p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Lloyd jumped back, sweat trickling from his forehead. The sword training had been going on for roughly half an hour, and Emil was hunched over as well, rivers pouring down on him, too. "Let's call it a day, Lloyd", he wheezed. "Agreed", the dual swordsman panted. Both sheathed their swords and sank down into the grass, slowly allowing their bodies to cool down in the grass./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""I hope that -", he coughed, "- we'll improve soon. Thank you for agreeing to spar with me", the knight of Ratatosk said. "No problem", Lloyd smiled. "I'd always help out my friends, you know that, Emil. Anyway, you should head back. You would not want to worry or anger Marta, now would you?" he teased./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Emil flinched, but stood up. "That's true", he murmured. "Thanks again for your help. I hope you'll be able to sleep well, Lloyd", he said with a clear voice before heading back. Lloyd chuckled a little before he returned to the inn himself and, after politely asking for it, headed to the kitchen. It was late in the evening and the innkeeper just told him to not mess anything up before the innkeeper went to bed, so it was rather safe to assume he would be alone./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The dual swordsman reached down into his pocket to pull a small container out. When he opened it, he took a deep breath. "I missed your scent, you know", he purred in a deepened voice. "It feels like it's been an eternity. I'm sorry, but people would consider me strange if they knew about our relationship", he murmured quietly. "Of course, I would never betray you. I don't betray my friends, much less the ones I love", he whispered, his mouth close to the coffee beans. Lloyd drew a quick breath to calm himself, then set up the stage. He searched for and pulled out a can, two pieces of firewood and some water along with a coffee grinder./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"As he filled in the water slowly, he threw the still can of coffee beans a sensual gaze. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist and some rubbing, he ignited the firewood. As the fire grew bigger and hotter, he set the can on top of the fire to boil the water while slowly taking the small container with the soon-to-be liquid and pulled out a small amount of beans. He gently caressed and fondled them, rolling them a little in his open palms, admiring their roasted bodies and crispy texture. He started the main act slowly by letting one bean at a time slide inside, then teasingly adding a second for each round, and shortly after that a third, all while smirking with anticipation. Then, he grinded the beans hard into a fine, smooth powder. After checking the liquid part of his beverage in making and determining it heated enough for their purposes./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"He pulled out the metallic used as a filter and set it on his cup. Then, he filled in some of the substance he just produced and screwed the pressure, inducing device on top of it. His hand searched for the tube with the water, of which he then poured a small amount inside the metal container, patiently waiting for the powder to adjust and moisten properly. When the first set of water had run through, he poured in the remaining water until the metal part was filled sufficiently and set the metal lid on top. Then he waited./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"As the intoxicating smell of fresh coffee started to fill the air, Lloyd felt his mouth water. He started to wander about, anxiously staring at the mug every few seconds, until he couldn't bear it anymore. He almost threw himself at the coffee./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"After having lifted the filter off of the mug, Lloyd took the piping hot liquid and waited some minutes for the coffee to cool down, then slowly approached the confining prison of the brown liquid. He tentatively dipped his tongue inside. He quickly retracted it, however, as he almost burned his tasting organ, and after fanning it, he grinned and winked. "Hey, you're really hot, you know." After waiting a few seconds and getting no response, he started pouting playfully. "Actually, that's really cold of you", he murmured, before grinning again. "Don't worry, I was joking. You're actually still really hot."/p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The coffee didn't comment further on this, so Lloyd went to the next step. He dipped the mug and stuck his tongue in again. He moved it just a little, then took a small sip. He shuddered at the taste and let his head hang back a little, finally experiencing the taste again he had missed for so long. He felt almost ecstatic, his eyes closed at the sensation and his eyes rolled back just a little. After he calmed down a little, he swirled the beverage in his mouth, spreading the taste even further./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"He repeated the process again and again, trying to get more coffee into his mouth every time and swallowing it all. He even refilled his mug, still in ecstasy. Then, he got the sudden urge to become one with the coffee. He raised the mug above his head and poured the liquid over his entire body, not caring about the stains, while he moaned at the sensation. Finally, he started murmuring as though he was in a trance. "I can't differ between the sensation of this liquid of crushed coffee seeds anymore. I can't discern whether this is hot or cold anymore; it all feels the same. I feel lightheaded...", he whispered completely spent, but before he could fall into unsconciousness, he raised his gaze again and finally noticed his best friend, Genis, and his teachter, Raine, as well as Zelos standing in the doorway./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The siblings had eyes as wide as plates while Zelos smirked, and when he looked at them, Genis started crying a little. "L-Lloyd", he sobbed, "What did you do? I never thought you were this kind of person." Zelos just grinned broadly at him. "Well, you know I dig the hunnies, but it looks like you're more into coffee yourself, huh?" He held his head after Raine whacked it with force. "Ow, ow, ow! What was that for?", he whined./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""You know exactly what earned you this", Raine explained impatiently before she returned her attention to her student. "Lloyd Irving, I simply cannot believe this. What were you thinking?"/p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""I didn't think anymore, professor", he answered calmly. "I was lost in pleasure."