Relaxation With Benefits

by YuriLover567

Vert is gone. ASIC has made its presence known across Leanbox, and Chika is left to lead her nation through its darkest period. Under the scrutiny of many, the young Oracle surely would have lost her mind ages ago... if it weren't for one woman in particular. (Or, in which Chika can just barely put up with the most insufferably smug woman in all of Gamindustri.)

So, this one has been a very long time in the making, almost six months to be precise. Six months that could have been trimmed down to two weeks at most if I wasn't an ADHD-riddled mess, but you guys know how good I am with schedules, right? :D

Well, regardless, I did put quite a lot into this story, not just from the SMUT side of things, but actually going back to some basics and making a story worth a damn, and I have someone to thank for making the final result really damn good, at least to me.

With that said, kick back, relax and grab a drink, because this is a long one. Definitely the longest one-shot I've written by far, and I hope you'll be entertained the whole way through.

Also, do leave a review when you're done. It really does help and I'm a hoarder for attention.

Yuri.

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Edited By: Delusion Dreamer - Iota. Go check his stuff out.

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[G.C. 2007, 20:15 PM: Leanbox's Basilicom]

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Chika Hakozaki was furious.

That much was obvious to all who watched her walk down the halls with an icy expression, but none dared to get in the Oracle's way to question her about it. Every worker with a modicum of self-preservation steered clear from the woman, from common staffers to maids and butlers.

On a normal day, Chika would have at least attempted to don a calm, professional mask even as her emotions raged out of control, as opposed to the cold murder she found herself wearing for all to see. As the Oracle of Leanbox, she was expected to at least maintain a graceful appearance, even under terrible stress.

At the moment, however, Chika found herself unable to care about appearances. Certainly not after the undeserved humiliation she suffered mere minutes prior. The hushed voices coming straight out of the mouths of workers who assumed rather wrongly that she couldn't hear them did not help either.

"As expected of Lady Chika, throwing a temper tantrum after a diplomatic meeting."

"This is who we're trusting the future of Leanbox to?"

"Lord Yvoire would've never acted like this."

Once again, like every other day, there was a casual mention of her predecessor—a highly respected man who recently stepped down from the position of Oracle in light of his age and inability to lead Leanbox through such trying times without risking serious health issues. A man who, despite his own great achievements speaking for themselves, was still unrealistically embellished anyway, for the sole purpose of putting her down with increasingly nonsensical comparisons.

And those weren't assumptions Chika was making lightly. She knew for a fact they were twisting Yvoire's image into something else in order to hurt her, not simply because she had experience with their kind of people since her younger years, but because she knew the man, and he certainly didn't seem as superhuman as they'd love to imply.

Yes, Chika liked to believe she knew Yvoire rather well, being his very own granddaughter.

If that wasn't enough, asking older staffers for stories about the former Oracle would reveal that he more than once left particularly disastrous meetings with a freezing glare and the very same demeanor Chika wore like a cape at the moment.

Not that telling such stories to these idiots would change a thing. They'd never let facts get in the way of disparaging her.

She'd love to turn around and scream at the fools who kept using her grandfather's name as a way to insult her, to yell until her face was red and her voice was hoarse. That would be pointless, though, and what she definitely didn't want was to give them the satisfaction of watching her drag whatever slivers of reputation she was allowed to have through the mud by making a scene.

Instead, she quickened her pace as much as she could without inviting more comments, moving briskly through the Basilicom until she turned a corner and finally reached a single emerald-painted door. It was plainly built, its only security was a keypad that sat below its shiny handle.

The only other thing on the door was a single gold plate. Spelled out in black lettering, large enough for anyone to see from a decent distance, were the words 'Green Chambers'.

It looked like an important place, and rightly so, as this was where the CPU was meant to live. Alongside her, however, was also the Oracle, who by Gamindustrian tradition was meant to live close to their current CPU to foster stronger bonds and trust, because the last thing any nation needed was having their CPU and Oracle too at odds with each other to actually do their jobs.

That said, Candidates were clearly included in that setup and meant to cohabitate as well, but Leanbox was incidentally exempt from that by virtue of not having a single damn one.

Chika could almost hear her dearest complaining over her own lack of a sibling, proclaiming how unfair it was that all the others had Candidates, especially if you were from Lowee.

And then her mood suffered yet another sharp dive at the thought of the absent CPU, prompting her to banish all those thoughts to the farthest corner of her mind.

She already had too much to deal with as is.

But as soon as she was past this door, no one would disturb her. All Basilicom personnel, no matter how important, were forbidden from entering this place—and this entire section of the floor, for that matter—without an invitation or clearance.

Of course, if someone wanted to make her day worse by contacting her during the one time she had to try and maintain her sanity for another day, they could still send an official message.

But, until that happened, it was officially relaxation time for her

In a practiced motion, Chika input a code into the door's security keypad and pushed the green button with a bit more force than was considered polite, already planning a warm bath to forget her problems.

… So of course the first thing the Oracle felt from the other side was a sudden rush of cold air that had her shiver.

Going from the normally hot and humid weather that Leanbox bathed in, the feeling was akin to having her skin assaulted. Somebody had left the air conditioner on, and with a temperature much lower than was reasonable.

That alone was enough for the Oracle to identify the perpetrator, even before her eyes fell on them.

"Ah, welcome back, Chika."

The greeting came so naturally it had clearly been repeated a fair amount of times. It came from the couch in the rather spacious living room, where a lumpy, black shape was illuminated by her T.V.'s wide screen.

Were it not for the easily identifiable exposed head atop it—and the many, many times Chika was greeted by this very same sight—the Oracle would have thought that her living room had been taken over by some strange monster mass. Instead, sitting on her couch, wrapped in black blankets but otherwise unaffected by the cold like some sort of Loweean wildlife, was a certain woman who went by Cave.

As in, the only person in the entirety of this stupid continent who didn't seem to think she was a total failure.

"... Cave," Chika began after a few moments, finally entering and closing the door behind her. "What are you doing here so early? I thought your shift didn't end for another hour."

The redhead glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. "Do you know what day it is?"

The greenette scoffed as she neared towards the edge of the couch. "Yeah, today's Saturday, right?"

"Sunday," Cave said simply, "and my shift ended an hour ago."

Chika was ready to argue against that ridiculous suggestion when she stopped to check her phone. There was no way it was Sunday already. Cave had to be making things up, that was the only explanation.

Except no.

Shining on her phone's lock screen, staring right at her face as if to mock her, was "Sunday, 20:20 PM."

"... Oh."

Right, Sunday, not Saturday.

It wasn't a big deal, all it meant was that Chika lost enough control of her life that she didn't know the current date anymore.

"Yeah, that's… Yeah." Unable to whip up a more coherent response, the Oracle quickly put her phone away. "Whatever," Finishing off the subject as eloquently as possible, Chika practically collapsed onto the couch, right next to the bundle of covers that was Cave. She suddenly found out that, despite the icy cold leather that stuck to her skin, she really didn't want to get up.

That didn't stop her from complaining, however. "I swear, one of these days I'll get you to stop making it so damn cold here."

"But then it'd get uncomfortably warm under these covers."

"I already told you to just not huddle inside so many of them."

"And I already responded that they're the best part," the redhead said, as if it explained everything.

It didn't. It explained nothing, and Chika was already tired of questioning it.

"Why do I bother…?" The Oracle sighed. She glanced at the T.V., where the fiftieth-something season of an ancient show was playing. A bunch of people dressed in ridiculous multi-colored spandex fighting rubber-suited monsters.

To this day, Chika could not fathom why Cave adored the show so much.

Grunting, Chika pushed herself up until she was sitting upright like a normal human. Since she didn't have a surplus of covers and blankets to shield herself from the cold, the Oracle opted to move closer to Cave and absorb her warmth.

The soldier didn't react much when Chika pressed herself against Cave, save for a quick glance to her side, or when the Oracle rested her head on her shoulder, though she likely would feel her shivering.

Silently, Cave wrapped her arm around Chika—not even bothering to reach out of her covers, that is, meaning it was more like a fabric-covered stump wrapping around the Oracle. Even so, the greenette sighed as she leaned against her, feeling just warm enough to put up with the temperature.

For a moment, it felt peaceful. Chika recalled their high school days, when they would waste hours in their dorm room like this, watching stupid things. For a moment, she could almost forget all of her worries and pure anger and frustration.

Almost.

Chika glanced up at the redhead, noticing for the first time that her hair was loose and damp. She must have gotten out of the shower only minutes before the greenette showed up.

The thought reminded her of the original plan to rush to the bathroom and forget the world, but she couldn't do that yet. No, she had planned that under the assumption that she'd be alone for a few more hours.

But Cave was there instead, and that meant one thing.

"So…" After a few moments of silence, the greenette decided to speak up. "Would you like to hear how my day went?"

Copious amounts of bitching about her problems, of course.

Cave stopped watching the program to look at Chika again. Her emerald eyes were tepid, the gaze of someone who heard something a million times before and was readying herself for the millionth-first.

No matter how justified that reaction was, it annoyed the Oracle anyway.

Still, not one to back down so easily, Chika went on. "I'll tell you what happened, Cave. Today's meeting? A complete and utter shitshow."

The sudden declaration wasn't particularly surprising to the redhead. All it meant was that things went as expected.

Chika jumped to her feet like an energized orator, the words flowing from her mouth freely, "These other Oracles, I don't think I've ever known a more infuriating group in my entire life! Every time we meet, it's the same damn thing, so much that I sometimes wonder if they're reading off of a script!"

Yes, Cave was well aware that Chika didn't exactly enjoy the diplomatic meetings with the other nations' Oracles, despite—or perhaps because of—how she had to take part in one every two weeks due to the state of emergency.

Of course, they were entirely holographic and none of the others were physically present due to the inevitability of traveling so often—especially with ASIC's continued presence—but that distance had no effect in how much discontent they could bring the greenette, as she made rather clear from the very first time she spoke to Cave about it.

"Like that damn floating book! Every single time I make a suggestion or ask for aid, she gives me these sideways glances, those doubtful looks, then she always, always brings my position into question as if I'm some toddler who doesn't deserve to sit with them!"

At first, the redhead assumed that Chika was merely unused to the job, and going through the same difficulties as any other Oracle at the beginning of their terms, even if slightly more pronounced due to her unusually young age.

"And that's when she's not finding increasingly roundabout ways to accuse me of being an ASIC spy!"

But no. She was objectively being treated worse than previous Oracles. Her desire to rant about it was surprisingly justifiable.

