Charles Patricius

[Bloodedge]

Those eyes that viewed Miko through reality were more open now. She'd come for him too, would she? How interesting. That decision was quite some time ago, as was their agreement. Miko and her other selves were stalling for longer than necessary. No matter. Whenever she approached the one called Mugen, she'd have no choice but to learn karma had no sense of good or bad, but could instead be a simple matter of words versus actions. For now though, she'd have the joy of all actions that accumulated karma against her... like riding a new acquaintance to her third orgasm, and his first since penetration occurred. Hiruko surely couldn't take anymore. Some time had passed, longer than most mortal men could claim, but also much shorter than he was accustomed to. This much had been expected for a few minutes. "Haah~" he sighed deeply. "Kocchi, it's up to you again. You've got maybe three more moves before I can't hold it anymore~" he said with certainty. Whether in or out, Miko's decision was key. They only had a matter of seconds left before Hiruko... opened the second champagne bottle of their evening. Apparently, he'd already given up on caring where it flowed, but there was a notable hand clutching Miko's back and an equally notable upward thrust of his own hips to signal his body's preference.

Shota received Sakura's response message in a short time. Much to his dismay, there was no image attached... but instead a counterargument. True, her message was received as intended. That wasn't his point at all. He was working on another message when something started downloading: a picture sent by Sakura. There was no nudity, but he could see her lower lips trying to consume that thong. Perhaps Shota didn't get what he was looking for, but it was close enough. As such, the message he'd been working on was altered. 'That's better!' he sent. 'It's all about building the hype,' he added. 'See you soon," he concluded before showing that new image to all who were interested in seeing it.

[Apollymi]

Hiruko and Miko were quite entwined and though he'd spoken of being quite good at pulling out and Miko had put her faith in him as her lucky charm it seemed their combined luck would be running out. Why? Well, it seemed that faith was being placed in her once again but with Hiruko gripping onto her back and thrusting up into her pelvis her body's natural inclination was to push down and her mind said shouldn't I? This mix of things allowed that proverbial cork to pop right against her cervix. A prayer was uttered earnestly to the only god Miko ever prayed to, 'Seimei-sama, tasukete.' Miko was nothing if not devout in her adoration, though she was up to something a bit less than savory she had faith that her adored god would not forsake her. Though Hiruko couldn't enter her womb as much as she would have liked him to, an explosive feeling was surely one which couldn't be denied by someone like Miko. A secondary orgasm rode her body like a wave and left her core grasping at the cock within her almost desperately. She couldn't even bring herself to feel properly ashamed of herself as her face reddened. "Woops. Intrusive thoughts are intrusive..." While a pair dealt with that particular problem...

Sakura found herself dressed and ready to go out again. Of course this one would continue sending her messages and as she left out of the house once more, it would seem this was a good picture and he claimed that such things were all about building hype. "Noted. See you soon." was all she sent back. Of course, she had no problems with what was being said but she couldn't shake a strange notion she was developing. Regardless a certain itch was developing and it needed to be scratched and as such she'd be making her way to the card shop on foot with a certain amount of annoyance still present in her visage. At the very least, she didn't have to worry about the implication of another 'all night' event and she would be able to go on about her day afterwards and be back in time to await the return of Kazuhiko and Angelica. That thought was quite comforting. She supposed there were a few other things to look forward to as well, like Candy Crush.

[Bloodedge]

What was Miko's decision going to be? It was nothing verbalized to Hiruko, but an eventual downward slam gave him all the information he needed. Right against her cervix, he was expelling a full burst of ejaculate which sprayed into the womb like an injection. Maybe Hiruko couldn't enter the womb due to whatever natural hindrance was in place... but he could still fill it in another way, it seemed. As he throbbed through the final bout of leakage, Miko blamed intrusive thoughts on her recent decision. Hiruko was regulating his own breathing, responding only after a few moments. "Whew! I think... it was worth it. Yeah, it was definitely worth it. But you're not done yet, are you?" he asked teasingly, his arm relaxing around Miko's back. A bit of effort let Hiruko straighten his seat even while Miko remained in his lap. He could easily take the wheel like this, and in fact, he did exactly that, pulling out of the parking space with ease. "How about we go somewhere and try something else? There's still something I want to see, after all~"

And so, time would pass. Hiruko would be driving to a hotel, and Shota would be playing a couple of games while awaiting Sakura's arrival. In the meantime, Akira was being rushed into emergency treatment at Hayaishi Hospital. Word spread quickly that he'd probably be missing for some time, and some students within his dormitory were already talking about it. "Yeah dude! It was Kurusu! Irina saw the whole thing; she said it looked like Nanami broke up with him, and then boom!" said one male student.

