Quick thing: thanks, spartannob6 for favoriting! I appreciate it very much. Thanks, Drako Namikaze for following and favoriting, both this piece and A Certain Strange Scenario! It's great to have you on board.
Just an announcement, before we start: as stated over in A Certain Strange Scenario, rapid fire time has, sadly, come to an end, more or less. I want to slow things down, just a bit, for quality assurance reasons. Burnout can severely impact quality, if left unchecked; expect the next chapter of A Certain Strange Scenario to follow this chapter of Times Change, in four to five days, followed by chapter twelve of Times Changing, and so on. If there are any issues that arise from this, I'd encourage you lovely people to contact me via private messaging, so that said issues and/or concerns can be rectified or addressed, respectively.
As we always do around this time, reviews and responses!
Guest: lemon?! I don't see any lemon! No lemons here!
Whwsms: I'm glad to hear that you so thoroughly enjoyed the introduction of a certain "almighty" lightning and thunder god! Cendrillon has quite the quest ahead of her, if she plans to curb the craziness of Thor.
You're giving me ideas, friend, especially considering that there's a certain teleporter who travels semi-regularly through the eleventh dimension.
If we were to put our married couple on a secluded island, would they ever actually return to Academy City? Probably not. Don't imagine that the temperature would drop any, either, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.
I have a feeling that it'll be fairly interesting, too, especially if a certain "top dog" and a certain former Magic God are involved in the plot.
You did, indeed read right! We'll get into all the juicy details, which will have their own arc, in fact. There's a fair bit to talk about, and there's even more to explore.
As always, glad to know that I'm able to consistently gain your approval! It means a lot to me.
321jaz: chappies, chappies everywhere!
There's always room for a multi-parter or two. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I'll enjoy writing it.
I'm glad to hear that everyone seems to have enjoyed Cendrillon and Thor's antics! With this knowledge, I certainly will! A certain film will always be remembered.
As always, there's more Touma and Misaki where that came from. With Times Change's new rating, not all of them will be so innocent. Wink. Nudge.
The Possibility(ies), in regards to Imagine Breaker, and the Invisible Things within, truly are Infinite. Yeah, I'm sorry, too. Really need to stop doing this, but, it's too much fun.
It's almost as if Imagine Breaker has changed its focus; rather than dropping misfortune all over the poor TouMAN, it's simply preventing him and his partner from expanding their family. I can see the Invisible Things chuckling to one another now… more ideas, there.
The other who "holds a similar power" will show up sooner than later, I'm sure. He's trying his best to keep his head low, but, I have a feeling that he can only continue to do so for so long. Something's bound to give.
The wonders never do. Touma's shattered a lot of illusions, throughout the years. Makes one wonder how many people have experienced change, due to being punched in the face, and/or reasoned with, huh?
While The Awakened/Protectron and Saten Ruiko aren't a "traditional" couple, the two are a couple nonetheless. Love is love, I'd say, regardless of who, or what you are.
The Touka of this timeline and the Touka of another time and place are going to be two different people, in their outward actions, at least. Inwardly, they'll be surprisingly similar to one another.
As always, glad to have gained your approval! I hope you enjoyed reading chapter twenty-seven of A Certain Strange Scenario as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Anon: your words are heartwarming, and full of hope for the future. Will Imagine Breaker simply be passed on? Could Kamijou Touma and Kamijou Misaki do such a thing? What would the consequences of this passing be? All of these questions, and more, will be answered, in time.
Have you been reading my mind? "Great Uncle Ollerus" might just be showing his face sooner than later, and, though Times do, indeed Change, I have a feeling Ollerus won't be alone.
Ha, Shiina and Touya. I can see that. "Ara, ara, our son and daughter-in-law are taking their sweet time, aren't they…?"
Hilem: ah, these things happen, friend. That's a shame, as I love hearing from all of you lovely folks. At least I got this review!
Thor would approve of your outlook on the situation, as would I; special action figurines are no laughing matter!
As you stated, time, as it always does, will tell what comes around, especially in regards to our married couple. The "field trip" is only going to get more interesting from here, especially when our heroes actually make it to "the Grand Kingdom".
I'm glad you enjoyed reading about Saten Ruiko and the Awakened as much as I enjoyed writing about it! The story of their history together is one that will soon be told; as I remarked earlier, there'll be an arc dedicated to said story, in fact.
I get the feeling that there will be many family chitchats, soon.
Ha! I imagine that Worst would, indeed, be quite pleased with herself.
Thank you for the compliment! It means a lot. I'll do my best!
Geust's Account:
I'm glad you enjoyed reading the scene with Thor and Cendrillon as much as I enjoyed writing it! So far, Thor is the most "normal" of GREMLIN's former operatives. Cendrillon's inevitable meeting with Kamijou Touma is one that I'm looking forward to writing; it'll be yet another chance for Kamijou Misaki's "death glare" to have a moment to shine.
I tried to make what was an exposition dump just a little bit more interesting, given that it was Othinus and Accelerator interacting, rather than Othinus or Touma, or Othinus and Misaki. The great time is coming; I get the feeling that traversing through the Grand Kingdom, especially its "Citadel of Dread" attraction will be quite the adventure for our heroes.
I definitely understand where you're coming from. Hopefully, following the arc that explores their history, and Protectron/the Awakened's history with the Uiharu Kazari of this timeline, everything will seem a little bit less weird. More Touka will be on the way. He'll also give us a nice glimpse into the halls of the Tokiwadai Middle School of the present.
DarkBetrayer: you totally caught me. No denying it; I'm going to have lots of fun. I hope you great people gain some enjoyment through the soon-to-come lemony scenes, too, of course.
