Charles Patricius

Silence fell, the sound of long-term banter finally ended with a kiss. Something strange came as a result, though. Perhaps it was the alcohol, the arousal, both, or something else entirely. Whatever the culprit, Hiruko felt something akin to a spark in what he could only call a metaphysical sense. There it was again ─ that powerful desire he didn't even know he could combat.

There was a certain heat building between the pair. With a simple touch of lips, Hiruko felt a powerful thirst the likes of which he'd not known the same way previously. Danger loomed, but he would not run from it. That silence was broken initially by a sharp inhale. Sakura had already moved, but now Hiruko would do the same, shifting forward on the couch for easier access. His hand slid along her cheek, fingers gently pinching her ear on its way into slightly damp hair behind her head. Hiruko's hips were already making demands with that slide forward, but no ─ it was not yet time for much. It was, however, time for another breach in silence via the sound of the first break between lips ─ one fated to occur just before another, moister collision.

Meanwhile, the kotatsu in Yuuya's sitting room was seeing the final phases of a few short teaching games for AoE TCG. Kazuhiko wore the brightest of smiles as he leaned away from the table, seemingly satisfied beyond all reason. "Phew! That's the good stuff; you guys are gonna be awesome! Everybody enjoying? Happy with deck choices and all?" he wondered for the future of all present.

That kiss had only just started but it held intensity and heat. A meeting of lips should not be so gratifying, but it was. Sakura could say she'd not felt like this in situations that didn't involve Kazuhiko or Angelica before this point and was thus experiencing something new which made it well worthwhile. She wasn't even making her usual considerations, instead finding it easy to simply forget anything but the sensations of her lips touching another person. Of a hand against her face and touching her wet locks. By the time their lips separated and rejoined that lean forward had become something a bit more. She'd reached out, her hand gentling touching that space on his chest. Added physical contact would only contribute to the building sensation before another break between lips would lead to another little smacking noise. Her skin felt hot. Was that the alcohol or just arousal? She really didn't know and that was part of the fun at this point.

Speaking of fun, Yuuya's living room was full of teenagers playing card games and building decks. Kazuhiko seemed quite happy with this outcome and the girls who surrounded him also seemed quite happy. A white haired girl looked nodding her happiness. "I quite like it. It's definitely a good game and I like my deck's theme," she said with a firm nod of her own head, the deck she had seeming to be themed around Zheng. Angelica also agreed. "It's definitely as cool as you made it sound. I'm glad you taught me," she said her own deck featuring Utnapishtim and a few old Mesopotamian Relics. "I think it's a good thing and it's not tech so I am pleased to participate. And I get to go full magical girl~" Kaguya said expressing her own happiness holding Spellbooks as her major deck archetype and a specific High Priestess of Prophecy as her main summon. "Ancient Gears are my type of deck. This game has good pacing definitely a great activity for time filling..." Ai admitted. All the while Miko was still looking through the five different decks she was putting together while still sitting in Kaguya's lap. Her brain was in hyperdrive and though she'd heard Kazuhiko's question she was hyper-focusing, her eyes hadn't even moved as she looked at five different iterations of Abe no Seimei with absolute admiration. "Huh?"

The time for talking had passed. For the time being, Hiruko and Sakura would have their conversation with their bodies instead ─ primarily using mouths and hands. As his moved toward the back of Sakura's head, hers moved onto the exposed portion of his chest. In that moment, the thirst became stronger still. Hiruko's fingers ensnared Sakura's locks, clenching and tugging just gently enough to avoid any forced movement. He also pressed more firmly against her lips the moment after a second separation. Tension built in his shoulders and traveled downward, and his free hand took Sakura's outstretched arm by the wrist.

All the while, Kazu was simply wondering if everyone at the kotatsu enjoyed their gaming experience. The general consensus was a positive one from the sound of things. It seemed everyone had a very different deck. His collection was large and varied enough to allow such diversity and showing of personality in each deck. As most had given their opinions on the experience, Kazuhiko only became more satisfied. "Awesome! I love seeing new people enjoying the game!" he declared happily. Ah, but two opinions were missing still. He'd yet to hear from the pink-haired girl, and when Miko spoke... she seemed distracted, to say the least. If nothing else, the amount of cards in front of her confirmed her interest in the game... or in those cards specifically. "Huh? Well... I guess there's no point really wondering, is there? I did mention the deck limit being 50 cards, right?" he asked for clarification. With that, Kazu also took the time to shift his gaze toward Chika. "Having any trouble?"

