Charles Patricius

Charlemagne could only truly wonder why. Sakura had infinite potential to find entertainment, even if it involved some form of torture toward another individuals. Why she had to torment him, was a mystery. Ah, but she'd go on to clarify a bit. Apparently, she took joy in his expressions when dealing with the awkward situations she put him through. That was a bit psychotic, but on the other hand... that twisted grin of hers was something he enjoyed seeing. Maybe he was becoming some form of masochist. "Uh-huh..." he said somewhat timidly. A certain tension occurred in Charlemagne then. He realized Sakura had yet to release his hand, if only because the slightest clench was interrupted by her hand's presence. This moment was somewhere on the scale of awkwardness, and indeed... he was shrinking just a bit.

Alas, there was once again no escape. This was something he'd have to accept and deal with, whether because there was no choice, or because... he wouldn't make an opposing choice anyway? Charlemagne himself couldn't tell what the true answer was. "That's kind of creepy, you know?" he questioned. Despite his words, he didn't seem nearly as off-put as one should be. Perish the thought of Sakura, the 'Temptress' that she was, making him anything but aroused at any point. Something in the lad's brain must have shattered during those last moments in Aincrad. "Maybe I broke my brain the other day. Yeah, that must be it. I've gone mad. This world finally made me snap, and I'll never be the same again," he rambled aimlessly.

Once again Charles was thinking... and it was amazing to see. When her soul was active, Sakura found this sight amusing in a light kind of way, but without it, she was observing actively. Every nuance was being captured by her eyes and noticed. Even the tone and cadence of his voice was slightly different as he processed her words. She'd continued holding his hand, not to purposefully upset him, but because it simply hadn't felt right to drop it. In truth such small comforts as touching at random were part of bonding between two people, and counted as a low-level mana exchange and it was making both of them more capable of processing each other. Ah, but none of that really mattered either. As she felt the gentle tug as his hand clenched and closed around hers.

He went on to claim that she was creepy for this action. She didn't know why, but humans were often unnerved by observation. Ah, but his reactions were still the same as they always were... odd. "I don't mean to be alarming, but you don't seem to think of it negatively either..." she commented truly studying his visage. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked earnestly. She'd likely put in a great deal of effort if she actually managed to upset him, but he didn't seem truly upset by her actions whenever she took him, regardless of his confused feelings and desires. "You're not going to be the same again... I could explain it, but to awaken in any sense of the word you'd have to become something completely different but I don't think you've snapped," she explained gently. Actually that smile on her face hadn't really moved at all, even as she continued to view him. "Besides, you've already admitted to liking to challenge normally established taboos for excitement... wouldn't this sort of thing function similarly?" she asked wondering how his brain rationalized things.

Sakura insisted that he didn't mind the behavior he spoke somewhat critically of. In truth, he didn't. No harm had been done in any literal sense, so there were no major issues to consider. Whether lack of disinterest meant a presence of interest, however, remained a mystery to Charlemagne himself. Time would tell in that regard. Regardless of the eventual answer, he wouldn't have the lass stop doing something that wasn't causing negative effects. "Well, no. That would be rude. If it's the only thing that gets that sort of reaction from you, you shouldn't even worry about what I think ─ not that I think it's really bad. It's just weird, is all," he proclaimed. Strangeness of the current exchange aside, he supposed the same could be said of Sakura as a whole.

Words would follow Charlemagne's rambling as well. He wouldn't be the same, Sakura agreed. He hadn't snapped. Surely she was speaking the truth from a better point of understanding, but it seemed they weren't quite on the same page. "Not physically. Not spiritually. Mentally, I've gone completely left. Maybe a thousand years is too long, and I've finally collapsed under the pressure. Maybe there's some sort of long-life sickness, and I've got the first symptoms," he rambled further. Charlemagne couldn't judge the similarity to pushing boundaries, as he'd never been such a tease. Maybe it was the same, or maybe nothing so similar. He wasn't one to call it. "I can't be sure. It's fine, it's fine. I'd rather avoid going down another spiral."

