Charles Patricius

"If a teen girl did change the world, you'd probably be the one doing it. And I'm not abusing anything. I've seen some crazy teenagers, you know?" Hiruko said as a matter of fact. He may have actually believed a single teen could change the world. Those minds were always a powerful thing right between experience and imagination, and now with the types he'd met recently, Hiruko felt something absolutely ludicrous was possible. There were already some young ones who made major impacts on the world anyway; now there were some with more ammunition. "Glad you like my voice though. You know you can call me whenever you like if you want to hear it again. That concert offer still stands for next week, by the way. Ja♥~" he said at the end of their call.

And so, there was another call made. Hiruko knew this one would come with some requirements on his end; such was the way things worked with that red-haired incarnation of devil they called a human. While the phone was ringing, Hiruko received the file he'd been waiting for ─ though he didn't have the extra time to send it out before his call was answered. Speak, the woman said. With a bright smile on his face that translated directly into his voice, Hiruko knew exactly what he'd say. "Rawr♥~" was his greeting. "Kimacchi... I need to transfer a contract in your area."

Meanwhile, Sakura would be receiving yet another message from Kakihara Shota. She may not have responded to his original series, but that wouldn't stop him sending another. "If you just want your daily protein shot instead of normal food, that's fine with me too♥"

Hiruko was full of encouragement for certain individuals, Hoshimi Emi was one of them. That being said, she wasn't the type to fall to his flirtation even if his words were quite flattering. A girl like her? Handler to a family of assassins was far from the position of changing the world, still something about Hiruko's belief in her was enough to put a smile on her face, "I'm sure I'll remember this if I ever make any world level decisions," Emi said sarcastically with an eyeroll. Of course this was also the type of man to take extra compliments where they weren't originally intended. Even so, she wouldn't deny he had a nice voice, just the same she wouldn't be calling him at random. Though that offer of a concert was pretty tempting. Whether she'd actually agree depended on a great number of factors and her own ability to establish herself as a non-target of his romantic advances, no one should turn down that concert for anything...

Moving on from that, there was the call being made to someone who claimed Hiruko should speak when she picked up her phone. Speaking was met with a little growl and a smile said woman could practically see through the phone. A gentle upturn of her own lips occurred as she heard this, at least her little pet managed to still be amusing after all this time. "And why would you do something like that? Is there something I should know about happening beneath my nose?" she followed up immediately. Though she didn't sound upset, there was always a certain sharpness to her tone, which left little to no room for argument. Even something like asking a question held a certain commanding nature. Whatever the case, she was genuinely curious about a change of contract, it wasn't as if Hiruko was incapable of completing tasks on his own.

At the same time, Sakura had been taking a few moments to get some pictures of herself in her new lingerie of choice. She'd wanted to see what she looked like before she made her way towards Hiruko to discuss with him her plans. Of course, she found herself annoyed about five pictures deep. As another message found its way to her hot bar. She read it without opening it and felt, disgusted. Whatever Kakihara thought he was offering it was not something worthy enough to replace a meal. He could give everything in his body and it wouldn't be such. And why did he insist upon continuing to message someone who hadn't sent him a single message in return? Was he really so desperate for attention? He would receive it, though it wouldn't be what he wanted. Knowing she'd continue receiving messages, Sakura made her way out of the bathroom with her things in her new outfit and set herself on a course towards Hiruko in the living room. She might even make her way to him before he finished his phone call.

As one could expect, Hiruko was promptly questioned about his decision to pass a contract along. He could easily handle any job thrown his way in this prefecture, but there was too much benefit to handing it over now. "It's nothing major, I promise~" he said, seeming to keep that usual flirtatious tone ─ if a bit sultrier in present company. "As for what's going on beneath your nose or... beneath your anything, that depends on what kind of conversation you want this to be. Ah, I'm short on time now though. I offered Ericchi the contract earlier; you know how she is when there's no work to do. It's not a job that sounds too interesting anyway, so I figured it was best to free up my plate too."