[Apollymi]

Miko felt her womb being filled and grinned. There was a secondary pulse within her loins that reminded her of the powers she was once able to flex... absorbing the mana dumped into her womb for her own sustenance. She wasn't sure it would have the same effect, but she was certain she felt rather light currently. And maybe even a little drunk. That taste of his was a little alcoholic, perhaps she'd become a bit power drunk, from taking in mana that was a bit stronger than she expected. She'd only drank from Marisbury which led to a different sort of filling of her body, but this... this was a sensation she'd quite enjoy. Soon enough the seat was being sat up and even while Miko remained in his lap, Hiruko seemed to be in the mood to drive. "Definitely worth it, intrusive though my thoughts are~" she chimed seeming to relax in his lap, against his chest as she sat up. "Iia, I'm not done. If I am being honest that was more like an appetizer... I feel a bit wired now. And I'll show you what you like, Hiru-nii♪♥~" Miko chimed still flirty as ever. All faith placed in the god she chose and she would continue having a good time. Odd though it was, she quite liked being small in someone's lap, it was definitely worth the endeavor itself, she thought.

Meanwhile, a girl was locking up her dorm room headed for a particular gym so she could get a workout in before her late class. Of course, she would be stopped by the random chatter of her classmates, her glasses becoming a shining light as she heard mention of the guy she liked. "Kurusu-kun?" she murmured quietly to get a good listen. She walked up to her dormmates to hear out the rest of the conversation and ask important questions. Nanami had broken up with Kurusu, that was great news, but what was this boom? "What boom? What happened? Tell me everything!" the girl finally chimed in. She'd missed something quite important and whatever it was she needed all the details immediately. It would seem that fortune was smiling on her, and she wouldn't be letting it slip between her fingers. Her brown pigtails were moving around just a bit as she seemed to be quite excited. If anyone cared to notice she had a very fair figure even in her unassuming sweater and jeans. She had a bag of clothes for the gym in her hands and a pair of headphones in her other hand. But, none of that mattered, she had information to gather.

[Bloodedge]

While Hiruko and Miko drove recklessly toward a hotel, or... frankly whatever suitable location Hiruko could find, another brown-haired girl was perking up at the mention of a certain name. A few young men were discussing recent tragedies, as university students tended to do when there were no classes for any of them. In the midst of this, a familiar lass from down the hall was listening. "Ugh, that sucks. I was gonna say lucky me, maybe Nanami will throw it my way since Kurusu wasn't doing shit with it. Oh well~" one lad said. Just then, the eavesdropper revealed herself with an immediate demand for information. Three faces turned to her, all shocked by her sudden appearance. Among them however, was one male who knew the most information of the group. "Ah, Ichinose. You just coming out?" he asked first and foremost. Word was traveling quickly about the recent wreck stopping all traffic just a bit south of the school. "If you're going out, don't go south. Kurusu just got hit by a truck and rushed off to Hayaishi. Nobody knows if he's even gonna make it, but traffic's all blocked-up from the truck swerving and crashing!" he explained. "Nobody's even able to find out what's up with Kurusu because they're not letting people through until the wreck is cleared."

[Apollymi]

Unluckily for that one individual male who seemed to be interested in Nanami, the girl who walked up wasn't particularly fond of that girl. She didn't know why boys were so very stupid but many of them seemed to fall for that particular kind of girl. Decent enough in the looks department for everyone to overlook her horrid personality. It was like when they laid eyes on her they didn't bother to notice the lack of other people around her or the fact that all her 'jokes' came at the expense of other people. She'd get back to that in a moment though as she was addressed by her surname as the less familiar tended to do with one another she was given some real information. "Hai, I was gonna get a work out in a bit early today." she said seeming to choose to ignore the male who'd spoken about that other girl. Hayaishi hospital. The young man she'd been waiting to have a chance at for four long months was in the hospital because that evil bitch couldn't even do a breakup without endangering someone's life. Whatever, if people couldn't get through to the south by car she had another method, but it would just take her a bit. She pulled up her phone and plotted a jogging course, from her university down the hospital. "That's terrible. I know what to do though, I'm going... I'll have news when I get back!" the young woman known as Ichinose said as she turned to go back into her room to change into her workout clothes. She'd be jogging straight from here but before she left there was one other thing to say. "Oh, you should definitely go after Nanami. Two horrible people deserve each other!" she said sticking her tongue out at the other boy while going back to her room. Perhaps she hadn't needed to say that, but she was beyond being apologetic or sad for people who refused to notice what was plain to see before their eyes. Nanami Mami was a total bitch and she and most other girls knew that within a few seconds of talking to her. She emerge from her room a few minutes later, in long joggers, a zip-up jacket with only her phone, wallet and keys on her person. Her work out today would be a run and she'd be going to Hayaishi hospital to check on Kurusu Akira.

