Charles Patricius

Of all the responses Martha could have given, she decided to question his timing. Hers should have been what was questioned. Dinner was right around the corner, they were all assembled at the table and waiting around for food. He'd be some sort of crazy if he was thinking about fighting between now and the meal. "Why the hell would I mean now?! That doesn't even make sense!" he countered. It was probably certain that he'd be fighting the Saint of Dragons at some point this day; she didn't tend to go back on such things.

Ailen had little to do if manually cooking rice wasn't necessary. Even so, there was something that needed addressing. That unusual egg he held had to be cracked in a very specific manner. Since the timer wouldn't begin until the machine finished heating itself, he could avoid worrying about it for a time. Meanwhile, he'd find out what Yume's purpose in the kitchen was. "Observation is always key. I very much encourage it, though... I doubt I'll have use of a spatula," he commented. According to Anais, the truth of Yume's presence involved a search for 'chef snacks' as she called them. Ailen had never heard of such a thing before. Ah, but he was good enough at picking up context clues. "Oh? Then I may or may not have to disappoint. It would be an odd occurrence if I produced any waste when cooking," the elf added. Finally, the shell of that egg cracked. One hole was all he needed; this form of egg would be poured as a liquid from its shell. As such, Ailen went about pouring the egg into a nearby pot.

Charles did manage to successfully divert the aggressive nature of Martha for a few moments. He outrageously claimed that it didn't make sense thinking he was about to fight her right just now. The woman's aggression was rather interesting to Sakura, who'd liken her to one of her fathers. At the moment Martha managed to look nonchalant as she expressed why she figured that they'd be fighting now. "What are you talking about it makes perfect sense," she mused. "Getting beaten up on a full stomach seems weird to me but... challenger's choice~" she seemed to tease. Was Martha serious about the fight? Absolutely. Was she being malicious? No. It was simply part of her nature to fight when she could and to take all challengers seriously and since Charles had claimed he could stomp her... she was willing to test it. "She seems about as serious as Rey," Anais murmured as she continued her work. Always focused but still listening. Everything she did was like this.

Yume began to understand the scientific methods used by Ailen as she observed, him directly. It would seem that he encouraged observation but she couldn't be sure he fully understood. Well, her mind was rather impulsive and she indeed find herself being interested in things at random. "No spatula? Damn, I lost my role as emotional support~" she teased which only made Anais chortle. She really was just looking for snacks. "I knew you were just looking for snacks..." Anais responded as she drew with her mana. "And you love me~" Yume replied. Oddly enough Anais didn't deny the other lass's claims and would easily be seen going back to work. Moreover Ailen claimed that he didn't often waste food while cooking, that made the demoness sigh. Well, she was still figuring out what kind of egg, and there was his little tool kit gauntlet. What an interesting way to carry things. She kept her eyes on him, she might use this sort of thing. "First that is a really big egg... Second, if I can't get snacks I'll wait around for the taste test... or find my own~" Yume teased. There was a bit of a mischievous light dancing in her eyes. As she began a casual walk around the kitchen ducking behind the pantry and into a walk around. She'd soon find herself hidden from view which would make it exceedingly easy for her to remain as such. She was still rather small, she began wondering over the line of sight a little devious thought crossing her mind, one that she would act on.

Martha was rather confident in her ability to defeat him. He always admired the woman's absolute confidence in her own ability, but he wondered if she intended it as some sort of boxing match. Whatever Martha's intentions, he surely couldn't make sense of her beliefs. How would it make sense for a fight to occur right before dinner? It was unrealistic to fight on a full stomach as well, but more ridiculous still to besmirch a group dining experience in new company. Anais claimed Martha's seriousness could be likened to that of Renaud. She was right. "Yeah. I'd say we should introduce them, but... Ren gets a little weird when he fights strong women. Have you ever seen him get into it with Liv?" he wondered. As for Martha's challenge, he shook his head. "Well you know, I was thinking something reasonable like... actually later. You battle junkies are weird."

