<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Bloodedge]

When he laughed, Albertus was given a warning by Meron. He shrugged, dismissing her naysaying. "What? It's a party, kind of! Listen to the kid; drink more whiskey!" he urged with a raised glass of his own. Even Aki, whose face was nearly planted in what remained of his plate, raised his glass in that moment. "Go on, tell 'em the thing! You're gonna say it at some point!" Albertus added. As for the matter of princesses, Miko didn't seem to like the 'forced' responsibility on those who bore the title. "It's not like that. What I'm talking about is something that'll happen naturally, but that's a lot of dull talk I don't need to get into right now."

While Albertus was shirking the responsibility of explaining some things, Yugi was watching Meron intently. Context clues all said her drinking more whiskey would have interesting results, so he was keeping an eye on her intake. In doing so, Yugi also took the liberty of entering her Inventory tab to deliver her a phone, just as he'd done to Himeko earlier ─ right into her bra. With honkers like those, he was sure she'd feel it without being told. Ah, but the very familiar rant of Himeko resonated with him strongly. He'd picked up the clues about Sources and the newly-mentioned Cores. With outrage like that, he figured the 'he' in question was that very same father god previously discussed. It didn't take much beyond that. "Guessing Cores go inside or connect to Sources, and the whole split goddess thing only did the Corse. Crisis not averted," he presumed while Albertus nodded. "Cores. New-world people get those. It's a lot simpler than it sounds... but this isn't~" he said while squeezing Makima's breast, rubbing it slightly and following the lines of her mana down her abdomen. She'd feel something similar to a magnetic pull all the while as he inspected her. His hand settled over her womb... or where it would have been. "I could fix this. But anyway, no sign of Querehsha here. No sign of any Monarch; I'd have lost a finger if one was in you. No relation either. Mana circuits mostly normal... good body, good brain... you're just a freak of nature. Gnarly~"

[Apollymi]

Albertus would always claim a party or some similar logic to keep someone drinking and happy. He'd been doing that sort of thing since they met, decades ago. No matter, she was apparently to take the advice and drink more whiskey and say the thing because she would eventually. "Okay, I'll say it but I could not~" Meron said and oddly Miko didn't believe her, whatever she was about to say, Miko was fully tuned in for, even the half-dead Aki had his glass raised, though it likely should have been confiscated a while before now. A healthy swig was taken, and that slight tint was added to Meron's face. "Wooh~ Whiskey makes me frisky~" she said as if amused by her own words. Miko heard such words and shivered. Kaguya chuckled just a tiny bit and Enju held up her glass. "Same~" Enju chorused finishing off another and feeling quite a bit looser than she had even earlier today. "I like the way that sounded, MeruMeru sounds like the life of the party♪~" Miko decided in the moment, slipping into an old habit. Soon enough though, Meron was feeling something odd between her breasts. She'd be found trying to get it out and when it didn't work, she'd eventually be seen pulling down on that turtle neck, half exposing her chest to get to the device which had been tucked into her breasts. "No fair... this is a turtle neck you know~" she complained just slightly. Still, Miko was willing to hold up her hands in mock surrender if Albertus didn't want to fully explain princesses. He'd not let her astray so she'd let boring things go... she tended to do that anyway. "Hai hai♪~" Miko chirped out without further hesitation.

Something else that came without hesitation was the anger of Ashikaga Himeko. Fury was real but unlike many other times it would seem that his understanding was over the last few moments worth about 10 percent caps not involved. "Exactly! It's fucking stupid. That stupid fucking milk-drinker is really running around ruining lives with nothing but stupidity and audacity! He should have just eaten the loss and let Mom fix it, she wouldn't have done us this dirty..." Miko looked up at Himeko and blinked, having a bad dad must actually be terrible. Irkalla could only nod her head, she understood the frustration, though she was the least argumentative, she also wasn't fond of the father god. And while all of that was happening Makima was finding out that someone like Albertus Animusphere had some interesting powers... he could tell what was 'wrong' with her body with casual molestation and even claimed an ability to fix it. Beyond that, he sated his curiosity, finding no connection between Makima and this Monarch of Plagues and even calling her a freak of nature. "Hm? Well, I've been called that before... I'm not worried about it... I'll take the rest of that as a compliment~" she said casually about what was missing from her body. She now knew it was possible to have fixed not that it was something on her immediate list of things to do. "If everyone's done with dinner there's still dessert. I didn't make it but it's great!♪~" Miko chimed in. Miko had noted most plates had been cleared and most were done doing anything but talking. Both herself and Irkalla had cleared almost an entire pans worth of lasagna between themselves... leading Miko to believe the thing they shared was their appetites from her earlier mention. A bit of camaraderie would also see a gentle increase in Kaguya's Intimacy up by 7 percent in honor of callling out trash dads. "No one turns down sweets outright, and I still have gifts for you two~" Makima mentioned as if amused by a functional dinner actually happening in front of her.

