Munetsuchi

[Apollymi]

Charles seemed to be trying to process the idea of the conversation between Sakura and Angelica. And much like both of them had thought during their conversation, Charles was thinking far too human for the truth of their understanding. Of course, there was no need to try and explain it to him now... they had plenty of time in the future to make him fully understand what he didn't. As for the friendliness of Jeanne there were two things to consider about it, both would be addressed by Sakura as she understood how the girl came to be a much more relatable being. "Her hate has specific targets. She wasn't unfriendly. Besides that... she had a few grails... it was enough light to lighten her up a bit, bring her closer to neutral as an existence," she explained. "And you contributed as well, but you took on a bit of her darkness in exchange," Sakura concluded her understanding of events. Of course, Sakura also understood that the nature of the 'forbidden' wasn't nearly what it seemed at base regardless. It was one of those little things that would gain more clarity as time went on.

Apparently the calling card used by Charles was something that could be sensed by Ailen himself. He found it interesting that it was a choice, but it made sense given how spread out they were whenever someone might need something. "It's definitely what that is..." she murmured. Ah, but he was still moving and then upon coming to a gradual pause in their activities. Mid-lesson, mid-coitus, Charles might have the worst timing in human history. If she didn't believe in him so surely, she might have been annoyed. Even while doing so her internal voice didn't seem to be alright with the idea of them stopping. 'He'll be fine for a few minutes... Shishou needs to finish his lesson and we need to finish him!~' Sinais was very singular minded. But there were some caveats to Charles calling card, "Well, it'd be a shame to skip a lesson we've already started. I mean... Astolfo is always last anyways. And it isn't an emergency, it's more like as soon as you can," she murmured, the idea of stopping was actually kind of annoying to Anais as a person. She reached up for her own ankles and thought about her current position, perhaps she could help them along? 'That's a good girl. I'll take care of the rest!~' Sinais claimed that she would take care of the rest, and she fully decided to pull those ankles of Anais and spread them further tightening her grip on the elf buried within her person. "Shishou, it's crunch time, make sure I have a deep understanding of the rest of the lesson~" Anais's internal voice teased her mentor. That was fine, Anais wasn't even mortified at this point, it was a good addition to the current thoughts she had and perfectly aligned with how she felt.

[Bloodedge]

In drinking from the Holy Grail, even a false one created by the Nexus, Jeanne apparently became a more balanced individual. The transfer between them was given some credit for her attitude shift as well, though it was further claimed Charlemagne acquired a bit of darkness. What nonsense. Was he not allowed to be bothered after all he'd been through? His behavior was only natural, and nothing about him had changed by any method that Sakura wasn't at fault for. Of course, that was all positive, so he'd say nothing negative about it. No, he'd just sit there and open his senses to the others. It didn't seem like either of them were in the immediate vicinity, so it seemed there was nothing to do but wait.

Anais seemed to be on the side of continuing the lesson, much to the elf's satisfaction. He'd already experienced a number of failures; it would be a shame to miss another lesson due to random timing issues. "Well, if it is no emergency, then I agree the lesson is quite important. I'll try to make the best of it," Ailen assured. Just then, Anais made a rather interesting decision. Her arms extended, hands wrapping around her own ankles. Was she experiencing physical strain? Apparently not. The true purpose of that maneuver became clear as the elafia's legs spread wider, having a very direct effect on the quality of penetration Ailen experienced. Anais had words to share as well. At times, she seemed a great deal more confident and flirty than normal. That was something Ailen could only attribute to shifting moods, but indeed her words were worth heeding. "I'll make every effort possible~. If you lack an understanding, I always welcome a request for elaboration. All for the sake of knowledge," he said, though 'knowledge' was a bit subjective based on the tone Ailen chose. More importantly, his movements had begun anew... though he didn't seem to be in much of a rush. The other boy was always late, after all. . .

Meanwhile, Astolfo received the call from half a kilometer away. He'd been spending his time out in the city, enjoying himself for the most part. Munetsuchi was what he always hoped Kyoto could be as a tourist attraction... including the magic and mythical creatures. Upon sensing Charlemagne's outreach, whatever he'd been doing came to an immediate end. "My king needs me!" the feminine lad yelled in the middle of a crowded street. Only a few moments later, Astolfo would be on his way toward Munetsuchi's tenshukaku at an incredible speed. How? Well, he wasn't too far away from a horse when called upon. Surely its owner had no important uses for it, so he claimed it for his own grand purpose and darted away.