So, as much as Cave would like to snap her out of it, she knew for a fact that stopping Chika too early would just cause her to bottle everything up and explode later. With that in mind, the redhead simply sat still and occasionally nodded for the greenette to continue.

"Then there's that damn scholar! You know what she says to me every time I ask for help?"

"'We're currently doing everything we can to find a way to assist Leanbox that wouldn't put our citizens in harm's way,'" Cave calmly recited the familiar line.

"Yes! She's like a broken record! It must be nice to be able to hide cowardice behind pretty words, but I'm pretty sure she's fooling nobody!"

That was an interpretation Cave actually found herself agreeing with for a while now. A leader must be decisive, and Mina Nishizawa was sorely lacking in that department. She seemed to be perfectly willing to maintain a false sense of peace, even if it meant throwing Leanbox under the bus as a result.

Still, according to the greenette, Mina Nishizawa was the least infuriating person of that trio; in her own words, "At least the selfish bitch tries to be polite."

As for who Leanbox's Oracle considered the most infuriating, well...

"And then there's the mother of all bitches herself," Chika continued, her tone bordering on disgust, "Kei Jinguji."

There was no mistaking the unrelenting frustration, nor the unfathomable anger, that the greenette emitted from the mere mention of that woman's name. From the creatively colored descriptions Cave received from Chika, she couldn't imagine what it would be like to deal with such a woman personally on a constant basis.

"If it wasn't for having to uphold my reputation and the risk of permanently damaging international relations, I would have gone to Lastation myself and punched the bitch square in her smug face months ago! Just… Ugh!" Chika growled. "Every. Single. Time! Every time I ask for anything resembling help, no matter how I dress it up, she just looks right down at me as if I'm some petulant little child! Then she gives me the same damn mantra! 'Leanbox simply has nothing of value that I'd want for Lastation, so it's not worth the effort or the money to send resources your way! Guess your nation will have to fall, huh?' She used prettier words, obviously, but still!"

Cave would have found Chika's exaggerated mocking of Kei humorous, if the greenette wasn't red in the face and clearly wanting to punch something.

Still, it was somewhat understandable. Lastation's Oracle often declared to operate on an 'equivalent exchange' mentality, but in the redhead's opinion—supported by records of the woman's previous dealings—she used it as an excuse for more leverage in any negotiation.

According to Kei Jinguji, if Lastation were to grant anything to Leanbox, then Leanbox should grant something to Lastation in return, but she would never actually settle for equal value. Instead, she would offer platitudes and sophistry, finding ways to argue that Lastation deserves more and more.

For her, an unsavory reputation was apparently a small price for "winning." If Lastation ever needed another nation's aid, Cave was quite certain their Oracle would attempt to make whoever was sent engage in menial tasks free of charge on top of their actual jobs, even if it was a CPU or Candidate.

"Doesn't she realize that, if Leanbox falls, ASIC will eventually focus on Lastation too?! I don't know, they might go for Planeptune first, but, fuck, I don't think what happens after Leanbox goes up in flames went through any of their minds since the start of this shit! And don't even get me started on Lastation's Candidate, because, yes, that bitch is still bringing her along for the meetings!"

Ah, yes, Lastation's Candidate. The first time Chika had mentioned her, Cave had assumed that Kei Jinguji had simply brought her along for experience. After all, it was vital for a growing CPU to learn about politics in order to effectively deal with the responsibilities that came with the role.

But that was apparently not the case.

"She never talks, all she does is stand there by the side with her arms folded, just as she was told to! The kid's fine if you catch her without the absolute waste of space that someone decided to name Kei, but the bitch's just using Uni as a CPU-shaped trophy and the girl's too nice to see it!"

If Cave had learned anything from Chika's ranting, it was that Kei Jinguji's pettiness knew no limits.

"And while they're too busy doing all that theater, do I get a single goddamn thank you for taking the brunt of ASIC's attention? Ever since this whole situation started, those bastards have been hyper focused on us, the tiny little island, far away from any of the other nations, where help would take longer to arrive than if they were messing with those other three instead!"

Indeed, Leanbox had seen much better days. ASIC's constant dominating presence had steadily and gradually worn down their economy and turned certain parts of their nation into something akin to oversized ghettos over time. The Arfoire Syndicate weren't exactly a large group, but they made their moves count to an unfortunately impressive degree.

"That's why you don't see any ASIC activity in Lastation! Because we're the easiest target to bully instead! And Lastation's perfectly safe being the Heart of Gamindustri, what with their stupid continental train station! Everyone else needs their tracks to send their goods anywhere, and you can bet your ass Planeptune and Lowee would bring their whole goddamn forces to Lastation if a single ASIC mook showed their face there, because that's their economy on the line! But here? We're so out of the way even ASIC realized that nobody gives a shit about us! So if things are already bad, they're going to get worse soon enough!"

Chika had been pacing back and forth the entire time. The program Cave had been watching had ended, replaced by a news segment, but it wasn't like either of them were really paying attention to it.

Or rather, Cave couldn't pay attention to it, specifically because Chika wasn't quite done just yet.

That said, the greenette was starting to look tired. Perhaps if Cave waited a bit more...

"You want to know the best part about all of this? This has only been the cherry on top of what's been an already outrageously shitty week! First, two of Leanbox's Councilmen were outed as supporters for the Arfoire Syndicate, then one of our largest factories was bombed by terrorists linked to, you guessed it, the Arfoire Syndicate!"

The former had been particularly painful for Chika, since she had appointed those very Councilmen after the previous two had retired. Days after the betrayal, she still had yet to find suitable replacements and her critics had been unrelenting about reminding her about it.

As for the latter, Chika had tried to up security some months ago but was laughed off for such a suggestion. Of course, when the bombing actually took place, everyone blamed Chika for her ineptitude.

How would Cave know? Well, she heard it before. From the very same source, in fact.

Chika was starting to reuse content from previous rants, the redhead noted. Perhaps it was almost time.

"Then there was that attempt to kidnap me the other day." Chika visibly grimaced, as if remembering something that she had happily forgotten. "Both of my bodyguards that day turned on me and tried to shove me into a car parked in some alley!" Chika growled, clenching her fists. "I've had a total of no time to train at all lately, so those idiots actually would have been successful if Chief hadn't walked by when he was off-duty!"

Mr. Chief, as far as Cave knew, was one of Chika's highest-ranking bodyguards from the Leanbox Defense Force. A perpetually armored man whose voice was only known to a few, and face to even fewer. Cave had yet to meet him personally, but his reputation was certainly something.

But, once again, that was yet another subject Chika had already ranted about previously. Her breathing was also becoming irregular, the constant storm of emotions taking its toll on her stamina.

Just a little bit more...

"And yet, despite all of that, despite everything that I've done for this damn nation, all these countless hours making sure this place doesn't catch on fucking fire while Vert's gone and there's a terrorist organization right there, did I ever get a single thank you?! No! Those Oracles, they either treat me like a child or a possible spy, neither of which can be trusted! My own staff mocks me! The Councilmen mock me! And all that just because I became an Oracle earlier than I was allowed to, apparently! Maybe I should've spent a few more decades sucking up to important people?!" Chika actually sniffed at that point, her eyes starting to water. "Everyone seems to think that I'm just some fucking worthless failure who never should have stepped up and should just go back to her little hole where she belon—"

And that was the cue.

As soon as she spotted her chance, Cave took it, holding onto her covers and rising to her feet within an instant. She had been waiting for this, the moment in which the very narrow gap right between anger and sadness would show itself. Too early and the Oracle would remain furious until tomorrow, too late and she would feel down for the rest of the night.

But the soldier wasn't known for doing anything less than perfectly.

So, before the greenette could get into putting herself down, Cave, still clad in her blankets like a cloak, rushed forward, tiptoed towards the momentarily taller heels-wearing Oracle, and shut her up in the most effective way she could.

A hand on the cheek and a kiss on the lips, she learned, was the best way to make bad thoughts go away.

Chika's eyes widened from the abrupt action, but it took only a few seconds before they relaxed and closed outright. She melted into Cave's touch easily, her arms moving to wrap around the redhead's waist under the blankets just as her tongue prodded the redhead's lips, as though asking for permission.

The other woman let go of the covers altogether, now precariously hanging over her shoulders alone, and wrapped her arms around the Oracle's neck. Pulling them even closer together, she parted her lips and allowed Chika's tongue to explore her mouth, clashing with her own time and again.

The greenette didn't let up, her hands exploring Cave's back as their kiss deepened, feeling up her curves that the Oracle was sure would make even a model jealous. She felt the redhead's nipples, already stiff from the cold beforehand, pressing against her own, still shielded by her outfit, and felt a sudden suspicion gnaw at her mind.

By the time they parted, a thin string of saliva undoing itself between their lips, Cave's makeshift cloak of covers had finally fallen to the floor, and Chika didn't hesitate to take in the sight, confirming what she thought. The redhead, still pressed tightly against her, hadn't been wearing a single piece of clothing underneath them, and now there was nothing to hide her smooth, milky white skin.

Chika looked at Cave, at her slight smirk that she so wanted to wipe off with another kiss, and glared at her like a hungry animal. "How many times have I told you to put on some damn clothes after a bath?"

"I'd say," the redhead began mischievously, "less times than you've ogled at me whenever I don't. You'd simply undress me with your eyes either way, so isn't this more efficient?"

"Don't be such a smartass," the Oracle growled, moving to kiss the redhead's uncovered neck again and again while a hand descended to squeeze her behind, bringing out a moan from the usually inexpressive redhead. "There's this thing called basic decency. Maybe you've heard of it?"

Instead of responding, Cave let out something that sounded suspiciously like a laugh amidst a moan. "You don't seem... particularly against my actions," she teased in a breathy voice, raising a hand to the back of Chika's head as the greenette continued to attack her neck. "And why... would decency matter...? You're the… Mmmh... only one to see me like this… Aren't you?"

At those words, Chika's kissing came to a stop as she moved back to stare hungrily at the frustratingly smug soldier. "You're just asking for it now."

"Asking for what?" Cave shot back, an amused twinkle in her eyes.

"Why, you little…" Without thinking, Chika moved to capture the redhead's annoying lips—

Only for Cave to grab one of the couch's throw pillows behind her and apply it directly to the Oracle's face.

"Denied."

"Mmph?!"

Stunned and unable to see, Chika couldn't do much as Cave untangled herself from her and took a step back. Finally, she lowered the pillow and brought it closer to her chest as she shot a slight smirk at the greenette.

"Unfortunately for you," Cave began, eyeing the confused Oracle, "unless you'd rather eat instant food, someone has to prepare dinner before it grows too late. Why don't you go take a bath instead?"