Accelerator had to admit; the "Grand Kingdom", despite its name, was anything but generic. It certainly wasn't the "kiddie park" he'd thought it to be. It was a far-reaching, immense location. Surrounded by high, metallic fences, their chain-link fabric ornate in its design. The chain links were arranged in various, fantastical designs; knights, mounted on brave steeds, multistory towers, gryphons, and, depictions of a creature that made chills travel down Accelerator's spine; a serpentine, eastern dragon, with long, cat-like whiskers, and wide, opened jaws, full of triangular teeth. A long, forked tongue emerged from the creature's mouth.
Beyond the fences, were towering structures, rollercoasters, grand, sprawling castles, and, in the center of the park sat what appeared to be some type of gargantuan, twisted-looking, black and green spike, which rose higher than any other attraction that Accelerator could lay his eyes on. It curved, and zigzagged, its surfaces covered in perpetually shaking, contorting, thorny growths.
The Grand Kingdom's front gates, which Academy City's "top dog" and the married couple stood in front of were monumental. Two monolithic slabs were wide open, revealing the Grand Kingdom proper; the slab-gates were made up of ten towering, delicately carved tree trunks, that had been tied together, with thick, secured chain link straps. The slabs of dark brown trunks loomed over the trio, casting domineering shadows over everything that dared to exist around them.
In the center of either slab-gate, there was a great, burning torch. The trio could tell that neither torch was actually made of wood; they shined too much beneath the sun's beams to be made of wood. The material almost looked like some type of metal. The flames that crackled around either torch weren't setting fire to the tree trunks behind them, and, as such, the trio safely came to the conclusion that the flames weren't "authentic", either. Likely just projections of some type.
Though the trio didn't know it, they found themselves in a similar predicament to a certain French princess, and a certain "almighty" thunder god; the line of other individuals who were also waiting to enter the Grand Kingdom was as monumental as the gates themselves.
"How many fucking dumbasses are we stuck behind? Want to count, hero, fifth ranked?" Accelerator grumbled, before he folded his arms behind his head, and produced a soft "tch".
"I'm going to take a wild guess, and, say… uh… hundreds?" Touma spoke, sounding rather perturbed. "At least the line looks like it's moving."
Indeed; at Touma's statement, Kamijou Misaki took a look around. The line, though long, almost dishearteningly so, was steadily moving forward, every couple of seconds. With her husband's hand in her own, Misaki looked to her left, and then to her right; cobbled walkways, shops, and restrooms, the same structures, the same ones. She'd already looked about on multiple occasions, though, it was better than perpetually looking straight ahead and staring at the back of a young man's shirt, and his Gekota snapback hat; Misaki half-contemplated snapping a picture, and sending it to Misaka Mikoto, in order to get a rise out of the Railgun. "Misaka-san! I found your new soul mate!"
Misaki took another few steps forward, as the line moved yet again. Accelerator wasn't far behind Misaki and her husband. Following his stretch, Accelerator let his arms hang back at his sides, as he produced a soft grunt.
"So, hero, fifth ranked. Talk to me. What stupid shit have you been getting into? How are… uh… your parents, hero? They, uh… they seemed pretty alright, at your wedding," Accelerator remarked. "Haven't seen much of them since."
Touma turned his gaze to the "top dog" of Academy City, and smirked. "Why so awkward, man? You don't have to walk on eggshells. Just say what's on your mind. Misaki and me aren't going to judge you." Accelerator shrugged, and offered Touma a small grin in response, before Touma proceeded to begin answering Accelerator's question.
"They're good. Talked to them the other day; Misaki got to the phone, first, and, my mom, man… she's a talker. It's nice, though. I'm really grateful that Misaki and my parents are tightly knit. Same with Index, and even Othi-chan, but… they don't really know what Othi-chan is, or all that much about Index's past, you know? Not trying to keep anything from them, but, it's for the best."
Accelerator nodded, knowingly. "Yeah. I got it, hero. No need to drag them into that shit. They're nice, normal fucking people. Enough of us have been through Hell and back, because of all this… you know. The shit." The "top dog's" voice dropped to a whisper. "The "Other Side."
Quickly attempting to change the subject, Accelerator turned his gaze to Kamijou Misaki, who smiled warmly at him, and waved with her available hand. "How're yours, fifth ranked? Hero and the in-laws getting along any better? Or are they still being fucky?"
"Accel, man… I dunno if Misaki's gonna want to…" Touma began; but, before he could do speak, Misaki stood up on her toes, and shushed her husband with a kiss on his lips. Falling back down to a flat-footed stance, Misaki looked up to Touma.
"Let Accelerator-san ask his question, my prince. The answer is nothing that I am ashamed of, and you certainly have nothing to be ashamed of."
Kamijou Misaki softly cleared her throat, before she looked to Accelerator once again. The number one raised an eyebrow, as the line moved. He stepped to the side, in order to avoid being swept down by the human tide, that was lurking behind him. "My parents and I still have some trouble seeing eye to eye on… important matters. They can either remove themselves from their bigoted, intolerant ways, or, we can remain estranged. It is up to them. I do not think that either of them will understand that there is more to life, and more to love than yen, and business relations. To answer your question, Accelerator-san, forgive me for the tangent, my parents still refuse to speak with my husband. They hardly even speak to me." Misaki sighed, quietly, to herself. "They never really did."
Accelerator spat onto the ground, and gritted his teeth. "Fucking ingrates."
Touma shrugged indifferently. "It's whatever. I'd really like to get to know my wife's parents better, the way Misaki's gotten to know mine, but, they never really liked me. That's not what matters, though. What matters is that Misaki likes me." Touma turned to Misaki, and raised an eyebrow. Attempting to hold back his laughter, he inquired, "you DO like me, right?"
Misaki failed where Touma succeeded; she giggled softly, as she nuzzled her husband's shoulder, with the side of her face, messing her bangs. She couldn't care less. She just wanted to show her husband affection; hair could be combed. "Do I? Hm. Well, I guess you are alright, for a mere commoner."
