The Eternal Sanctum (Holy Knight Headquarters)

[Apollymi]

"Reincarnation? Yeah, something like that... I birthed myself today using Mugen-sama's mana," said Yume. "It's weird though, you'd think Munetsuchi would have a whole bunch of people like us in it. Given what life is like on the other side and all the random disappearances..." she mused, knowing that it was a huge phenomenon on the other side to play a certain game and potentially go missing. Though she'd disappeared right off the street with her then boyfriend which had to be a less popular way of ending up on the other side. "Hai, but it seems a lot of people don't end up in places that align to their original homelands. Like me first living in the forest, or Charlie who is also definitely our age and time and Japanese being born as a Frenchman..." stated Anais. "Also this tastes like sleepytime tea..." she said while drinking out of her personalized cup, her heartrate and twitchy body seeming to relax between sips. "Yeah, definitely... I'm surprised that after tasting it you didn't dump like 3000 gallons of honey in it like you normally do~" teased Yume who made the eyes of Anais widen. "Yeah well..." she seemed almost sheepish for some reason. Whatever the case, they could drink their brew while Ailen seemed to be in deep contemplation. Neither of them would be interrupting his thoughts, though both would hear his ramblings and keep them in mind in case they had something to offer.

"Must have found a whole bunch while doing all that exploring~ You didn't make this cup for me did you?" asked Yume who looked at the design on it and though it rather suited her. She also couldn't resist teasing the girl about a habit she was sure she still had in a different manner, given the way her heart reacted to the thing about honey. "Iia, I made and kept the set for our direct adventure group. That one cup belongs to Rey, but I don't think he'll mind. I should probably make some for this new group depending on how long our time together is. Though I don't have a forge to fire them in this time... though I never considered using magical fire to make them before... they might come out with better attributes if I did that this time..." she said giving it some consideration. "What blades, Shishou?" Anais asked as she finished her tea and placed her cup back on the desk beside the other things. She'd rearrange and clean them later.

[Bloodedge]

There was much to study in terms of whatever changes Yume underwent. To already be similar enough that Mugen chose her, she still had room for alteration after receiving his mana. How much changed? What facilitated the changes? These were things to wonder, and Ailen hypothesized how he could have begun the studying process. Of course, his ears were still receiving all words shared between Anais and Yume, even while he continued chattering to himself. As such, Ailen did hear and process a peculiar discussion about honey. "The fault is probably mine. My mana quality is likened to that of honey," he mumbled.

With that said, it seemed the elf was quick to move on. He was eventually addressed directly by Anais, who wondered what manner of blades he was speaking of. "Hm?" he said initially, being brought out of a mental tangent the likes of which this world had never seen. "Ah, it's nothing worth any true concern. I saw some blades of excellent quality grass earlier. I thought that if used as a filler, it could actually enhance lifeleaf's healing properties to allow greater generation and metabolizing of mana within the self. If it worked as such, it would have been easy to see precisely how one changes between forms, as Tohsaka-san's mana is likely still processing in her body. We could have seen the how, why and when of every aspect. But... that is of little importance; just a passing curiosity. Perhaps I'll commit to studying something of that nature later."

[Apollymi]

While the pair of girls conversed Ailen randomly admitted that it was likely his fault the girl felt no need to add honey to her tea. His mana quality was that of honey he stated. And the mouth of Yume opened into a little 'o' shape as she realized how very honest one had to be to just say something like that aloud. "Aww, I really don't get tired of that~" Anais mentioned seemingly pleased by the sight. "So, we're really not going to talk about your new dietary needs and all that honey you've been taking in, Mi-chan~" teased Yume. Of course, Anais let this roll off her in this instance choosing to move on without addressing it only leave Yume sipping a sleeping potion while looking at the girl most deviously. Iino Miko might have been one of the most upright individuals in their friend group. Her deep dive into school harem debauchery was a work of art which needed to be dissected and understood. It was for science!