[Bloodedge]

The thing Meron had been urged to say was, in fact, something she'd end up saying regardless. It was a funny little line about whiskey making her... frisky. Yugi glanced at the youthful elder with a quirked brow of great interest, thinking he'd be investing in a lot of whiskey. "Better get a keg of this shit," he murmured, especially after hearing Enju second Meron's claim. Alas, Albertus had a slight warning to give for everyone's benefit. "Don't waste the money, kid. If you're gonna go for it, go for the gin. Trust me~" he advised. Knowing those two had an interesting past and obviously interesting present as well, Yugi took that advice to heart. He wouldn't let it linger long, however, as he absolutely had to see what Meron was doing to retrieve that smartphone. He could see the curve of her breasts and a bit of that cavernous cleavage she boasted. That alone was worthwhile, but Yugi wondered how she'd respond to a bit of playful greed. "Doesn't alcohol usually end in clothes coming off anyway? I mean... you might as well check to make sure there isn't other stuff lost in there~" he joked with a roll of his eyes.

Moving beyond that, Yugi's assumptions were accurate again. Himeko's issue involved her father, the supposed father of gods splitting her from her 'twin' in a dysfunctional way. There was much to be said about that, but Yugi wouldn't get to say it all. "Every father god or king of gods has nothing but the dumbest ideas ever," he said just before his attention was pulled away. Something very odd was happening with Himeko's route, namely...

[BOND THRESHOLD REACHED]

Bond Route: Ashikaga Himeko

Intimacy has reached 50%.

Designation Confirmed: Shadow Concubine

The bond has crossed a structural threshold.
This connection is now formally acknowledged by the System.

New Access Granted:
• Concubine Inventory — Authorization Expanded
 Target may now access her designated Inventory Node.
• Concubine Key — Generated and Activated
 A unique access key has been created and is fully functional.
 Ashikaga Himeko may now enter the established Domain at any time.

Status Notes:
• Concubine Room is now accessible as a private, instanced space.
• Access is shared between Player and Concubine.

System Message:
Ashikaga Himeko has been designated Shadow Concubine.
She retains significant autonomy.

Yugi's eyes widened. Himeko had gone from 47% straight to 57% with no required event to pass 50. "... Huh? No event? Fucking how?!" he asked mostly of the System's administrator. Of course, Himeko would be able to see a notification of her own at that time.

[BOND STATUS UPDATE]

You have been designated as Shadow Concubine to Yugi.

The bond has crossed a structural threshold.
This connection is now formally acknowledged by the System.

New Access Granted:
• Concubine Inventory — Authorization Expanded
 You may now access your designated Inventory Node.
• Concubine Key — Generated and Activated
 A unique access key has been created and is fully functional.
 You may now enter the established Domain at any time.

Status Notes:
• Your Concubine Room is now accessible as a private, instanced space.
• Access is shared with Yugi.

System Message:
You have become Yugi's Shadow Concubine.
You retain significant autonomy.

Meanwhile, Albertus was only just releasing Makima, having all the information he needed. She was a very strange human, though he wouldn't call her a human in actuality. Nevertheless, she was more than free to take his observation as a compliment. "It's totally a compliment. You broke the mold, lady! That's wild!" he encouraged. "I'll leave you to it now. What's with this dessert I'm hearing about? Was I also supposed to bring gifts? Does bringing Mel count?"

