Charles Patricius

[Apollymi]

The smile on her face was permanent while talking to Reiji. She found this man most interesting and would definitely help him add female patrons to his list. Actually, a few girls would definitely improve the conditions. In places that pretty girls existed pretty men also existed, everything would be fine. Soon enough she even had a replacement for her deck box. Reiji offered it to her with several statements about the nature of her cards fitting within it and even spoke specifically about the nature of it. Perhaps Sakura's brain was set to sex or maybe this man was making a pass at her. Both were acceptable to the way Sakura was thinking. She couldn't help but be pleasantly amused. "Hai, thanks for the advice. I'll make sure to switch everything over~" she said pleasantly.

She was forced to believe this man was actually flirting with her at some point, given his commentary about her being nice. She couldn't help but be pleased, it would work towards her general plans. Beyond the sex itself he also left himself an open book to her learning. She was still raised by an elf, she'd take him very literally and use him for learning later. "Sou ka, I'll be happy to have your assistance. While I am putting these in sleeves and switching the box... would you like to look at my deck. I am curious about the opinions of someone who knows more varieties. I'll also take any suggestions you have into consideration," she offered the man. Of course, she was always going to consult someone more knowledgeable while she was trying to learn. One could say she'd almost forgotten the reason she'd come here originally had something to do with meeting up with Kakihara.

[Bloodedge]

Reiji nodded, needing no thanks for simple advice, but taking it all the same. Sakura's purchases were organized across the counter, tallying up her total while doing so. He was sure to throw in a small pack of additional sleeves for the sake of an extra deck, not counting those as part of the total. "Your total will be 778 yen," he said calmly. Sakura intended to sleeve her cards, but paused to ask if he'd take a look at her deck. Reiji reached out to open her original deck box and spread her cards across the counter in one swift motion. "Of course; I'll have a look."

And have a look he did. Each card was observed individually, and Reiji mentally formed various combinations with the deck. He could call it very consistent, if not missing a 'wow factor' or two. "Hmm. This has the look of a deck belonging to someone who's spent a bit of time playing competitively. It's quite good. Here I can see a lot of variety for combinations that will keep your opponent on their toes. It's unlikely you'd have a bad starting hand as well. If I had any recommendations, I'd say... you may want to pick up a few copies of Celestial Sacrilege. It's this card here," he said, reaching under the counter to grab a glass case containing a new, holofoil Magecraft card ─ one which worked exclusively with Divine attributes to evolve them to the competitive level of Spirit Servants. "It is going to be a very high-value card soon. Most vendors are estimating about 50,000 yen on the market."

[Apollymi]

Apparently Sakura owed this man a mere 778 yen on her first purchase. She could accept this given he claimed he was giving her a discount but she was certain it was going to be very cheap for her first purchase. "Sou ka..." she said sliding him a 1,000 yen note from her little purse. She'd gotten a few of these though she'd not spent much money she did understand the nature of the exchange after observing humans so much this morning. Beyond this point he was having a look at her deck. She smiled and began sleeving up her deck while she waited for a critique.

His words for her deck spoke of her variety and her ability to deal with multiple issues regardless of everything else. He claimed she might be missing wow factors but the deck itself was consistent. "Sou ka, Kazzun also said it was very consistent... I am glad," she claimed thinking about it. Ah, and there was another card she might want to look at, Celestial Sacrilege. She read the card effect and heard its potential future price and understood. "Sou ka, that would be a very nice card for the kind of deck I am trying to perfect... I could still afford at least one or two copies, can I not buy them yet?" she asked of Reiji rather directly. It sounded like there was some sort of future prospecting taking place here and she might need to get in on it to get a reasonable set before the price shot up. She was quite interested in the card and it was another rare one because she'd not seen it in Kazuhiko's binder while she was building.