The strangeness of Martha and her bloodlust aside, there was another point of strangeness: Yume's behavior. Anais's assertion about her desire for free snacks proved quite accurate, as Yume either failed or refused to argue against it. Her lack of role was of little to no consequence. Surely Ailen could find something for her to help with, learn from or... perhaps nothing at all? Yes, he was quite busy with the careful pouring of that egg over a heating pot while the girl spoke of its size. Even so, he managed a retort. "Indeed. It is not the largest, but one of the hardest to acquire it remains. This is a mermaid egg, unfertilized and left as such until it became useless for reproduction. The shell hardens and loses all permeability, but the mana within continues to circulate for eternity. You can see it here in this glow of the shell," he rambled as per usual. Ailen didn't even realize the girl had moved away. With every assumption that she was still standing there, he just... kept blabbering. "The thing about these, is that they must first be checked for quality. They can provide a medley of different flavors depending on the mermaid they've come from. It can hardly be considered a snack, but... if we let it cook to the consistency of a pudding first, we'll be able to learn what its taste is ─ and what sort of dish can be made around it."

Martha's confidence in herself was something very specific, it was a simple surety. She was sure of her own abilities and all the work she'd put in on her physical form and fighting abilities. Moving on from that bit, it was the fact that Rey whoever that was seemed to be as into fighting as Martha was. Her hidden bloodlust aside Charles ahd some choice words to share about that man and his apparent oddities when fighting strong women. "Yeah, that is true, but... maybe we should just introduce him to a bunch of strong women, and set up a battle royal and then... one of those fights can end in a wedding. I love weddings~" Anais managed in her light but almost snide way. "Ha! Some things really don't change~" Yume teased as she searched around and then slipped down under the cabinets in the kitchen. "He sounds fun," Martha mentioned with her lips upturned, Rey would be added to the list of potential sparring partners. She was always looking for those after all. As for Charles statement. "That really is a shame, but later...I guess. And I am not a battle junkie. I didn't spend almost three decades of my original life becoming a martial artist to not fight," she explained of herself. "It would be a shame not to do something you're good at," Sakura nodded. She couldn't imagine not following her own interests and Anais nodded her confirmation. "Agreed. Do what you love, whatever it is~" the elafia confirmed.

'Mi-chan gives good advice, she should remember to use it on herself from time to time~' Yume chimed inside the elafia's head making her face shift slightly as if she didn't understand why she was being told this. She wasn't avoiding anything she loved, right? She supposed she'd think about it a bit, and as she did this, her mind's boxes seemed to be opening and shifting around while her inner darkness continued sorting through them. Meanwhile, the demoness would be taking the advice of her friend for very different reasons. She'd wandered off but also back in within just a few moments. Unseen from the over the counters, she'd deviously seek a lesson of the oral variety. "Mermaids, huh? That sounds pretty interesting. Keep talking, I'm definitely listening~" Yume's voice carried oddly in the area as she began the work of freeing the elf from his pants that she might get the snack she'd apparently not be getting regularly. If she was successful, she'd easily be seen stuffing the elf's cock in her mouth. 'Be sure not to give us away, Ai-aniki~' she mused into his mind. Sneaky was the demoness as she intended to get herself a snack, sneakily. Just the same Sakura seemed to be coming to an understanding of something she'd been questioning earlier, the violation of that privacy taboo. At the same time, Anais was listening as well... but she seemed to just be learning about Mermaid eggs.

Charlemagne had minor difficulty imagining a fight between Martha and the aforementioned Renaud. If anything, he saw it as a danger zone for onlookers. Perhaps it would be a good idea to introduce him to multiple powerful women... if it didn't prove to be the worst idea ever. "I'm sure it would go well, if not terrible. One of the two. I wouldn't be the one doing it, though. Think of all the incidents he'd cause," he said as if slightly concerned. The amount of time Martha spent training herself was substantial for their original world, so he supposed there was nothing negative to say. "That's understandable, but it doesn't keep you from being a battle junkie. Just own it; combat addicts can be cool people too," he added.