There was one certainty when dealing with the woman called Makima. When dealing with her, at least one required act was assured. Hiruko had no idea what she'd expect of him for this, but historically, he was put through the proverbial wringer. "So, what's the order this time? And while we're at it, what'll it take for you to unbutton that shirt I know you're wearing? I'm in... a kind of mood♥~" he said while flopping into seated position on the couch.

Just as Sakura assumed, there were more messages coming from Shota. "I do wanna see u play with it on ur tongue again," one read. "Be sure to tell me how it tastes. I'm recording this one♥" was another.

Hiruko's flirty tone and the like were very normal in conversation with this particular woman. She even managed to be mostly unswayed by his antics. In truth, she listened rather calmly to what he had to say. A contract had been passed along to one Hoshimi Eri because of how antsy she became when not active. That was fair, it kept their organization from having to deal with a potential loose canon. Still, a bit odd that the girl hadn't come directly to her, though this one knew why that was the case, "Oh? Pressed for time but still flirting is quite dangerous. I am surprised, Eri could have come to see me, if all she wanted was work. I do enjoy looking at her..." she said in her voice the smallest upturn of lips occurred it was a truthful statement. "Still a trade like that is fine. She is also perfectly capable of handling any work passed her way and since you're freeing yourself up I suppose I should be expecting a visit in the near future," she said as if it was optional. It wasn't of course, but whenever this man made his way to her, a certain requirement would have to be met.

As for the actual terms of a trade, something like this would require only a small act of submission. As long as the work was still being done, Makima felt no need to push someone and technically taking initiative to make sure a job got done and all assets were free and where they needed to be were positive things. "A bottle of wine, a pack of cigarettes and a pair of new shoes. That should cover the trade and answer that little desire of yours. Make sure to message me before you arrive, whenever that is. And tell Eri I have a new dress for her, if she finds herself itching for more work while she's here..." Makima said those things. Hiruko new well her tastes though not fully what she intended. It was obvious to Makima that she'd be drinking wine and enjoying cigarettes while stepping on the man in her new shoes, whenever that happened, but a single act of submission was far from the worst price Hiruko would have to pay. Perhaps she still held a bit of fondness for her former pet and simply wanted to look at him and make sure he was doing well?

At the same time, Sakura was reading another message in her phone and her face soured. She'd soon be casually stepping towards the living room with a look of genuine disgust on her face. Kakihara Shota was feeding her ammunition for the torture she had in mind. And it was only becoming more solid as she shuffled through her memories and found statements and annoyances which had been appearing since immediately after their time at the card shop. Every message he sent made her annoyed after the fact and every one he sent to her now caused a shift in her emotions she'd not felt before. It was quite distressing.

"What can I say? You know gambling is best when you don't have a lot of chips to bet," Hiruko said jovially. When dealing with Makima's demands, trying to entice her was a gamble in its own right. If she decided now was the time to claim her special form of payment, he'd be in a load of trouble if he didn't pay up. Ah, but Hiruko wouldn't be losing this gamble either. Makima expected him to visit, but not quite yet. "I wouldn't be in Osaka without visiting at some point, Kimacchi♥~ I have to get at least one look. Somewhere between three days and a week, I should have time," he assured.

So then, what did Makima want from him? Wine, cigarettes and shoes; he could piece together her desires based on that list. "Is that all?" Hiruko asked as if surprised. It truly was a miniscule order; he'd have delivered those things just to say hello. Of course, he also wouldn't have turned his nose up to the opportunity that combination presented. He wasn't submissive in nature, but... Makima always had a way about her. "Hai hai. If there's anything else, let me know. I'll pass Ericchi your message with the contract."

As Hiruko's penultimate business transaction of the evening neared its end, the series of texts sent to Sakura's phone did as well. Sadly, Hiruko's chats were looking up while Sakura's were looking... worse by the line. "U know I actually wouldn't mind skipping dinner to eat your ass," he sent. "Then I need to see and hear what ur like when you get really messed up," he followed. "Don't worry. I'll make sure ur screaming in pleasure since ur boyfriend isn't doing it lol," he concluded.