[Apollymi]

There was a brow of raised interest when Meron spoke that little line. It was one she said quite frequently, when drinking the drink of choice. It had even resonated with Enju who was far drunker than she thought she was going to be. No matter what more advice was being given for the benefit of any with an interest, go for the Gin, was Albertus's expert opinion. "Albie, no fair~" Meron claimed, though he was right. Gin was a way better choice if there was to be something proper going on. "Oya?~ My brain completed that one... what an interesting lady~" Kaguya decided, having played around with rhyming words in her own head until she came up with the reason for Gin to be a preferred drink of choice. "It's gotta be in the juniper berries♪~" Miko decided making a playful joke about a very popular gaming reference. No matter she was past that part soon. Ah, but what of a lack of clothing? She was soon tugging on the side of her shirt, pulling down the neck of that sweater and practically popping a boob out to reach that phone buried in her cleavage. "This took forever to get into... I hope I didn't lose something else," Meron complained but she still perused a new phone.

And it seemed that a pure spark of anger, got a special exception for Himeko to reach the point of being a concubine. Oddities occurred at the strangest moments, but that wasn't a huge deal. "Yes, dumbest man on the planet hands down," Himeko said. Only to have her anger turned towards 'Brainface' as the pair had taken to calling him. There was a lot of information in that first post. "Ugh, something else to annoy me..." Himeko said as she took a swig of beer and read the screen in front of her. "Menu". that was all. The wisdom goddess began to peruse the System without hesitation or extra thought. "Weird circumstances for spiritual or mental resonance? I mean... Go-sei basically decided his place, it isn't completely unheard of at this point," Miko offered casually.

Oh well, a good threshold was reached and now other things could be discussed. Beyond this point, Albertus continued to compliment Makima, claiming she'd broken the mold as an individual. "Interesting," Makima said. As for the rest, dessert could come out at any moment, "Iggy bring dessert now~" Miko chirped causing the former Blood Red Commander to make sure desserts were delivered in those oversized goblets to the table. "We didn't really expect presents. MeruMeru probably counts for him... but we didn't expect anything," Miko pointed out. She still didn't expect anything at all. And instead would simply be left with sparkly eyes as Igris approached and left a dessert goblet in front of the girl.

[Bloodedge]

"You on gin is what's no fair!" Albertus countered. Much like Kaguya, Yugi also figured out the wordplay to be used for gin. His decision would be obvious to anyone who knew how the System worked. "... Shop," was all he said to open the menu. While he searched, another bonding moment would occur for the oddest reason. "Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in," Yugi and Ren said simultaneously, both following-up flawlessly on Miko's reference. Both would snicker, but both would also have their attentions drawn to Meron. She hoped she didn't lose anything else? Yugi immediately considered what else he could drop inside her bra. "You might have. I would check. You might even find a whole fucking bottle of gin in there."

Himeko had another annoyance in her life now: Brainface. There would have been some comfort to offer, but... Yugi knew her outbursts were too similar to his own, and figured his best bet was to prep against stupidity instead. "Don't worry; it'll only suck when you're paying attention to it... which it will force you to do every time. And it'll never tell you anything actually important. Apparently we have to find that shit ourselves. Kind of like this thing I just saw when looking for Boob Gin," he said while flashing a System screen that definitely should have been a forced notification:

[MAJOR BOND MILESTONE REACHED]

Condition Met: 10 Bondmates at 25%+ Intimacy

Title Unlocked: Harem Sovereign

Effect:
- Passive: Harem Resonance
All Bondmates gain +15% Intimacy gain rate when the Player is actively engaging with any of them.
- Active Ability: Desire Command (1/day)
The Player can instantly raise any Bondmate's Intimacy by 15% or force-trigger a special intimate event with them (bypassing normal conditions).
- Bonus: Beguiling Aura
Bondmates within 50 meters naturally feel heightened arousal and affection toward the Player.

System Message:
The bond has grown vast.
You are no longer simply connected — you are the center they orbit.
The harem recognizes its Sovereign.

"Not an alert why?! Fucking dumb," he decided, looking to Miko thereafter. "It is completely unheard of though. There've been exceptions, but that doesn't change the fact that a cap never registered. Even fucking giga-dominatrix over here got caught at 49 first. This whole thing's fucking dumb... but these are some nice perks," he rambled. Meanwhile, Miko's order had Igris bringing multiple infantrymen in to supply dessert ─ one being placed before everyone at the table. Albertus was thinking over a gift when he saw the former Blood-Red Commander, whom he exchanged glances of odd familiarity with. "So Mel maybe counts..." he said as though trying to change a subject in his own head. "Definitely counts. Trying to figure out how I can unwrap it right now," Yugi corrected. Albertus laughed. "Pfft! So Mel definitely counts. I can't just bring a gift for the man of the house. Anything you want, little lady?~"