[Bloodedge]

Sakura's deck was something he'd never seen from a new player ─ even a quality unexpected from newbies in any card game for at least two decades. For this particular game that was only a year old by now, Sakura's deck could easily compete at the national level if executed skillfully. "You should be proud. Whether you had help building this or not, it is incredible. Kimura-kun lost a round to you yesterday, didn't he? That's an accomplishment," he praised.

There was one problem about Sakura's current desire. She wanted to purchase a few copies of Celestial Sacrilege, but he couldn't legally sell them to her just yet. If anyone caught wind of him doing so, Reiji would certainly lose his license. "That price won't be official until the market value is established; that is only an estimate. I'm sorry to say, this card is from the Age of Man set, which won't release officially until tomorrow. This shop is still too small for pre-release drafts or sealed tournaments, so there's no way I can sell you even a pack from the new set. However... if you are still here late, I can figure a reasonable price to sell you a few copies when we close. That will be in about four hours since there are no tournaments today. If you're interested, I can run some numbers between now and then."

[Apollymi]

As for her deck, according to Reiji she should be proud, whether she had help building it or not it was good. A third opinion was quite nice and she could only smile remembering playing her second game with Kazuhiko and pulling out a victory. "I built it myself, after Kazzun explained the basics. I think the game is really logical so I find it easy to process. I am just interested in learning everything about it. I think it will be fun for us to play. I am quite happy with it, I am just trying to perfect it now," she said. Not specifying who the us was, but there were a few assumptions to be made. Reiji was a very nice man, she was sure of this the more she spoke to him. There was an innate maturity about him she'd not encountered before on Gaia so she was ready to continue speaking with him.

According to him the card she wanted was a little too new to be sold. The price wasn't currently set in stone but his store was a bit too small for a sealed play or tournament release. She understood those words from talking with Kazuhiko and nodded. The entire time she was finishing the process of placing sleeves on her cards and she'd comment while she finished up. "If you have the ability to sell me a few copies, I can definitely make it back before I go home for the night. I'd also like to buy a case for Kazzun I think he'd like opening the packs," she said with a smile. "Though that last bit can wait until tomorrow if its better for you." she offered Reiji happily. She was quite interested in this card game and figured both Kazuhiko and Angelica might enjoy being able to play at the house, when they got back. She figured the transition might be a little hard on them considering what Kazuhiko had been like when he first got back this morning.

[Bloodedge]

"Even better. You're a natural. With a deck like this being your first, I'd like to play against you myself when it's done," Reiji said, certain he could get a few fun matches of his own against certain players. Sakura was one such player he had a good feeling about. Alas, that would have to wait for some time. In the meantime, he'd happily hold a few available copies of this new card for Sakura's later purchase. According to her, she'd be able to return by closing hour... and she'd even like to purchase a full case if possible. That was a light stretch, but if he could sell one card, he could sell the set. "There's no need to wait. Once the shop is closed for the night, I can comfortably sell you anything we have in stock. That would be the timeframe of those sealed tournaments, if we are ever able to do them. Hopefully your friends joining will set us on the path," he said.

Meanwhile, Shota was racking up another win for the day. In doing so, he and some of the other lads finally realized Sakura was in the shop. It was assumable that she'd only just arrived and made a purchase in doing so. With that in mind, Shota gave a casual wave over his shoulder, aiming to get the girl's attention. "Looks like it's time for my real win, boys. I'll be sure to sing all my glory songs after~" he boasted.

[Apollymi]

"Of course, playing games like this against people who know much of what they're doing is very informative. Besides I am starting to think decks will say interesting things about people... not sure on that yet, but at least it would be an easy way to tell likes and dislikes as long as they aren't.... META Slaves. Yes, that was the term," she said seeming to have gotten the hang of the special language surrounding this trading card game and gaming in general. As for the cards she wanted to purchase and the case, apparently she'd be able to get both tonight. That made her quite happy, she'd like to have a gift ready for her spouses and a combined activity she thought would be a great deal of fun. "Hai, I'll be back then. Arigatou Reiji-san," she offered with another dazzling smile.