"You do say things like that. And some of the gambles that have turned out best for you, have happened when you only had one chip left..." Makima said. This man was very interesting given his philosophies. She quite enjoyed the nature of his being and beyond that his little pushes. Makima was far from the type to submit to another but, she often found herself making small allowances in acts involving Hiruko. "Alright then, I will see you within seven days," the claimed. There was something rather ominous about that statement, as if it wasn't at all optional. She knew he was a busy young man and while she didn't like things happening within her space without her knowledge she knew him to be one of the easier to trust to get things done. It was why she didn't truly cut him lose when he won his freedom. No matter. As for her own requests they were very specific and indeed it seemed he was still capable of reading her at least a bit. "I am not in the habit of being completely unreasonable Hiruko. You know this... I do respect initiative and a well chosen delegate," she said of her current modest requests. If he'd gotten extra work done by someone else and was coming to see her, then the items she wanted were more than enough. "Good. Now, say goodbye." she demanded. Her body already moving in that singular chair. When her demand was met the line would go silent from her end and she'd begin undoing her shirt and tie leaving them open revealing black lace beneath which she'd casually snap a picture of from the downward angle of her lap. Once satisfied with the image she'd send it to Hiruko and return herself to the controlled state she normally existed in.

Speaking of controlled states, Sakura was losing hers with every follow up message. By the time she was right outside of the living room another series of messages was reaching her. She'd noted they'd been becoming more vulgar somehow more disgusting as time went on. But all the things said about wanting to do things to her were fine in general. She expected that sort of reaction, but that last one made her brow twitch and unleashed an emotion within her the likes of which she'd never felt before. There was a snap in Sakura's mind which would almost be audible. Perhaps, a certain kind of person might have even been able to sense it. There was so much audacity in this person to think he could even compare... he truly didn't know his place in the world. But, he'd learn it, expeditiously. "Oh? I'm angry. I've never been angry before... that's new." Sakura said softly. It was technically a terrible thing to entice the emotions of someone who didn't normally feel them. Especially in the case of a magical being like Sakura... but he would learn.

Seven days. That was the agreement Hiruko presented, and the law he would have to abide. He knew that would be the case the moment he gave a timeframe, but such was the way of dealing with Makima. None could be so sufficiently held to their word than one interacting with that woman. To Hiruko, that was fine; he didn't want to go against his word anyway. "Seven days," he confirmed. Within that time period, he had some preparations to make. Moreover, there were other things he had to be ready for, despite Makima's insistence otherwise. She wasn't unreasonable, true... but in that regard, she was the most unreasonable. Something between a sigh and a laugh passed Hiruko's lips after her recent proclamation. "Ho? I know you aren't... but I also know what a bit of slack on a leash does psychologically ─ better than even the current Wardens. But, lucky you ─ I like the attitude. Tell you what? I'll skip breakfast that day♥~" he suggested.

Prior to the end of their discussion, there was one more requirement of Hiruko. According to Makima, he was to give farewells. Such was always the way, but he'd do it very specifically. "Mata aitai♥~" he said before all went silent. Moments later, that silence was broken by an alert which he checked to see exactly the photo he was hoping for. Sometimes, Hiruko couldn't tell who was wrapped around the other's finger. Oh well; it didn't matter in the end. What did matter, was the sudden sensation of murderous intent. Who could that have been? Well... the source was right at the living room's threshold, speaking to herself about anger. Hiruko shifted his gaze, knowing that bloodlust wasn't aimed his way at all. "I'm guessing you got more texts," he observed.

The energy and bite of Hiruko was always something appreciated by Makima. She'd made him her pet for this exact reason, someone who tested her control at the ultimate levels allowable but also made it worthwhile every time he did so. She'd never really given up on him as an individual, such was clear by the marking on his neck, she'd only offered him a bit of reprieve, knowing that he would wander his way in ever so often and offer her something worth the wait. "Good that you understand." she said clearly. Seven days was the total amount of time she'd allow to pass before a breach of their agreement was considered. She didn't know what she'd do if that was the case, but perhaps she'd be finding out, that'd always be a potentially interesting turn of events. Speaking of turns of events, her slack was offered and he seemed to understand the greater meaning behind such allowances. He even managed to, immediate produce an extra answer for her which she figured he would given the way they behaved when meeting. "Hm♥!~ Well, then I'll be ready to feed you..." she said but the lightness in her voice made it obvious that she was amused beyond normal reason. Well they always interacted like this, it was far from abnormal, in the first place.