Meanwhile Anais was listening to Ailen mumble on and discuss how he could have used the grass earlier and some life leaf to study the difference between Yume's current form and her previous form. "Sou ka... that actually sounds fairly interesting," Anais mentioned. She knew what her friend was, what she looked like and what her base form had been like the last time she'd seen it. But a human girl was a very different ball game from what she was right now. "Mi-chan what will your secret boyfriend think of all this honey you've been drinking?" mentioned Yume as she finished her cup and went on to place her cup down. Finally it seemed Anais would snap. "I don't have a secret boyfriend and we're not talking about my fucking diet!" she finally snapped. Such a snap only made Yume giggle. "Oh? Mi-chan swears now... that's interesting. So, Daft Punk?" she followed up. "I am not Daft Punk... I do a lot of ghost writing and composing under a pseudonym and I was under an NDA... I don't have a secret boyfriend. I make music for other people to perform and background soundtracks for different media..." she finally confessed. "And the swearing is Olga's fault... she gets really easily annoyed while she's working..."

[Bloodedge]

By sunbreak the following morning, little had changed around the Eternal Sanctum. There was, however, a dark-haired young man clad in black armor walking around the courtyard aimlessly. He wasn't simply meandering, of course; it was he who was meant to meet with this Charlemagne person and join some adventure for the Holy Knights' queen or... something. He'd been wandering about for quite some time, expecting the summons from Martha to mean someone would meet him by sunrise. It seemed that was not truly the case.

No, the sun's rays had been cast over the sanctum for about twenty minutes, and Charlemagne was nowhere in sight. Had there been an eyewitness, one could easily say the lad never left his bedroom. Well... there was an eyewitness: Astolfo, in a way. The pink-haired male had been standing in the hall, twiddling his skirt while awaiting the rise and emergence of Charlemagne. In more recent minutes, he inched closer and closer to the other male's room. Would he knock? No. His careful approach was not intended to wake Charlemagne, but instead to abuse the knowledge that Sakura was sharing that same room. Perhaps he'd hear something scandalous upon reaching the door. Perhaps he wouldn't even have to make it all the way. That would be quite the entertaining hit to his senses indeed, Astolfo thought.

In the meantime, Ailen had been lying awake in bed for the better part of two hours. His position never changed, but his mind was racing. There was something about the previous day... something very bothersome. It was such a random, casual mention of a thing, but what was it? Butter. He'd never heard of such a thing in such a long life. What was it? He had to have one of those two provide some answers.

[Apollymi]

Making a return late in the night, or rather early the next day, was Martha, who'd done the things necessary to notify the other areas of the impending threat of Aincrad and passed along all necessary messages about Jeanne and the other missing leaders of Chaldea. Yes, all was well and she'd even managed to leave the proper message for Yuuya who she saw as she approached the courtyard around daybreak. "Yuuya, good morning," she greeted the lad as she joined him, to ease his mind as he waited around.

In the meantime, Astolfo outside of Charles door was one who might hear something but what would it be? Well, Sakura due to her own words hadn't slept. She'd spent all night watching Charles sleep, thinking over her skills and changing the functionality of one and occupying that chair that she'd made to enjoy in the space. Still as time carried on, she found herself watching the first approaches of the sun's rays and as such shifted her own position. No longer would she sit, no... she'd rise to enter the lad's bed. When he woke he'd find the girl straddling the entirety of his body but studying his face particularly. She was close enough to him, that their body's would gently be touching as the sun rose. He'd not asked her to wake him, and as such she wouldn't but she would watch carefully.

The night carried on in random fashion, after the confession of Anais and her gentle snap that pair of individuals would find themselves in bed. Anais pressed against Ailen's fore with her backside and Yume pressed against Anais's fore. The girl had cast away her magical clothing and would be found sleeping against the other girl quite naked. And over the course of their combined sleep one of Anais's hands would be found clutched onto Yume's chest, quite comfortably. What a strange pair of girls they were sleeping in such a comfortable fashion together as Ailen laid in bed with them apparently thinking about something he'd lost in his overall thoughts. A gentle pulse of mana from the finger tips of Anais would leave Yume squirming against her body as she woke. She's have a few words to share, "Mi-chan... that tickles," she murmured. "Oh, a few more minutes... I'm not ready yet," murmured Anais as her hips wiggled just a little against Ailen but that hand... oh that hand had taken to a bit of gentle molestation. As if the feeling of mana beneath it stirred some sort of strange instinct the elafia had long sense forgotten.