[Bloodedge]

The passage of time came once more. Hiruko and Miko were on the road while the former plotted a path to the nearest five-star hotel. Ichinose, as she'd been called, was on her way to a hospital where Akira was currently receiving x-rays and painkillers. Sakura was on her way as well, specifically to the card shop where Shota lay in wait. He'd recently completed two games that took little to no time at all, and was midway through the third. It seemed he was on cloud nine, as some would say. He'd successfully broken down another woman who had herself a boyfriend before. Now, here she was, looking for him once again after only one night out. It hadn't even been a full 12 hours since they separated, and it wouldn't be another 12 hours before he was no longer living in that dusty old house. It was a stroke of good fortune that Sakura texted when she did, as he had a special invitation waiting for her.

[Apollymi]

In the short time that Sakura had spent walking she was preparing herself for dealing with the physical problems of being human. Perhaps this was the real issue of humanity, physically experiencing sensations and not having the time or space to properly deal with them. It was odd to consider that she'd never once felt so strangely before in the physical sense. In truth mana depletion wasn't something she had to deal with very often. Needing a physical release instead of simply feeding herself mana was an odd thing to have to do. In truth, she would have preferred using such feelings on a different target. Ryohei was one such individual and now that she was entering the card shop and looking even the man behind the counter was a fairly good option. While thinking about the first meeting between them and now had the oddest sensation that he was an acceptable individual. Perhaps she'd test that later. Still she entered the card shop in her new outfit and began looking around. "Konbanwa," she looked towards where the shop keep should be and offered him a smile. She had purchases to make so she'd be making them first, scanning the shop and seeing Kakihara and looking at him blankly.

[Bloodedge]

Shota was initially unaware of Sakura's arrival. He still had a game going, and he was talking a fair amount to the other lads who also remained ignorant for the time being. The shop owner, however, was acutely aware of every person who entered the establishment. Frankly, he was surprised she showed up again after all he'd been hearing for the past twenty minutes or so. Eyes widened behind those glasses, which he proceeded to push up with his fore and middle fingers. "Konbanwa, Tohsaka-chan. It's good to see you revisiting. How can I help you today?" he asked. This was a fortuitous meeting indeed. Girls in card shops were a scarcity, but Sakura appeared today as a beacon of hope for brighter days. He relished the idea that, one day, all players of all genders would safely visit and enjoy their games, trades and chats. Not only was it good for business ─ it was good for atmosphere as well. As such, he'd happily cater to whatever Sakura desired during her time spent here, regardless of what she got up to whilst away.

[Apollymi]

Sakura had entered the card shop, completely unaware that anyone had been talking about her in a way that this world would consider negative. No, instead she was simply pleased to be back inside this space that would allow her to learn more about the card game. She offered a smile and was greeted in return. He claimed it was good to see her revisiting and that was strange, did he think she wouldn't? "Of course, I'm revisiting. I like this game, is that unusual?" she asked innately curious but wondering why it would be surprising she was visiting again. "I did some work for Rita-san at the convenience store today and she paid me for it and told me to have fun with it... so I want to buy a few things to improve my game," she offered sweetly. "I'd like those card sleeves," she said pointing at a set with a cherry blossom motif. "And that playmat," she said pointing to one which had a large tree seemingly set in a place that looked a lot like her homeland, complete with a tenshukaku. She was willing to be a paying patron here with her generally polite and innocent demeanor. This older gentleman was quite nice and he had a lot going on for himself. Perhaps it'd be worth continuing to talk to him, she was sure she had a good feeling about him.

[Bloodedge]

The owner kept an eye on Sakura, not seeing anything strange about her demeanor at all. If anything, she was just a sweet young girl looking to have fun like everyone else here at the shop. With that being the case, how could those boys have been talking about her the way they did? Well, it didn't matter. She wondered if it was unusual to see her return, and in short... yes, it was. "Sou ka. You are new. It is strange to see girls visiting card shops regularly. A lot of boys treat them strangely, much like in video games and anime communities. I try to promote this shop as a safe space, though, so I hope we can look forward to your continued visits," he said earnestly. A warm smile crossed his face when Sakura spoke of making purchases to better her playing experience. He nodded, gladly retrieving for her the sleeves and playmat she requested. "As you like. Just for you, I'll make a special deal. I'd like you to enjoy your time playing at this shop, so I'll offer you anything you like at true cost. Your patronage is more important than profit. At those costs, you can leave with a full bag for the same price you would normally pay for these few items,' he explained, even showing some items on the shelves behind him ─ briefcases, binders, bags and the like that were placed right next to a display of unreleased cards.