Ah, but that would be fading soon as she was being waved over by Kakihara as she finished placing her cards into her new deck box and the rest. of her purchases. She was having quite happy chat but the reason she'd actually shown up was looming in the corner. "Hai, I'll be back later... Reiji-san." she offered the man respectfully before going over to the table where Kakihara was sitting. Of course, she knew they didn't have much time since he apparently had plans tonight but she was far from overly invested in spending time with him. Right now he was simply a means to a very specific end, one that she didn't think she could immediately satisfy with anyone else. "Konbanwa Kakihara-san," she offered as she moved towards his table. She looked well put together and quite fashionable with the same general alluring qualities she always seemed to have.

[Bloodedge]

Reiji nodded as Sakura spoke. He agreed that a player's deck could tell one much about that person's personalities. In fact, observing one's playstyle could take that notion even further beyond. Regardless, there was an agreement made to meet for a special sale at the end of business for the day. Reiji had no problem staying a bit later; he'd even done so for a small, unofficial tournament the previous night. For now, Sakura would be headed off to meet with one Kakihara Shota, whom Reiji had his concerns about. Before doing so however, she showed Reiji the most incredible smile. If she'd done something like that when registering the previous day, her player card would have been one for the ages. "I don't know your reasons yesterday, but you have a wonderful smile, Tohsaka-chan. Ja ne," he bid.

Moments later, Shota was slipping out of his chair. Sakura greeted him as a normal person would. He recalled a different sort of arrangement made yesterday, but... this was a public and proper setting, so he'd say nothing at present. "Konbanwa, Tohcchi! Looking mighty fine today♥~ Ready for your escort?" Shota asked before making an assumption and walking along, assuming she'd follow. Once he exited the shop and began walking down the street, Shota spoke again. There was something very specific on his mind, so he'd present a question while recording Sakura's face. "So, Tohcchi... Horny, huh? Where's your boyfriend?"

[Apollymi]

Reiji and Sakura had their conversation come to a natural end. It would seem that he was another individual who was quite fond of her smiling face, and she could appreciate that compliment from him as an individual. Her reason behind not smiling was nothing so great as to warrant curiosity, but she supposed she took no issue answering it for him. "I've been told this a lot the last couple of days, but... I don't smile if I don't feel it. So you earned it, Reiji-san~" she offered him jovially.

Moving on, she joined Kakihara who called himself her escort. She hardly needed such a thing, it wasn't as if a human could hurt her under normal circumstances, but she wouldn't be correcting that particular statement. She nodded to the man's sentence and aimed to leave the shop with him after that little greeting. Once they were outside and had begun walking he began recording again for reasons she both understood and did not. He had another question for her, one which caused a bit of confusion on her face, he asked about her boyfriend, which she assumed was a direct reference to Kazuhiko. "Yes, I'm horny, I already said so. And he's busy." that was all there was to it. She didn't understand this strange preoccupation this lad had with trying to record her facial expressions but he'd likely not be getting anything good from this particular moment. She simply needed something he could provide and he was currently the only person she knew who could to the job and who was readily available to do so. While this lad wasn't directly malevolent she was sure there was something about him, she found annoying though she couldn't quite figure out what it was... it would have to be one of those things she researched. She was sure she'd find the answer eventually.

[Bloodedge]

Sakura confirmed her horniness while under the camera's scrutiny, claiming her boyfriend was... busy. This would be good for the clip, Shota thought; it would bring him much satisfaction both now and later. "That's a shame. He should be the one getting you off, but that's alright. If someone else isn't able to do it for you, I'll make sure you cum," he said as they walked along. One more matter had to be addressed as well. They were on their way to his house, but Sakura would eventually find many things placed in boxes near the entrance. Before that, she'd be given the reason for said packing. "You should come with me later. I'm moving to a big house at the beach, gifted from my family back home. I got it custom fitted, so there'll be a lot of good places to fuck in. Sounds good, right? My cousin is coming to stay over for a few days, but there's plenty of room for you if you want♥~"

Meanwhile, Hayaishi Hospital's recent patient was being processed after x-ray returns. A full cast was being placed on his right arm while a half was wrapped around his left hand and wrist. His left leg was being wrapped around the ankle as well, and tight bandaging was being applied to his head. He was slowly regaining consciousness all the while, and the painkillers were finally kicking in at a very optimal time. In a matter of minutes, he'd be placed in a room for the foreseeable future.