Fighting back the urge to lift his wife away from the safety of the ground beneath their feet, and carry her like the Queen she was, Touma instead wrapped his arm around Misaki's shoulder, and pulled her close, as the trio walked a few more steps, and, then, a few more. Kamijou Misaki wrapped her arms around her husband's waist, smiling warmly. "I'll try harder to please you," Touma lowered himself downwards, and, placing his lips against his wife's ear, he whispered, "and I do mean please you… Ojou-Sama."
A pleasured chill ran down Touma's spine, as the inherently male part of his brain began to kick into gear. In his mind's eye, he could see himself dropping to his knees, allowing himself to shed his "alpha" outer layer, and embrace submissiveness. Touma could see himself serving his wife's every whim, tending to her, like a lowly, dirt poor servant to a wealthy Queen. The idea aroused Touma greatly, and sent shockwaves of desire pulsing throughout his body. Touma wanted to submit, entirely, to his beloved; if Touma didn't have almost Saint-like restraint, he might've found himself falling to his knees, there and then.
"Since you asked how we are doing, I suppose we should ask you, as well. How are Yomikawa-san and Yoshikawa-san?" A blushing Misaki inquired, to which Accelerator initially responded by chuckling. Kamijou Touma snapped out of his fantasy world, with a slight start. Kamijou Misaki looked to her husband, and winked knowingly.
"Well, Yomikawa's still an old drunk. When she's not out with the pink teacher brat, she's usually doing Anti Skill shit with the other one. What's her name? Green hair, long, used to have glasses… Tessou. That was it.
"Yoshikawa just dicks around with her science friends. The Birdway brat's sister, the one that's actually fucking tolerable, and her are cool. They fucking blew up Birdway's lab, or something, in her house. Naturally, neither of the twats were upset about it."
"Blew up Patricia's lab?!" Both Touma and Misaki practically shouted in shock.
"Relax, fucking heroes, they're both fine," Accelerator remarked, as the trio took yet another step. "Only reason I know, is because Yoshikawa texted me a picture of her and Birdway, looking like they were out of one of those old American cartoons, after the dumbass animals blow each other up. All black. Caption was some shit like… fuck it, here, I'll just show you."
Producing his phone, Accelerator unlocked the device, and tapped on the device's gallery app, where it stored received pictures, and those that had been taken with its built-in camera. Opening the photo in question, Accelerator handed it off to the married couple. Sitting in Touma's hands, Misaki looked down at the phone, which her husband offered to her. Misaki declined with a smile, and with a polite shake of her head.
Indeed, on the device's tempered glass touchscreen, there was a photo which depicted the smiling faces of both Yoshikawa Kikyou and Patricia Birdway. The couple could see that Kikyou's arms were outstretched, holding the phone she was using to take her photo with away from her, while Patricia had her right arm wrapped around Kikyou's shoulders. Her left was curved, her left arm's hand placed against the corresponding hip.
The two young women stood in front of an upper class, multistory home, though, due to their closeness to the camera, the couple couldn't quite make out the finer details of the home. It clearly had a light brown roof, and, to one side, up two semicircular flights of steps that were opposite one another, a large, wooden and glass door. Touma could make out what appeared to be the edge of a statue, or, perhaps a fountain in the center of the cobbled driveway.
The young women were, as Accelerator had described, both covered in what almost looked like soot; their faces were the least harmed, and, the couple could tell that both young women had been wearing safety goggles; on either of their faces, there was a vaguely goggle-shaped patch of pink skin, around their eyes, and above their noses.
Their white lab coats had taken the brunt of the explosion, or, whatever the catastrophe had been. Patricia's hair, which the couple knew to be golden, almost snowy white in coloration, was tied back, and had been covered in soot, as well, though the young woman didn't appear to be concerned about this fact. Kikyou's dark blue hair hardly looked different; if anything, it just looked a bit darker than normal, as if she'd dyed it.
The caption beneath the photo, typed in a large, white font, caused Touma to fall away from his wife, laughing, as Misaki's lips curled into a wide, toothy smirk. Accelerator grinned, knowingly; he had a feeling the married couple would enjoy Kikyou's "odd" sense of humor.
"WE'RE MANIACS! WE BLEW IT UP! (we were trying to create a walking microwave fyi)"
"A… a walking microwave?!" Touma proclaimed, as he nearly stumbled out of the crowd. Accelerator grabbed Touma's well-muscled arm, and yanked him back with all the force his scrawny form could muster. "W-w…. w-w… WHY… were they trying to make a WALKING MICROWAVE?!" Touma's laughter turned to awkward, seal-like barking, as Misaki took her husband into her arms, and began to pat him on the back, as if to comfort him. Touma's arms went around his wife's shoulders, as he held her close to his rapidly rising and falling chest. As Touma laughed heartily, Misaki's smile only grew. Her cheeks began to glow a bright pink, as she nuzzled her husband, lovingly, with the side of her face.
"What's so fucking funny, hero? It's just… actually, yeah, a walking microwave is kind of funny, isn't it?" Accelerator confessed, as he took his phone back from Touma.
"It's… it's not the concept that's all that funny… it's just… I think there's something wrong with my brain," Touma spoke, as he struggled to get himself under control. Misaki moved Touma forward, as the line continued to move; they were closer to the gates of the Grand Kingdom than ever before. They were at least three quarters of the way to the large, metallic greeting booth that sat between the gates. "Okay, so, in my head, I saw a microwave, right? With little arms, and… oh my God… little legs, tap-dancing, with a fucking top hat. Dress shoes and everything."
"You're fucking insane, hero," Accelerator mirthfully remarked.
Though there was a chorus of many voices surrounding the trio, there was one loud, happy voice that rose above all the others. Touma's mind acknowledged and recognized it almost immediately, as did Misaki's. It took Accelerator a few seconds to recognize the source of the overjoyed vocalization.
"UNCLE TOUMA! UNCLE EXCELLRATER! AUNT MISAKI!"
