Commandeering the Ship
Asuna was watching her strangely from her bed when she woke up the next morning which would have freaked her out if her head wasn't pounding.
"Ow…what happened why does my head hurt so much?" She asked with a wince, sitting up.
Wordlessly Asuna pointed to Setsuna who was lying sleeping on the ground near the door of the cabin still dressed in the clothes she'd worn last night. Rolling over so her back was facing them her feet twitched and she murmured something before growling. In a flash everything came back to her. Konoka put her hand to her mouth, squeaking and flopped back down on the bed covering her face.
"Oh my god…we…the dance…I…oh my god…"
"You nearly kissed and there was some serious magic going on," Asuna stated baldly.
"I remember," Konoka said. Her voice was muffled through her fingers. "Oh my god I can't believe I did that to Secchan!"
"She was enjoying it…you were both…enjoying it…a lot," Asuna said slowly as if she hadn't quite come to terms with what she was saying.
Konoka removed her fingers from her face. Asuna was still looking at her with that weird expression on her face. It got even weirder when she looked over at Setsuna. Waving a hand in front of Asuna's face she called out, "Earth to Asuna anyone home in there?"
"Sorry yeah I was just thinking about the stuff I heard Setsuna-san saying in her sleep," Asuna said distantly.
"You were eavesdropping?"
"Hey, don't sound so disapproving about it it's not like I was doing it intentionally. I thought Setsuna-san had left when I heard the door shut," Asuna protested. "And…well I was kind of drunk too."
"But Secchan's still here…"
"Yeah I didn't figure it out until an hour later that the sound I'd heard was her knocking herself out on the door then I went back to sleep."
Konoka just gave her the same emotionless look then scrambled off the bed, going to the sleeping girl and began to shake her frantically, "Secchan, wake up!"
"You're probably not going to get anything out of her," Asuna said. "She hit the bottle really hard I mean you guys were practically one step away from ripping each other's clothes off….on second thought you did start to unbutton her shirt then you kind of passed out. That's when she got up to leave."
Going red Konoka stammered, "Well we didn't do anything then right?"
"Hey you're asking someone who was half asleep that's all I remember," Asuna shrugged. "But my god I don't think I've seen you that drunk since we had that party in the dorms last year and you know…it was just one can of alcohol so it's weird. It's not like you had heaps."
"It tasted pretty srong," Konoka said, sitting back as Setsuna jerked her arm away from Konoka, irritated.
"Yeah…maybe it's the same with the effect. Maybe it's like super extra powerful for demons or something," Asuna said. She added as an afterthought, "But I would've thought Setsuna-san would've at least been able to take one what with being involved in the underworld…"
"Ah well I'm still sleepy," Konoka yawned. She lay down beside Setsuna, closing her eyes as it made her head stop hurting, "Wake me up when it's lunch-time…"
"You and me both," Asuna sighed, throwing her quilt over herself.
When Setsuna and Konoka walked into the clearing where a fire was roasting in the middle of the village the atmosphere changed. Some of the kids were openly staring at them and few started speaking in hushed tones behind their hands to be scolded by the adults present. Setsuna found she didn't care. She felt great in fact and a fierce sense of pride. Her head didn't hurt so badly but she did wonder why Konoka just sidestepped the question when she'd asked her what'd happened last night. She couldn't remember anything past the dance when she and Konoka had been walking back together, couldn't even remember how she'd ended up where she was. Running a hand through her hair and messing it up even more than it was already, she grinned lopsidedly at Konoka who gave her a playful hug.
"Glad you two could join us," Alberio said, looking up from the log he was sitting on. He had a plate of fish and vegetables in front of him and was cutting it into fine portions using a knife.
"You guys look like you didn't have much sleep…did something happen?" Chamo was sitting beside Alberio, smoking from a tiny copper pipe. He scanned Setsuna's bedraggled appearance, mischief in his eyes, "I heard rumours flying around that Konoka-jouchan made some pretty intense magic."