The name of the exchange was something Sakura was slowly coming to understand... passion. There was escalation but it wasn't extreme. Their lips were still meeting their bodies coming closer together, but there was no rush. There was only a need. The more contact between them the more they wanted it, and Sakura understood this from the magical perspective. Their compatibility made them seek completion, but that wasn't all. Humans and those who weren't magically aware didn't see it that way, it was a physical need and she understood that too. The soul communicating even when it had to be silent. And she felt that too, with fingers around her wrist and a hand touching bare flesh. With fingers entwined in hair and tugging just enough to elicit a gasp from her. It didn't hurt, it didn't feel wrong it felt... so right. She wasn't being moved or rushed. Progress was theirs to decide the pacing of, and she'd take it... moment by moment. Eventually those lips of hers would part and her tongue would begin looking for something to rub against. This wasn't about the transfer of mana either... it was simply a search for a feeling or a taste for flesh.

At the same time, the people playing card games were having a good time and discussion. Well, the ones who were actually participating in it. Iino Miko who had Kaguya's arms wrapped around her midsection seemed to be quite amused by her silence. Kazuhiko who actually spoke in a more direct way reminded Miko of the deck limit and that was at least in part why there were so many stacks in front of her right now. "Hai, I know. Sorry.... I got a bit carried away. I started building decks but I realized that all the different forms of Seimei-sama had all their own synergies and accessories. So... I plan on running all five decks. I figured them out. I'm sure they all work though and I really like the game. I tested them out and they'll definitely run smoothly," she said looking sheepish. "So while the rest of us were putting together a single deck... you made five? Mi-sen you're so excessive!" claimed Kei who didn't even understand how she'd managed to put together that many consistent decks in a single sitting. Chika on the other hand managed to look self-satisfied. "Nope. No help needed. I put all my favorite things in here, and I'm running this pink haired girl as my ruler!" she claimed as if that made her deck make sense. In truth it was a collection of random heroes, summons and relics but technically all could be summoned by the ruler which was named Kur.

As the seconds ticked, the heat rose in that beach mansion's living room. Each little parting of lips was another opportunity for breath to escape a mouth through even the smallest openings. Eventually, Hiruko found that an opening of Sakura's mouth had more purpose. Something hotter, wetter and more firm than those silken lips he'd been adjusting to was felt rubbing against his own lips. Hiruko expected to be the one making such advancements himself, but the signs of interest from Sakura would not be wasted. Hiruko first pecked that tongue playfully, applying suction to drag it right between his lips ─ where it received a lash from his own tongue. The moment he released it was the same moment his tongue gave chase, as if to meet for a dance in the common ground between their mouths. All the while, Hiruko's eyelids gently parted, that he might gaze down Sakura's face and observe the progress of her arousal for himself.

Miko didn't intend to create a gigantic deck. Instead, it was her plan to operate five decks all based on the theme of Abe no Seimei. Though he believed that was a ridiculous thing for a new player to do, he couldn't be upset about the choice. "That's uh... an interesting choice? I mean, it's awesome, but wow," he observed. "That's gonna be a lot of cards to recollect later," he added, not seeming displeased at all by the thought of reacquiring over ten total decks in quantity. As for Chika, she was... proving exactly why her friends behaved the way they did about her. Kazu looked over the table at her cards, thinking that even if she seemed to have the ability to play those cards together, even if the deck could win matches... it was a very airheaded move to select things fully the way she did. He scratched his head, wondering to what extent she resembled Astolfo in every regard. "... Yep. Testing a thing," he mused. "So what if I said there was a ritual for making a deck like that and guaranteeing yourself a fun time? And what if I said it was clapping the deck three times, then doing the top-down bottom-up challenge?"