[Apollymi]

According to Albertus, Meron on gin was something to be considered unfair. The elder lady simply scoffed, "Oh please... it's not even that bad~" she claimed. Though she did have one of those other says about Gin that probably would have lead to such a thing, Kaguya seemed to put it together well enough to comment, "It's probably exactly what you're thinking, but I decided a while back drinking should be for happy reasons. You girls gotta stay happy and live enriching lives. Don't get too caught up on what things look like or how they're supposed to be, you'll age yourself~" Meron gave good motherly and big sisterly advice to the ladies at the table while Yugi opened the shop with purpose and other kids joked about a popular video game reference. A combined joking reference made between Yugi and Ren, gave Miko a moment of pause, "Chii♪~ I might really like the way that sounds~" she decided, as a moment of decision about a specific sex act in a box became clearer and clearer by the moment. Beyond that apparently the idea of losing something in her chest might have caused a problem, Yugi proposed continued searching lest Meron have lost an entire bottle of Gin somewhere. "A whole bottle? I mean they're big but...." she used her arms to bounce them a bit shift them around and make sure she'd not left anything. There was once a time when partying at night led to boobs being used for storage and the like, who was to say it hadn't happened again. Still she'd be performing a minor investigation into things that could be lost in her chest.

Meanwhile, Himeko was being given a warning about the one the children called 'Brainface'. Apparently all would be fine until the notifications popped and they became an annoyance. Or even worse, when notifications didn't pop and them not popping was an annoyance. That flash of a screen was something Himeko glanced at and Miko also looked at, "Oh, that kind of thing..." Himeko said. She could deal, but something about it... reminded her of her brother so she'd simply sort that aggression in that way. Miko read the notice and it was a nice perk for him given the number of 25 percent or above he had going on right now. She heard out Yugi's reply and searched her brain for potential answers... An exception that slipped past the normal fifty percent marker could be a couple of things but one didn't really make sense in most contexts. But they'd already started talking ancient aliens so maybe... "Boxes are open... and slightly unrelated maybe," Miko murmured. "Oddities surrounding Intimacy thresholds are weird, but it could be that this kind of lifestyle is already pretty natural to the goddess types. They don't see it the same way so after deciding the exchange could or would be made based on intellectual resonance, the same barriers don't apply. Possible. Or... and this one's the weirder one... all of the odd ones could be like playing an Otome with a second disk... early routes and decisions, beta access and completed quests change the ease of access for certain people on the background Bandersnatch style trees. Tell Tale style, someone will remember that♪~" Miko offered her own thought processes. "Also those perks are nice, but I'm pretty sure you just entered the midgame... the the potential negative mechanics come into play more often so the extra bonuses to Intimacy are there to balance out the increase in difficulty. Like when you're dating people from two different factions and you have to make sure you don't choose a side to avoid losing a route. Making sure to keep track of who does and doesn't like whom to avoid double booking that loses Intimacy rather than gains it. Basically the annoying part of reasouce management♪~" Miko offered her own understanding of such things and realized she'd need something.

Beyond all of that, Meron apparently counted as a gift, one that Yugi was still working on unwrapping. Fair enough. Still, Miko sat with dessert in front of her and squealed dancing in her seat like the happy should have been fat child she was, she noted the recognition between Albertus and Igris but obviously Albertus was a lot older than he seemed she'd leave that in her head. Now she was looking at Albertus her face visibly twitching as she held back something way too perverted to discuss over dessert. She took a deep breath and chuckled, "Tehehe♪~ Almost got me♪~ That was such a dangerous question... if MeruMeru counts as a present. I'll be agreeable and avoid giving a list of some sort today. You can pick someone or something you think I might like or need♪~ I trust you♪~" Miko decided. She held back saying everything so hard that she was going to simply enjoy her dessert. Makima had one sitting in front of her, and watched as the girl decided finger foods were the best option. Meanwhile, even Himeko seemed happy, "Dessert is bready too!~" she seemed so pleased, but Mesopotamia was once known as the world's bread basket, that probably meant the goddesses from there were all about things made with bread.