Asuna who'd walked past them, dressed in a skirt, linen shirt and cotton jacket, squeezed Chamo, "Don't try to cause trouble you perverted ermine."
"Animal abuse!" Chamo cried out.
Setsuna however was smirking and as she settled down on a log next to Yue who was leafing through a thick book the mage glanced up at her, surprised but didn't say anything. Setsuna gazed at the fire with one elbow propped up on her knee resting against her cheek and idly pulled out tufts of grass from the ground ner her bare foot. She was feeling restless and kind of sleepy, not a good combination.
"So…is this is going to feed everyone?" Konoka asked Alberio as she sat down near the fire to warm her hands.
"No not everyone but just about enough. People cook their own food here so it's all shared really," Alberio laughed.
When Konoka laughed back Setsuna's expression turned sour. Yue put her book down, casting a questioning glance at Setsuna. Alberio was whistling and piling out portions of vegetables and fish on the plate.
"How can you two be so energetic in the morning? After last night as well…" Asuna grumbled as she let Chamo go.
Sticking her tongue out at Asuna the happy girl cast a side glance at Setsuna who was stifling a yawn. Catching her looking, Setsuna half-smiled at her. Konoka thanked Alberio which for some reason annoyed her and scooted over with a three plates of fish and vegetables. She handed one plate to Yue who accepted with a grateful nod and another to Asuna.
Sitting down in front of Setsuna she put the plate in between them and said, "I thought we could share. I know you said you weren't hungry but…um well I guess it wouldn't hurt to eat something right?"
Prodding the fish Setsuna picked up a piece. Konoka began to get up when one of the men took a seat beside her with a plate of fruit. Setsuna's eyes flicked towards him, wary as he wriggled his eyebrows at Konoka. Konoka just smiled cordially back at him and turned her eyes back to Setsuna. Smugly Setsuna shoveled the fish into her mouth then pushed the plate towards Konoka, smiling. The man beside her had edged closer though and sent out a little wolf-whistle as Konoka pushed her long hair back so it didn't get into the food.
Narrowing her eyes at him Setsuna began to fiddle with the fork near the foot in her hands, rubbing her finger over the pointy edges. When the man scooted closer so that he was practically touching Konoka, Setsuna snapped the fork in half. As one half of it landed in between the pages of Yue's book and the other sailed straight through Alberio's head, his image flickering, the pair looked at her. The man's hand snaked around Konoka's shoulders and suddenly pitched forwards as one of the kids ran by hitting him. He ended up with his face in her chest and his hands all over her. Setsuna lunged for him, knocking over the plates and sent them careening into the fire. People around them leapt to their feet, scrambling out of the way of the duo.
"Secchan stop it!" Konoka cried out.
"Azeus stop embarrassing yourself in front of our guests," Alberio said.
Muttering something Yue pointed her wand at them and put out the flames that were eating at their cothes with water. Asuna had rushed forwards and when she saw an opening separated them. Setsuna shoved her aside breathing heavily. She realized she was growling, adrenaline pumping through her.
"She's crazy!" The man yelled from the ground as he scrambled to his feet.
"Stay away from Ojou-sama!" Snarling low in her throat Setsuna pushed the man back so hard he fell.
"Hey what's your problem?" The man yelled angrily, standing up.
"Do not treat Ojou-sama in such a lewd fashion," Setsuna snapped, bunching her fists.
"All I did was sit next to her. What is that a crime?" He glared at her.
"You, Touched, Her," Setsuna said in a low threatening voice, meeting his glare with hers.
"It was a kiss jeeze and I tripped so it was an accident," He strode up to her, shoving her rougly, "Just because you're the Dark Evangel's servant doesn't mean-"
Whatever else he was about to say was cut off as Setsuna ploughed into him and sent them both tumbling back to the ground. He was taller than her but she had mad strength on her side and skill. After a few minutes of shouting and wrestling on the ground Setsuna had one arm trapped beneath his body while she had one leg over his body to stop him from getting up and the other on his shoulder. Both her arms were locked around his untrapped arm and she was pulling on it mercilessly.