[Apollymi]

It would seem that Kakihara hadn't learned his lesson the previous day. Sakura was a lot of things, but stupid was not among them... what he had to say about her boyfriend hit her ears in a negative way, and something very ominous passed over her face in that moment. It was like a lightning bolt was striking in a single moment or a sword was slashing out of nowhere. There was a certain fury in her when people spoke badly of Kazuhiko and this was a bit too close for her own comfort. "I said he was busy, not that he can't get me off..." that clarification was almost a warning. But maybe humans really didn't get context clues. She'd have to do more research on that. Moving on, it would seem that by the time they arrived at his apartment it looked as if he was getting ready to leave. There was an information dump about this man apparently moving to a beach house provided by his family. "Maybe if I'm not busy I'll consider it." she said in a non-committal way. Sakura had a lot to do later and she was still waiting for the return of Kazuhiko and the arrival of Angelica. If nothing else, she had to make sure they were fine before she continued on with her research. There was also the fact that her research had a greater number of interesting targets. If she was contacted by Ryohei for instance she'd rather spend time with him. But that didn't really matter much in the moment. Perhaps what she said would come off in a flirtatious way.

In the meantime Hayaishi Hospital would be receiving a jogging visitor. A young woman with dual braided pigtails was bursting through in nothing but sport shorts, sneakers and a sports jacket. She'd run all the way from Osaka University, taken a few side streets to get around the traffic jam and reached her destination in record time for the length of the run. She'd likely be taking a bus back, but she wanted to get here as soon as possible. She was soon turning off her music and at the front desk of the hospital giving the name of the person she wanted to see. "Excuse me, is Kurusu Akira here? Is he alright? Can I visit him?" she fired off her questions in rapid succession but she wanted to check on her classmate and the object of her affections and make sure he wasn't feeling too bad after getting dumped by an evil bitch and hit by a truck.

[Bloodedge]

Sakura had an interesting counter for Shota's first offer. True, she never said her boyfriend couldn't get her off or anything. He sensed a bit of bite behind that claim, equating it to Sakura being defensive over possible truths. Whatever the truth behind the matter was, Shota shrugged casually. "If he's busy, then he can't do it. I'm not too busy, so I can. It's basic math," he countered. Moving on, they would soon be entering the same building from Sakura's previous visit. Shota turned in the entryway to look at the purple-haired girl... twice, as she was still in his camera's sights for the moment. "So, Tohcchi, thought up any new kinks or preferences? If you're so horny now, maybe you've got some ideas... or am I taking the wheel again?~" he questioned. Sakura's response to his request of staying did sound like a flirt; he figured she would be texting him again when whatever boyfriend she had failed to meet her needs again.

Ichinose, as she'd been called, reached Hayaishi Hospital only to immediately assault a staff member with questions. A middle-aged woman at the desk was already clicking her computer mouse after seeing the girl rush in. It was always like this with new admissions. Kurusu Akira, she wondered about. The woman couldn't say whether that person was alright or not just yet, but she could see a recent admission under the name. "Ano... it looks like he was just admitted recently. Room B106. Second floor, to your right. Visitation is questionable, but not restricted currently. Please be mindful of your voice when heading up; many patients may be sleeping in recovery."

[Apollymi]

Sakura was quite. The basic math commentary might have been enough for her to let go of her initial bout of animosity but there was still something that bugged her a bit. When she figured out what it was, she'd voice her opinion about it, until then she'd figure out how many humans could actually sense malicious intentions without actions being applied to them in this non-magical world. As far as she understood most were supposed to have some innate sense of danger, this one was either defective for not having it or evolved. Though given his condition she wanted to doubt evolution was the prospect. As for her horniness there was a certain feeling and roughness she was going for but how would she describe it? "I want you to push me up against this wall and fuck me from behind. I'm looking for something rough right now, can you do that?" she asked just one brow quirking like a challenge. She was far from mainstream desires and what she needed was something aggressive to get to what she needed physically.