"H-hold on! Daiicchhhiiiii!"
Touma smirked at Misaki, and nodded. "Be right back. I'll return bearing gifts."
Touma was quick to scoop the five-year-old boy who had come running in his direction up into his arms; the boy laughed in joy, as he placed his little hands on either of Touma's cheeks. Touma lifted him up, and held him in the air. "DAICHI!" Touma exclaimed, as the boy giggled.
The boy's smile only grew, as his fluffy, dirty blonde hair blew about in the breeze. Touma looked into the boy's cedar-colored eyes, and smiled wider; the boy's smile grew with his uncle's.
"You've got your papa's hair, and your mama's eyes… Hell, your face looks just like your mama's. God, you're such a big boy, now. Five years old… wow."
Clad in a long sleeved, black shirt, and a short sleeved white shirt on top of it, little, knee-length jean shorts, and a pair of high top, black and white shoes, with white shoelaces, the boy was the image of happiness. As Touma proceeded to gently twirl him in the air, the boy completely comfortable and secure in Touma's hands, a part of him felt horribly guilty for wishing that the child was he and Misaki's own.
From a group of smiling, chatting young women, one young woman in particular, came walking towards Touma. Curly, golden blonde hair fell past her shoulders, and, on the top of her head, she wore a dark blue beret. She had big, wide, light blue eyes, and full, pink lips. A dark blue, short sleeved shirt clothed her torso, while a pair of cottony, coral-colored shorts adorned her waist, and her upper thighs. On her feet, the young woman wore a pair of dark blue canvas shoes, with shoelaces to match.
"It's always only been you, uncle Touma… Daichi never runs off unless it's you, it's still so funny to me," Hamazura Fremea remarked.
"Fremeeaaaa. Hey, sweetheart," Touma softly remarked. Setting Hamazura Daichi down, the boy dutifully returned to his adopted sister's side, and took her hand in his own. As always, Touma was impressed by the boy's incredible behavior; Hamazura Shiage and Hamazura Rikou were certainly good parents. Again, Kamijou Touma found his mind trekking back to that realm; what kind of parents would he and Kamijou Misaki be? Could they ever be?
"Uncle Touma! Guess what I did?" Daichi exclaimed. Fremea, with her available hand, ruffled the boy's hair. He nuzzled his sister's hand affectionately; his smile looked like it was going to tear his cheeks apart, it was so wide.
"What'd you do, my little man? What great quests have you completed, huh?" Touma questioned, as he crouched down, in order for his vision to be on the same level as Daichi's own.
An almost sinister smirk appeared on the boy's face, as he leaned in. With his lips pressed against Touma's ear, he whispered, "I got a girlfriend."
Touma stepped back, mouth wide, in exaggerated shock, eyebrows raised. Touma opened his arms, and took a deep breath, as if he'd been shocked by the revelation. "You player! I always knew you were a little ladies' man! Watch them, though! Only women you go anywhere with are your sister and mama, right?"
Daichi giggled, as he returned to the side of a grinning Fremea. "Right! Just Fremmie and mama."
"Back when I was your age, we didn't kiss the girls… we stayed away from the girls. Bugs, right? They're all covered in nasty little bugs!" Touma exclaimed, as he rapidly wiggled his fingers, for emphasis.
"BUGS?!" Daichi said, excitedly, his cedar-colored eyes widening. "I like bugs. Where are they? Papa told me to watch some of them, though. They sting."
Touma grinned, as he rose up to his full height. Turning back, to where his wife and old friend stood, he could see that the line was moving a bit more slowly than it had been previously; this suited his wants just fine. Misaki blew him a kiss. Touma returned the favor, and then turned his attention back to Fremea and Daichi. "That's right, little man. Some bugs can sting you, or bite you, if you're not careful. It's good that you know that."
Daichi nodded sagely, and crossed his arms. "It's good to put them back, too, when you're done playing with them. If they live in the park, that's where they stay. Gently, too, so you don't hurt their legs, or their wings!"
Touma's features softened, as he looked into the eyes of the Hamazuras' love made flesh. "He's such a smart little man. Is there anything he doesn't know?"
Fremea gently tugged on her adoptive brother's cheek, causing him to laugh. "Okay, wildlife specialist. You can stop showing off to uncle Touma, now."
"Mmmm," Daichi looked to the ground, and his face lit up. His cheeks became bright pink, as he awkwardly kicked the asphalt lightly with his foot. "I wanted you to notice, Fremmie…"
Fremea's face lit up an even brighter shade of pink. "Daichi! AH! Y-you're too sweet! Ah! My baby brother! You're so PRECIOUS! Come heeeere!" Scooping Daichi up in her arms, Fremea hoisted the boy up, and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to laugh. Touma couldn't help but join the boy in his laughter; he was so merry, such a happy, carefree child.
"So, what're you two going to get up to?" Touma inquired, as he scratched the back of his neck. "You with that big group of girls, sweetheart?"
Fremea nodded, as Daichi gently played with her curly hair, and occasionally kissed her cheek, causing the young woman to blush. "Yeah. I came with my friends, but, there's not a lot Daichi can really do. No way I'd ever let him go in the Citadel. Even if I did, if mom and dad found out…" Fremea shivered. "That's okay, though! I'm cool with going on the children's rides with him. I wasn't going to come to this brand, spanking new park and just leave my baby brother at home. Besides, mom and dad… they get into… uh… you know, when Daichi's napping." Fremea grinned awkwardly, and Touma chuckled, knowingly. She approached, and, moving Daichi away from she and her uncle, but still keeping her grip as tight as she possibly could, Fremea whispered, "I was looking for a bottle of shampoo in mom's closet, and… I found a bunny outfit."
"He's still into that? Was it… you know? Erotic? Not just, like, a bunny outfit, like a mascot's costume?"
