Holy Templar Sanctum (Aincrad)

[Apollymi]

It all kept going. Eventually there was a slight shift. Charlemange managed to stop holding on to her arms, well that wasn't entirely true. He moved to her upper arms without breaking contact thus it didn't change his closeness. That was both great and terrifying. Angelica was sure she was incapable of properly thinking with him so close. Even so, she couldn't help but be distracted by his presence. His words were shifting in her mind, making even things she knew were innocent sound sexual. Was this the real skill of humans? She supposed she'd be finding out eventually.

Still there was encouragement of Charles. He claimed that her arm work was, vigorous in a good way. "T-thanks, I'm trying my best," she managed to stutter out. Yes, she'd continue and it'd seemingly get easier. Of course, what wouldn't get easier was maintaining anything resembling normal thoughts in her brain. For instance, that compliment she'd just accepted, would that be applied to something else? Would she eventually be rewarded for her seemingly decent amount of stamina? Why was she even thinking that?! Whatever the case, those swirls in her eyes and her overly high temperature were bound to help this whole situation along. Was that smoke rising or steam from her own overly warm body? She wasn't sure, but perhaps... perhaps they'd actually manage to get through this.

[Bloodedge]

That was definitely smoke rising from Charlemagne's angle. If it were anything else, perhaps even the male's head was an option as his brain fried itself. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before he could stand again. Of course, he doubted that. Assuming that smoke wasn't some random hallucination, they would be needing the tinder soon. There were no problems there, right?

Well... there was one massive problem, actually. Charlemagne could see the pile of tinder from where he was, if he could actually avert his gaze for more than half a second. Even not looking directly at it, he knew it was just ahead and yet out of arms' reach. He couldn't get it from where he was, which meant... oh. "Um. If you've got a good smolder going, you'll need the tinder. It's just... right over there," he stated, looking out ahead. Charlemagne himself surely couldn't move around Angelica and grab it, lest he reveal what he'd been intentionally hiding all this time. However, he could also see the potential of how Angelica reaching out would go. That wouldn't realistically happen though, right? Maybe his luck would pay off this time? One could hope. . .

[Apollymi]

Ah yes, freedom. Apparently the smoke she thought she was seeing wasn't just in her own vision and due in large part to the simmering thoughts passing through her mind. No, she'd actually achieved the goal of causing two sticks to smolder just a little bit. Okay, but according to Charles, the tinder was a bit away. She could get it, what would it hurt. "Oh, right... I suppose you're a bit pinned down at the moment," she mused seeming to mean that absently. Still she'd find herself leaning over trying to reach the tinder.

It was an excruciating process. She tried just to reach for it with one hand but it was just out of reach. What more could she do? She had to get it... well, she leaned her hips up quite a bit. the reaching became just a bit easier. "Almost got it," she was mumbling just a bit as her fingers tried to grasp that collection of twigs and leaves. Eventually she would feel the immense relief. None the wiser of any strange views she might have been providing only for her body to come rocking backward as she finally managed to grab hold of the tinder? Probably the erection that Charles had been so apt to hide. In fact, that might be something which stunned her quite a bit after she relaxed against him again. "Yes! Got it!" she let out excitedly only to have her mind blank completely.

[Bloodedge]

Why did Charlemagne believe, even for a moment, that this situation could become easier? What a stupid train of thought. It couldn't become simpler as long as Angelica was in such close proximity and within his line of sight. Worse still, it could only become more complicated as she kept moving. Ah, but there was one even worse potential. She could have a far enough reach to basically show Charlemagne the full curve of her buttocks from where he sat. Of course that one was the true path Angelica treaded.

"A─" He couldn't form a single word. Befuddled by being in the greatest and most sin-inducing viewpoint in Aincrad, he blew a gasket in his brain. Sadly, that would only make the next thing more surprising. He'd considered the possibilities that would lead to his erection's longevity against his own wishes, but... he'd forgotten to consider that Angelica could be the one causing herself to bump into it. She did, and he lamented... or did he? Those poor teenagers in the other world knew the majesty of a thing called dry-humping, and Charlemagne now felt its splendor directly. What could he say? Nothing. What could he do? Freeze. It seemed every muscle in his body, bar the one he wished to make still, had ceased operating. Could he even talk his way out of this? That pulsing bastard in his trunks was proof of his unholy thoughts─ toward the Holy Princess of all people! Surely he was on a one-way trip to Hell! Well, at least he was able to make a pitstop in Heaven first. Maybe that was a better way to think about things, or maybe... it was somehow even worse. . .