Time was passing in a complex way. Each meeting of lips was something to be appreciated but as Sakura came to understand her own desires, she was the first to lash out. Her tongue found lips eventually. It was quite different for it to be pecked playfully then sucked upon. Afterwards, there seemed to be quite an interesting meeting of tongues in space, it was all a dance. Sexuality seemed to ooze from this situation and Sakura would do nothing but fall into it. Her tongue lashed out against the other, swirling, and dancing as an excited little noise came from the back of her throat. How odd. Those eye lids of Hiruko's which opened would find the girl he was with fully immersed. Her own eyes closed, the redness of blushed face radiating heat as her own desire had the hand upon his chest tense as her legs began to shift. That other hand would be found extending as well, as if the one against the back of her own neck wasn't enough points of contact. She'd find one gently caressing the back of Hiruko's neck as well. Her fingertips gently tracing his hair line as she took interest in the sensation passing along her skin.

Meanwhile, Miko was on the hot seat and apparently having her choices judged by everyone present. Her desire to run all of the Abe no Seimei themed decks was 'interesting' according to Kazuhiko and awesome which set her at ease. Though the words of Kei would not be ignored, even as Kaguya squeezed her a bit as if to remind her to stay calm. "Abe no Seimei is a National Treasure! And all of his decks have slightly different themes and mechanics. They can be run for different purposes. They all have his innate utility and should be treated with respect!" the firmness Miko felt about Abe no Seimei made a grin appear on Kaguya's face. One day her friend would be very happy. "Okay okay. Jeez, calm down!" Kei said. "Don't start ranting about it or anything... no one is saying he's not cool," Kei followed up, knowing that there were few things could set off Miko worse than anyone even implying disrespect to Abe no Seimei. "You're damn right he's cool! He's a NATIONAL TREASURE AND THUS THESE ARE MY TREASURED NEWEST THINGS! AND I WILL MASTER ALL FORMS OF THIS IN HONOR OF SEIMEI-SAMA!" she claimed. "Oh, and I can replace them for you... I wouldn't want to set you out, or ruin your collection or anything..." Miko finally said to Kazuhiko looking a bit sheepish and knowing she'd basically pillaged his collection to build the decks she had. At the same time, Ai looked at Miko with a raised brow and knew they'd all be playing this game quite a while given what she'd basically just said and how much she'd be owning her desires as they occurred around Abe no Seimei. At the same time, Chika's lack of common sense was being tested and she... was failing? "WHAAAA?! A RITUAL LIKE THAT! YOSH!" and just like that she'd stand. Taking the deck in her hand she'd clap three times and the spread her legs apart as if she intended to do a split, bend over at the waist and hold it for several seconds before standing as if triumphant and pointing. "MY NEXT VICTORY IS ASSURED!" she exclaimed, while almost flashing the entire group her rear end. Angelica watched this and simply shook her head. She had no idea what any of that was, but had enough sense to know it was wholly unnecessary. All the other girls sighed and could be seen pinching the bridges of their noses. "She's always like this, this is why she can't be left alone anywhere..." Miko muttered. She needed a leash, and to be underfoot of someone protective because she did things like this all the time.

Sakura's face looked as if it was the reason for her namesake by the coloration Hiruko's half-lidded eyes witnessed. That look, the sight of her tongue jutting out against his own between swollen lips, and that little noise that crept up from her throat were all additional stimulants that made Hiruko believe they would climb to the skies and above this night. He could even feel the effects of her legs shifting as it affected the rest of her body just slightly. Hiruko's fingers spread until he essentially palmed the back of Sakura's head, fingers threading purple locks and applying varying degrees of tightness. The smacking of lips returned in due time. A dance wasn't a dance without some changes here and there, so the swirling and battering of tongues was interrupted periodically with the pecking, sucking, and even biting of Sakura's bottom lip. It was high time Hiruko made use of his other hand, but... having already dropped his phone next to Sakura on the table, he did still hold that glass of liquor. There was no reason to avoid finishing it, he thought, so what would he do? Well... he'd take advantage of another minor separation, jerking Sakura's head back just enough to lean it away from his own. With that, it seemed Hiruko intended to pour cognac onto her protruding tongue while catching his own breath.