Fremea nodded. "E-erotic. Fishnet stockings, big old bunny ears… the works. Yuck. I don't know why my dad likes bunny girls."
Touma chuckled, as he shook his head. "Yeah. Your mom and dad deserve it, though," Touma remarked. "Hey, Fremea, sweetheart, if you want some time, you know, with your friends, I'm sure the missus and Accel-chan over there," Touma motioned towards the two, "wouldn't mind it if we brought Daichi the Bug Boy around with us, at least until we hit the Citadel of Dread. How scary is that place, by the way?"
Fremea smiled politely, but shook her head. "Really scary. Apparently you have to sign a waiver before you can go in, and they even take your blood pressure, and have paramedics on site, if people who left reviews on the Kingdom's page are to be believed; and, thanks, uncle Touma, but, I don't mind. I love spending time with my baby brother. He's the best. He's so polite, and well-behaved, and… eheheh… when he gets tired, he just gets really giggly… he laughs at everything. He's not even tired right now, and he's all giggly. Watch."
Fremea turned her face towards Daichi, and looked into his eyes. "Potato!" she exclaimed; Daichi broke down into a giggling fit, as he stated, excitedly, "potato! Silly Fremmie!"
Fremea's eyes widened, as she motioned towards the line. "You've got to go, uncle Touma! Or you'll be stuck back here, with a bunch of girls, and the Potato Boy."
Touma chuckled, as he patted the laughing boy on the head with his left hand; he kept his right hand as far away from Hamazura Daichi as he possibly could, like it was some sort of infected, unholy thing.
"Yeah, you're right. I've spent enough time being surrounded by girls… I'll tell you all about it, someday, when you're a bit older. You take care, sweetheart; tell your mom and dad I said "hey"? Your old man and me need to bring it together, at some point," Touma spoke.
"You don't think I remember, uncle Touma? "Kami Disease?" Hamazura Fremea winked. "I'll tell them. I'll tell my dad, too; he needs a day off. Mom takes care of him, don't worry, but, he's a bit stressed these days."
"Your dad knows how to unwind. It's just going to take some of his old buddies to get him out of it. We'll un-stretch your old man," Touma spoke, before he rushed after his wife, and his other old friend. "Take it easy. Watch out for boys! Speaking of boys, see ya, potato boy!"
Daichi waved, as he exclaimed, "bye, uncle Touma! Don't get bugs!"
Fremea's cheeks turned to a shade of pink, as Touma ran back to the side of his wife, and his old friend, Accelerator. "Boys". A singular boy was certainly rather relevant to her interests. Had her uncle known? Surely, that was impossible.
As Touma fell back in line with Misaki and Accelerator, the former of whom immediately took his arm in her own, Misaki turned to look up at her husband. "Daichi is… so adorable. Oh, my… did you see how he was kissing his sister's cheek?! He is such a CUTE little thing!" Misaki practically squealed in joy.
"Oi, fifth ranked, hero, we're next," Accelerator remarked. Touma's vision fell to the area directly in front of him. Indeed, though he hadn't noticed until Accelerator pointed it out, but, he, his wife, and Academy City's "top dog" were next in line. Being so close to the monolithic gates was almost intimidating for Touma; they were even taller, when they were viewed from up close, which made enough sense to the young man.
He also discovered the means through which the Grand Kingdom kept the line at the park's entrance moving at a brisk pace; there were a total of eight metallic greeting booths, each of which had four attendants, who were dutifully going about their tasks.
Preparing himself, Touma moved to pull his wallet up from his pocket, before he looked to his wife, who appeared to have beaten him to the punch. Reaching into her purse, she produced her own large leather wallet. It was bright golden in coloration, with a number of white stripes running both horizontally and vertically over its surface. Unzipping it, she pulled her debit card out, and smiled warmly at her husband. "I have been keeping track, my love. Would you like to pay?"
Touma shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me, Ojou-Sama; money comes from the same place, doesn't matter whose card, right? Thanks for the offer, though, you."
"You are fond of calling me that, aren't you?" Misaki inquired. "I enjoy this. You may continue." The Mental Out user held her head high, and closed her eyes, as she puffed her chest out. She produced a soft "hmph"; it only served to create an awkward bulge in her husband's pants, one which he quickly willed away, before it had the chance to grow. "Settle down, big guy… shush down there."
Accelerator began to walk towards the first available booth; however, from the opposite side, the left, the trio heard a loud proclamation. "I can help you over here, Kami-yan!"
"Kami-yan…?" Touma wondered aloud. Misaki raised an eyebrow, as she turned her gaze to the second greeting booth, on the left. Her eyes widened as a blonde-haired, shades-wearing, uniform and hat-clad young man waved she, her husband, and her old friend in his direction.
"Fucking Tsuchimikado?" Accelerator grumbled. "Whatever. What kind of shit has that idiot got himself into?"
Touma shrugged, as the trio began to approach the greeting booth. Its front counter was semicircular, and appeared to be made out of smooth metal, with rubber around its edges. Indeed, one of the three individuals behind the greeting booth's panes of thick-looking, handprint-smeared translucent plastic was Tsuchimikado Motoharu.
A red hat, bearing the logo of the Grand Kingdom – the silhouette of what appeared to be a castle sat neatly in its center - was worn on his head, and obscured at least the bottom half of his full head of spiked, blonde hair. A pair of sunglasses adorned his face – they were tinted to the point that no one among the trio could see the eyes that hid behind them. His earlobes were pierced, and two large jewel-encrusted earrings sat in the center of either lobe. The top half of Tsuchimikado Motoharu was all that the trio could see; he was clad in a collared, red and light pink shirt, with baggy, short sleeves. A small nametag that sat, crooked on his right breast read "Tsuchimikado".
More surprising were the two other uniformed young people who manned the greeting booth with Motoharu. The fourth among the uniformed people seemed to be a completely normal young man – almost too normal. Touma was immediately struck with the sense that he knew this man. Kamijou Touma and Kamijou Misaki were stuck by sudden suspicion, while Accelerator raised an eyebrow, as his vision was cast over the opposite trio, and then to the normal-looking young man.