/p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Raine sighed in defeat. "You know this will have consequences, right? ... Are you even listening? Don't fall asleep now, Lloyd Irving! Wake up! Lloyd Irvi-"/p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The shout was cut short by a sudden pain the dual swordsman felt on his forehead. He startled to a sitting position, rubbing the point where the chalk had hit him. "Lloyd Irving, we feel honoured that you grant us your attention again. Now, please repeat what you have just learned", an angry Raine said./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Lloyd rubbed his forehead again. "That I should probably drink way less coffee", he croaked with a sore throat./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""I hope that -", he coughed, "- we'll improve soon. Thank you for agreeing to spar with me", the knight of Ratatosk said. "No problem", Lloyd smiled. "I'd always help out my friends, you know that, Emil. Anyway, you should head back. You would not want to worry or anger Marta, now would you?" he teased./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Emil flinched, but stood up. "That's true", he murmured. "Thanks again for your help. I hope you'll be able to sleep well, Lloyd", he said with a clear voice before heading back. Lloyd chuckled a little before he returned to the inn himself and, after politely asking for it, headed to the kitchen. It was late in the evening and the innkeeper just told him to not mess anything up before the innkeeper went to bed, so it was rather safe to assume he would be alone./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The dual swordsman reached down into his pocket to pull a small container out. When he opened it, he took a deep breath. "I missed your scent, you know", he purred in a deepened voice. "It feels like it's been an eternity. I'm sorry, but people would consider me strange if they knew about our relationship", he murmured quietly. "Of course, I would never betray you. I don't betray my friends, much less the ones I love", he whispered, his mouth close to the coffee beans. Lloyd drew a quick breath to calm himself, then set up the stage. He searched for and pulled out a can, two pieces of firewood and some water along with a coffee grinder./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"As he filled in the water slowly, he threw the still can of coffee beans a sensual gaze. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist and some rubbing, he ignited the firewood. As the fire grew bigger and hotter, he set the can on top of the fire to boil the water while slowly taking the small container with the soon-to-be liquid and pulled out a small amount of beans. He gently caressed and fondled them, rolling them a little in his open palms, admiring their roasted bodies and crispy texture. He started the main act slowly by letting one bean at a time slide inside, then teasingly adding a second for each round, and shortly after that a third, all while smirking with anticipation. Then, he grinded the beans hard into a fine, smooth powder. After checking the liquid part of his beverage in making and determining it heated enough for their purposes./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"He pulled out the metallic used as a filter and set it on his cup. Then, he filled in some of the substance he just produced and screwed the pressure, inducing device on top of it. His hand searched for the tube with the water, of which he then poured a small amount inside the metal container, patiently waiting for the powder to adjust and moisten properly. When the first set of water had run through, he poured in the remaining water until the metal part was filled sufficiently and set the metal lid on top. Then he waited./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"As the intoxicating smell of fresh coffee started to fill the air, Lloyd felt his mouth water. He started to wander about, anxiously staring at the mug every few seconds, until he couldn't bear it anymore. He almost threw himself at the coffee./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"After having lifted the filter off of the mug, Lloyd took the piping hot liquid and waited some minutes for the coffee to cool down, then slowly approached the confining prison of the brown liquid. He tentatively dipped his tongue inside. He quickly retracted it, however, as he almost burned his tasting organ, and after fanning it, he grinned and winked. "Hey, you're really hot, you know." After waiting a few seconds and getting no response, he started pouting playfully. "Actually, that's really cold of you", he murmured, before grinning again. "Don't worry, I was joking. You're actually still really hot."/p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The coffee didn't comment further on this, so Lloyd went to the next step. He dipped the mug and stuck his tongue in again. He moved it just a little, then took a small sip. He shuddered at the taste and let his head hang back a little, finally experiencing the taste again he had missed for so long. He felt almost ecstatic, his eyes closed at the sensation and his eyes rolled back just a little. After he calmed down a little, he swirled the beverage in his mouth, spreading the taste even further./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"He repeated the process again and again, trying to get more coffee into his mouth every time and swallowing it all. He even refilled his mug, still in ecstasy. Then, he got the sudden urge to become one with the coffee. He raised the mug above his head and poured the liquid over his entire body, not caring about the stains, while he moaned at the sensation. Finally, he started murmuring as though he was in a trance. "I can't differ between the sensation of this liquid of crushed coffee seeds anymore. I can't discern whether this is hot or cold anymore; it all feels the same. I feel lightheaded...", he whispered completely spent, but before he could fall into unsconciousness, he raised his gaze again and finally noticed his best friend, Genis, and his teachter, Raine, as well as Zelos standing in the doorway./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The siblings had eyes as wide as plates while Zelos smirked, and when he looked at them, Genis started crying a little. "L-Lloyd", he sobbed, "What did you do? I never thought you were this kind of person." Zelos just grinned broadly at him. "Well, you know I dig the hunnies, but it looks like you're more into coffee yourself, huh?" He held his head after Raine whacked it with force. "Ow, ow, ow! What was that for?", he whined./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""You know exactly what earned you this", Raine explained impatiently before she returned her attention to her student. "Lloyd Irving, I simply cannot believe this. What were you thinking?"/p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""I didn't think anymore, professor", he answered calmly. "I was lost in pleasure."/p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Raine sighed in defeat. "You know this will have consequences, right? ... Are you even listening? Don't fall asleep now, Lloyd Irving! Wake up! Lloyd Irvi-"/p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The shout was cut short by a sudden pain the dual swordsman felt on his forehead. He startled to a sitting position, rubbing the point where the chalk had hit him. "Lloyd Irving, we feel honoured that you grant us your attention again. Now, please repeat what you have just learned", an angry Raine said./p
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Lloyd rubbed his forehead again. "That I should probably drink way less coffee", he croaked with a sore throat./p