[Bloodedge]

As he wandered about, the final member of the adventuring party was greeted at last. The very same Martha he parted with on the previous night, had joined him in the courtyard before any of the others. "Ah! Martha-san!" he said, both brows lifting as he turned to greet the woman. Yuuya was still relatively new to this world, and an unusual case to boot. "I thought everyone was going to be longer. Though... I also thought someone else would be here by now. Am I early?" he wondered, refraining from the reveal of how long he'd been walking the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Charlemagne was due for an interesting morning. Though he did not wake with any immediacy, there was the familiar sensation of a person atop him in those final resting moments. In this case, his soul reacted without requiring his body's consciousness. A natural drive to prepare for mana transfer affected his body directly. Charlemagne's groin reached a state of firmness, and his mana reached a state of continuous flow before his eyelids even began to shutter. "Mngh," he grumbled, shifting in place as much as possible under the circumstances.

Another was finally waking in the bed shared by Ailen. Yume had taken to squirming as well, commenting that something tickled. Ah, he could feel the source by proxy. Tall as he was, Ailen's arm had been slung around both lasses throughout the night, so he was in rather close proximity to the moving arm of Anais. There was an alteration of mana occurring as well. Oh? Was he to forego thoughts of whatever this 'butter' thing was? It seemed there was some extend of a transfer progressing. Assuming that was the case, Ailen threw himself into the fray. While Anais occupied herself on one side of Yume's chest, Ailen's arm shifted until his hand could claim the other. There was a certain harmony to the movement of two separate hands. In fact, Ailen even employed his mana in a similar way to Anais. Obviously this was the path chosen by the two girls.

[Apollymi]

Martha joined Yuuya in the courtyard and was greeted in a strange but oddly familiar way. Having once been a Japanese person herself such references were quite rare to hear in this world but also quite pleasing to the ear. She went over to stand around with the lad and couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't know the habits of Charlie's newer friends... but he isn't a super late riser or anything... Astolfo will likely show up with him, so it will be fine, you aren't early," she explained to the lad. "Are you nervous Yuuya?" she asked of the lad wondering if she might have been better off just summoning him here this morning instead of telling him about it ahead of time.

At the same time, Sakura was feeling strangely as she watched Charles approach wakefulness. Of course, it wouldn't be his eyes opening or anything like that which alerted her to his shift towards consciousness. Instead it would be the movement of his mana to answer a rather natural inclination caused by her close proximity. His strange shifting made her do much the same, as she found herself easily rubbing against his hardening manhood with her core even though her clothes as he seemed apt to move it about. Perhaps he'd wake soon, and it was his intention to wake in the way she understood waking to work. Though that did seem quite outside his normal understanding of things, so perhaps not? Regardless she wouldn't be adjusting her position and would be where she was making physical contact with his groin as he approached wakefulness.

The squirming of Yume was about to become something rather fulfilling to the way Anais considered her movements. Why? Well there would be an addition to her continued squirming as Ailen's hand also joined into the fray. Poor Yume had barely registered the first hand's use, the second caused her eyes to pop open as she bit down on her bottom lip just a bit. "So... I know why she's doing this..." she murmured softly as a squeeze seemed to pulse the mana within her chest just a bit sending jolts down to her loins. This was way more intense than she remembered it being, even just a week ago. "There are so many questions, why does it tingle? And why did Ai-aniki join in? Why first thing in the morning with you..." she questioned directly still squirming. "Three hundred years, world cold and hard... soft... warm," Anais murmured. "Unfair... Ai-," a gentle pause happened and Anais's hand stopped moving for a second as she fully actualized her situation. She had a really bad habit of waking without realizing what she was doing at the time. "Oops, still nice though~" she commented squeezing once more, oddly she didn't move her hand at all... no it'd been far too long since she'd held this one, she wouldn't be letting go immediately. "Gomennasai, Yuyu..." she mentioned her eyes opening as she looked into the other girl's face. "Gomen, Shishou, this isn't what it looks like," she commented knowing that it actually wasn't what it looked like for once.