Abe no Seimei is a National Treasure. That sort of statement came with so much conviction, so much dedication, Kazuhiko could have sworn it was a tangible feeling. He couldn't fault her for such dedication, despite having no idea why it was so strong. "Well, you're not wrong I guess. I feel the same way about... well, never mind. Anyway! Don't worry about replacing them. It'll actually be awesome to rebuild my collection over time; all those cards you guys have will be new to me again when I open packs! Besides, we can treat it as a purchase for that money you made me take," he affirmed. Kazu wasn't concerned with any price differential on either side, though surely the group had several months' pay in market card value. This sort of exchange between them was already a regular occurrence, and would seemingly continue to be so. Moving on, the antics of Chika and her easily swayed mind were put on full display... along with her ass. In the several seconds she held that pose, Kazuhiko's phone emerged as if by mechanical means. As to avoid any rudeness, he enabled both flash and sound before snapping a crispy photo of Chika's rear. All the while, his expression was fully deadpan; he was in utter disbelief. "... It was that easy. There's no way. I just asked a hypothetical question. Like... I didn't even say anything about pulling a skirt up and shaking it or anything. I thought about it, but... now I feel like that would have worked. What the hell? My brain is going nowhere good now!"

Sakura was being treated to an interesting experience. It truly was rare for her to seek physical contact of the non-essential variety. But here she was, enjoying kissing which wasn't simply for the purpose of testing out his mana-quality, as that was something she was already sure of. Instead of worrying about the magic and even the more intense physicality she was wrapped up in something else she didn't quite have a word for yet. Those different kinds of pulls at her roots let her know that it was indeed just a matter of how or why it was done. There was force which spread sensation not pain or discomfort but desire. That's what Hiruko seemed to be doing, sparking desire with his actions, creating a build up. That was satisfying. That pecking of lips, the sucking of her tongue the little bites, all of it was taking its toll. She could feel him so close and yet so far away. Eventually, break would come and Hiruko would be catching his breath while pouring liquor onto Sakura's outstretched tongue. She found herself lapping that liquid up and swallowing it as her eyes opened and she gazed at the man across from her wantonly. "That's something else..." she mentioned while gently biting her own lip. Her own shifting hadn't stopped, strange was it, for her to know the state of her readiness was being added to. She existed ready for sex but she was sure at the present moment she was actually aching for it. Not because of an interruption but because of the build up.

According to Kazuhiko he understood the statements of Miko about the National Treasure status of one Abe no Seimei but he didn't explain. That was a thing she'd be asking about later. "Box it," she muttered. Maybe it wasn't for everyone to know, and she'd add it right in with seeing his familiar as a personal little secret for them to share among their millions of oddities. As for the cards apparently he saw it as a new adventure to have to recollect his cards, those words alone were enough for Miko to know he didn't intend to let her refill his card collection of her own accord. But it also meant she knew the kind of gift she could give him in the future, "Hai hai, if you're sure. We're going to the cardshop tomorrow as well. Seimei-sama must be protected!~" Miko claimed which made Kaguya nod against her back. "Hai hai, I'll make sure to add it to the list," Kaguya stated. Moving on, the actions of Chika were marked by photograph, and the bewilderment of Kazuhiko. It was easy to take advantage of their most airheaded friend and even the girls found themselves doing so from time to time. "You remember that bit of sarcasm I gave while Astolfo and Bradie were being pure chaos during that last mission and we came back and he'd done it? Yeah, she's the same way. Always has been..." Miko explained. "Your brain going nowhere good isn't a problem either. As the only demon in the room, I'll say that the destructive impulses are better given an accepting outlet, Mi-chan agrees~" mentioned Kaguya in a teasingly leading manner. "Oh? Is this one of those stories from before I was part of the circle? I want to hear it! I hear Mi-sen calmed down a lot after becoming 'Senpai'." Kei seemed fairly excited about this. "Yeah, Mi-tan was a bit of a monster back in middle school..." Ai agreed. "There is no way she's anything like that. Look at her!" Angelica said willing to believe in Miko's innocence from anything resembling monstrous or demonic behavior. All of this just put Miko on the spot and made Chika turn. "Oh no. She's definitely a monster, it's one of her best qualities! But that story is great you should tell it... Or I could I guess~" Chika even seemed to be in a lightly teasing mood. She was even winking with a wavy little grin on her face.