[Bloodedge]

"It's that good," Albertus countered. The 'Gin Meron' as some would one day know her as, was some kind of monster even to a god of creation who specialized in sex acts. It seemed Yugi was keen to find out the finer details, as Meron's bouncing breasts and unnecessarily meticulous inspection whet his appetite sufficiently. As such, he really did deposit an entire, crystalline bottle of gin into her Inventory, letting it share a slot with her bra. As if that wasn't enough, he also dropped a few random low-ranked Skill Runes in for no purpose other than to make her keep fishing things out... or make another decision entirely. "I dunno. I feel like you might have accidentally left a lot more in there than you think you could've. Sometimes you just have to turn your pockets inside-out just to be sure all the loose change is gone~"

Yugi wasn't the only one having a streak of deviance. In addition to keeping his eyes on Meron as well, Ren was loosely inspecting a ladyfinger with cream at its tip, seeming to enjoy a very depraved line of thinking involving it. While he mulled over that, Yugi was hearing a long tirade from Miko about otome game mechanics and how they compared to what was currently being experienced with the System. Yugi watched, listened, and generally did his duty as a partner by processing every word she had to say. He did so silently and impassively. Whatever opinion he had on her speech would not be made clear... until Yugi raised a hand just to thump the brunette's forehead. "I needed to hear none of that. I've played fucking otome games before. Stop wasting time when there's huge tits on the line! Priorities!" he complained.

Beyond that, there was something of a discussion between Miko and Albertus... about a gift. The brunette had an answer, but it clearly wasn't her initial thought. Even so, she claimed he could offer anything he thought she wanted... or needed. Humans were such strange little creatures. "I don't know you," Albertus said as he gave it a bit more consideration. He definitely knew the girl's grandmother, and their mana signatures were almost identical outside of the Shadow Monarch aura connected to this one. Was that enough information though? If he'd been dealing with her grandmother, he would have just offered... himself, possibly as part of a group. Ah, but there may have been another similarity between herself and the older brunette. "Did you just say that because you can't pick a thing? I'm not falling for that again! You gotta pick, little missy!"

[Apollymi]

'Gin Meron' was something that woman was occasionally called by her friends and people like Albertus. She was obviously inspecting her chest, but that was mostly just because something had randomly appeared there... she wasn't about to miss anything else. And lo, Yugi would be depositing a host of random items into the woman's bra. She'd be pulling out Skll Runes and looking at them with her brows raised and then feeling that crystalline bottle of gin but not quite being able to get her hand around it. "Geez, there really is something huge in here..." she complained as she went about her business.

While this occurred Miko had given her entire spiel it hadn't even taken ehr that long but apparently it was too long for Yugi's comfort level. As was general the case in certain kinds of relationships, she received a thump to the forehead/a bit of abuse for 'wasting' time as he put it. There were giga-boobs at the table. Miko pouted at the contact to her forehead and had sarcasm to share, as well as that tiny streak of vindictive quality that always seemed to exist just below the surface of her cute face. "Oooh♪~ The guy with the big brain can't use both his eyes and ears at the same time, that's crazy♪~" Miko said with casual defiance, Genokiller he might be, but he'd already proven how often things outside of his normal consideration could sneak up on him. "Box it♪~" she decided that if he missed something later due to his own distraction she simply wouldn't be helping him realize or fix it. Such was the level of toxicity their relationship would maintain... happily as ever. Besides, she now had dessert, and she could leave him to his observation not that she wasn't also looking herself.

Well, at least that was the case until Albertus captured her attention for a moment. In so doing her eyes drifted for just a bit. While Meron essentially popped her boob out of her shirt to wiggle that crystalline bottle out from the depths of her massive boob space and sighed in relief. "You don't but there are a few people in the world who strike me as worthy of a bit of blind faith, you are one of them♪~" Miko claimed, well as a worshipper of Abe no Seimei she could give the magical man quite a bit of leeway for his clarity. He didn't know her, but he did know her grandmother and her friend group. And everything about said situations seemed to lean into an idea that there was a lot more freedom going around than most. Ah but she didn't count on how many similarities besides the physical ones she had in common with her own family, as Albertus seemed to catch on pretty quickly to the fact that Miko was unable to pick a singular thing for herself and thus was going to take whatever thing or abundance of things Albertus decided to give instead. Ah but he caught on to her plan and she was thwarted. And for a brief moment, a ladyfinger on its way to her mouth and all, the girl looked like she'd just been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. "Eeep♪!~ He's on to us♪~" she chirped a casual slip into an old and almost childish habit the girl had of referring to herself in plural for reasons no one really thought about. 'Goddamnit old bitch, how dare you use the little person appeal...' Miko scoffed thinking about her grandmother in passing. She decided to pout instead and eat... "In my defense, she didn't strike me as the type to go with that sort of appeal. It should count separately... unless there is some kind of freaky group rate, in which case, I'm gonna need comp♪~" Miko finally said. "I'm also really bad at choosing. When options are in front of me I want to try everything..." Miko stated. "It also seems a bit wasteful to just choose you, since I'm definitely having that, and it would let you off the hook... though you did create that hook yourself," Miko was mulling it over and eating her ladyfingers while she did so... "Hm, you and an IOU... then it's a single use thing and I can ask when I have something pressing in mind. Even if it's you again♪!~" Miko decided something which was basically still two things but well within the bounds of her current understanding of things.