Before the complete silence on the other end, with a proper ending statement complete with a unique sign off there would be words shared by Makima on the other end. "Ja ne, Hiru-pyon." And with that a message would be sent in the form of a picture and the current dealings between Makima and Hiruko would come to an end. Around the same time an approach Sakura found herself feeling a rather extreme emotion. It was such a newfound thing that it made her pause, footsteps which would have led to her being in her new lingerie in front of Hiruko. Ah but he sensed her approach and even her murderous intention. Interesting. "Sou ka, you can feel that much..." she said keeping track of how many oddities this man had. If any more popped up, she'd definitely be making a suggestion to the group pretty soon, assuming people like Miko and Kaguya hadn't already come to such conclusions themselves. "Yes, in ignoring him the messages only seem to get more vulgar and quite frankly audacious. It's like he has no idea that he is the weak one," she said as an astute observation. "No matter, I've had an idea about the kind of lesson Kakihara-san needs to learn. I wonder if you are interested in being part of it," she expressed of the moment. Sometime before Kakihara came back, Sakura planned to explain her torture plot fully.

Hiruko only had a moment to view the suggestive image of Makima before Sakura's arrival became clear. Her mood was clear as day before he even locked eyes with her, but of course... there was more. He had a look at the girl, and what a look it was. If not for her obvious present mood, he would have already started taking a full series of pictures. That lingerie choice was the stuff of legend, he thought. "I can feel a lot of things right now~" he flirted during a third consecutive once-over of Sakura's body and outfit selection.

It seemed Sakura had fallen to the most annoying part of Shota: his bothersome repeated messages that only grew in aggression over time. Indeed, Shota never seemed to realize how low on any totem pole he was. That lack of understanding would be his undoing; he'd been warned that years before by his own family. As that warning clearly wasn't heeded, he was now in a different sort of danger. Sakura intended to teach a lesson, and she wondered about Hiruko's potential involvement. "I have no reason not to help. The one restriction is still in place, so... maybe curb the murder thoughts a little. Anyone would have a hard time saying no to you looking like that, though... so what's the plan?" he asked, keeping up the usual flirtatious manner of speaking despite the more serious topic.

Sakura and Hiruko were meeting up again. The picture he'd received from Makima was something he'd looked at and then several looks came directly to Sakura. Though she was feeling quite... angry, she wasn't at all incapable of understanding the look she was being given. In this case, it was quite welcome it seemed she'd chosen her outfit for the day well, especially given that lingerie was a mostly new idea for her until the previous day. "Hm, is that how that works?" Sakura questioned almost rhetorically. Hiruko hadn't earned anything resembling anger from her, so he wouldn't be getting any. No, he'd be getting something closer to her normal demeanor as she tried to understand the feeling of anger and how to... mediate it.

Moving on, she was certain she should be calming down, perhaps the discussion of revenge would help. It would seem that Hiruko felt that he could help, so long as his restriction was kept. He didn't want Kakihara Shota dead, and Sakura hadn't changed her mind about that either. "Death is a gift I don't intend to give. Anger is a new emotion, I am working through it," Sakura said taking a deep breath. "My plan is fairly simple we should cuck him and record it. I think I used that word right," she said assuming that a human would understand her desire by use of their own vocabulary. "My thought process being that he's so certain of himself because he simply doesn't know the truth, and to sate my anger I need him to understand he was lucky I even looked his way. And that he can't actually manipulate someone who understands. If I had met you first, his fake personality would have been so obvious he wouldn't have received even a glance," of this Sakura was certain. Given the words that Kaguya had shared she was sure that she and Miko both wouldn't have even listened to a word this man said. "Besides, he enjoys doing such things to people and I think you earn your karma honestly and he earned this. A suitable punishment for a fuckboy. Apparently that was the word we were looking for earlier," she said thinking that Kakihara would be distraught to discover that he wasn't even an option when better was available.