Charles and Sakura seemed to be experiencing a strange but open conversation. Sakura for her part in this seemed mostly relaxed fully willing to take the lad's well-being into account before allowing herself to be completely selfish with him. She supposed this sort of validation without the activity of her active soul was something humans normally sought. Even so, she was a logical person and knew she wasn't acting completely differently because of something as simple as her emotions... though they did seem to have their own effect. "Sou ka," she managed softly. Apparently, it wasn't a big deal and he wouldn't stop her from enjoying her sadistic tendencies at his expense. He only called it out because it was odd.

Moving on from that point, it seemed Charles took issue with something else. Sakura listened attentatively as the lad claimed that he wasn't worried about his spirit or his body but instead his mind. His logic said he might have had some kind of long life sickness and that it was in its early stages messing with his mind. She continued to look at him almost oddly. Such a thing wasn't something she would have had to worry about, but still she doubted it. "Avoid the spiral if you will, but if it bothers you... you should look into at least a little..." she said carefully. "Beyond that, I don't have any knowledge of any such sickness... a few of my parents are thousands of years old and never mentioned anything of the sort... but if you are worried about your mind, perhaps you could talk with someone who knows you better? Or maybe even someone else who has been in a similar position... humans tend to make more sense of things through shared experiences," she offered the lad her own advice but was content to keep enjoying time with him. She'd continue talking to him if he wanted and holding his hand while the subsequent minutes passed. Eventually outside the carriage, Martha was once again where she needed to be. And Anais emerged from the forest, though admittedly dressed slightly different... whether the males they started their journey with were accompanying them was no matter. And someone like Ciara eventually separated from her mentor and went back to being Yume, in time for the waking of Yuuya, where she'd casually stay with him, until he retrieved his gate.

And so, the group began to reassemble over the course of some casual, yet occasionally existential conversation. Charlemagne would put away any legitimate worries for his own mental state until later, whether they existed in reality or not. Martha had returned to her proper place in the driver's seat, and Astolfo sat to her side with multiple swellings upon his still-beaming face. Anais was joined naturally by the elf Ailen, whose countenance was admittedly more exhausted than picking a few herbs should have made him ─ though he seemed no worse for wear.

Yuuya, however, was the groggiest of the returning group. He'd recently woken up and retrieved the door to their original world. Drunkenness no longer influenced his every movement, but he could undoubtedly sleep half of the day away. There were some mixed reactions to the sudden appearance of a mansion inside the group's carriage, but the overall reaction seemed positive. As such, things were cordial as some members of the group explored their temporary home, others chatted, and others went about their business until... nightfall. On the first night of three, Martha and Astolfo would be called back into the carriage ─ they were apparently all to be treated. In the sitting room, it was Ailen who stood to address the others. "I assume everyone has developed quite the appetite by now. Since Sakura showed an interest in sharing her favorite, I'll just make a serving of Almond Tofu for everyone. Is there anything else anyone would like for dinner?" the elf asked of all present.

The day had gone well, Martha had kept her word and Astolfo showed quite a few bruises when they finally showed up again. Anais was minus her tights and being teased mentally by Yume about it, though the slightly ripped dress and cloak combo seemed to be a reasonable enough look for her. Of course, beyond this a few hours would be spent by all doing various activities and getting used to their new surroundings. This mansion created by Sakura was quite the boon.

By the time nightfall had rolled around most were sitting around the table in the front room. Anais was busy with her hands having made a set of large sakezuki cups which she was currently decorating having used her new understanding of the ability to grow things to grow a set of functional ones which she only had to smooth out and decorate to her hearts content. As she went about this task, others sat and chatted and she heard all that was being said. Eventually the voice of Ailen would grace her ears and everyone else's. Sakura apparently enjoyed Almond Tofu and was content to share it with everyone else, meanwhile he asked about what they'd like for dinner. Yume for her part in it, gave it a bit of thought... "Hoh? I hadn't given much thought to a traditional meal choice," she said aloud with a casual eye roll. Martha for her part in this gave a shrug. "I kind of want rice maybe eggs or something like that... but I don't want to be bothersome. Also like is there a limit on what we can ask for... usually whoever is cooking decides that sort of thing. As long as no one has special meal requirements. You know, like allergies, vegetarians, or... vegans," she said looking towards the group at large, and her gaze resting on the elafia. In her experience people with animal bodies tended to have a few specializations as far as diets were concerned. "Eh? Oh, there isn't any need to really worry about me. I mean obviously I'd rather not eat deer or anything but I'm not a vegetarian or anything. I wanted rice when we first fell into Munetsuchi but eating seemed a little less pressing of a thing to do," she said looking up from the cup she was decorating sheepishly.