Ailen continued pouring roughly a liter of egg into a pot, and he continued talking as if Yume hadn't gone anywhere. In fact, he eventually heard her voice from nearby. That should have been enough to prove him right. It would have been enough to do so, but there was suddenly something going on with his trousers. "Yes, mermaids. You see, the egg is..." Ailen paused. He could have kept talking for hours on end, but that sudden fiddling caught his attention. His eyes darted down, and there was the demoness, working toward claiming the 'snack' she mentioned moments earlier. Before he could even open his mouth, Ailen received a telepathic message to avoid revealing the hidden girl's actions. Difficult as that was to do when she took him into her mouth, the elf supposed it was in his best interest to just... keep talking. "I─ah... Pardon me. You see, the mana within an egg is normally meant to become greater only by being fertilized. In... this case... it moves at all times, even after it can no longer be fertilized. As such, it only... becomes more potent as time passes."

Charles concluded that introducing Renaud to strong women could go either well or terrible. Anais tended to agree, but at the very least, everyone involved would get the fights they were looking for which made it seem like it would be a rather good idea regardless. Of course, there was a balance to be reached. "Well, that is the case with Rey in general. But it'd make him happy," Anais concluded. Such was reason enough for her to contribute people to a potential warrior gauntlet just so the lad could have fun. Meanwhile, Charles advised Martha come to peace with the idea of being a battle addict, stating that they could be cool. "Cool or not isn't the issue, it isn't as if I am running around looking for battles or anything," she commented. True enough she saw herself as a woman of her word and one who took challenges as they presented themselves. Not some kind of berserker just looking to fight or anything like that.

Just the same, Ailen continued talking about Mermaid eggs though with some oddly spaced pauses. The cadence of his speech didn't change too much and Anais had her own things she was concentrating on, so the pauses in his speech went without needing to be addressed. After all... his speech was still getting out so it didn't really matter too much. Just the same, Yume had begun to devour the man from his tip. Her tongue massaged the underside of his shaft while her throat began the process of welcoming him deeper and deeper still. Those eyes of hers were still just as devious as they'd always been as she knew something odd was happening with the elafia at the table. First she felt the gentle extra salivation, and found herself swallowing gently and licking her lips. Still... she hadn't quite figured out that she was in fact gaining sensations of actions she wasn't taking. She didn't even figure this out as her leg began to absently and rather quickly bounce, just barely so that her heel wouldn't tap the floor. As Ailen spoke, Yume's head began to move further and further., back and forth gently enough not to make any noise, but rapid enough that her throat began to gently convulse around his cock. She did come here for a snack after all. "So it's like a food battery... that's cool," Anais thought as she worked on her last cup. Just the same, Sakura seemed to be rather amused. There was a strange amount of things happening. One student was seeking a snack and the other was passively gaining desire without even acknowledging it as a potential thing which was happening. 'Humans are fun.' The young goddess thought.

"It would. I'm not sure if the world is ready for that kind of happiness, but it would," Charlemagne agreed. Renaud had a very real chance of endangering many people when he became so excited. What if he became a second Astolfo or Roland? In those situations, it did occasionally seem like he'd reveal himself at any given moment. He wasn't sure he'd be mentally prepared to see a sudden dick on the battlefield, but that was the feeling at times. Martha's bloodlust would be much preferred. Ah, but she continued rejecting the idea of being a battle maniac simply because she didn't go out looking for fights. "That's just semantics. You still get all pouty if you lose a chance to have a fight. That might be a symptom," he teased.