[Bloodedge]

The more she fished around, the more Meron found... as Yugi continued dropping more into her bra. After a few moments of picking out Skill Runes, she claimed there really was something huge inside her bra. "Too easy? No way," Yugi decided after only a second of arguing with himself. "Probably cold too. I could swap it for something huge and warm. Just say the word!" he said, much to Albertus's amusement. "That'd probably work automatically with the gin," he commented.

At that point, there was a pseudo-argument happening between Players. Yugi had his priorities in order, but Miko taunted the idea of him being incapable of using both eyes and ears. Something was boxed. He didn't care. No, he was instead content to thump her on the forehead again. "Urusai! Nobody needs to have useless shit as a distraction!" he said as the great moment of Meron's exposure finally came about in the form of one breast ─ albeit one that was larger than most pairs combined. "Cleanup on aisle me," Yugi chanted. "And me," Ren murmured. "An' dish table," said Aki, who wasn't even aware what they were discussing as he'd already lowered his face into the table. Dessert wasn't happening easily for him.

"May as well pop the bottle at this point. I'm ready to party!" Albertus asserted as if he wanted a swig of that gin for himself, seemingly believing this was becoming more of a party by the moment. As it happened, Miko was also contributing to some familiarity. She'd been outed for an excuse he'd heard far too many times. It seemed she also understood why Albertus knew her plan... but her decision after the fact was, in fact, also something her grandmother would have said. She wanted an IOU. Of course she wanted an IOU. That was just one more convenient exploit to the system of his offerings. "So you want a free pass to the next thing I can't or won't do? You could've opened with that. I'm hip, but ya' gotta go for the first round before anything else~" he teased.

[Apollymi]

The oddity of the Players ability to put items on people was something only a few had experienced directly. Even so, there was something oddly amusing about watching a couple of horny teens laser focused on a woman trying to fish things out from between her enormous breasts. Yugi claimed something was too easy, but in the end still went with it, and what he had to say was about par for the course, "Hehe~ You really think you're funny, don't you~" Meron claimed. While Albertus continued to give away every secret known to man about this particular woman. "Albie stop, you're gonna give away all the secrets~" Meron complained, of course she was also obviously feeling that whiskey but upon getting that bottle out of her bosom finally she sat it on the table and looked at it.

Nobody needed distractions from Meron whipping her chest out, even just one was more than enough for the point made. Miko on the other hand had already been looking another thump to the forehead was simply logged away with other bad behavior to be punished at a later time. The only thing she could wonder would be, what he'd do to finish pushing her over the edge. To the boys calls for cleanup, Miko had a joke to make that she didn't expect anyone to get, but she couldn't resist... "And here we have a chorus in D-major♪~" which gained her a snicker out of Shutara at minimum. As for the opening of the bottle, "I dunno, Albie this looks terrifying even to me... and that whiskey hit harder than normal... party might mean something different today~" she stated earnestly, yet still the top was coming off that gin bottle and she'd be pouring herself at least one glass.

At the same time, Miko was being read an apparent riot act by an old man who claimed not to know her, but also wasn't falling for any of her planned methods of getting more of what she wanted out of the situation. "Tsk~ Seems like you know me quite well... but that's a done deal♪!~" Miko asserted without question. Makima had remained watching as Meron placed her boob back into her shirt and Miko flirted her way into likely two dates with Albertus Animusphere. She was still so amused by these kid's antics, "I should probably redirect into giving you two those presents before you turn this dinner party into an orgy..." Makima stated honestly. "Those words mean the same thing," Miko said without a second of hesitation. For Makima to stifle and laugh and Kaguya and Ai to do the same. "So would you rather get your shared present first, or your separate presents first? I will say you'll probably want your shared present outside... for reasons~" she asked of both the teens knowing that keeping them on task when nudity became involved was rather difficult.