Hiruko poured alcohol onto the girl's tongue, only for her to accept and swallow. In doing that, he had a very interesting mental image. Sakura claimed his choice was 'something else', but he thought the visual fit that criteria better ─ especially with her expression thereafter. "Your face is something else. Do you take anything else like that?" he asked, grinning widely. The glass wasn't entirely empty, so Hiruko had another thought. "There's more if you want~" he flirted while tilting the glass toward his own lips. He'd drink, but he wouldn't swallow ─ choosing instead to hold cognac in his mouth and pass it into Sakura's. Surely some would dribble down their faces as a result of this exchange... but in the end, that was part of the appeal as Hiruko saw it. He was becoming more intoxicated by the moment anyway. Little did he know the true reason. . .

Speaking of knowing the true reason behind things, Kazu couldn't possibly fathom the extent of Miko's zealotry. How she ever worshipped a god in Alaya when she clearly felt so strongly about Abe no Seimei, he didn't know. Alas, Kazu found himself respecting it nonetheless. "I'm sure. I just want to see everybody have fun. If I had to lose all but my deck to do it, I'd be fine with that," he assured with absolute confidence. Regarding Chika and her oddities, Miko had another direct comparison to Astolfo. Kazuhiko's eyes widened upon hearing that claim; he knew exactly the thing she was talking about. By Kaguya's admission, it would be best for him to act on those destructive impulses. He could agree, so long as none of them were harmful in the grand scheme of things... and he didn't think they were. "You make a good point. I'm gonna stop wondering if that's advice or a request for later─" he stated. Shifting his attention to Chika once again, Kazu decided to take the demon girl's advice. "Changed my mind, by the way. Hers aren't paid for with that check."

Sakura swallowed that alcohol off her tongue like she was tasting it for the first time. That kind of alcohol had a strange effect becoming easier to swallow and more delicious as time went on. It was also lightly flavored by the taste of Hiruko still dancing across her tongue. She didn't know what that was, but she would definitely be finding out from the other girls eventually. To answer his question she was looking at him directly. "I'm sure I do, if it tastes good enough~" she flirted in response, as for more... well, "I'm not turning it down~" she breathed. Well, it wasn't like he didn't already know the kinds of things her friends got up to, so... her sexual nature shouldn't be surprising. And then he took a swig from his cup and held it within his mouth. He'd aim to pass it along to Sakura giving her a more direct taste of that new alcohol mixed with whatever kind his base person tasted like. It was only becoming more obvious over time. A bit sloshed between their mouths, but she still managed to taste a great deal. Some fell down her chin and onto her exposed chest. Causing just a few droplets to collect at the top of her cleavage. it wasn't a problem for her as she found herself shifting forward even more sliding into Hiruko's lap to keep them closer together and allow him the ability to lean back if he liked.

Meanwhile, Kazuhiko and the other girls were discussing demonic tendencies and the need to answer such urges. As well as card games and his philosophy on fun to be had among the group. "Sou ka, I understand now... why you like him," Ai said knowing that while Miko's physical taste was obviously extraordinary she picked well when it came to the nature of people she enjoyed too. Miko for her part only seemed more embarrassed by the moment. She simply hoped that the desire for this story would be overridden by everything else. And lo, a fun topic of demonic nature appeared, complete with a flirty Kaguya to keep Miko from having to speak too much about her own devious behaviors. "Why can't it be both? I will definitely be leaving myself open to quite a bit at some point in the near future~" she said as if it was fact, because in the case of trusted individuals this was in fact the case. Chika for her part in this seemed surprised by the note that her portion of the cards she'd taken wouldn't be covered by Miko's earlier gifting. "Waah?! I get different treatment? Well, it does make sense, they are your things... How am I supposed to pay for this..." she sounded legitimately shocked. Enough that she also let go of the story thing while Kei just shook her head. How she fell for such a simple blackmail while being in the same room as everyone else talking about how ditzy she is, the white haired girl didn't know. But what she did know was... such a thing was exactly how she tended to abuse the other girl as well.