"Push me again and I'll kill you!" Setsuna hissed, giving his arm a final jerk. Before she could wrench it from his body though Konoka was there by her side and kissed her on the cheek.
It was like someone had turned the on switch in her brain to languid contentment, like a kind of euphoria. She let herself be pulled away, savouring the kiss and laughed when Konoka scolded her.
Surprised Konoka gave her a frown, "What's the matter with you Secchan?"
"He had his hands all over you and-and his face was in your chest!"
"It was an accident what's gotten into you this morning?"
"Nothing's gotten into me I'm just…." Setsuna's words trailed off when she figured out she had no answer.
Shaking her head at her Konoka turned around and began to walk away without a word.
Gawking along with everyone else at the scene unfolding before them Asuna shut her mouth and pulled Yue aside. The young mage had been watching the exchange between them intently.
"Ok what in the hell was that just about? I know you know," Asuna demanded.
"…You really don't want to know," Yue said after a moment.
"Yes I do. Why's Setsuna-san acting all giddy and protective all of a sudden?" Asuna pressed.
"Are you familiar with the animal kingdom Asuna?" Yue said.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Mostly in the animal kingdom there are different courtship rituals. Now it's apparent that Setsuna is at the very least attracted to Konoka-san. She's never dealt with these kinds of feelings before and with all the changes in her own body she's experiencing she's trying to find a way to express it. Ordinarily it would've probably involved something more human but due to the changes she's going through it may have came out in her behavior and actions we just witnessed."
"You're telling me she just tried to rip a guy's arm off to show Konoka she loves her?"
"She doesn't know she's doing it neither can she control it but besides the fact that he touched her, whistled at her inappropriately and flirted with her I'd assume so and also Konoka-san seems to be showing more and more of her magic power. She may be attracted to that as well at a subconscious primal level."
"So this whole macho swaggering act she's got going on is all because of some stupid hormones?"
"Shh keep your voice down please Asuna-san," Yue hushed. "Look I can't be certain but well you said that they were um, kissing each other last night?"
"Yep there was some serious smooching going on."
"But it went no further than that right?"
"Yeah but I don't see what that has to do with anything. They were both really really drunk but it was weird with Konoka I think with her it was because the magic affects her like that…"
"Yes well that did seem to be the case. Anyway in the animal kingdom first came courtship then comes mating and so what most likely happened was that because Setsuna was interrupted she didn't get to bypass the courtship stage and…do you really want me to go further?" Yue asked as Asuna started to look more and more horrified.
"No I think I got the mental image," Asuna muttered. "So what you're saying is that she's just…frustrated?"
"It's just animal instincts," Yue said but she looked slightly apprehensive, "Um…to put it simply Setsuna is exhibiting what is commonly called in the animal kingdom as…um…marking her territory. That also explains her behavior. She's um…well she's…I suppose initiated the courtship towards the object of her affections which was accepted so now she's trying to show everyone that Konoka-san is hers hence the fight with Azeus-kun. It's the dominance thing."
The shorter woman may have had antannaes growing out from her head the way Asuna stared at her, "Wait by marking her territory isn't that what dogs do when…are you telling me that she's going to…?"
"Oh, no no that only happens when an animal wants to mark its boundaries. What we're talking about here is simple signs of aggression displayed by males when…well when…do we really have to talk about this?" Yue looked at Asuna, exasperated. "It feels wrong."
"How do you think I feel listening to it?" Asuna shivered.
"Well you're the one that asked after all."
"Yeah but I wasn't expecting that kind of thing…I mean jeeze…but you still haven't really answered my question. What's up with the PMSing?"
For some reason Yue began to look extremely sheepish and quickly checked to see if Setsuna or Konoka or anyone else like Chamo for that matter was listening or within hearing range and gestured for Asuna to lean down and whispered in her ear.
"She's in heat?" Asuna yelped out.
