt.

Meanwhile, Sakura and Hiruko were being confronted by a being both of them were wary of, for two very different reasons. A verbal warning even came from Hiruko which caused a small smile to spread across Sakura's face. "I know he's dangerous, but we have two very different points of reference for that..." Sakura mentioned. Withholding information simply because of a danger level wasn't necessarily something Sakura would have agreed to, but she understood his point. No, there were little details to be taken in. His lack of flinching at this sexual activity. His questions specifically applied to her, that jewel at his hip which was nothing she'd ever seen before, she didn't have a lot of reference but she had enough to be rendered more curious than normal. His approach also didn't make sense, unless he stowed away, if it was magical she should have felt him coming, if it was human there should have been other signs. Curious. "Clever, clever...did you figure that out or did you already know, nii-san?~" Sakura questioned, but which things about his statement was she agreeing to? Did she see something she liked, it was probably too much for her? "Oh? You think so? If that's the case something is very wrong..." there was something of a challenge in her soul at a statement like that. "I wasn't lying... I've been avoiding specifics," she was willing to argue semantics in this particular case, most humans would have wanted to give to her. He wasn't offering but he was flirting, that wasn't completely abnormal. "This place doesn't have the foundational understanding for the types of things I have to say. I also don't know if I am the person who should be allowed to make the sort of decision around who should receive such information. It's a philosophical question I haven't gotten into the details of yet, I've been meaning to ask..." she explained while staring almost decidedly. The sexual activity she was engaged in wasn't really the primary thought process.

At the same time, Miko was asking the sort of question she knew was a trap. That being said, she'd still listen to Reiji as he worked his way through it. "I'm sure, you can trust me on this♪~" Miko said about the state of her throat and the gagging or not she chose to do, whenever she chose to do it. Whatever the case, it would seem that Reiji didn't feel entitled at all to guiding her head, all those ahs and little interruptions had her heart beating quickly in her chest. "Chii♪~" a little chirp escaped her. "That's exciting to hear... though if you're up to a little audacity can go a long way, Reiji-san♪~" she chimed. "It sounds so nice♪~" Miko murmured her tongue now dragging up his shaft going back to the head. "I came here for lunch anyways, feed me whenever you're ready... Itdakimasu♪~" she finished swirling her tongue along his shaft and up to the head only to close it onto it and run it back towards the start of her throat again. If she was being fed, she wanted a taste!

[Bloodedge]

There was indeed an offer for Kaguya to make up for her teasing. She did specifically say 'later' when making that offer, and... the way Kazu saw it, now was later. As for teasing her with a look... "Tease for a tease," he stated. A change in the plan would occur. As Kaguya turned to place and shake her rear against his groin, he knew one thing was clear. She had an inkling as well... but how much of one? She knew it to be a lot, but so much had occurred this morning. Kazuhiko could undoubtedly put an end to the four humans ahead of them with barely more than a thought and a gesture. The problem was actually elsewhere. As she rubbed against his cock, Kaguya subjected herself to the feeling of his mana ─ that endless storm of cosmic proportions kept in perpetual motion within his glans. There was a firmness in place, and a gravity that almost pulled them together by proximity alone. "I'm not worried about them. A lot happened today. Remember that thing about not missing? I think... if something happens now, we might become inseparable. You might even belong to me ─ I don't know for sure. But... it could be life-changing in the blink of an eye. I won't lock you into that danger if you don't want to."

Hiruko knew this stranger was dangerous, and so did Sakura. The man knew why each person believed as much, but he was most impressed with Sakura. The blonde male knew a killer when he saw one, and surely couldn't fathom how seasoned a killer he was, or what his methods were. Sakura... was caught-up in the metaphysical mysteries of their random guest instead. "Don't point your thinking face at me. Whether you believe me or not, I'm trying not to split you in half today," the man admitted. Sakura had questions for him, naturally. Did he figure out her newfound information, or did he know beforehand? What a question. "Nii-san?" he asked first and foremost. "If I figured it out, I already knew. Basically... don't worry about it," he insisted, moving right along from there. According to Sakura, something was quite wrong if he thought he was too much for her. "Ho? What's so wrong? Don't believe me? Or don't think it's possible? Or... don't think it should be possible? Oh, and you can keep your ride going. C'mon, watching your tits bounce should be enough to keep me busy from over here." Despite his obvious preferences in conversation, this man was here with purpose. The more Sakura withheld information, the more she was limiting herself. Tohsaka Sakura was not one who needed self-imposed limitations. While mulling over her words, he leaned back in his chair, even kicking his feet up onto the table in the most lax manner possible. "Hmm. Foundational understanding... is weird, isn't it? And all that babble about philosophy doesn't sound too solid to me. Let me ask you something, Girlie. If I knew this boat was going to sink, but I didn't let you know because the Captain didn't tell me I could... should I let you drown?" he asked as a piercing gaze set upon the girl. He may have felt more ordinary than one with his speech pattern ever should, but that didn't matter. When he looked at Sakura, he could see through her in a way very few people in the history of the universe ever could. Every moment of her existence across this reality and the next were, at present, more of an interactive video game in his eyes. For now, he was just picking up the controller to make a few selections... or suggestions, even.

Speaking of suggestions, Miko had another for Reiji. He fully believed a bit of audacity would do much for him in the immediate future. In truth, that was precisely why he wasn't doing it. Had Sakura ruined him? Much like the purple-haired girl before, this one was offering a service as if she benefited from it directly. If that were the case, how could he short either of them on a longer experience? Well, it seemed goals were aligned in the end. Miko expressed her desire for... lunch, as she called it. There was only one way he could take that, but he couldn't apply the same expectations to her that Sakura had previously blown. He had to believe she was still somewhat normal, so... a hand that reached out for the top of Miko's head was brought to a halt before it reached. His hips, however, could not be stopped from reflexively bucking to shove additional length into her descending throat. "Hnn─I was ready moments after you started! It would probably be for the best if you backed away for a moment!" he warned, knowing his load to be an explosive thing that would come in a matter of seconds.