[Apollymi]

Charles had nothing to say to Sakura immediately and that was fine. Whether he understood it or not though, he'd become a bit dark leaning already by his association with Sakura. It was quite easy for him to take on the feelings of other such individuals without the knowledge of how to filter them out, especially when they shared as deep a connection as him and Jeanne did now. Ah, but perhaps he wasn't ready for a full explanation of sibling soul binding as it applied to him yet?

Moving on apparently there was quite a bit of harmony to be achieved between Anais and her other self and between Anais and her mentor. Both weren't very willing to skip out on her current lesson. At the same time, it really wasn't an emergency meeting button or anything like that. It would be fine... Yes, Anais was already convincing herself that even if she was a bit late, it wasn't a super urgent thing. He would be making the best of this lesson and with Sinais emerging to help along the process an interesting change in the type of penetration she was currently experiencing was showing up. "Uah~" she exhaled gently as he began moving again none too quickly given the depths he was currently able to reach within her. How interesting, such a small shift in position had such interesting effects. "In the spirit of learning, I'll be sure to exhaust all avenues~" she claimed, oh that was a little flirty as well. She made sure to continue enjoying this elf's forward plunges, not knowing that for the first time in the time she'd known them, Astolfo was actually about to beat her to something they were supposed to meet for.

[Bloodedge]

Charlemagne certainly wasn't ready for that sort of discussion. He was, however, ready to stop spending so much time resting on his laurels. The young paladin felt as if every time he tried to accomplish something of late, he either moved on to something else or took some random break between. He had to get up. As such, he did exactly that, rising into a seated position. His comrades weren't around just yet, but that didn't mean he had to just sit around and wait, right? "Right! Planning! When we get to the HQ, Siegfried is probably going to try taking my head off the second he sees me. That's assuming Martha doesn't cave my face in first. Since I'm king now, though, I should have the ability to pacify them. Maybe that won't be received well short-term, but it's the best idea I've got right now."

In the spirit of learning, Anais and Ailen would continue their... exploration, as some had taken to calling it. Anais would not be reaching the throne room with anything resembling quickness, but that was fine. She did say all avenues would be exhausted. At the rate she was showing this side of herself, Ailen would also be exhausted in due time. He'd probably have been done for long ago, if not for the balance of mana transfer between them. There was a very real chance that Anais would eventually break him down, creating a story Miwa was sure to take great interest in. Until that time came, he'd go about ordinary business. Here and now, that consisted of a constant pumping motion within Anais's loins, which currently seemed to be functioning with some sort of suction mechanic. Ailen had yet to be anything but surprised by the girl's quirks; this was no exception. "I dare say I may still be learning more than you. I never thought my teaching days would be spent trying to out-teach my own apprentice. It's rather exciting," he commented.

[Apollymi]

Moving on from their previous meeting with various people who were quite frankly pivotal in their lives now. There were apparently a depth of future events to consider. Charles had apparently grown a bit restless. He was talking through the potentials of their first meeting within the Holy Knights HQ and all the things that could potentially go wrong with it. Sakura gave his words consideration, having taken in a bit of information from the discussion between him and Jeanne during their fight and their subsequent conversations even while she was otherwise occupied. This Martha person was an unknown but she sounded like a physical combat specialist and though his idea to pacify the group was one which could work to keep things from going wrong physically, it may not be the best for morale later. "Hm, those all seem like things that would happen based on the information I have. I do not know Martha, but everything said about Siegfried implies that he is probably already upset, appearing immediately after the disappearance of Jeanne d'Arc and exerting a kingly connection without a proper explanation definitely will not go well. Even someone who would be on your side, might not know how to react in such a case," she summarized. "Jeanne did mention her nun friend perhaps she could help smooth it over if it gets out of hand," Sakura offered. "I would suggest trying to use a neutral party to organize such a meeting... but you seem to be against the more diplomatic approach," she offered her own advice based on potential best possible outcomes, and her own skepticism of that offerings acceptance. She'd taken note of the lad's disposition and knew he was pushing himself quite a bit, even though he'd only just barely recovered from what had happened to him.

Anais was currently holding on to her own ankles her legs spread wide and her mentor plunging into her depths. This was a rather different experience from their earlier bouts but still something worth the effort. Both of them seemed to be quite interested in their acquisition of knowledge, even as it simply related to the acts they were engaged in. While he moved about, Ailen seemed keen to comment on the actions, according to his own words, he felt he was still learning and didn't expect this outcome from his apprentice. Still, he didn't speak of it as a potential negative and instead found it... exciting? If it was possible, Anais's face blushed and she became acutely aware of a certain pulse within her loins. Perhaps it was the pressure on her body from the outside or perhaps it was the state of embarrassment she'd mentally tricked herself into. Regardless, she had but one way she could answer... "Shishou... that's like really flattering, you know?" she managed feeling strangely sheepish once more. "Still, I'm glad, we'll be able to learn lots from each other~" she commented. Over the course of the day, she'd come to notice her mentor was strangely smooth in these situations and that he was really good at pushing her emotional buttons without that seeming to be his intent at all. If she was being honest, she was fairly close to the edge, those plunges in her core had started almost massaging by feeling and and her body tightening rapidly in response.