Ailen didn't believe he'd be capable of discussing eggs for very long. Though he'd never imagined there would be many experiences between himself and Mugen's apprentice, the more free-spirited girl obviously had different plans. A strange amount of effort put forth by Yume's tongue was a distraction, and things would only get worse from there as he was taken into her mouth, then throat. Ailen looked down almost as instinct, and there he saw the look of someone who would confidently treat him as a means to an end. Suddenly, he understood the appeal of demons; there was no rejecting advances such as this. He finished pouring that egg, but the flame beneath its pot was not ignited. No, Ailen instead set the shell aside and braced against the counter with both hands as Yume's head bobbed. Ah... Anais was continuing the topic of mermaid eggs. It was probably best that he respond instead of going completely silent. "M─yes, I suppose... you could view it that way. It's very efficient at doing what it does," the elf said. Alas, he wasn't sure if he was even talking about the egg. . .

"I'm sure the world can survive. Rey's happiness is important," Anais mentioned. She meant that, oddly enough. Even knowing what the man was like she didn't seem him as being as much of a threat to peace as Roland or Astolfo. No... he had a specific context for his specific brand of passion. It would seem Martha saw her own in a similar way as well... Charles continued to tease the saint about her tendencies. "I am an adult... I don't pout. I simply believe people should keep their promises, I'm allowed to be disappointed when things don't live up to expectations," she said her nose turned up in the air. She had no symptoms of battle mania. Regardless she was content enough to have this playful conversation with no real ideas floating around in her head. She was a no-nonsense person but they were on downtime.

And while the group at large relaxed in the way humans did and talked absently, Yume was busy devouring a snack, which just happened to be an elf. She noted her own abilities in this case, finding the man to be acting rather interestingly in response to her advancing tactics. He didn't even start cooking properly, instead he leaned against the counter and looked down at her as she started to take advantage of him. And when he looked down, she winked and continued what she was doing. Still Ailen managed to continue talking making sure to at least speak to his apprentice. Yume was inwardly pleased but that wouldn't stop her from continuing. In fact, that constant bobbing of her head and the gentle convulsions of her throat would only become more pointed as a swallowing motion would be added so that she could entice him further. It would also be noted that her tongue was rather active for the duration. "Sou ka..." was the only thing said by Anais as she worked on her last cup. The image on it was mostly finished and now she was simply cleaning up the lines a bit. Still, she'd started a serious of more anxious actions and she hadn't noticed her own behavior. That leg was still bouncing, oddly stimulating her loins as she bit her bottom lip. The more Yume did, the more she felt and the more her body responded without her consent. Oh well... it still wasn't something she would be concerned about. Until the next step was reached. As the minutes ticked away, Yume aimed to make the elf spill into her throat. She would get her kitchen snacks one way or another.

Anais was always one to consider the wellbeing of others, even maniacs the likes of Renaud. Charlemagne wasn't so sure his happiness was important enough to create potential danger, but he also trusted his companions to apply reason in most cases... apart from Astolfo, of course. "I guess, as long as he doesn't find somebody too strong and... too exciting for him. It should be alright," he surmised. The ideations of Martha continued to be a topic of discussion as well, as she insisted upon being an adult... and the idea that she didn't pout. "Just because your lip isn't extended, doesn't mean you're not pouting," was all the lad said.

Meanwhile, Ailen was forgetting his purpose multiple times over. The passage of time heralded an evolution of tactics by Yume. Talking would have to be halted for a time. He had little choice but to keep silent, if only to continue making dinner work. That egg wasn't going to stabilize itself, after all. He was stirring liquid eggs, and Yume was stirring his loins. This wasn't how he expected the night to progress, yet there he was, buckling as the demoness's throat quivered around his girth. He couldn't really compare the efforts of Yume to those of Anais. How interesting. Close as they were, Ailen would have normally expected some similarities. Alas, that was not the case at all ─ this one was far more... brash, as if her goal was to make him collapse under the attention. 'I'm not so sure I can tolerate three more of these apprentices. This second one is going to murder me,' he thought. Even so, Ailen's body responded to desperation. One hand abandoned his stirring utensil to grasp the counter again. In the meantime, Ailen's other hand fell atop the girl's head where a portion of his weight would bear down. He was throbbing away inside her throat, nearly at his wit's end already. Something was wrong with these people from Gaia; this should not have been repeatedly happening to someone who routinely bedded a goddess. Alas, it was certainly happening to great effect. It hadn't taken more than a few minutes for Ailen's honey-flavored mana to leak into the girl's throat. Soon after, that leaking would become an outright eruption. Perhaps this was just how life worked now. . .