Meanwhile at the hospital that same young woman had to take a deep breath. The woman working reception was ever calm and full of information and she wasn't trying to be impatient or rowdy. In truth she was simply worried about the lad's safety. Of course upon being told where to find him, she immediately relaxed and seemed to get ahold of herself. "Oh, right. Sumimasen." she said quickly immediately becoming a bit softer. Instead of taking an elevator she immediately went for the stairs. "I'll be quiet. I'm sorry, but thank you." she offered as an almost whisper. Then she quickly started taking stairs two at a time. She was trying her best to reach the lad as quickly as possible. She raced up a flight of stairs and then down a hallway, remembering the nurses instructions. Once outside his room, she tried to calm herself down and took a deep breath. "Alright Chizuru you can do this. Don't scare him. Calm down." she knocked on the door and waited for an answer of some sort before opening it.

[Bloodedge]

What Sakura wanted was something Shota immediately attributed to himself. He'd been quite rough with her the previous day, though perhaps he could have done a bit more. It seemed to him like she wanted that extra attention, as her request was to be fucked against the wall right where they stood. Maybe all that time spent in her womb yesterday flipped some kind of switch? If so, he'd happily keep jimmying it. A wide and devious grin spread across Shota's face. "Holy fuck, that's a hot request. I can do that," he agreed, already in the process of pulling down his pants.

All the while, that young woman in the hospital was making her way up the stairs. Much to everyone's satisfaction, she managed to take the receptionist's request and remain quiet along her way. A knock upon the door to room B106 was not answered immediately. A minute or so passed before the door slid open, paving the way for a doctor to step out with Ichinose. "Sumimasen. I've just finished administering a few additional painkillers. His condition is stable, and there seems to be no lasting trauma... though there may be a bit of shock. You can go in, but please be respectful of the situation," the older male requested with a bow. With that, he was on his way to treat other patience in the ward. Akira was in bed, left leg and right arm both elevated by slings, and a certain look of emptiness in recently-opened eyes. He didn't know who was here to visit already, but he doubted it was the last person he saw before the accident.

[Apollymi]

Much to Sakura's own satisfaction, it seemed that her use of words did indeed do what it was supposed to do. She sat down her bags and began stripping out of her clothes. Once she was mostly naked she moved her thong to the side and bent over near the wall. She could at least say that humans really were easy to manipulate with words and images. She imaged their society suffered for this, but she'd not done enough research for that. Still, she was busy waiting, "Is it? I had no idea..." she managed a gentle bit of snark. Though quite the literal person, she was developing a decent sense sarcasm. Whatever the case, the idea of actually getting what she wanted as a sensation was doing her a great deal of justice, she could only hope that it happened the way she wanted, a bit of rough fucking before going back to meet Reiji was probably something which could be fun.

Ichinose made it to Kurusu's room and was greeted after knocking by his doctor. It seemed he'd just been given a dose of painkillers which was probably for the best and she was told to be mindful of his situation. She didn't know if he was talking about the physical aspect of his accident or the mental anguish of being dumped which was apparently enough of a distraction to have caused it. Whatever the case, she bowed back to the doctor as he left. "Hai, I wouldn't want to do anything to make him worse. I promise I'll be careful. I was just worried and I want to make sure he's okay. Arigatou gouzaimasu," she offered the doctor as he was leaving. Soon enough she was getting near the lad's bed, unsure of how lucid he was or anything like that but she could see he was pretty banged up by looking at his elevated limbs. "Kurusu-kun... konbanwa. I know it's probably not worth much but I'm glad you're okay. I heard about the accident and I was worried so I cam down here to check on you." she offered.