[Bloodedge]

Martha was an unknown to Sakura, but there were surely some assumptions to be made. Charlemagne didn't expect a warm reception under any circumstance. Without a doubt, there would be a need to defend before any amount of talking could begin. Sakura had some things to say. She didn't seem to think pacification by force was a good idea, and frankly, neither did he. The nun Jeanne mentioned was a solid option, assuming they could rely on her appearance. That one did sound like she had a chance of being nowhere near the headquarters, but an equal chance of being present. They'd have to be willing to rely on her, though they'd also have to be ready in case she wasn't around. "If she's there, I believe she'll be a boon. Diplomacy doesn't feel right when I know they'll try to capture and interrogate us before anything else, but I don't want to force it either. Part of going to HQ is finding capable comrades who already have reason to be involved."

It seemed Ailen had a habit of flattering the lass without intending to. All he did was make observations, but if it was something she had such a reaction to, observations could only serve additional purpose. "Hmm? I never intended for it to be, but that just makes it better. It's good to serve an extra purpose," he mused. Though Ailen's pacing was in no way ridiculous, there was a particular throbbing that noted his lack of remaining time as well. Presumably, that massaging movement found within Anais was at least partly to blame. Oh well. He'd already rid himself of mana many times over today; most of them had been a bit sooner than expected. This would be no different.

Meanwhile, Astolfo was making much headway on that 'borrowed' horse. Without relying on his own two feet, he managed to be in sight of the tenshukaku relatively quickly. The pink-haired lad would ascend the stairs on horseback, and would not even dismount upon reaching the building. No, he'd charge all the way to the throne room atop some random person's mount, stopping only when he realized Charlemagne had yet to arrive at the rendezvous point. "My king!" he shouted in a way that would never reach Charlemagne's ear, but with a previously unseen seriousness on display.

[Apollymi]

Charles expressed some interesting ideas in the passing moments. He claimed that he didn't want to use force, but also didn't like the idea of them being captured and interrogated before anything else. Sakura was left with what would likely be considered a strange question, but it was a real one. "Well, irrespective of the appearance of Jea-nee's nun friend. Is there a problem with being captured and interrogated?" she asked earnestly. Somehow she didn't believe there was any problem with being captured by those who served Jeanne d'Arc even in her current form. The worst that could happen by known logic was a swift death and even that wasn't as bad as it was made out to be for certain kinds of people. Beyond that it would be much easier to talk if their general plan wasn't strictly speaking invading and dominating the Holy Knights headquarters.

Meanwhile, Anais teetered on the edge of orgasm with her mentor being the one pulling her emotional strings so to speak. He confirmed with his words that his intention wasn't flattery, 'That just makes it terrifying if he did intend it!' she screamed in her own mind. 'You mean awesome!~' Sinais was looking at a strange part of the bright side. All the way to the end of her person, a certain throb was felt, but beyond that, her own sensations were being pushed along as well. She couldn't have settled upon a statement but it would seem she didn't have to as her body decided that she was about three thrusts from her ultimate demise. "Shishou, I'm pretty close now..." she managed as innocently as one in her position could have managed such a thing. Oh well... she'd have a lesson soon and then be off to find out that the impossible had happened.

[Bloodedge]

Of the options they had currently, Sakura wondered if being interrogated by the Holy Knights would be an issue. If someone were captured by his comrades, they would be sent to Olivier. If the Round Table had to interrogate someone, there was an easy path to take as well, via one Agravain. The Holy Knights, as they were, had no focused interrogator as Charlemagne recalled. Unless that changed in the last thousand years, being captured would be very similar to something Charlemagne had seen hundreds of times now. "Most likely, yeah. As I recall, they don't have dedicated interrogators. If they imprison us, it'll be their emotions driving them. If they decide to torture someone and ask questions, having already decided they want someone to blame for Jeanne's disappearance, there's a good chance they won't believe the truth. That would just make it an endless cycle until they either find an easier target to blame, or decide to kill the dead weight they've already wasted too much time interrogating. Anger is a strong thing," he said, even slightly realizing he was taking the first step on a similar path.