[Bloodedge]

Yuuya wasn't early, claimed Martha. That was far from the truth, considering how long he'd been around... but at least the current moment wasn't considered 'early' by Martha. "Ah... good," he said with a relieved sigh. In truth, the younger male was quite nervous. Still so new to this world, he wasn't sure of his own usefulness to seasoned adventurers, knights and the like. As for whether he was nervous or not, well... he was. "Eheh─... is it that obvious?" he wondered. While presenting that very question, Yuuya was rubbing the back of his head. "I'm still getting used to it all. Being relied on while still being new to the whole 'other world' thing is pretty weird when some of you have been around for centuries."

As Charlemagne began to stir, things only became worse. In his original life, he never thought himself much of a pervert compared to others who lived on the internet and consumed certain types of animated media. Now, he had apparently developed a breeding kink that required no input from his brain. That settled it. Even being semi-conscious enough to recognize that grinding sensation in his lap was enough to prove one thing: Albertus Animusphere was a pervert. While Astolfo had been approaching the door with the intention of listening for something, what he'd hear would be a bit... confusing, perhaps. "Wuah!" was the sudden utterance of Charlemagne, blurted out in the same moment his eyes opened. What was that supposed to mean?

More confusion spread in another room as well. When Yume spoke again, she wondered why there were tingles in those foreign touches... and why Ailen joined the effort of groping. In that moment, Ailen himself became confused. Was this so unusual? "Hm? Should I not have gotten involved?" he muttered, curious. Anais woke properly soon after. It seemed she'd been unconsciously making such contact with the other girl, yet it didn't stop when she realized it either. With that being the case, Ailen also continued. Ah, but she claimed this wasn't what it looked like. "I don't really understand. This is what we were discussing last night, isn't it? The hour of waking is when one is most susceptible to a more efficient mana transfer than normal. Both giving and receiving are at an all-time high when one first becomes conscious, so I assumed you were either experimenting with that, or indirectly teaching your friend here. I thought to make things more obvious in the latter case, and easier in the former. You also make it sound like this should stop, but neither of you seems particularly interested in that eventuality."

[Apollymi]

Yuuya in Martha's opinion was still a bit skittish in this world. Even so, it would be fine for his long term development to go along with this group. As an aside, it would also be good for him to go out and see the world potentially and make some more friends. In answer to the question of his admitted nervousness Martha could only gently chuckle. "Not too obvious, but I can tell..." she mused gently choosing not to tease the lad for his earliness or anything else for the moment. "Not to worry though, if the conversations happening yesterday are anything to go by, there is a girl in this group who only appeared here yesterday... you won't be alone as a world rookie or anything," she offered the lad that bit of information. "Besides, being in this world for a while can change some people, it's good for them to have interactions with people from the other side," she said trying to ease his mind a bit. She didn't know if she was truly succeeding at that, but at the very least they'd be able to chat a bit and pass a little time.

Somewhere time was not passing however, was Charles's bedroom. Sakura was atop him, rubbing gently against his erection as he woke simply by virtue of her placement and the innate desire she had to do so. She looked at him as he gained consciousness almost quizzically. She didn't know how he expected to wake but he seemed almost surprised by this particular turn of events. "Ohayougouzaimasu, Char-kun," she murmured as if this was the perfect thing to say at the time. Just the same she lowered herself gently against his erection grinding a little bit. Still she was studying his face, Sakura was strangely both intuative and figured he may not wish to take immediate advantage of his erection and thus she didn't force the issue, but she was rather obviously making herself available if he wished to do something before they left the room, as he was one for privacy.