Chika stayed silent for a moment, staring at the redhead in disbelief.

Then she smirked and shot forward. "I'll go with instant foo—Mmph?!"

Whatever she hoped to accomplish was once again foiled by a pillow pressed to her face.

"No, you won't," Cave responded, clearly amused yet firm enough that the Oracle knew arguing was hopeless. "You'll be having real food today too."

Even with a pillow to the face, Chika didn't quite give up, her muffled voice declaring, "Inshtant noodlesh arr reel fud!"

"Not if you care about being healthy."

With a grunt, Chika grabbed the pillow and pulled it away from Cave's grasp, holding it by her side as she shot the redhead an annoyed look. "Ugh, you're such a helicopter mom! I'll have you know I survived perfectly well on instant food before you came along!"

The soldier blinked at her. "Before I came here, you somehow had managed to collapse multiple times from skipping meals, and at the same time you accumulated at least five extra kilograms from the instant food you did remember to eat."

Fuming, Chika opened her mouth—

"I do believe I already mentioned this before, but I'll have to notify Miss Chiemi if your health worsens once more."

—and promptly shut it at the mention of her overbearing mother.

Rather than whatever rebuttal she had planned, the greenette huffed instead, looking away from the soldier. "You're still a helicopter mom either way…"

"Hm." Although Cave's victorious smile was much smaller and subtler than most people's, it was still there, and it still annoyed the greenette anyway. "If there's nothing else to talk about, I'll go prepare dinner. After we're done eating, perhaps we can discuss what comes next."

Without minding Chika's pout, the redhead calmly gathered the covers from the floor, wore them like some sort of cloak once more, and began heading away to store them.

But, just as she reached the doorway, she glanced back with the tiniest of grins.

"That said, I don't particularly mind if you'd like to call me mommy."

Cave immediately dodged the throw pillow sent her way, letting it hit the wall harmlessly as she disappeared into the corner with a quiet laugh.

Now alone in the living room, lowering the arm she used to throw the pillow, Chika let out a few heavy breaths, trying to calm herself.

So. Annoying.

With a grunt, she moved—and absolutely did not stomp the floor like a child—to grab the pillow on the floor and place it back on its spot on the couch.

Chika hated it when Cave led her on like that. She also hated herself for actually looking forward to the real thing.

Worst of all, the Oracle was just now taking notice of the fact that her underwear felt particularly wet, in spite of the lack of foreplay on her end. All she could do was let out an annoyed grunt.

With nothing else to do, she headed straight to the bathroom, perhaps a tad faster than she intended to.

Any despair that might've been in her mind before was entirely forgotten.

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[G.C. 2007, 20:30 PM: Leanbox's Basilicom]

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Clothed in a black bathrobe, Chika stepped out of the bathroom with a blissful sigh.

Taking a bath was a simple pleasure, but it was one Chika learned to relish in over the last six months, if only because it was something that nobody had found a way to ruin for her just yet. It helped her relax, cleared her mind, and let her remember how good things were when the whole continent hadn't gone to hell just yet.

Maybe the bath would've been more positively distracting if Cave had joined her that time, but that always made baths last much longer for rather obvious reasons, and they didn't have the time today. At least not with Cave's insistence on making dinner herself.

As she walked to the kitchen, Chika could feel that Cave had adjusted the heat at some point, making the temperature much less likely to encase the Oracle in a block of ice. At the same time, she could already smell the food, the nice scent serving as the most recent reminder of how much better than her the redhead was at cooking anything that required more than five steps.

Maybe that said more about the greenette's own failings than the soldier's accomplishments, but still.

"Did you enjoy your bath?" asked Cave when Chika walked into the kitchen. She was over the oven placing the food on a plate—the greenette's own, if the full plate already by the counter next to the redhead seat was any indication. From the looks of the two filled cups beside it, today's drink would be some sort of reddish juice, and most certainly not the copious amounts of beer Chika was sure she'd need after she escaped that hellish meeting.

Alright. That wasn't an odd sight at all.

Appropriate for cooking, the soldier had chosen to wear a white apron.

Okay, that was nice.

Aside from that, she wore nothing else.

And since Cave's back was turned to Chika, she got a full view of her bare peachy ass.

"U-Uh…" was the most coherent sentence the Oracle could muster.

"Hm?" Cave turned away from the plates to gaze at Chika, though her quizzical expression quickly morphed into a knowing smile and a very pleased gaze. "Oh, you're wondering about this?" Chika didn't answer, but she did feel her heart jump up somewhere in her throat when Cave tugged at the strings. "I suppose you could say I was feeling excitable today, so I opted for something different."

As she said that, she grabbed the plates off of the counter and turned to face Chika, who definitely did not feel upset about the redhead's ass being moved from view. "Why don't you have a seat?"

"R-Right..." she muttered out, hastily moving to the table where the utensils were already set and taking a seat. The table was polished so exquisitely that Chika could see her reflection almost perfectly.

Said reflection gave her the perfect example of a needy animal waiting for a treat.

She quickly fixed her expression.

If Cave noticed, which she most likely did, she didn't comment on it. Instead, the soldier calmly placed her own meal and drink opposite to Chika. After that, taking hold of the Oracle's plate and juice, she walked to the greenette's side of the table and leaned over quite a bit more than necessary to put them down, giving Chika a very clear view down her cleavage that almost had her drooling.

For the record, the Oracle wasn't all that stupid. It was always blindingly obvious whenever Cave tried to seduce her and make her forget all her troubles, as was the norm whenever Cave was in a certain mood or when Chika had a particularly bad day.

Annoyingly, being aware of it didn't make it any less effective, especially not when the soldier decided to surprise her and go way beyond the norm like tonight.

Cave—who very damn well knew exactly what she was doing—smiled at Chika knowingly, standing back up but not breaking eye contact. "Eat up, you simple woman. Save whatever you want for after dinner."

Chika grumbled, but said nothing in response. The redhead was almost treating her like some sort of pet, offering a treat if the greenette was a good girl and finished all her food.

Was she going to fall for this blatant manipulation?

Cave turned around to move to her seat, giving Chika yet another clear view of the soldier's completely uncovered back and ass as she deliberately walked far slower than she had to. Cave reached her chair far sooner than the Oracle would have preferred, pulling it and sitting down before shooting the greenette a small and flirty smirk.

Yes, Chika was absolutely going to fall for it.

Grumbling under her breath, the Oracle started eating at the same time as the soldier.

Whenever they had the time to eat together like this, the two didn't really talk much—not just because of Cave's own ineptitude at social interactions, but also since nearly any conversation could easily veer towards the very same daily problems Chika wanted to forget, what with them composing 98% of both their lives nowadays. Instead, they were more comfortable staying in their own minds, thinking to themselves and occasionally glancing at each other.

It would be awkward, if the other person in the room besides Chika wasn't Cave.

Chika glanced at the woman in question, only to immediately look down before she caught herself ogling her cleavage for too long. The soldier had made it a habit to keep Chika from overthinking things whenever they were both home, and whether they ate Cave's own cooking or simple bought food, the woman would find increasingly creative ways to pester the greenette into finishing her meals—and most certainly not retreating into her room halfway through to do paperwork in advance, as she once attempted.

Honestly, Cave was like a wife sometimes with how much she took care of Chika. Despite how she acted about it at points though, the Oracle relied on her friend's care far more than she was willing to admit aloud.

Especially considering that ASIC's ever rising influence over Gamindustri and their laser sharp focus on Leanbox made Chika's life nothing short of hellish.

Every day brought its own new challenges, some far worse than others, and the greenette was left under the scrutiny of many, forced to live up to the reputation of an imaginary version of her grandfather. If it wasn't for her pride and not wanting to worry her family, she'd have contacted them for help long ago.

Her grandfather, the one person who could actively help with this kind of work, was far too nice of a person to say no if Chika were to ask, but he would also be quickly reminded of why he quit in the first place. He was simply not fit for this sort of mess anymore, especially when the much younger Chika could barely make do as is.

Everyone else, in the meantime, would only be able to worry. There was just nothing to gain from such a situation.

As such, her daily life was entirely made of stress. Looking for any sort of relief, Chika had recently entered a sexual relationship with Cave to help ease her burdens.

… At least that's the excuse Chika wished she had for this mess.

In truth, they were fooling around as early as high school, being hormonal teenagers sharing a dorm room. Cave, who had zero filters, was curious one day, and things sort of just went from there.

Except that, even if Cave had been the one asking, Chika herself never outright refused her. Because the greenette was an idiot back then, of course.

She still is now, but she used to be one, too.

Even so, it hadn't been until the Arfoire Syndicate had appeared that their relationship progressed into the way it was now. Cave had all but insisted on moving in with her for the time being, because it was becoming increasingly obvious that Chika really needed someone to stop her from accidentally attempting to starve herself to death every other day, and while the sexual part wasn't really planned, it wasn't that surprising that things devolved into this considering their history.

It had already been three months since Cave decided to take matters into her own hands, and six since this mess began in the first place. ASIC was growing larger by the day and the light at the end of the tunnel didn't seem to be getting any closer. This chaos could last a year, or three years, or ten, or maybe they'd just lose soon and—

"Finished already?"

Chika hadn't even noticed that Cave had moved behind her until she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. Likewise, when she looked down she realized she already drank all her juice, her plate was empty, and she was idly scraping her fork against food-stained porcelain.

The greenette sighed, placing the utensil down. "I guess I am."

Rather than taking the plate and the cup immediately, Cave opted to bend down until her head was level with Chika's. Before the greenette could wonder what she was doing, she suddenly jolted and her back straightened when she felt the redhead lightly kiss her shoulder. In addition to this, her left palm had made its way to her breast, gently kneading and massaging the soft, clothed flesh.

Just as soon as it began, Cave stood back up and grabbed both the empty cup and the plate with fork and knife in it, gracefully moving towards the sink where her own tableware was already placed.

While she did so, she glanced back at Chika, wearing a grin that was way too smarmy for its own good. "Consider that a little reward for being good so far."

Chika's mouth was agape, unable to whip up a proper retort as Cave turned back and began washing the dishes. The best she could do was let out an unintelligible growl.

Following that, she tried not to stare at the redhead's bare ass.

She failed.

With a grunt, the Oracle settled for glaring at the annoying woman's peachy behind. On one hand, Chika certainly liked the sight, but Cave having this much control over her was absolutely infuriating.

It was obvious that the redhead was having too much fun teasing her. Chika had never seen Cave get this carried away before, and her behavior was starting to irritate the Oracle. If only she could have some kind of payback...