[Bloodedge]

According to Meron, Albertus was giving away all of the secrets. He was doing no such thing. There were so many 'secrets' about that woman, he'd have to spend all week to do something like that. "Only the ones that are good for the party. Now c'mon, drink like the old days!" he encouraged without a second thought. By the time Meron was opening that gin bottle, Albertus was holding out an emptied glass from his earlier whiskey. Of course, 'party' meaning something different was... a sentiment he could get behind. Well, that was sort of the case. "That just makes it better! Look how many people we can get involved! We could have the grooviest night ever!" Albertus chanted.

Alas, the 'party' would be put on hold for a bit. Though it seemed Albertus and Miko were quickly reaching an agreement that he would contentedly solidify once dessert was done, bar any interruptions... there was an interruption. Makima urged the Players to address the gifts she'd brought along, which involved one shared item they would have to witness outside. "Oh, and mine too. Also outside~" Hiruko chimed in. "Taracchi, Enicchi, I can give one of you one too. Either of you got that storage yet?" he wondered before any exodus. Yugi didn't like the idea of stopping his existing progress with the ultimate 'MILF' build, but... she was starting on that gin, so he could afford to give it a bit of time. As for which present they should go for first, he figured there was no reason to wait ─ especially since he imagined it was likely something's corpse. "If it's along the lines of what I'm thinking... shared thing first. I'm guessing some people need to see that."

[Apollymi]

Apparently, Meron was supposed to drink like the old days, as the secrets Albertus gave were ones good for the party. "I'm already about to mix whiskey and gin... any closer to the old days than that and it becomes something else~" she claimed. Still she poured them both a glass of gin and prepared for the awesomeness of the day. "Grooviest, huh? No one talks like that anymore, Albie~" Meron said while lifting her glass to begin drinking. "I don't know... it sounds right coming from him... let him cook♪~" Miko decided in the moment. Besides she liked the natural state of people.

Beyond this point the interruption of Makima would keep the Players from acting on sheer horny energy. According to Hiruko, he also had a present which needed to be outside. "You got us an outdoor present too..." Miko said seemingly confused as to what he could have gotten them to, presumably he wouldn't have also gotten them some sort of corpse, that didn't seem like this style. She mentally expected something outrageously expensive... He even offered whatever this gift was to Shutara and Enju, who both looked at him and shook their heads. "Iia, not that far in yet... you know how it goes~" Shutara claimed her hands up in the air. As for Enju she also shook her head. "I don't have storage or anything yet either... though I could use Gallagher's number. I don't want him thinking I skipped out on my bar tab on purpose~" Enju said. Those words specifically would draw Miko's attention, in an obvious way for just a moment. She made a mental note to ask a few questions but there was something more important to deal with, Yugi figured they were about to get a new summon and Miko also figured it was most likely unless she was about to present them with a pair of naked fraternal twins. Makima looked to the girl who simply nodded as well... besides she'd already finished her first dessert so she wasn't to pressed. "Everyone good to move to see the cool thing?" Miko asked standing to remove herself from the chair she'd been sharing with Yugi. The girls in the group at large were also finishing up their desserts, most having already tasted it, and then heading out side, figuring the front gates would be the place to go to.

[Bloodedge]

One thing Albertus could never have a problem with, was any sort of party evolving into an all-night sex marathon. In ancient times, that was essentially a daily routine. It gave him a hint of nostalgia along with the thrill of something new in this modern era of humanity. Though nobody used the word 'groovy' anymore, Meron had every reason to know... Albertus wouldn't be stopping. "I say it. It's cool; I'm bringing it back~" he claimed while getting his glass filled with gin. "Whew! Nice and tall, just how I like it!"