While a private pair was making progress another set of people were having a conversation which was rapidly becoming embarassing for one of it's members. Anais still had a whole handful of one of Yume's breasts and Ailen had another. The lady of the hour was being molested by two people which she strangely didn't mind at all, aside from simply finding it to be a bit bizarre. "Shishou..." Anais was a mix of emotions all of which she would soon be having to explain. Ailen for his part explained what he thought was happening here and it was all very reasonable, both of these girls thought this. "I didn't know there was anything special about waking. And for the record though it was unexpected, I don't actually mind this amount of intimacy from you, Ai-aniki~" Yume mentioned. "Also, Mi-chan you're kind of cute when you're thinking..." she said while peeking at the elafia's face. "But the embarrassment is only going to get worse the longer you think about it," Yume mentiong in a knowing fashion. "Shishou, I think you are giving me a lot of credit I don't really deserve today," she murmured softly. How she was squeezing the other girl's chest as a complete matter of comfort like she could fall into the activity specifically to hid herself behind it. "All of those thoughts you have about the situation are very valid and it would be amazing as an explanation and even better as excuse if I had thought of any of them," she mentioned. "In truth... I... just like playing with boobs. I didn't have any plans for it, and it was kind of reflexive as a reaction from me. A habit of my other self that reurfaced under the specific condition of waking up next to such a familiar presence," she admitted. This whole ordeal was no experiment or explanation, she was simply fondling her friend because it was something she would have done, had done in the past and would probably continue to do because it felt nice... with nothing else in mind. She explained this while feeling embarrassed, abashed, and slightly aroused. This world was doing strange things to her libido.

[Bloodedge]

The group he was to meet with contained a person that appeared the previous day. Something about that was more comforting, but also less so. Yuuya had reason to believe they were expected to explore a very dangerous path. What if he and this other person were throwaways? No, Yuuya wasn't one to think that way. If anything, he'd figure very little was expected of him and the day-old party member. Maybe it would be a good growth opportunity that also unveiled the higher-tier challenges of the world. "I think that's comforting. It's a little strange though, isn't it? You made it sound like we were going out to do something incredible, but two of seven people are still new here. That's the part I'm just weirded-out by, but I figure I'm just missing something."

In the meantime, the ever-curious Astolfo would only hear stranger noises beyond Charlemagne's door. It certainly sounded like something interesting was happening... at least to Charlemagne himself, as his were the noises Astolfo heard repeatedly. Little did he know, Charlemagne was so audible only because he was still waking up ─ and to a double-layered grinding sensation against his groin to boot. If he didn't have pants on, he'd be in clear danger. Perhaps he was in danger regardless. After all, Sakura did continuously live up to the moniker of 'temptress' even while making no effort to do so. One of the most difficult things Charlemagne ever experienced was trying not to partake of the goddess. All she did was greet him, and he was throbbing. Well... maybe it was the rubbing. He hoped it was the rubbing, but he couldn't be certain. "A─... ohayou," he muttered. Had Sakura made the decision to assault him while he slept? Was this her response to the previous day? He could only assume as much. In Charlemagne's mind, this wasn't something given as an option, but instead a decision Sakura may have made.

Ailen gave an explanation for the functionality of mana in one's waking hours, and both girls seemed to process it easily. Yume claimed she had no qualms with this morning. That was about what he expected of Mugen's apprentice, given that man's approach to most exchanges. "I would assume so. Even without your particular leaning, most would quickly deduce that there are no negatives. Theoretically, even those who would somehow be against it may find themselves quickly experiencing a change of heart, likely before even acting against the other person or persons..." he rambled. What of Anais, though? According to the elafia, her decision had not been one made for such purposes. She simply... enjoyed fondling breasts? Well, of course she did; everyone should. "That is also sensible. You are friends, so you have a great deal of contact with one another. It should only be natural that your mana aligns so positively, and that you would do something like this as almost instinct." As Ailen began to explain, he temporarily removed his hand from Yume's chest. Doing so was necessary, that he might acquire the leverage to rise and hover over both girls. With that done, he had a hand upon the bosom of each. Both would be thoroughly groped as mana flowed from his hands solely to stimulate. With that, there was more explaining to do. "You see? In the course of a single night, the difference in acclimation to my mana is not so vast between you, though one has already internalized it previously. In the newer case, that will not last without proper transfer, but this is the unpraised potential of simple, extensive skin contact. This remains partly conjecture, but I think it is worth believing that your friendship is reason for this desire. Remember, you are most fit to receiving mana. A woman's breasts are the most consistent providers of mana known to us. Even as I apply my mana to both of you now, the primary result should be priming you to expel yours in offering."