Next to Tsuchimikado Motoharu was a tall, broad shouldered young man, with a miffed facial expression that screamed "I'd rather be anywhere else right now". The young man's eyes were dark brown in coloration, and, he had a full head of short, neatly-trimmed bright red hair – evidently, he'd taken his own hat off - and, beneath his right eye, there was a tattoo that depicted a barcode, which was made up of eight black bars, of varying widths. His outer ears were pierced, with five small golden bands. On all eight of his fingers, and both of his thumbs, he wore two tightly-bound silver rings.
Standing next to the red-haired young man was a young woman, whose facial expression was one of suspicion. She had large, almost glossy-looking light blue eyes, and shoulder-length, tidily combed ash blonde hair, which fell straight, just slightly past her shoulders. Her body had a natural hourglass shape to it, and, even with her uniform on, the trio could tell that she was rather well-endowed.
Touma could tell that Misaki's eyes, too, had fallen upon the fourth individual in the greeting booth. Her starry eyes were focused on him, and him alone, as her eyelids narrowed in further suspicion. She, too, had seen this young man somewhere before.
Then, husband and wife were reminded of exactly who this normal young man, someone you could find anywhere, was, as he nonchalantly greeted them.
"Hey, Imagine Breaker, Mental Out… and, the Accelerator, of course."
Clad in the same uniform as his trio of compatriots, the normal-looking young man possessed light brown eyes, and a head of thick, brown, medium length hair, the bangs of which were gracefully swept to the right. He wasn't as tall, or as muscular as his male comrades, but, for what he lacked in height, and in burliness, he made up for in looks. The young man was the definition of handsome – his facial features were delicately chiseled, his jawline the image of perfection. His cheekbones were flawless, in their level of elevation. He had a very faint five o'clock shadow that covered the lower half of his face, shaved perfectly, ending at his jawline in a flawless semicircle. He was like something that had leapt from the pages of a fashion magazine; at least, the young women who observed him from afar thought so. Kamijou Misaki wasn't among those young women.
"You are quite the sight to see; I suppose that goes for all of you. What are all of you even doing here?" Misaki inquired, as Touma looked to Accelerator. Both the Bearer of the Imagine Breaker, and the "top dog" of Academy City wore looks of suspicion and concern.
"Why can't anything we try to do just be normal, Accel? If the Rookie's here, things are anything but normal, I just know it," Touma complained. Accelerator uncharacteristically placed a hand on the taller, and much burlier man's shoulder.
"Hero, it'll be good. We won't let whatever stupid shit's going down fuck with our day. I won't fucking allow it," Accelerator snapped.
"Long story, Mrs. Kami-yan!" Motoharu exclaimed, as he leaned forward inside of the booth. The girl with the ash blonde hair rolled her eyes, as she turned her attention to the normal young man.
"So… Kamisato-san… what do you say? I m-mean… we've only just met, but… eheheh… I really like you. I don't know w-what it is! You just have this c-charm about you! W-we're at an amusement park, after all… the c-chances for a ro… romantic date are… a-abnormally high!"
The completely normal young man sighed, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. He'd done this song and dance a thousand times. It was only the end result of the trials, and the tribulations, that mattered. "We'll see, Floris-san."
"Flori-chan?!" Touma nearly shouted. "I didn't even recognize you! But… if you're here… then, does that mean…"
"No," the red-haired young man stated, firmly. "Lessar isn't here. Floris is the only former Lew Night… er, former New Light member present. Do you think we were stupid enough to allow someone like Lessar to enter Academy City, Imagine Breaker? As hard as it might be for you, think. Just don't hurt yourself in the process."
"Watch your "clever" mouth, Stiyl Magnus," Misaki uncharacteristically snarled, as she slammed a fist into the metallic greeting booth's semicircular counter, brow furrowed. The booth's counter shook from the impact, violently so, nearly snapping away from the booth proper. The metal that connected the counter to the booth had groaned beneath Misaki's fist's impact with the counter. Misaki only felt a dull feeling of mild irritation in her closed fist. Her well-muscled arms had tightened, and the dark aura the young woman radiated was enough to cause Stiyl to take a few steps back. Placing both of her hands on the booth's bent counter, her lips parted, and curled into an almost feral-looking half-frown. "I will not tolerate you speaking to my husband this way. Show him the respect he deserves, when you speak to him, or do not speak to him at all."
"F-Flori-chan?!" Floris spoke, exasperated. "First, it was Lessar, now, it's you! Cut it out!"
Kamisato Kakeru cast Floris an awkward look, to which she responded by looking to the floor, awkwardly, as a bright, beet red blush formed on her cheeks. Kakeru sighed, irritated. It was just getting too easy. There used to be some level of challenge in this; he used to actually have to save the girl before she was infected by "Kamisato Disease", and then proceeded to fall stupidly in love with him.
Touma awkwardly patted his wife on the shoulder, and then proceeded to wrap his arms around her waist, as he gently pulled her away from the counter, trying to supress a nervous grin. "M-Misaki… it's cool. Honestly! It's no big deal! I'm not cheesed! Really! You know how Stiyl is… eheheh…"
Accelerator looked to the ground. People were looking. Only passing looks. At the very least, the crowds weren't standing around, staring at them like they were a sideshow attraction. "Fucking fifth ranked… leave the bullying to me, yeah? Since when did you get so fucking tough?"
"How do tickets work here? Do you need tickets for each ride? I guess I'd need four… or, ah, nobody's going to go rooting through Misaki's purse. What are you doing here, though, really, if you don't mind me asking? More importantly, what's the Rookie doing here?" Touma spoke, before he kissed his glaring wife on the cheek, which made her soften up just a little bit. Approaching the booth's bent counter, he leaned in, as Motoharu did the same, on the other side of the plastic.