A thought suddenly hit the Oracle, and a smirk slowly made its way to her face.

"You were distracted for quite some time," Cave mused out loud, not even glancing back at the Oracle as she began to wash the dishes.

"I was just thinking about some things," Chika responded candidly as she rose from her seat. Cave had not noticed her movements.

Cave hummed in reply, and the greenette didn't need to see the other woman's face to imagine her raising an eyebrow. "Do tell."

"It's not really that important." Slowly, Chika undid her robe and set it onto the chair. A warm, electric rush shot up her back and her cheeks burned red, but she kept going regardless. The greenette took extra care in making sure to make as little noise as possible, as even though Cave wasn't using Mana to heighten her senses to unfair heights, she was still Cave.

"It had to have been to cause you to space out like that," Cave replied while cleaning their glass cups, still unaware of Chika's movements. "Or were you simply ogling me for the umptenth time?"

Even without seeing her face, Chika didn't have to guess to know that the soldier was smirking as she spoke.

"As if you didn't want me to," the now nude Oracle scoffed, closing in with every step. "But I'll have you know I'm more focused on something else I just thought about."

"And what would that be—"

Right as she was rinsing a fork, Chika embraced the redhead from behind, pressing her own nude body against her back. Cave couldn't help but let out a yelp of surprise as both the greenette's hands found their way under the apron, her left kneading the soldier's breast as her right caressed her upper thigh.

"Chi—ka?!" Cave stuttered out a confused moan as Chika's hands moved freely. "What are you…"

"I'm thinking," the Oracle breathed out right next to Cave's ear, the redhead's back suddenly straightening at the sensation, "that you've been teasing me a bit too much today." Saying that, Chika kissed the redhead's shoulder, bringing out another sweet moan.

"W-Wait, I'm… busy!" the soldier pleaded in a breathy voice, hastily placing down the fork and turning off the water tap just as Chika's tongue ran up her nape. "I said… after dinner…!"

Despite her protests, Cave didn't fight back at all. Instead, the redhead did the very opposite, completely forgoing washing dishes to place both hands against the counter. Leaning forward, Cave pushed her ass against Chika's naked crotch as the greenette followed her descent, breasts still tightly pressed against the soldier's back.

"We're already done with dinner." The Oracle smirked, her left hand moving to play with the redhead's hardening nipple. "I feel like having my dessert now. Isn't it the same with you?"

Before the redhead could respond, Chika's right hand rose from its spot on Cave's thigh to delicately caress her already lubricated sex, fingers carefully moving across the soldier's dripping lower lips as whatever she was about to say was turned into a wordless breath.

"Seriously, you're already like this? Even though I was just staring at you?" the Oracle asked teasingly, lightly pinching the redhead's nipple in a way that had a quiet mewl escape her lips. "Oh, I get it, so you actually wanted to do this?" Chika grinned at the realization. "You were acting all defenseless, showing off this lewd body of yours just to tempt me to attack, weren't you?"

"I… wasn't really…" Cave stopped to moan as Chika's fingers, drenched in the redhead's own juices, just barely grazed her hardened clitoris. "Wasn't… planning this… exact scenario…"

"Wait, so I actually managed to surprise you for once?" the Oracle sounded genuinely stunned at the revelation. "Huh… Guess I should've done this way earlier."

"H-Haah…~" was Cave's only response as the greenette continued to rub her wet spot.

"Well then, even if I did manage to surprise you, you would've thrown me off by now if you hated it." As if to prove her point, Chika nibbled on the soldier's ear, causing another moan to slip out of her lips. "If you're not gonna stop me, that means I can do whatever I want, right?"

The Oracle's hands moved out from under the apron, making Cave let out a confused groan from the sudden lack of stimulation in her crotch.

"What are you…" the soldier began, only to stop with a shiver when Chika moved away and started peppering her back with small kisses as she descended.

"I think you know what I'm aiming for, yeah?" Now on her knees, Chika was facing Cave's ass. She laid her hands upon it and gave both cheeks a firm squeeze, making the redhead mewl. "You were being pretty shameless with the way you showed it off, you know…"

Chika gave it another squeeze, her fingers practically sinking into the flesh. Even after so many months of groping it, the greenette was still amazed at how soft Cave's ass was.

Unable to hold herself back anymore, Chika began kissing the soldier's asscheeks, eliciting a surprised gasp from the soldier.

"Weren't you rather comfortable making me stare at it so much?" the Oracle cooed, using her tongue to lick the soft cheeks with deliberate slowness. "So it's only fair that I get to play with it, yeah?"

"You…" Cave gasped and moaned as Chika's tongue slathered her behind. It was rare for the soldier to be in that kind of position—not just physically—and the Oracle would be a rotten liar if she said she wasn't enjoying it.

While she was busy with her ass, Chika's hand moved up to rub the redhead's drenched pussy, eliciting a sudden gasp from the soldier, the stimulation enough to have her lower body quivering.

"Geez, you're just begging for it, aren't you?" the Oracle taunted with a grin. "And here I thought I was the useless one…" Saying that, she slipped two fingers into Cave's sex, continuing to have fun with it.

Even so, the gasp that left the soldier's lips wasn't particularly loud. In fact, Cave wasn't very noisy during sex in general; her sounds were simply naturally subdued, and not exactly by choice.

When they were teenagers, Chika sometimes wondered if Cave was enjoying herself at all. Of course, as time went on, Chika figured things out—the small shivers that ran through the redhead's body weren't that easy to notice at first, but after the first time the greenette did, it was very difficult to ignore them.

And considering how often they were happening at that moment...

"Already, huh?" Chika was grinning from ear to ear as Cave shook. She didn't let out a loud yell, instead quietly spasming as if electricity was coursing through her body. Right on time, the greenette felt the redhead's juices squirt against her hand before dribbling down her legs, and her grin widened. "Look at the mess you made…"

As Chika rose to her feet with a smirk, Cave made no move to turn or push herself away from the counter, too busy gasping for breath.

Eyeing the spent redhead, Chika went ahead and licked her fingers clean of Cave's love juices. "For someone who loves dishing it out, you're quite sensitive when taking it, aren't you?"

Cave still didn't answer, but that didn't deter the Oracle in the slightest. In one swift movement, she turned the soldier around and pushed her against the counter. Her cheeks were covered in a deep blush, and her emerald eyes were still unfocused.

"I'm not done yet, though." Chika went on, grin widening. "In fact, I'm just getting started. How about you take off that apron and sit on the counter for me?"

Cave made no attempt to move. Her gaze was fixed solely on the floor.

"Hey, did you not hear me? I said—"

Before Chika had any time to react, the soldier moved, lightly shoving the greenette towards the metal table and forcing her to use both hands to steady herself as her ass came in contact with it. "W-Wha—?!"

"How curious..." the soldier muttered as she pushed herself off the counter and closer to the greenette, trapping her against the table. Her emerald eyes were finally focused, set and brimming to the tip with a sense of indignation. "You seem quite certain that you're in control."

All of Chika's smugness and confidence vanished in a single instant, replaced by nervousness, anxiety, and maybe a tiny bit of excitement, but she'd never admit that much.

"Hm…" Calmly moving closer to the Oracle, close enough that their chests were touching, the soldier's hand went forward to cup the greenette's cheek as she shot her a dangerous smile. "To think you'd be so impatient when I clearly told you to wait..."

It was like Cave was lecturing an unruly pet for acting out.

And Chika definitely hated it.

Nevermind how positively her own womanhood reacted to it.

As if sensing her state, Cave's hand moved downwards, She massaged and kneaded the Oracle's breasts, eliciting a moan from the greenette. "Now then, you're not going to act so unruly again, are you?" Her hands moved even lower, massaging her stomach. "Surely you wouldn't think to disrupt me as I have my dessert now?"

Chika could only stare in trepidation as Cave gazed upon her naked body with hungry eyes, like a predator looking over its prey, and licked her lips.

It was right about then that Chika realized that she was in trouble.

She wasn't going to think about how much that turned her on.

Without hesitation, Cave moved down and began kissing Chika's throat, causing the Oracle to let out a guttural moan. "And you believe you're not simple…" she mused as her kisses went to the greenette's collarbone.

"T-That's because… you… A-Ah…~" Any attempts to retort died a swift death once Cave's lips reached her breasts.

"Because I what?" asked Cave, staring right at the greenette in-between kisses. "I believe you were trying to say something earlier, would you care to repeat it?"

"Y-You….Mmm… ~" Chika couldn't find the focus to form actual words as Cave's tongue drew circles around her breasts.

"It must have been nothing important, then," the soldier muttered, before her tongue found Chika's nipple. The Oracle let out a high-pitched moan as Cave teased her, fiddling with her pink nub until it became stiff and then sucking on it, just as she brought a hand up to massage its lonely sibling.

Going by Chika's moans and gasps, it was certainly effective.

Figuring that she already had her fill on that spot, Cave's kisses began to move downward. When she reached her stomach, she prodded her tongue inside her belly button, causing the greenette to jolt. Grabbing the greenette's thighs, the soldier pushed them upwards, prompting the woman to sit on the metal table she was leaning on.

In that position, the redhead found no difficulties in spreading Chika's legs, being greeted by the sight of the Oracle's bare pussy, very much wet and begging for attention.

Cave licked her lips again, feeling Chika's expectant gaze on her. It wasn't hard to figure out exactly what she wanted.

So of course Cave instead planted her lips right next to Chika's womanhood, eliciting something between a growl and a moan.

"W-Why, you..." Chika shot the redhead an indignant glare mixed with lust.

"Hm? What is it?" came Cave's innocent response as she began planting more kisses just barely away from Chika's pussy. "I won't understand unless you speak up. That is the very basis of communication, after all."

The way the flushed Oracle grit her teeth was nothing short of comical for the redhead. "Just... shut up... and eat me out..."

"That easy? You've lasted longer than this before," Cave noted, an amused twinkle in her eyes. "Perhaps you're simply repressed today?"

"Y-You know… whose fault that is…" Chika breathed out.

"Hm…" Cave looked down at her crotch. "In that case..."

The redhead didn't hesitate to lean down to give the greenette's womanhood a long, slow lick upwards, listening intently to Chika's erotic moans as she threw her head back. She didn't fail to notice her moaning becoming louder the moment her tongue flicked her clitoris. The greenette was expecting to be completely ravished.

With that in mind, Cave backed away.

"Well, then. This should be enough," the soldier declared as she rose to her feet, licking her lips and stretching lightly as she did so.

"... Huh?" As she did so, Chika could only stare with unfocused eyes as her breathing slowed to a normal pace. "Wait, but... You said you would..."