[Apollymi]

Sakura was in for a different sort of lesson immediately after coming into the shop. She explained to the owner what she was looking for and point to the items that she wanted. And expressed her curiosity about the lack of returning female patrons. Apparently, something about her question made her seem new, so she figured she would be adding another question to her list for Kaguya and Miko later. According to him girls were often treated strangely by boys in this situation and thus wouldn't visit regularly. According to him it was common for this kind of concern in gaming in general and anime communities. "Sou ka, I'll have to ask about that," she murmured. Still the man was being very genuine in his desire for this place to accomodate anyone who liked the game and Sakura could tell. It gave her happy and warm feelings. "I have some girls who are my friends who might be interested. I'll ask them and see if they'll come along later," she said earnestly. She enjoyed this game initially because Kazuhiko did, but she was sure that the other girls would also like it, given their studies and mental acuity. Those were the reasons she liked the game.

Beyond those points it would seem like he had more to say. Offering her a special deal on some extra items because he wanted her to enjoy her time playing the game. It would seem she would be able to purchase more than her little items a bag and other things were also on display. "I'll take you up on that... thank you. I'd like that little black bag too." she offered seemingly pleased. "Hm I don't know your name yet," she stated clearly. "I'd also like to learn more about the game... you run this shop so does that mean you have the most information to give about it?" she asked him directly. She was willing to spend a great deal of time talking to him, seemingly finding the distraction of his conversation enough to stave off the weird emptiness that was called being 'horny'.

[Bloodedge]

Sakura's newness to nerdier communities was showing bit by bit. The fact that she didn't know the reason players of the female persuasion would not frequent shops and the like, meant she'd led either a reclusive or very satisfying life thus far... or perhaps some combination of the two. Whatever the case, he was keen to have her continued patronage. It seemed Sakura had some female companions who may be interested as well. "I would appreciate you spreading the word. Tell them my offer is available for them as well ─ at least for the first purchase," he said.

While preparing Sakura's items, the owner was directed to a bag for card storage. Those were items he'd acquired in the hopes that some girls would visit and have reason to return, as the males often didn't care much for their accessories beyond card safety and anime breast imagery. He pulled down the bag while Sakura mentioned not knowing his name. "Akaba Reiji," he said simply. As for her need to know more about the game, she was barking up the right tree in a manner of speaking. Her bag was placed on the counter as he went fishing for something just underneath. "As a shop owner qualified to host tournament preliminary matches, I am a registered judge for the game. If you have questions about any rules, regulations, errata or new and upcoming releases, I pride myself on having all information readily available upon request. Feel free to place your trust in me for such things."

[Apollymi]

Sakura had a lack of relative understanding of the female perspective on the world of Gaia. Where she was from a goddess sat in the seat of power and she had five husbands, no one would speak bad about a woman making choices of any sort, it simply wasn't wise to do so. Beyond that there was an appreciation for fairness and reciprocity in Munetsuchi which likely wouldn't have made sense to Gaia's natives. Even so, she would be asking her friends about the 'taboos' surrounding young women in card shops. Still he made an earnest offer to treat the new purchases of the girls she spread the word to, "Hai, the next time we're all together I'll ask them about it. They seem to be into 'media' and 'table top games' I not sure entirely what that all means but I feel like they'd like this," Sakura said while nodding affirmatively.

Akaba Reiji was the name given to Sakura and she was rather happy. She would consider this older man a look into the knowledge foundation of this card game and her opening space here. Given this she was pleased to know him. "Reiji-san." she concluded seeming to like the way that one sounded. More than that, her positive feelings about this man would only be multiplying by the second. He claimed to have a great deal of knowledge about all kinds of things directly related to this card game. Her eyes began to sparkle as she leaned forward with pure excitement and elation on her face. "Sugoi! So I can ask you about all the things I don't know yet about the card game?! I'm still trying to learn everything so it'd be great to have a reliable and unbiased source of information!" Sakura was far too excited. This was definitely a good man and a great choice. She couldn't quite tell what his dick situation was yet, but he was earnest, kind and knowledgeable which were all criteria shared by her fathers. She could appreciate him as a person simply based on this.

[Bloodedge]

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Reiji said in response to Sakura's offer. Even a recommendation to others about his shop would be a positive. If she got only one person to visit, he'd call it a win. If she spoke to others and no one visited, he'd still appreciate the girl's effort. The girls she spoke of did sound like they would be able to enjoy a nice card game or two, though.

Just the same, Sakura was obviously enjoying her time learning and growing in this game. She even showed an amount of excitement previously unseen after finding out he had some valuable information. Reiji's eyes widened, and he pulled from beneath the counter an upgrade to Sakura's existing deck box. "You're suddenly very excited. It's good to see. You're a lovely girl, Tohsaka-chan," he observed, that smile remaining on his face. "Also, this is on the house. Your existing deck box is a bit small. Those sleeves you chose would be a very tight squeeze. This should fit them perfectly without leaving too much empty space," he explained while sliding across a box which matched the image background she chose the previous day. "It isn't good to have your cards bouncing around inside the box, even in sleeves. And yes, you're free to ask me anything you like. If there is anything I can teach you or guide you through, consider me an open book."