Motoharu grinned, as he leaned in as closely as he possibly could. "You buy tickets up front; that's it. Good for every attraction in this place. Like I said to your wifey, long story. Our glorious leader Beauty-Senpai, and Archbishop Creampie have my… buddies, and I, on a recon mission. Nothing's "wrong" per say. We're just supposed to keep watch. Grand Kingdom is a high-profile location. Y'know, if some loony bin reject magician tries something stupid, we ought to be here to stop it. By "the Rookie" I assume you mean Kamisato-sensei? Been working with us for a while. Don't know why. Don't care, either, he's pretty useful. Any idea what that right hand of his does? Makes people just… poof. Pretty cool."
"Three adult tickets, pronto," Accelerator demanded. He noticed that he'd caught Stiyl Magnus' eye. Academy City's "top dog" glared daggers at the red-haired magician. Floris began to process the order, and then quickly handed the tickets that were produced off to Misaki, through a small window; Misaki requested a card processing machine, and then proceeded to pay for the tickets with her debit card. Floris took the machine back, when the purchase was confirmed, and after Misaki had retrieved her card; the blue-eyed, blonde-haired young woman then returned her attention to an unenthusiastic-looking Kamisato Kakeru, who she began to pester.
"You don't want to know," Touma muttered. "Lots of fucked up history, there. We're cool now, but, there was a time when we really, really weren't. How did you even meet? How did he and… you know, "Beauty-Senpai" meet? Fuck it, don't answer now, but, someday, you should tell me about it. The Rookie, and me and my wife? We go back, man. Listen, man, whatever you're doing… can you keep me and my family out of it? We're not about that life, anymore. Running around, punching people, you know?"
With an uncharacteristically sympathetic facial expression, Tsuchimikado Motoharu nodded, before his toothy, almost sinister-looking grin returned. "Yeah, Kami-yan, I'll try. With "the Rookie", as you call him, working for us, you're pretty much old news, anyways. Ciao! Oh! By the way, that Estelle girl's out there, somewhere, deep cover. Deeper than ours, anyways. She's in a squirrel mascot suit."
Touma shrugged, as he chuckled awkwardly. "Rosenthal-san, too? You're making too many friends lately, Tsuchimikado," Touma said smugly. Taking his wife's arm in his own, the married couple, with a grumbling Accelerator trekked off into the Grand Kingdom proper.
Touma's eyes widened, once he'd stepped foot into the park, away from the gargantuan gates. The Grand Kingdom truly was grand; nobody could bring the park's owner up on charges of false advertising. Most of the ground beneath the trio's feet was made up of beautifully carved, and delicately polished, bright silver and golden-trimmed bricks. Leading from the entranceway, and to a small plaza, was a wide walkway, which was flanked on either side by waist-high golden fences. The walkway was made up of dark red, almost brown bricks, and bricks of a light brown coloration.
Directly to the trio's right, the walkway splintered off, and, the splinter lead towards was a large, fancy-looking gift shop. It looked futuristic, even by Academy City's standards. The structure's exterior was designed with sleekness in mind; its surfaces appeared to be made up of translucent glass, though, said glass was darker than most. The structure was slanted, slightly, to the right, and appeared to be held in place by a tall, glass pillar, which supported part of the structure's roof. The many doors of the gift shop were swinging open, as patrons left, and closing, as others entered. Atop the structure's roof, there was a bright, flashing neon sign, which read, "Royal Riches".
"Riches, for the people who fucking run this place," Accelerator remarked, apparently having seen the same sign that Touma had.
"Come on, Accel, man. They've got to stay in business somehow, right? I mean, the tickets we got are good for every ride; I could understand if you had to buy tickets for each ride, but, this actually seems really fair," Touma pointed out. "How much did it come to, out of curiosity?"
"I have to say, I agree with Touma; it was quite the deal. To answer your question, my prince, the total came out to ¥6001.33," Misaki spoke.
"That actually is really good, for three people," Touma remarked. "I like it. I'd prefer to get in for free, but, what do you want, right? Gotta help the gears of commerce grind."
"Of course you fucking do, fifth ranked," Accelerator teased, as began to spare the rest of his surroundings a glance. Misaki, with her arm around her husband's own, raised her available right arm, and made her signature, cutesy pose. To the trio's left, the walkway splintered again, and led towards another facility.
The facility was less futuristic-looking than its sister location, the gift shop; it was a structure that was built using a mix of metallic beams, and light brown bricks. It wasn't slanted, like the gift shop, and on either side of the structure, there was a smaller, rectangular structure, both of which were directly attached to the larger building in the center. Its brick surfaces were periodically disturbed by long window panes, which offered the trio a glimpse into the building's interior. The building was surrounded by planter boxes, which contained tall, exotic-looking flowers. The flowers had petals of many different colors; light blues, yellows, reds, oranges, even purples.
Above the facility's six tall, glass doors, there was a series of signs, which depicted four large, square icons; a featureless human being, standing tall and at attention, a featureless human being, whose torso resembled an upside-down triangle, and another featureless human being, who sat in the featureless silhouette of a wheelchair. The final icon depicted a featureless human being, who was presumably female, as their hair appeared to be tied back into a ponytail, who had a much smaller, featureless human being in their arms, the smaller human being's circular, faceless head raised to their breast.
Kamijou Misaki, who had cast her gaze in the direction of the facility that Accelerator looked upon, turned away, and looked down at her own bosom, as her lips curled into a small, but noticeable frown. Kamijou Touma was far from oblivious. Both he and Accelerator had "caught" Misaki in the act. Accelerator shifted his crimson eyes in Touma's direction; by the time he did so, Touma had already closed the distance between himself and his wife. Accelerator stepped towards the golden fence, in order to give passersby the space they needed, as the Kamijous did the same.