"I didn't actually say a thing," the redhead replied easily. "In fact, what I did say was that I was still busy. And now that you've dirtied the floor and table, I'm even busier."

"Eh… What… Hey!" Her mind finally seemed to catch up to the situation, focus returning to her eyes as she got off the table. "Seriously?! Twice in a row?! Do you want to kill me?!"

Cave glanced back at Chika, a very annoying smile painted across her face. "Consider that to be your punishment for being disobedient. Now, if you would be so kind as to go to your room while I clean this up."

"I-I… but… you…"

"Hm?" Cave tilted her head, her smile was still plastered on her lips. "Is there something you want to say? If not, then go to your room as I asked."

Chika didn't say a word. What she did do, however, was pout at the soldier like a scolded child.

And Cave absolutely loved it.

"Kh…" Chika grunted, turning away from the soldier. "Whatever," She added, before she practically stomped out of the kitchen and grabbed her discarded robe with an angry swipe.

Somehow, Cave felt like Chika was mad at her.

The sudden slamming of the bedroom's door only furthered that thought.

Despite that, her smile had dissipated into only a small smirk as she shook her head. She was definitely going to deal with that later but, right now, she had a mess to clean up.

---

[G.C. 2007, 21:00 PM: Chika's Bedroom]

---

As Cave entered the dark bedroom—completely naked, having left the apron behind—she had something of an idea of what to expect.

With the lights turned off, the only source of glow in the room was from the electric fireplace that let out a quiet thrumm, its weak orange glow illuminating the queen size bed nearby. It also made it rather easy to notice the blanket-covered lump on the farther side of the bed, the only clue to its identity the bright green hair that fell on the sheets.

Chika Hakozaki, the Oracle of Leanbox, was huddled under blankets and purposefully turned away from the doorway. Cave was quite certain she was still pouting, as well.

"Go away," the mass of blankets grumbled.

Definitely still pouting, then.

Once again, Cave couldn't help but break out into a smirk. "Pardon my assumption, but I was under the impression you wished for me to eat you out. Is that not still applicable?"

The soldier easily caught the pillow that was thrown at her.

"Hm, what's this now?" Cave asked with an amused smile.

"Nothing."

"'Nothing' had quite a bit of force to it." Still smiling, Cave raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't happen to be mad at me, would you?"

"Just shut up and go to sleep already," the Oracle growled, not bothering to look back at her. "I'm not in the mood anymore."

"That wouldn't do you any good, would it?" Cave argued, calmly strolling across the room. "If you went to bed now, you'd simply be too distracted tomorrow to focus on any work."

That brought a huff out of the greenette. "And whose fault is that, again?"

Cave didn't answer as she placed the pillow back on its place, raising the covers with her free hand and sliding onto the bed. From the greenette's bare back, she was most certainly planning on sleeping naked, as was usual since the soldier had moved in.

"Do you truly want me to leave?" the soldier asked, almost innocently, as she propped herself up with her forearm as she laid on her side. As Chika glanced back, the redhead had the confirmation that she still had not ceased pouting.

Adorable, truly.

"Go away," Chika shot back.

"Are you certain?" Cave faked a hurt tone. "But I feel as if you'd miss me so dreadfully."

The Oracle scoffed. "As if."

"You say that, yet I'm still here." The soldier leaned down and gave Chika's cheek a kiss. "And surely you'd kick me out yourself if you truly wanted me gone, no?" She continued, planting kisses on the back of the greenette's neck.

"J-Just…" Chika began to say, before letting out a gasp when Cave's kisses reached her shoulder. "You're so… annoying…"

"Hm," the redhead simply hummed, ceasing her kissing. Her hand reached for the Oracle's side, just above her hip. "Should I ask what you were doing to occupy yourself these last few minutes?"

"That's... none of your business..." Chika said between breaths.

"Is it not?" The soldier's hand slithered downwards to her thigh, noticing the way Chika's body shivered under her touch. "I seem to recall you saying you weren't in the mood, yet you seem a tad too sensitive." The redhead was practically grinning, realization dawning. "Were you even able to finish before I walked in?"

"... Shut up."

Cave let out a quiet laugh. "I suppose that makes it three times now? It certainly hasn't been a good night for you."

"What, are you gonna make it four?" Chika turned to the soldier, shifting her body slightly, just enough to shoot a frustrated glare.

"Now that would simply be cruel." Cave smirked. "I didn't come in here with the goal of stoking your anger."

"Could have fooled me…"

Smiling, Cave moved her hand still on the other woman's side, rubbing gently. "What if I were to make it up to you?"

The Oracle's expression shifted into a certain kind of hunger so fast that Cave could have laughed if she wasn't aware it'd finally earn her a punch from the greenette. Just a moment later it was gone, and back was the previous glare. "How do I know you're not leading me on again, you sadist?"

"That's a very good question." The soldier gave a lopsided smile, just the way she knew the greenette hated. "How, indeed?"

Chika's narrowing eyes were the only warning Cave had.

In an instant, the Oracle flipped over, tossing the covers aside. As she pushed Cave to her back, the redhead didn't have time to react before she was staring in surprise at the angry woman straddling her.

In that position, Cave could easily feel Chika's drenched sex, her juices dripping on the redhead's own crotch. But if the Oracle cared, she certainly didn't show it.

"Don't mess with me, damn it," Chika grunted, her eyes narrowing at the redhead. "You're so freaking annoying."

Cave couldn't help but smirk, feeling a rush of excitement at the other woman's hungry eyes. "Starting off a bit strong, aren't we?"

"Would you kindly shut up?"

"That'd be up to yo—Mmph~" Cave couldn't even finish as Chika descended to capture her lips, her hands moving to cup the soldier's cheeks as she allowed gravity to press their bodies together.

It didn't take more than half a second and a tongue entering her mouth for Cave to react properly, moaning into the kiss as her tongue rose to meet the greenette's. She embraced the other woman, pulling her even closer, and was easily reminded of how unfairly smooth Chika's skin was.

As their tongues clashed, Cave relished the feeling of their bodies coming together. The redhead could feel every detail of the greenette's toned stomach as it pressed against her own, and as their breasts squeezed against each other, the Oracle's stiffened nipples made contact with the soldier's often for them to harden from the sensation alone.

For a few instants, Cave almost felt overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of stimulation from Chika's attack, but that wasn't enough to prevent her from seizing a moment of initiative as she allowed one of her hands to slither down to Chika's buttocks, giving it a good squeeze.

The alluring noise the woman let out into the soldier's mouth, not to mention the way her body tensed for but a few seconds, was proof enough that Cave was doing something right. She permitted it to embolden her, caressing and squeezing the moaning Oracle's soft ass as she saw fit.

When the two finally parted, leaving a slight trail of saliva as they gulped for air, the soldier felt rather light-headed as she assumed Chika was, considering her own flushed face and hastened breathing.

Still, that didn't stop her from looking at the panting woman above her, eyes as full of desire as her own, and smirking insufferably. "Well, now… Are you that desperate…?"

The Oracle just about growled. "All your fault... dammit…"

"Then allow me to help…~"

Without warning, Cave raised her left thigh just enough to touch Chika's drenched sex, drawing out a sudden gasp from the other woman. With a hand still on the Oracle's soft backside, she gently guided the greenette to grind against it, up and down and then up again, until Chika herself was following through the motions.

As the Oracle grinded against her thigh, Cave committed her reddened, moaning face to memory. While she would have loved to bring the greenette's lips to hers once more, the woman in question seemed to have a different idea, instead wrapping her arms around the soldier's neck and bringing her head down next to hers instead, chin resting on the redhead's shoulder as she hid her enticing expressions.

Any disappointment the soldier might have felt at Chika's sudden bout of shame was immediately put on halt the instant she felt the greenette's uneven breathing against her ear. She could tell the Oracle was struggling not to make a noise now—an impressive display of spite from the woman contently using her own thigh as a toy—but the soft noises that did slip out nevertheless were much easier to notice this close, quiet moans flowing into Cave like loving whispers, and she suddenly couldn't tell whether it was right to be upset by the change.

Wondering that perhaps she should return the favor, the redhead let go of Chika's bottom as she continued to grind rhythmically, slipping the hand in question in-between their bodies instead as her other arm continued to hold the greenette in place around her waist.

Reaching for her own pussy, Cave began to caress it, not even bothering to stop the quiet moan that slipped out against the Oracle's cheek.

Chika gasped at the sudden sound and sensation, stiffening in the redhead's hold as she ceased her movements. "C-Cave...?"

The soldier chuckled, her hot breath tickling the greenette's ear. "Hm… What's wrong?" In-between her own moans, she planted kisses on the Oracle's neck. "Keep at it… You want it, don't you…?"

Capitalizing on her advantage, Cave followed on her words by pressing her thigh—by this point coated in Chika's love juices—against the woman's sex, bringing out yet another delicious moan from the greenette's lips. Despite the wave of pleasure, the Oracle still huffed as though offended, muttering a string of curses under her breath.

Even so, she hesitantly began to move again anyway, putting aside any elaborate complaints as she focused on bringing her hips back to their previous rhythm. This time, however, the greenette seemed to have given up on masking her sounds, and so Cave had the privilege of listening to increasingly hurried moans by her ear as she slipped a single finger inside herself, letting out her own sounds for the Oracle to listen.

If the greenette's hastened pace was anything to go by, they were having the desired effect.

"C-Cave… Cave…"

"Hm… Haah..."

As Chika's grinding grew faster by the second, it didn't take much thought to realize which of them was going to come first. Even as Cave inserted a second finger inside her sex, gasping softly agaisnt the greenette's cheek, the other woman's hips were moving fast enough that any efforts to attempt to match her would be useless.

Coming to a decision, the redhead pulled her hand away from her sex, ignoring how annoyingly needy it suddenly felt, and placed it once again on the Oracle's ass. With a hunch on how close the greenette was, she moved her hand to asscheek's very bottom, where she was sure Chika's pussy could almost feel it, and squeezed it.

That seemed to be enough.

In a sudden jerking motion, the Oracle gasped loudly and grinded down from the top of the soldier's thigh to the very bottom, their bodies just about slapping together.

And then Chika bit her shoulder.

Hard.

Cave gasped in pain as the Oracle let out a loud, muffled moan against it, her body spasming lightly as she orgasmed in a far flashier manner than the soldier herself tended to.

Trying to ignore the pain, the redhead lowered her thigh and brought up the arm that was around the greenette's waist to place a hand behind Chika's head instead, running it through her hair as she twitched for the next few seconds.