[Apollymi]

Charles didn't account for Angelica bumping into him. At the same time, Angelica was unprepared for what doing such a thing would mean while she had any real understanding of what could be going on. Her eyes widened. Was it normal to have contact with it? How should she approach this situation? She'd bumped into him and it'd been an accident but she wasn't expecting to feel something against her rear at all. There was so much in her brain right now!

First and foremost there was general knowledge, Charles was at least attracted to her as he currently had a lot of blood and mana flow directly to his groin. Second, something felt ever so slightly embarrassing about bumping into him. It was an accident, but continuing obviously wasn't an option. The man had practically froze when she did, well except for one thing, she shouldn't have noticed it right? No one prepared her for a moment like this, it was confusing, but pleasant and and and... "Woops, I didn't mean to... I'm sorry..." she said knowing she'd bumped into him, she moved forward a bit, she'd almost dropped the tinder. "I... ah, what do I do now? About the fire, I mean...." she stammered together rather quickly. She needed focus, and an adult woman to explain somethings to her. Maybe he'd frozen because she'd hurt him? Maybe she should be apologizing more? Maybe he was really just into her and their marriage would be nice. Ooops that last one might have been a bit of an overstep, but it seemed likely. Regardless, she put a bit of space between them, managing to scoot to the side, her face still a brilliant shade of red as she tried to find focus in this fire making process. She was supremely embarrassed so, her eyes only darted towards Charles a couple of times, as if encouraging the lad to focus as well. While she saw nothing wrong with mana transfers in general, she was no longer certain how to approach this situation at all. It didn't feel wrong, but calling it just a mana transfer no longer felt right. She didn't expect to feel any particular way about it, but now it seemed to be something she should be more invested in.

[Bloodedge]

Hell. Somewhere in the place known as Hell, there was an iron throne having the name Charlemagne engraved on its seat. Maybe it was even made of porcelain for thematic purposes, considering how quickly all his plans went down the proverbial shitter. Why didn't he just take the time Angelica was moving forward to put additional space between their bodies? Oh... probably because he was busy ogling the Holy Princess' ass the whole time! 'Stupid, stupid!' he thought of himself.

Angelica didn't mean to land against his groin; that much was obvious before she said so. There wasn't much point in her apologizing for it. If anything, Charlemagne should have been apologizing in confession for enjoying the experience. Maybe confession could save him from whatever this world's Hell was like? At this rate, he probably didn't have time before his name was etched into that throne. They definitely couldn't just throw it out; it had to be a very long-term reservation once completed. Oh. Right. They were doing something, weren't they? Angelica asked what should be done now, but one might wonder if Charlemagne's mind could even comprehend reality at the moment. "Um. You uh. You... put it in the hole," he stuttered. That was it, plain and simple. It was the only logical step at this current juncture, but maybe that wasn't exactly the right thing to say.

"Coal. Bowl! You put the bowl in the hole! I mean the hole in the coal! I mean─" Breathe. He had to breathe deeply a few times before trying again. "You put... the coal... in the h─... bowl." Finally, he managed to get it right! Of course there was more to it than that, as the next step was the most vital to starting fires. "Tap it in gently. Make sure it doesn't lose too much heat. Then you..." He gulped. "... Grab both sides of the bowl and push them together. Gently. Don't squeeze too hard, or you'll... smother it." Apparently, explaining fire-starting was nowhere near as easy as it once was. . .

[Apollymi]

Charles thought he was going to hell, meanwhile Angelica thought there was some nuance to this situation she'd been misled about. This didn't feel like it would ever be a simple exchange of mana. This made her heartbeat feel strange and her body warm up. Surely, nana transfer wasn't supposed to be something so emotional? Or maybe, it was? And that was simply something she was meant to discover for herself?

Whatever the case, Charles had nothing to say to her apology. So perhaps he wasn't as injured as she initiallly thought? And now she was asking about the fire building and he said she should put it in the hole...

Angelica's eyes widened and her face turned towards his as if on instinct. Still, that flush was so present she turned away quickly not wanting it obvious how her mind processed that statement. If it was even possible her face went even more red. She knew he was talking about something related to the fire, but why did she interpret it so sexually? Maybe because he had a boner and she was already kind of feeling strangely herself? Oops, but that wasn't what he meant. He clarified soon after slipping over several of the words. She went about following his instructions, taking a deep breath as well. "Coal, into bowl, gently..." she repeated. Soon after she was tapping that small piece of coal into the tinder and following the rest of his directions. "Hold both sides, gently, keep the heat..." she was musing quietly. Keeping these instructions but somehow ever since the first words, this entire thing still sounded sexual. "Not too hard..." she said as she cupped her hands around the tinder. Surely it began to smoke just a bit as she placed all her concentration on this thing. Of course, a few random glances towards Charles happened as well. She was suddenly very aware of his being a different gender from herself and she wasn't upset about it. Actually, she was pretty into it, if she was being honest.