Ailen spoke his piece, and Anais seemed to process those words in some unknown way. It seemed positive, if anything, so he had no complaints. Ah, but Anais had her own words for him eventually. She claimed to be quite close, which was a rather dangerous thing to say at this leg of their journey. Frankly, Ailen was a bit more than just close. "Well, that's regrettable, because I..." There was no point in finishing that statement. If he'd done so, Ailen probably would have given the verbal equivalent of the gushing seed he loosed in that very moment. His last lecture of the current session had been stored in time, but no longer could he keep it held in. One might only hope Anais was truly only a few thrusts away from meeting wisdom's spark, however, as Ailen spilled himself within her without necessarily halting his movements. After all, how could he? The beginning of every thrust recently felt more like he was being pulled in for the remainder, and so too was every withdrawal. He was now coming to understand how Mugen managed to keep thrusting through ejaculation so regularly. Alas, the elf's pace was beginning to slow quite rapidly.

[Apollymi]

Sakura and Charles discussed the nature of interrogations and why it was dangerous to simply be captured in this particular instance. According to Charles there was no one responsible for interrogations within the Holy Knights Headquarters. His assertion was, that emotion would be the thing pushing people for answers and that they would react badly when not getting the answer they wished for. She could see that as a potential outcome now that he mentioned it. There were a few specific things that would make it a moot point, but it couldn't be accounted for immediately. "Sou ka, that could be a problem," she said seeming to give this the same amount of thought that one gave all problems. Much unlike Charles, as a mostly outside party she did try to see multiple sides of this particular meeting. As her own mind ran potentials, she didn't see many that ended with Charles getting help, and not getting hurt in the meantime. At the very least, it was exceedingly difficult to imagine that him using magic to pacify the group would end in them trusting him enough to go along with him while he aimed to take Aincrad. The issues surrounding everything were far too complex. "Emotions are very strong things in general. They are conceptual magic in truth, which might be the big problem," she explained in passing. She was still thinking about the situation he was moving towards but she didn't have enough information to help with strategizing in truth... Honestly, she could only assume that he'd try his method, get either beaten up or killed, and then pacify everyone with his power and not get anyone to help him because he resorted to such methods. Force didn't breed trust in most people regardless of the kind of force used.

Anais was experiencing something slightly new. She'd realized several times that Ailen had a slightly reactive way of dealing with her, but the words she shared with him seemed to be spurring him on in a more immediate fashion. 'Does that work like that?' she asked of herself seeming to feel the spillage within herself and having the extra sensation along with Ailen's still moving hips push her over the edge soon after. So that all she had to offer Ailen's incomplete sentence was a moan of satisfaction as her mind internalized all the information offered to her loins. Ah, it was a strange but great sensation when she really considered it, and knowing that it was her full intention to keep said information she could easily add it to the rest which was organized within her mind. At the same time, her body had taken on a life of its own and as his slowed pace seemed to be gradually becoming slower, she released her own legs allowing them to wrap around the center of Ailen's body enabling those last few pumps to hit rather exquisitely deep within her person. "No regrets, that's great!~" she mused seemingly pleased. Anais needed a moment to catch her breath, and then maybe she'd move to separate herself from her mentor and have a quick shower so as not to keep Charles waiting by himself too long.

[Bloodedge]

There were so many caveats and potential issues surrounding the return to headquarters, yet so little to be done about it. He couldn't let himself be captured due to the chance of death alone. How long would it take him to resurface? Would he be the same person afterwards? Would he even have memories? Most importantly, what if Jeanne managed to exact her revenge against An during his absence? That especially couldn't be allowed. Charlemagne had to avoid death where possible, if only to ensure it happened at a specific time, in a specific way. "I can't let myself be killed there. I can't let you guys take injury, and I can't let them think we're an enemy or responsible for Jeanne's disappearance. I think I've got it," he said, hopping up to stand at last. He could feel Astolfo in the palace now, so at least one of the two he awaited had arrived. Knowing Anais, she wasn't trailing very far behind, if at all. As such, he was prepared to visit the throne room again. Whatever plan he had would be shared at that time.

Sadly, Charlemagne was quite wrong about his comrade. Anais was trailing quite far behind in actuality, and didn't seem to be making very much headway. Those final slowing pumps of Ailen were met by Anais's release of her own legs. Ah, but those legs didn't fall; they instead closed around Ailen's midsection to effectively keep him in place. It was such a strange thing to observe from one who had places to be, yet Ailen could do nothing but sink deeper into the lass as a result. She wasn't the only one who needed to catch her breath. "Interesting. You have things to do, but you've locked me in place. Is that a change of plans? Or perhaps it's something else. So curious, your mind," he mused as the final remnants passed from his body into Anais.