On a slightly more selfish note, Cave still kept her other hand on the Oracle's smooth behind, caressing it as her lower body shuddered, because surely she was owed at least that much for this.

Over the next few moments, the greenette slowly came down from it, her bite losing its strength over time until the soldier could only feel her own skin's complaints.

By that point, Chika slowly untangled her arms from behind Cave's head and allowed her mouth to let go of her shoulder. Taking that as a cue, the redhead's hand pulled away from the greenette's hair, her arm once again moving to wrap around the Chika's waist as the woman in question pressed an elbow against the bed to prop herself higher, observing her handiwork with wide eyes.

Considering how her shoulder felt, Cave was quite sure there were clear teeth marks on it. If for whatever reason she didn't have that certainty, then the nervous expression on Chika's face as she glanced at her would have sealed the deal.

And wasn't it amusing, to have the Oracle of Leanbox looking at her, not unlike a child who knew they did something wrong?

So of course the soldier decided to smirk at the woman.

"Huh…" Cave breathed out, tilting her head slightly. "In the moment, I had certainly forgotten about that habit of yours. What does that make this, the first bite in two months?"

What would have been the beginnings of an apologetic expression on Chika's face slipped away so easily one could doubt it was ever there. "I should have bit you harder."

"Enough to draw blood?" The soldier's lips twisted further upwards. "I've been wondering, do you have an interesting ancestry you've neglected to mention? Perhaps a grandmother from the Netherworlds?"

"Maybe I'll tell you if you explain how you're so annoying," the Oracle threw back at her, narrowing her eyes.

Cave couldn't help but grin at that. "First you leave a mark on my shoulder, and then you throw such words at me? Don't you think I deserve any… compensation?"

It was certainly a delight for the redhead to see how hard Chika focused on her, looking for any signs of deceit on her face.

As the silence stretched on and the pain on her shoulder faded slightly, Cave could finally pay attention to other sensations. After their little exercise, their skins were lightly coated in sweat, and the way Chika's smooth body glistened from the fireplace's light as she continued to observe Cave was almost unbearably enticing.

As if that wasn't enough, the slippery sensation of Chika's smooth body against her own was certainly an upgrade. In fact, even the greenette's ass was that much smoother than usual—and it wasn't lost on Cave that she was still caressing it freely, not drawing a single complaint from the observing Oracle.

Finally, after several seconds, Chika sighed.

Then she smirked.

Cave actually blinked in confusion. "Hm?"

Before she could ask the reason for such a sudden shift, Chika descended and planted a chaste kiss on the redhead's lips, pulling back immediately afterwards. "Well, is this enough compensation for you?"

"... Hm?" Cave blinked once again, looking up at the other woman. "What exactly was that supposed to be?"

"It's called haggling," came the greenette's self-assured response. "You wanted compensation, right? Is it enough?" As an afterthought, she then added, "Of course, that's considering how I'm letting your hand have fun down there."

Startled, the redhead actually stopped the hand which was caressing Chika's behind.

"Oh, no, you don't." At that, the Oracle actually looked even more amused. "Even if you stop now, I've already granted you that much. As of now, I've already given you a light kiss and the right to put your hand all over my pretty little behind. How much more until I've paid my due? Not much, I presume."

Hm? So that was it, then? Chika was trying to play the soldier at a time like this?

Cave found herself scowling. "That doesn't follow. Not only did you bite me, but you're also the only one who orgasmed. Shouldn't you owe me quite a bit more than that?"

"Well, that would be the case," the Oracle began, smiling, "if it weren't for all that happened outside this room, of course."

"... Eh?"

"Let's see…" Chika put on a show of being deep in thought, bringing a finger to her chin as she continued to prop herself up with her elbows. "You've already left me on the verge of orgasming twice, what just happened could easily be categorized as you playing with me instead of the opposite due to your little thigh stunt, and while a case could be made that I should give you reparations for attacking you after dinner, there is still the fact you spent most of it taunting me to begin with, which I believe gives me some breathing room regarding how much I'd owe you. I did bite you, but if we consider all the facts, then…" she trailed off.

As her mind spun to figure out what was happening, Cave narrowed her eyes cautiously. "Then…?"

The Oracle's thoughtful expression melted away, replaced by a sultry smile that affected the soldier more than she'd care to admit. "Then the truth would be that I shouldn't have given you any compensation at all, because you're the one who actually owes me something," she reasoned with a purr, lowering her head right next to Cave's. "And for my compensation, I want quite a lot of you right now." Saying that, she blew lightly into the redhead's ear.

Cave had to actively stop a gasp at the surprise attack, feeling her unsatisfied pussy twitch as if to remind the soldier of her current disadvantage.

She might have miscalculated.

"With that in mind…" Chika untangled herself from Cave's hold and propped herself up to her knees, reached for the side of the bed to pull up the discarded blanket. "I just have to make sure you don't pull any of your tricks, don't I?"

Cave blinked. "What?"

Without explaining any further, the greenette twisted the blanket until it was more like a rope and grabbed one of the confused soldier's arms, wrapping the blanket around her wrist. When she was met with no resistance, Chika took hold of Cave's other arm and did the same, wrapping her wrists together.

By that point, some sort of recognition had already crossed the redhead's eyes. "Wait, are you…"

"Don't you even," Chika hushed her with a grin, tying the blanket—and by extension the redhead's wrists—to the bed frame. "You think I'm gonna let you wriggle out of this?"

The Oracle sounded like she was having far too much fun, and Cave wasn't quite sure what to think of it. Regardless, she was in no position to try and fight back—she could tear the blanket to free her wrists, but she also could sleep on the floor because the greenette wouldn't even grant her the couch if she went that far.

Now, of course, she could also simply request Chika to stop—and the Oracle would, obviously—but Cave was a curious person, and despite the alarms sounding in her head, she quite unfortunately did wonder what the other woman had in mind.

That, and the soldier did hold some reservations about being a mood killer.

"Now, then..." When the greenette finished tying the red head's arms to the bedpost, she sat over her lap with a grin. "I think I'm gonna take my time enjoying my second dessert, what do you say?"

For once, Cave wasn't in a good position to bite back with some witty retort or sarcastic remark. Rather, she instead let out a quick breath when she felt Chika's soft hand slowly rub her stomach.

"Who's the sensitive one, again?" the greenette remarked with a snide grin. Before Cave could reply, Chika suddenly laid herself down by the redhead's side, and any questions she had were quickly forgotten when she felt the Oracle kiss her neck. "A-Ah…~"

Chika said nothing, wasting no time as she unleashed a flurry of kisses and licks on the soldier's neck. As she continued her work, the only sounds escaping the greenette's lips in-between Cave's quiet gasps were the occasional chuckles at the redhead's reactions.

But that was clearly not enough for the Oracle. As though to show Cave just how much she was enjoying this, Chika didn't hesitate to stop for a moment and lift herself up, moving to straddle the redhead once more with a vicious, lust-ridden smirk.

Matching her gaze, completely flushed and trying to recover her breath, Cave quickly decided to never admit just how much that look alone turned her on.

Not that she had to, as when the greenette descended to plant soft kisses down her collarbone, hands freely exploring the soldier's sides as she did so, the moans that escaped her lips were more than enough evidence of how she felt about the situation.

Cave felt the Oracle's body shift when her kisses went lower. She'd have to be a fool not to know what Chika was planning to do, but that didn't stop the redhead from sucking in a sharp breath when the greenette gently cupped one of her breasts and planted a kiss right on her nipple.

The grin that Chika sent her way was nothing short of infuriating as she brought up a hand to fondle the soldier's other breast and resumed her attack, smooching and licking as she willed. Amidst the redhead's quiet moans, the Oracle shifted her focus away from the stiffening nipple to place her lips all around the breast, leaving a trail of kisses around its outer side and running her tongue all over its underside as though it was nothing short of delicious.

Licking her lips, the greenette focused back to Cave's stiff nipple. As her lips engulfed the one before her eyes, she allowed her hand to start playing with the other, feeling the soldier's entire body tense at the action. With a chuckle, she looked up to meet the gasping redhead's eyes full of barely contained desire.

With a shameless smirk and no hesitation at all, Chika began flicking the nipple with her tongue.

"A-Aah—~!" Cave let out a stuttering, breathy gasp, the sound nothing less than music to the Oracle's ears. "Ghk… Aaah…~"

As the Oracle continued to toy with the pink nubs, occasionally switching which side had her mouth's attention and which had to make do with a hand, she made sure to watch as the soldier's face contorted in pleasure despite her clear efforts to diminish her reactions.

"E-Eager, aren't we…~?" Cave breathed out.

Pulling her mouth away from the soldier's chest—but most certainly not stopping her hand—Chika shot her a glare. "As if it's my fault. Your body's way too lewd for your own good. I just don't get how you can go outside and not get attacked."

Cave managed to force out a chuckle. "I find it amusing… how you can say that… mm, while specifically doing it… hah…~" the redhead just barely managed to finish, moaning softly as the greenette gave her nipple a last lick...

"That's right, the only one attacking you should be me," Chika all but growled, and for once Cave felt the beginnings of a shiver run down her spine—and quite unfortunately straight to her crotch.

She should have commented on how startlingly possessive that came off as, but considering how the greenette followed up by leaning down and delivering a series of passionate kisses down her stomach, she found it rather difficult to form any intelligible sound.

Given the way Chika glanced at her everytime she couldn't quite conceal a loud gasp or moan, Cave assumed the other woman didn't really have any problems with that.

It didn't take long for the Oracle to move on even lower, her soft lips meeting the soldier's groin over and over again, but that suddenly marked the end of the descent—instead of continuing, Chika seemed rather comfortable staying around that area, enjoying the redhead's smooth crotch but never quite going further than that and towards the needy sex right underneath.

Amidst her kisses, Chika gave Cave a smirk, and it didn't take half a second for the soldier to recognize the Oracle's aim. As it dawned on her, the redhead couldn't help but react, her legs closing in around Chika's neck to pull her head straight where it was the most needed.

As far as positioning went, it worked perfectly—Cave let out a sharp gasp as the greenette's lips made contact with her drenched pussy. She looked at Chika expectantly amidst her heavy breaths, urging the woman to follow up on that.

So she wasn't exactly pleased when Chika instead shot her a devilish grin and turned her head to the side, her lips instead meeting one of the thighs that kept her in place as she began to lick it thoroughly.

"Hm~?!" Cave let out what could only be described as an angry moan, glaring at the smirking greenette between her legs.

"Oh~? Did you expect something else~?" Chika's smug tone was just barely bearable as she caressed the redhead's thigh. "I can't possibly imagine what that's like~!"