[Bloodedge]

Charlemagne was finally realizing how many of his words were coming out. Thinking back, it had been that way since they first reached the lake. He could only hope the talk of fishing wouldn't go the same way, though it seemed every time he hoped for something, the opposite happened. They could at least somewhat move on from the awkwardness, at least verbally. Angelica took his instruction and set the tinder up for igniting proper flame. There was but one thing remaining before they could move on properly.

Right... the final thing didn't have to be an innuendo. This didn't have to be another high school situation brought into a magical world. This explanation could be plain, simple, and not at all capable of being misconstrued. "Alright. You're doing well. Just... blow on it gently─"

It never worked out. By now, he should just give up trying. Angelica wasn't the only one with that hasty aversion of gaze; Charlemagne was doing the same in her direction. It seemed he'd occasionally shoot a glance either at her face or her body... until after that final statement, at which point he looked over to see her looking his way as well. If he didn't know any better, Charlemagne would have assumed steam was spewing out of his ears. "Um. I mean... the fire. Blow gently on the embers, and it should grow into a fire. Not like... other stuff. Not that I was thinking other stuff! I mean, I wasn't not thinking of..." And there he went again. Eventually, Charlemagne slapped both of his own cheeks to force a bit of rational thought into himself. "... Fires."

[Apollymi]

Ah, the awakening was upon them both. It seemed that Charles was at least a little embarrassed by now as well. She hadn't meant to bump against him, but after apologizing for it, she was quite certain she'd do it again if the opportunity presented itself. Was it wrong to apologize for something you fully intended to do again? Her mind wouldn't be allowed to consider the intricacies of human interaction. Her own wandering mind wasn't currently the topic of conversation, which made her happy.

No instead she was being told to blow on it gently. Now, she took that as it was intended but the constant innuendo meant that she also processed it within her head a bit differently. Those little stolen glances had told her that Charles was in a similar situation to her already, and he obviously wasn't forcing himself to say such embarrassing words on purpose. He started fixing the sentence but much like the previous time he'd done so, it seemed to go a bit left. She was left to decide he did indeed think in a way similar than her, it made her feel better. But the fact that he immediately tried to cover it up, made her wonder if such things weren't just normal... A gentle pursing of her lips occurred as she began to gently blow upon the little cinder trying to help it become a proper fire. A single moment would see her speaking for the first time in a while. "Remember to breathe, Charlie... you don't have to explain your thoughts to me. I know I'd have a tough time explaining mine~" she said to reassure him and comfort herself as well. She wouldn't want to have to explain her own thoughts right just now either. It was fine, they could continue, concentrating on fires and thinking whatever... things they were thinking within their own minds. Yes, that was good. That little fire was starting to burn properly now and she needed to know what to do with it.

[Bloodedge]

Breathing was easy to remember. He wouldn't have even needed the extra breathing if not for all that temptation right in front of his face! "I am breathing, Angie! You and your... your..." Another heave accompanied the abrupt pause of his statement. Whatever he had to say, he decided to refrain for the time being─ maybe indefinitely. Strangeness was encroaching again, though. Angelica claimed he didn't need to explain his thoughts, further noting that she'd have difficulty explaining hers. What? That couldn't have meant anything resembling what he thought. This particular woman didn't even know there was a difference between mana transfers and sex, so it couldn't have been that ridiculous. "You... have no idea," Charlemagne insisted.

After a great deal of tribulations, the tinder had been lit. It was best if he moved on with what happened next, lest Angelica have her hands set ablaze in a matter of moments. Still breathing deeply, he looked toward the firepit. "I left a little space in the sticks. Shove it in that hole and..." He paused again. This couldn't keep happening. "Um. Yeah, just drop it in there and drop a few more sticks over the open space." That one went off almost without a hitch. Perhaps he was actually getting better at this. Now, if only he could keep his eyes off Angelica's unmentionable areas, he'd be alright to move around at some point this day.

[Apollymi]

According to Charles he was breathing, perhaps he was, but he wasn't internalizing the action. Actually, if the mana in his body was being sensed properly, she'd say he'd been holding his breath right up until the point it began to pool in his loins. Of course, she wouldn't mention that, it seemed almost rude to have noticed in the first place. "Uh-huh, if you say so," she said, not managing to avoid the teasing tone she normally had. It was far too much to ask of the lad, whatever he presently thought of her, he was still teaching her about making fires. She was sure this wasn't a lesson that would ever slip her mind. He claimed she had no idea, she begged to differ. What she did know had her more confused than anything had in at least 1000 years.