With Ailen's dinner-related question hanging in the air, Yume was the first to speak. She had no thoughts, apparently, but the Saint of Dragons did. She spoke of rice and eggs, which he could imagine combining well enough with the existing dish. In fact, he may have had a few specific eggs that would compliment it perfectly. "Rice and eggs? Hmm. I suppose, assuming I have the right eggs handy, it may come together nicely," he commented. A few moments of thought would follow as Ailen held his own chin. Martha was still talking ─ this time about special needs. To that, the elf shook his head. "None of you are weak enough to experience negative reactions to my cooking. I suppose any vegetarians among you would have to be considered, but... I'm afraid I have no idea what a vegan is. It sounds like a sickness," the elf stated.

Astolfo laughed, as did Charlemagne. Neither had previously thought about the word 'vegan' itself as such, but whatever the case, Charlemagne offered an explanation. "Vegans are like... vegetarian extremists? They refuse to eat or use any animal biproducts ─ not just the meat. If it involves using an animal to get it, they call it unethical and reject it," the younger male explained. Ailen seemed... disgusted, to say the least. What had these humans reduced themselves to? "I see. I wasn't expecting it to be a mental disorder. Very well. If there are vegans among you, kindly remove yourselves from the dinner table. Your life is forfeit, as you have already thrown away your mind and all sensibilities," he said with certainty. "For everyone else, I assume no one is opposed to both dishes? There will be salty and sweet across two, potentially three plates per person."

Martha had said what she had about allergies or specifics for the sake of others. Whether she fully believed in anything but the most obvious of allergies or not. Obviously by her own speech she didn't believe much in whatever a vegan was, or at least that is what Sakura took from it. Ailen for his part in this conversation had contributed the necessary information about the nature of cooking and strength in individuals. "Oh? That's also a strength and mana thing? This world is so interesting~" Yume said seemingly amused by the news. "And also not really surprising," Anais added as she placed the large cup with the triple hearts in it, to the side. She'd made several of these by now and all of them were coming along nicely. She'd even taken to fine tuning her mana output from her finger tips, and using it to draw the designs into the wood, essentially tattooing each one with the necessary color and emblem as she saw it in her mind. "Oh? Of course they are non-magic exclusives..." she mentioned seeming to think nothing of it.

Surprisingly enough, it wouldn't be one of the girls explaining veganism to Ailen and by virtue of their connection Sakura. Charles took it upon himself to give a rather succinct explanation. Upon hearing the explanation Ailen had a very hard opinion about the dietary lifestyle choice. And it was expressed in such a way that it caused Anais, Yume and Martha to burst into laughter immediately. All three young women seemed to take that extreme view as a joke even though two of them knew exactly how serious the elf was. "Shishou, that opinion is pretty rough..." Anais managed after her own giggles died down. "Hai hai, we don't have any problem with that set up of food, but Mi-chan is going to have her work cut out for her... Ai-aniki shouldn't be allowed to talk to anyone on Gaia at all~" Yume mused seeming to know such a thing could lead to a potential war of some sort. "I mean... he's not wrong though, there is so much lost logic. I had a vegan roommate in an exchange program while in college... and it was the most annoying semester of my life," Martha lamented the fad even 8 years prior to her adulthood. "Every other hour there was a lecture about something I was using, eating or wearing and how it was contributing to the rape, torture and murder of innocent animals," she said while pinching the bridge of her nose. She'd almost decked that girl once, but was scared she was going to shatter into dust given her brittle bones and lack of body fat and muscle mass. "That dinner does sound great though," she stated. Sakura on the other hand maintained a confused look on her face, "I don't understand why anyone would take such an extreme stance..." she expressed with wide eyes.