"I-Is this your aim, then…?" Cave said through gritted teeth. "To k-keep me on the edge like this…?"

"I don't know, is it?" The Oracle asked innocently, her tongue moving up and down the redhead's thigh in a pattern. "I mean, I didn't think about that before, but if you insist…"

The greenette moved her leg back down, opting instead to spread them wide, exposing Cave's pussy to her excited vermillion eyes.

For a moment, Chika admired her handiwork. Cave, exposed, helpless, covered in sweat, and clearly on the edge of an orgasm, her blushing face painted with desire and neediness.

"You're just begging for it, huh?" the Oracle commented after a moment. "I bet you'd really like it if I put my tongue to work, hm?" After saying that, Chika planted a kiss on Cave's pussy, causing the woman to lurch. "Or would you rather I use my fingers?" She then stroked it with her index and middle finger, bringing out a moan from the redhead. "I can't possibly decide for myself. How about you tell me?"

"Gh…" the redhead let out a frustrated grunt, knowing exactly what the Oracle was playing at. "Y-You…"

"Hm? I didn't quite get that." Chika continued to tease Cave's pussy slowly, pausing repeatedly just to see the other woman's reactions. "Try speaking a little louder so I can hear you."

"T-Tongue…" the soldier breathed out. "U-Use your tongue…~"

Chika's smirk was unbearably smug as she licked her lips. "It'd be my pleasure…~"

She didn't wait an extra moment to lean down and start licking Cave's pussy as though it was delicious. The soldier felt it instantly, her back lurching as a sharp moan escaped her lips. "A-Ah~!"

Chika's tongue went to work, licking all around the soldier's drenched sex. She explored every last inch, listening intently to the redhead's moans.

She couldn't resist glancing back up at Cave while her mouth continued to work, wanting to catch all of the soldier's expressions. She certainly wasn't displeased by seeing Cave squirming amidst her moans and gasps, not even her best attempts to hide her reactions enough to keep some bliss from sneaking into her face.

With a smirk, Chika moved to flick the redhead's clitoris with her tongue.

"A-AH~!" Cave's back arched, her hands balling up into fists as she moaned. "Haaah…~ Mmmm…~!"

The Oracle was rewarded with an enticing view of Cave's blushing face. The moans were already intoxicating, but the sight of her lewd expressions was driving Chika up a wall. She knew for a fact that the soldier was very close to release.

As her own sex grew needy once more, the greenette's hand slithered down to her own crotch to please it, making sure not to pause her work. "Mm…~!"

However unlikely it was that they'd cum at the same time, Chika's fingers worked down below as her assault on the soldier continued. The woman had ceased trying to tone down her expressions, granting the Oracle an unfiltered view of her reddened, lust-ridden face, her moans echoing inside the bedroom.

Like all the other rare times she was granted this view, Chika made damn sure to commit it to memory.

Eventually, Cave's thighs shivered against the greenette's face, the woman gasping as her body grew rigid and trembled for a few seconds, Chika still at work all the while. It was only when the redhead let out a breath and relaxed back into the bed that the Oracle came to a stop, moving away to separate her tongue from the drenched sex, a single strand of juice still connecting them for a moment before breaking.

The redhead's eyes were hazy from the experience, and the greenette wouldn't need any experience to see that she was as good as finished. A very rare sight, indeed.

However, as the one who didn't have a tongue tending to her pussy, Chika was still a little unsatisfied.

With that in mind, the greenette crawled back up to Cave's side and captured the woman's lips once more, hand continuing to service her own sex as she did so. Said woman's eyes widened slightly, but they quickly relaxed as she melted into the kiss.

Rather than an all-out attack, the action was slow this time, their tongues pecking and embracing each rather than fighting. With her hand still at work, it didn't take long for Chika to moan into the kiss, her body shivering as she reached her own orgasm.

Their lips parted at that, leaving Chika time to breathe out, "No more… I'm done…"

With a smirk, the soldier easily replied. "Could you at least undo these bonds, before you pass out in my embrace?"

The Oracle glanced up, remembering the bonds in question, and instead scoffed. "What if… I just leave them like that?"

"I'd rather not lose the blood flow in my wrists. I need those for my career, if you don't know."

"Hmph, it's not even that tight," Chika grunted, still reaching up and quickly untying the blanket anyway, before deciding to use it for its intended purpose and placing it over the both of them.

For her part, Cave didn't hesitate to wrap her freed arms around Chika and pull her close. If the greenette had any qualms about that, she certainly didn't voice them, instead choosing to lay her head on the soldier's bosom.

For a moment, they laid there, catching their breaths. Chika could feel the soldier's chest rise and fall, alongside her heartbeat as it slowed to a normal rhythm.

The rhythm of it was cathartic, but she'd never admit that, nor how comfortable and complete she felt whenever they did this.

For a moment, it was like the world was at peace, and the greenette would be perfectly fine with staying like this forever.

"You look quite comfortable for someone who just recently proclaimed to hate me."

… And the moment was ruined.

Chika glared up at the redhead, who had regained her usual smug smile. "Can you not be insufferable for more than five minutes? I can barely put up with you."

Cave chuckled. "Sadly for you, I'll be staying here for a while longer."

While the soldier expected an instant snort and rebuttal, she was instead greeted by an unusual silence.

Well, that was a strange reaction. "Chika?"

"... Right," the woman in question muttered, more to herself than as a response. "Just a while, huh…"

"Hm?"

"Nothing," Chika grunted. "Get lost already."

Changing the subject, then. Well, Cave wasn't going to pry.

She smirked, instead. "While you use me as your pillow?"

This time, the greenette didn't miss a beat. "That's the only thing you're good for, after all."

"Not the food?"

"Fine, two things you're good for."

"What about the copious amounts of sex?"

Chika glanced up at her, scowling. "One more word and you're sleeping on the sofa."

Cave gave a quiet laugh, but said nothing more.

Silence finally embraced the bedroom. The low humming of the electric fireplace provided relief from total quiet, but the Oracle was still left to dwell her own thoughts.

She knew right from the start that what they had wasn't going to last forever. This was a borderline necessity, otherwise she would have lost her mind months ago.

Yet, despite that, there was a part of her that felt dejected over the inevitability. Despite how sure she usually was about her feelings for Lady Vert, her absence left plenty of room for doubts, and that wasn't even mentioning how Chika wasn't dumb enough to not realize that she had developed a crush on Cave.

Surprisingly, it was actually rather easy to grow a crush on the one person in your immediate surroundings who didn't love to spend their time disparaging you. The constant sex probably didn't help either.

Still, it would fade in time when Vert came back, when Gamindustri stopped being a total mess and things could, hopefully, go back to normal. It's just a matter of time until they leave this all behind them and move on.

… In that case, maybe she should just enjoy this for as long as it lasts. There's no harm in that, right?

"Allow me to guess," Cave abruptly spoke up, "you're ogling my nude visage once again?"

"Ugh…"

Right now, though, her temporary lover was very much intent on being the most annoying existence on Gamindustri.

In the next instant, Chika had shoved Cave back on her back and moved to pin her against the bed, hovering over her with an annoyed glare.

"I really want to know," grunted Chika. "Do you act this insufferable around that idol you're always guarding as well, or is it just me?"

"Is that truly difficult to figure out?" Cave rolled her eyes at the silly question, her usual amused smirk still in place. "As her bodyguard, I have a duty to attend to. It would be simply unprofessional of me."

"Unprofessional?" Chika scoffed. "Don't give me that. I'm talking about what you do behind the job."

The soldier raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"... What, you seriously don't spend your time tempting that girl into a stuttering mess?" Chika scoffed. "Whatever you do with me sure doesn't feel improvised."

An amused twinkle sprung to life in Cave's eyes. "Do I hear jealousy, interest, or both?"

It took everything the Oracle had to prevent her eye from twitching. "You didn't answer me."

"I certainly do not, but it seems as though you wish me to?" Cave asked, grinning.

"... And just how the hell did you reach that conclusion?"

"By your decision to speak about her so soon after sex, perhaps," came the amused response from the redhead. "But I'd like to be certain. Are you excited over the prospect of a threesome with Lyrica, or is it simply the idea of sending me to seduce other women? You can be honest with me, all sorts of fetishes exis—"

Her words were unceremoniously halted by a point-blank pillow to the face.

Unfortunately for the Oracle's temper, it didn't quite muffle the sudden laugh that escaped Cave's lips.

"You know what, I changed my mind," Chika began, tossing away the pillow to glare at the soldier's annoying smug face. "I'm not quite done with you yet."

"And what exactly would that mea—Mmph…~"

All things considered, it was honestly a bad idea to continue.

There was still much work to be done tomorrow, and wasting hours of sleep like this wouldn't help much when not even a rare good rest made the days any less exhausting.

Still, the Oracle reached a decision, and she was going to stick to it.

Whatever tiredness she felt the next morning would be a fair price to pay for putting this infuriating woman in her place.

"Still not satisfied, I see... I wonder just how pent up you are…~"

"Just shut up already!"

Well, she was certainly going to try.

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If you made it far enough to see my ending messages, congrats! It tells me you were interested enough to read this all the way to the end, and that makes me happy. Here's a thumbs up! (＾＾)b

On a more serious note, I want to write more stories like this going forward. The type of stories that, while smut-centered, actually have a plot worth a damn, one that keeps you reading because you want to see how it goes, not just because 'These two will bang.'

I want to be the best writer I can possibly be, not just for this archive, but for fanfiction in general. I really am proud of how this turned out, and I have nobody but Iota to thank for making this possible.

Seriously, go read his stories. He's a damn talented writer.

But I've been rambling long enough. I'll see you guys in the next story… whenever that happens. Until then...

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[G.C. 2012, 17:46 PM: Leanbox's Basilicom]

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Within the Leanboxian Oracle's office, illuminated only by the darkening twilight from outside the window, Chika Hakozaki was seated right behind her desk, as usual.

She was also shooting a tired, murderous glare at the stacks of paper before her. That wasn't exactly as usual, per se, but it certainly felt more common than she'd like.

The Oracle wasn't falling behind on her work or anything of the sort. In fact, she was already done with everything, and all she had to do was send these documents on their way.

Perhaps in a better world that'd be reason enough to be in a good mood. Unfortunately, this wasn't such a world, and the greenette felt like throwing a spear through a wall at the moment.

If she had to explain why exactly, then her answer would be that there were many factors at play. An Oracle's job was never slow, even during the current peace that Gamindustri enjoyed, and she had many reasons in general to be in a bad mood at any given time.