Hiruko had a present for each Player, and had recently decided he could give his own car to one of the other girls he knew as well. That was likely to happen at some point anyway. It was nothing to push that decision forward by a trip or two. "Sort of," was his initial answer to Miko. "I could drop them inside, but it doesn't fit the vibe of this place. You'll see~" he clarified. As for the other girls, neither had Inventory access just yet... and Enju mostly wanted the number of someone called Gallagher. Hiruko could manage that. "Bet. Give me your new number, and I'll send it to you~" he agreed. One of those two would have storage available at some point, surely. He'd keep that Lamborghini ready for whichever woman could store it first. For now though, everyone was being urged to move. Both players wanted their shared present. Miko rose first. Yugi got up second, but didn't hesitate to move out. Ren stood up and lagged behind, clearly intending to bring up the rear. All the while, Aki nearly rolled out of his chair into a limp standing position. Yuto was perfectly fine, albeit timid as ever... but the one most ready to move out was none other than Gojo Satoru: the man standing tall and confident as he moved behind the Players. "Big money makers high-stepping! Protect your necks!"

[Apollymi]

Despite her naysaying, Meron also enjoyed the idea of partying a bit. She'd spent one part of her life as an idol and with a group of pretty wild friends, settling in for motherhood and having that snatched away, made her reconsider her life at 30... now she was, living freely as she wanted to. "Yeah, you've been saying that for a couple of decades now~" Meron said about his use of the term groovy and other such things he said that were out of time but somehow still sounded right when he said them. No matter, he got himself a tall glass of gin, and Meron had one was well... and was soon standing to join the others, she was at least curious as to what kind of power the 'Monarchs of Shadow' had to show for them, those soldiers moving around were already a hint. "Come on, we can get these drinks started and see what they got going on~" Meron stated heading outside with the other young women.

Shutara and Enju would be walking with HIruko, his statements to Miko making Shutara laugh, "Sou ka, Shu-nee knows what it is..." Miko decided with a little puff to her cheek, but she wasn't terribly pressed, no she was more interested in the exchange about Gallagher. "Oh right, I forgot about that... here," Enju said whipping out her System phone for the data exchange while casually walking with the pair she was with. Ai and Kaguya would as always be together, Tae, was still working on her dessert and thus intended to take it with her. Maki joined Yuto, and had mostly been choosing to enjoy the food and ignore the fact that this pair were strong and hornier than the law should allow. "Go-sei says the most interesting things♪~" Miko chirped. Both of the goddesses were also showing curiosity though their power had been explained, it's connection to death and the exact way it worked was unknown to Himeko and understood only from her own domain by Irkalla. From the outside it would be interesting so both walked together with beers in hand. Makima for her part in this was soon enough waiting at the front of the group in the large clearing with a knowing little smirk on her face. "Okay, your combined present... an abnormal dungeon apparently produced this, it's name is Kaisellin..." Makima said breaking into the Inventory to casually place the wyvern corpse on the ground in front of the teens. Miko soon had a nervous twitch at the side of her face which settled into a smile. They were about to be able to fly.

[Bloodedge]

Albertus Animusphere, often called a hipster among other things, had been talking about bringing back those old phrases for the past few decades. "And I'll say it for the next two, or until it catches~" he declared. Either way, he and Meron were both ready to move along with the others to see what the Monarch of Shadows' power could really do. Albertus knew in a general sense. He'd seen the effects of that power, but he'd never witnessed it directly. How did this pair of formerly-human teens manage with that ancient power? Time would tell. For now, he'd move casually alongside Meron, sipping gin as if it were a juice.

Everyone was moving well enough. Aki was the least stable, but even he was making his way. Anan brought up the absolute rear as everyone took their places in the courtyard. With that, everyone was able to witness Shido Makima materializing the modified corpse of a wyvern from a semi-recent and terrible A-rank Gate. The beast named Kaisellin had become something of a local legend, like a small-scale version of that nightmarish dragon from the first ever S-rank Dungeon Break. Kaisellin was that A-rank Gate's boss, and now... it was a husk laid in front of the Players ─ two individuals who could hear its soul in limbo, and see the shadows its body emitted. "... Eheh~" Yugi chuckled after silently observing the wyvern for a few moments. "Welcome to the Bankai arc. Only one thing to do now."

Yugi wasn't going to hesitate. He stepped forward, wicked grin on his face and that eerie blue sheen in his eyes. His right arm extended, palm toward the wyvern corpse. Kaisellin was a strong one, but it had been dead for some time now. Either way... it would serve great purpose even if the extracted Shadow Soldier was of normal grade. Yugi kept that in mind as he spoke that single, dangerous, ancient word.

"ARISE."