Anais and Charles continued to discuss the hypothetical happiness of one of their peers. While Charles thought that everything might be fine as long as Renaud met someone with moderation, Anais was beginning to believe it was quite the opposite. "I don't know about that... too strong and too exciting is probably exactly what he needs. It'd likely be a stalemate. Then he'll have focus and battle excitement forever. And then, a wedding!~" Anais seemed rather excited about the potential of a wedding and she also seemed to have skipped ahead a few steps in her thought processes. Mainly the parts missing from her spoken words were ones concerning the fact that anyone who actually fit that bill was a rare breed indeed and would likely be looking for something similar. Knowing what she knew about the interactions between souls and their resonance, she might actually get to see a wedding after Renaud met such a person. Martha for her part in this could only chuckle, Anais was quite right, as a potential woman in such a situation she'd love to find a man she could fight forever... it was actually her one real wish. Beyond that, Charles was making claims about her pouting even if it wasn't a visible kind of pout. "That is definitely the literal definition of pouting, otherwise it is called moping," she said knowing that she was just arguing semantics but... there was much time to fill and apparently she wouldn't be doing it with her fists. She supposed words would do, for a time.

In the meantime, Ailen was trying to work on dinner but having a bit of a hiccup. This hiccup was a demoness seeming to take him for an afternoon snack. While Yume and Anais were the best of friends their approaches to life were markedly different. Beyond that, Yume's desire to have a snack would lead to her continued efforts which served to distract the elf enough that he had a stray thought that she heard. If she could have smirked with her mouth full now definitely would have been the time. 'You'll be fine, Ai-aniki. You may have just started at the deep end~' she said with a knowing smile. Of course, she also already knew who the rest of the Myouou's apprentices were, and was already privy to their personalities so it would be fine. Moreover, a warm hand was soon upon her head as her throat convulsed repeatedly upon his girth. More and more it was rather exciting for her. She didn't know she could enjoy distracting someone so much, she understood her friends methods now. At the same time, Anais found herself feeling rather warm as she sat. Her ears seemed to twitch as she could have sworn while finishing her drawings that she could feel a warm hand on top of her head. Ah, but she also knew there was no one behind her to do so. Weird.

Ah... but there was a coming explanation. As her throat begin to twitch just a bit, a trickle of mana, would become a spill of it down the throat of Yume. Who swallowed most happily having her head finally come to a stop. A few more twitches of her throat would occur before she began to eject him. But at the same time... an inward breath on Anais had her do some kind of weird gurgle cough that humans would have called swallowing wrong. 'What the fuck!?' she questioned. Ah, her senses caught up, and she was sure she'd just done something sexual but she hadn't so... it was Yume who was in the kitchen obviously engaged in hinky activities with Anais's mentor. 'You filthy little slut!' she exclaimed seemingly outraged. Ah, but hearing that from her friend's mind it didn't have any negative associations. In fact, her inner darkness had been calling them both sluts for days with no negatives. 'Ooh? I really might like the way that sounds now. I was in the kitchen looking for snacks, I found one!~' she claimed as if it was perfectly normal. All the while she'd licked the elf's manhood clean and tucked him back away in his pants only to scuttle out from beneath the cabinets and back to the pantry as if she'd done nothing wrong. 'Speaking of, thanks for the snack, Ai-aniki!~' she seemed to say that a lot. Meanwhile, Anais would get to experience the other half of the problems of Yume's connective spell, including the emptiness associated with having feelings of actions not completed with one's own body.