Now, if someone were to ask for the biggest contributors to her sour mood, her reply would be a tad more precise.

Being sent overseas to peacefully resolve a labor strike isn't meant to be a particularly stressful task, even with the negotiations involved.

When a couple of protestors decide to threaten to jump off the roof, however, things tend to complicate a bit.

It gets a tad more dicey when you find out that the reason they're even going that far is that their employer is particularly trigger-happy when it comes to threats and blackmail.

And when you're suddenly dragged into a drawn-out skirmish with no communications because the idiot in question would rather hire mercenaries to kill everyone, a freaking Oracle included, just to sweep everything under the rug?

Well, sometimes the universe was rather specific about whose day it wanted to ruin.

But that was fine. Bad days happen. The fact that most of Chika's days felt like that was just something she had to live with.

However, returning home after all that mess just to find out that the laziest Goddess in existence did a total sum of none of her work in the past days didn't exactly help with the frustration.

With a groan, Chika leaned back against her office chair and rubbed her temples. Closing her eyes shut, she felt them hurt behind her eyelids, and as she forced them open again, the greenette somewhat regretted her decision to keep working with the lights off when it grew late.

When the Oracle learned of how much effort her dearest put in doing nothing at all, she made sure to tear her eardrums a new one, followed by taking her computer as punishment—and there was quite the amount of whining at that—but she could do nothing to erase the workload.

It was simply impossible for a single person to do everything on time, and that's exactly how Chika went from having slightly less work than usual to way over average for the day.

Honestly, that woman could be such a pain sometimes…

'At least it's done. For today, anyway...' Chika stretched her arms over her head and straightened her back, wincing at her body's protests after hours spent looking over documents. 'Ugh, I should schedule a massage sometime…'

As she went slack on her seat, the greenette glanced at the clock, grimacing at the sight. The orange glow outside made it quite easy to guess the time, but she was still somewhat miffed that her first real moment of free time since she returned to Leanbox yesterday was this late.

Now, Chika wasn't exactly one to work out what to do during her free time, so it wasn't as if she had any prior plans she had to give up on. While someone like Lyrica might have decided to go shopping or eat sweets as a small way to celebrate her return to Gamindustri, the Oracle herself would be perfectly happy with heading into her room and not leaving until tomorrow, especially since she wasn't exactly in a mood to go to Vert.

However, lost time was lost all the same, and she certainly could have been walking around a mall eating sweets right now were it not for her own CPU having one of her random bouts of incompetence.

Or rather, forget the mall, just sweets would be enough. In fact, anything edible would do.

Truth be told, Chika just felt hungry. And kinda sleepy. But mostly hungry.

The Oracle groaned, cursing her own thoughts. She had almost forgotten her own hunger, and now she suddenly hated herself for not having brought any snacks to her office.

To hell with proper workplace etiquette, she hadn't eaten anything since lunch.

Leaning forward, she began tapping a finger against the desk as she thought. While it'd be perfectly viable to just go home and look for a snack in the drawers, Chika had the sinking feeling she'd have a sudden urge to eat something she specifically didn't buy, so maybe heading to the Basilicom's public food court would be better?

Chika sighed, halting her finger as it became a yawn halfway out of her mouth. She wouldn't be caught dead thinking it, but things were far simpler when Cave was there to get food for the both of them more often than not.

There were also... other benefits...

At the thought, several images were brought to the forefront of her mind.

Herself completely naked, sitting on that couch back home with Cave just a few steps before her, wearing nothing but a half-opened bathrobe just to be a stupid tease.

The redhead not hesitating to let her bathrobe fall, revealing that annoying enticing body of hers that had no business being that luscious.

That annoying woman just calmly strutting up to Chika, far slower than the greenette would like, and then finally straddling her on the couch.

Chika could almost feel Cave's arms wrapping around her neck just as she put her own hands on the soldier's unfairly bountiful ass, caressing and squeezing without an ounce of shame.

Their breasts touched as the redhead came closer, claiming Chika's lips with her own—

And then the Oracle jolted upright on her seat, located within her office and most certainly not in her chambers, where there wasn't even a naked Cave waiting.

Well, not anymore.

'This stupid brain…'

Now she was hungry and worked up. Perfect.

Chika groaned as she sank back into her seat, bringing a hand to her face.

Those kinds of thoughts shouldn't be crossing her mind anymore, or at least the greenette wished they wouldn't be.

That whole thing with Cave already ended ages ago. Even though the soldier left a bit earlier than planned to help Planeptune's CPU Candidate—who, for the record, was ten times easier to put up with than their CPU, and a million times better than their Oracle—that separation still held enough of a sense of finality that they had simply gone their separate ways afterwards, when that stupid deity was slain for the umptenth recorded time and Vert came back for real.

Sure, Chika still saw the woman all the time because, for one, they lived in the same city—and the Oracle had the feeling that Cave would find ways to visit constantly even if that wasn't the case, anyway—but she still moved away, and that was supposed to be the end of it.

Unfortunately, it was one thing to occasionally fuck when they were horny teenagers, but whatever happened during those years was a tiny bit more thorough than casual sex. By all metrics, Chika shouldn't be surprised that Cave joined Vert in haunting her with sexual fantasies at the most troublesome times.

It was still annoying, anyway.

Maybe, just maybe, the greenette would be a little less easily distracted if she actually had a proper outlet, but she didn't really expect that Cave going away back then would also lead to no more action.

No, not because either of them decided that they shouldn't do it anymore. All things considered, if Chika called Cave right now and asked if she wanted to fuck, chances are she'd actually say yes.

But that wasn't the problem.

Thing is, Chika simply couldn't bring herself to just walk up to Cave and proposition her. Not anymore.

Now that she wasn't being belittled so often and people actually listened to her, the greenette had stopped feeling like a teenager surrounded by adults. She finally felt like a proper responsible, respectable, and cowardly adult; her mind told her it wasn't proper to have casual sex with her childhood friend anymore, and she was absolutely going to listen to it like a complete tool.

It was ultimately a stupid reason to not get laid with someone who would be alright with it, but anything related to fear or pride usually entered that category.

… However.

Chika sat slightly straighter, letting her hand fall to her side. She eyed the entrance wearily, blinking slowly.

She was already distracted, wasn't she?

On top of that, nobody would just barge into the Oracle's office without knocking, yes?

Which meant she was in a relatively safe spot to deal with her… distraction.

Slowly, Chika brought a hand down to her crotch, slipping under her panties—

A beeping sound immediately interrupted her.

The Oracle cursed under her breath at the interruption, her hand retreating. Red eyes turned to the small holoprojector embedded by the edge of her desk, its appearance not unlike a sleek, metallic slide binder with its opening turned upwards.

Of course someone would call at this time. They couldn't have done so when she was actually working.

Whoever it is, they'd better have a damn good reason for calling.

With a rather unprofessional grumble, she reached for the device and accepted the call as audio-only.

"Lady Hakozaki," she heard the male operator's voice begin, "you have a pending call from Lady Histoire."

… Histoire? Now? Was that woman's sole task to annoy Chika every other day?

Who was she kidding, that was definitely what Histoire was created for.

"Has she given any reason for this sudden call?" she asked, silently fuming as she ran through the possibilities in her head.

"Um," the operator actually sounded sheepish, "not at all, ma'am."

Well, wasn't that just lovely?

Chika hummed, leaning forward and resting her cheek against a palm. Without any official business to justify tolerating that stupid book, she had half a mind to ignore the call entirely.

Then she remembered just how woefully naggy the woman could get over things like that.

Nope, she wanted none of that.

"Fine, send her through," the Oracle replied in her best neutral tone after a moment, and when the line cut for a moment, she moved to sit upright, then turned on the holographic screen and camera before Histoire had an opportunity to complain.

She did so just on time for the screen to come to life, displaying the Planeptunian Oracle wearing a polite smile.

"Greetings, Miss Hakozaki," Histoire addressed her formally. "It has been a while. I do hope you were able to relax during your return trip to Gamindustri, especially after being tested by such a stressful situation."

Chika returned the fakest smile she could manage. "Why, thank you for your concern, Miss Histoire, but I'm quite sure I'm far past the point of having to be tested," she stressed that word. "And I assume you didn't call just to waste time with pleasantries."

Histoire's smile twitched. "I see you still haven't learned the importance of good manners. Your attitude may yet put your position in jeopardy."

In the past, Chika would have glared and done everything short of growling like an animal. Now, she kept her smile in place, placed her hands under her chin, and leaned forward with a cold gaze.

"Good manners are for the negotiating table, not for talking with someone who has forgotten them herself. This is quite late for an unscheduled call, after all," she said rather reasonably. "But your input is appreciated."

Seeing Histoire's face tighten as she tried to maintain a polite look was nothing short of comical. "This is exactly the attitude I'm speaking about. I understand that you're still young—"

"If you only called to flaunt your advanced age," Chika interrupted her with a glare, "I believe you've distracted me enough for today."

"... No, that's not why I contacted you." Histoire sighed, giving up whatever retort she had in mind. Quitter. "This is an urgent matter, regarding an agent of yours, Miss Cave, and the idol, Miss Lyrica."

Chika's anger dissipated in a flash, her eyes widening. "Cave? Lyrica? Did something happen? Why would you know before me? Just what exactly—"

"You see," Histoire began, for once deciding to forgo her precious manners, "I have received the information that Miss Cave and Miss Lyrica were transported to another world earlier today due to reasons we still don't fully understand. I can assure you we can still contact them, however, which is how this discovery was made in the first place."

Chika stared blankly, processing what she just heard. "... A Netherworld?"

"No, another Gamindustri."

Chika blinked. "Another… Gamindustri." She raised an eyebrow. "They were sent… to another Gamindustri…"

"A parallel dimension, to be more exact." Histoire nodded.

Chika closed her eyes. "And you're telling me… they just so happened to be thrown there, and you don't know why."

"That's accurate."

Chika opened her eyes again. "But you can somehow still talk to them."

"Indeed."

"In another world."

"I do believe I've made that clear, yes."

"..."

For a very long moment, the two Oracles sat in total, awkward silence. Chika stared at her desk as Histoire waited for a response.

When she got none for almost twenty seconds, she spoke up, "Well, any questions?"

"Yes, actually," Chika responded distractedly, still thinking.

The greenette took a deep breath, and when that didn't work, she tried a few more times. Like the same sort of machine as the one she was speaking with, the Leanboxian Oracle ran several thought processes in her head, simulating all kinds of scenarios as her mind produced them.

Finally, she looked directly at Histoire.

"First of all, just what in fuck—"