Speaking of the lesson, it was continuing. Yes still with the innuendo but that was almost starting to seem normal. But here and now she was to place her little starting fire into the space in the fire pit. And place some more sticks on top of it. She could manage at least that. "Okay, into the space, more sticks on top..." she mused. Seeming to keep up with the bit about fires. Of course, they were having a good time and she had a moment or two to get her life together without Charles pressed against the back of her. Her face might even be able to go back to its original pallor at some point. Good good. Now, what she really needed in life more than anything was to speak with someone who better understood humans, because it was obvious she was missing a lot. Times like this, truly made her miss the girl who'd dubbed herself her 'Big Sis'.

[Bloodedge]

It went without saying that Angelica didn't believe a word he said. It was always like this; she had to have some sort of sense for his lies. That'd make marriage either really simple, or really awkward in the future. Wait, no! He wasn't entertaining that idea! There was no way it could possibly work! He was here to... oh. He was here on a date, because he had already at least somewhat entertained the engagement. Charlemagne should have questioned when that even happened, as he couldn't remember reaching any conclusion besides no.

What he did remember, was agreeing within this 'date' to teach Angelica a useful survival skill or two. Now, she was placing tinder in her first non-magical fire. A few additional sticks placed atop it, and Charlemagne was sitting back to watch the smoke rise. They'd have a solid burning flame in a matter of moments. Now then, since he was already outed for his current state, Charlemagne wondered if he should bother continuing to sit. That still wasn't something to just leave visible, right? "Good work! We can go ahead with the fishing now. Well... not now. I uh... I'm gonna sit here for a minute," he said in the most direct way he could manage. If Angelica thought she needed guidance, Charlemagne was in the same boat. Between instinct and religion, he was going through the most difficult trial of his life. The Saxons would really be an easier thing to overcome than this. . .

[Apollymi]

Finally, a fire had been started. Those little flame tongues, were starting to move and that made Angelica breathe a sigh of relief. It was nice to know that even a distraction and mental meltdown the likes of which her age old mind had never known before, didn't manage to keep her from following through with a new goal. They were both unaware the extremes of effects they had on each other, but that was just another bit of an adventure. Now it was time for fishing, but not before Charles congratulated her on her most recent work. She would have responded to that alone but apparently they wouldn't be immediately moving on to fishing. Instead he would be sitting down for a minute... why? A bit of thought ensued before Angelica's eyes widened.

"Oh, yeah. Take your time... I'm gonna go... hang out over there..." she mentioned. Maybe if all else failed she could drown herself and no one would be any wiser. Well, that might traumatize Charles a little but, he seemed to be already on the trauma change. A single death would be fine, and would also remove the added tension of his potential getting married to her. Not that she didn't want to marry him. No, if anything she was more set on the idea now than she had been when she'd come up with it. Even so, she didn't expect this level of complexity to go along with it. But given the way she felt for so long, perhaps the humans understood better the merits of 'Mana Transfer' controlled by emotions.

[Bloodedge]

For a time, Charlemagne wondered if they would ever actually accomplish a fire. Things seemed rather dangerous as of the past few minutes. Finally though, a flame was growing properly. This situation could turn around toward a more positive direction. At least, that was how it seemed. Charlemagne didn't breathe a sigh of relief only to immediately enter a stressful situation this time, so that was something of a win already.

He would be sitting around until that pesky erection went away. Luckily enough, Angelica made the decision to move somewhere else for a while. That sort of separation wasn't exactly conducive to a date, but perhaps it could be likened to a quick restroom trip. Oh, that wasn't a good thought at all. There were a lot of things a single man could do with a restroom trip, and one of those things would be helpful right now. What a terrible thought! "Yeah, sure. I'll be there in just a minute... I think," he claimed. Of course, Charlemagne wasn't sure how long it would actually take. If Angelica made the wrong... or right move when taking herself elsewhere, he'd basically be back to square one.

[Apollymi]

Where would Angelica go in a moment like this? Well, she stood dusted off and wandered over towards the little dock. She'd casually find herelf sitting on the end of the pier looking out at the water and calming her mind. Actually, she really liked these big open expanses of water now that she was looking at it. Perhaps this was something worth considering, when she got around to a bit more landscaping to go along with her redecorating. Yes, that was something she should consider. All the while she was willing to leave Charles alone for just a bit. This place truly was rather peaceful. Besides, in a moment like this, a bit of cold water on her feet and a nice view was a good way to distract herself from whatever strangeness came to her thoughts were Charles was concerned. Yes, this was a date, it'd been interesting so far. Actually, she assumed most dates weren't this awkward, but again... she didn't have anyone to ask about it now. Maybe that would change soon as well?