Ailen was certain of one thing: humanity wasn't going in a good direction if this 'veganism' thing had become endemic in their culture. Anais alleged that his opinion was 'rough' as she put it. Ailen could not agree. "It is only truth. Rejecting necessary mana buffers is a surefire way to become a grotesque puddle of muck. I suppose if one's intention is to experiment on transforming themselves into a Dryad, it could be justified... almost. If anything else is used as an excuse, it is pure folly brought about by unparalleled ignorance. I advise you all keep away from such people. They will passively drain your vital mana because their souls have become vacuums for sustenance."

Disgusting. Absolutely repulsive was the idea of neglecting oneself in such an extreme manner. Luckily, no one in this group spoke about being vegan. Well... Yuuya seemed a bit timid before he spoke. "I... had a vegetarian phase when I became a teenager," he admitted sheepishly. "Vegetarianism is fine. A carnivorous diet is equally acceptable, and may be what some souls desire. However, humans are omnivorous by design for a purpose. There must always be some presence of both in one's diet, even indirectly," he spoke confidently. With that, Ailen was done raging over imbecilic human decisions. Everyone seemed to be onboard with the meal plan, so he moved toward the kitchen while speaking further. "Now then... I heard someone mention some form of rice cooker? I'm interested to see how it works. Does it create its own rice via alchemy? What must be done to what is inserted, if not? Quite the fascinating thing, this technology," he babbled. Meanwhile, Charlemagne was giving Sakura an indirect answer to her curiosity. "That's what people became in our generation. Everybody wants to take a hard stance on something. Sometimes, it's like they've all run out of ideas and just... picked some random thing to get behind. Not the proudest moments, being a human in that world."

Rough speech was countered with truth. A grotesque puddle of muck was what a vegan could expect to become. And apparently they also came with soul-sucking qualities. Like all information Anais was given by her mentor she logged away the explanation of dietary needs to be easily used across her understandings later. "Hai, I never had that kind of hard leaning in diet, none of us ever went that far..." she admitted. Martha also heard his words and understood them, still a thought slipped from her mind and out of her mouth before she stopped it. "I suppose I was right to call my roommate a soul-sucking bitch then," she said with a roll of her own eyes. Such interesting information people of this world came with. Another laugh would come from Yume and Anais, Martha as unassuming and no-nonsense as she was, shaped up to be quite the interesting individual.

Meanwhile the constantly quiet Yuuya seemed to have something to admit rather timidly. He'd been a vegetarian for a while when he was young. Well, that could have gotten a bad review but... it seemed that Ailen's food based knowledge wasn't such as to discredit that choice. And technically Yume, Anais and Martha couldn't either. "I tried that too for a while... no harm in it~" admitted Yume. "Same," was Martha's admission as well, even as a fully physically devoted individual she'd dabbled in dietary changes. "It was a rough couple of weeks though..." Anais confirmed having gone on the same diet for moral support. "We all told you, you didn't even need to, you weren't even shifting around as much as the rest of us..." Yume mentioned playfully nudging the other girl. "That was a serious problem," she said sticking her tongue out at her friend. "Besides, I didn't want you guys to feel like you were alone trying to do something like that...None of you needed to try dieting either," Anais explained of her own support of her friend group. "Hai hai... our Mi-chan, toughing out fad diets with us~" Yume mentioned, seeing another little piece of her friend popping up as she worked. Oh the rice cooker was thing which Ailen wanted to understand better. "Well, it's just an appliance, it can't cook anything it doesn't have in it... It basically just heats what's in it consistently on a timer. So you can cook without having to stir or look after it closely. No alchemy, just convenience based on understanding of ingredients," Anais explained. "Yeah, what she said. I can't explain it to you.. but since Mi-chan is still working on our cups... I can help you set it up~" Yume mentioned as she slipped away from the other girl and stretched at the end of the table. While they headed off to the kitchen, Charles explained veganism and other extremists to Sakura. "Just to have a hard opinion... I am going to have to agree with Otou-chan..." she said seeming to think about humans as widely contradictory to their own living ability.