"Misaki. Beautiful. I think, at least, I think that I think… okay, hold it, tongue's getting twisted," Touma mumbled, as Misaki smirked. She gripped her husband's hands in her own. Kamijou Touma took a deep breath, and looked into his wife's starry eyes.
"What I was trying to say was, I think I know what you're thinking. Why lie to ourselves about it? There's something we want, more accurately I guess, someone we want." Touma looked down to his right hand. Clenching it into a fist, Kamijou Touma sighed, before he kissed Kamijou Misaki on the forehead, and then, gently, and quickly on the lips. "I also know, that you know, that Imagine Breaker is… a problem."
"Hello! This is relevant to my interests," Othinus squeaked, as she popped out from Misaki's purse. Passersby smiled at her, and small children pointed, or waved happily at her. Bracing herself, the tiny, former Magic God took a long, deep inhalation of oxygen into her lungs, and then slowly expelled the carbon dioxide that her small body produced.
"This place is… very large. Larger than most things. Actually… eheheheheheh… it's actually kind of terrifying," Othinus spoke; she contemplated slinking back into the safety of her co-guardian's purse; but she didn't. The former Magic God's facial expression turned to one of determination. "But! I won't let this stop me! Let's talk business, Touma, Misaki."
"Oi, fifth ranked, hero, one-eyed brat," Accelerator spoke. "There's a bench over towards the fucking rip-off shop. I'm going to go take a piss. Get your asses out of the way if you're going to have a heart-to-heart."
As Accelerator swiftly proceeded in the direction of the restroom facility, the Kamijous turned their sight to the one of the many benches that sat in a circular fashion, next to the gift shop; apparently, they'd failed to see it beforehand. The gift shop, in fact, upon closer inspection, appeared to have more than just benches in this area next to it. There were more planter boxes, and large, humble old oaks, whose bright green leaves hung casually from their branches, swaying in the breeze.
"Accel-chan…" Touma muttered under his breath.
"W-we have never really talked about it at… at length before. If you are comfortable with the idea of doing so, my love, I am, as well. Othinus, you sound like you would like to be a part of the conversation as well?" Misaki spoke, as the trio began to make they way off the walkway, and towards the gift shop. Instead of sitting at the benches, they simply placed themselves near the glass pillar, which appeared to hold the shop upright.
"I would," Othinus admitted. The former Magic God turned her attention from Misaki, and to Touma. "I don't believe that it would be wise for you and Mental Out to procreate, so long as you posses the "Imagine Breaker". I don't think anyone knows what would happen, if you were to do so; I certainly don't, and, I've lived much longer than any of you have. If I, "One-Eyed Othinus" don't know about it, nobody does."
"I do not know if I should even ask," Misaki began, with a quick, deep inhalation, "but, apparently, I am." Leaning down, towards her purse, Misaki whispered in Othinus' direction, "what would happen, if Touma and I were to… conceive a… c-child? To become… parents? What would Imagine Breaker do, in a hypothetical situation? What would your best guess be, Othinus?"
Othinus shrugged weakly, as Misaki's starry eyes looked into Othinus' own moist green eye. "Your best guess is as good as mine, Kamijou Misaki. "Imagine Breaker" has had many hosts, and appears to change hosts, based on some sort of preference. I've caught wind of rumors, in the far, far past, that "Imagine Breaker" even manifested as objects, or even, on rarer occasions, locations. There would be a chance that "Imagine Breaker" wouldn't change hosts at all, or, perhaps, it would change hosts once your offspring matured, and developed a personality, morals, and values. There is also a chance that "Imagine Breaker" would immediately pursue the next generation of its previous host's family, in order to ensure that it continued to have a host. Many chances, many theories, and seemingly no truths."
"Index really doesn't know anything about Touma's… I would go as far as to call it a curse, either," Misaki practically snapped. She quickly realized that she could potentially grow quite savage, if she didn't reign her emotions in. Too much dangled at the edge. "Imagine Breaker is a sickening debilitation."
Touma took Misaki's hands into his own, and, as she looked up at her husband, Touma smiled warmly down at her. Rising up, Kamijou Misaki's starry eyes looked down at Touma's hands. "I have an idea of my own, actually. It probably won't work, I really, really doubt that it would work, but… it's worth a shot, I think.
"I'll tell you more, and, if you guys, all of you, are feeling up to it, we'll try it out when we get home. How does that sound? There's a lot that I think we need to talk about. I think we've been turning our eyes away from the truth, and from the challenges we face as a family. I mean, even last week, the topic came up, and we just sort of… brushed over it. I don't think we should do that anymore. What do you think? I'd like to hear your thoughts, Misaki. There's no single decision I want to make without your input. For now? I think we should just let loose and have a little bit of fun. During the week, we're both so busy… let's just laugh, and love, huh, beautiful?"
Misaki nearly found herself in tears. Kamijou Touma, her husband, was without flaw. He was literally perfect. He was Mr. Spectacular, the hypothetical partner so many others wished they had, but lacked; and the best part was that he belonged to her, and to her alone. "T-Touma… I agree. There is so much we, as a family, as one, have to talk about. Maybe we have been looking away from the truth for too long. I think these ideas, your ideas, as always, are all wonderful ideas. Especially, your idea about… just having fun. I like that idea a lot, my prince. Let us just… have fun. If it is meant to be, I suppose it will be, will it not? As we always have, we will find a way."
Othinus raised one of her tiny arms up, and placed the side of her outstretched palm to her forehead, in an honorable salute. "I won't stop until the Mental Out's belly has become a great, life-bearing bulb. Mark my words, humans… family… I will find a way. Even if I must work with… them, to do so. Even if I must turn to my oldest once-enemy, I will do so."
"Them…?" Misaki began to ask, before she figured out what the tiny former Magic God was speaking of. Othinus was speaking of GREMLIN. Or, at least, the terrorist organization's former members. She had an idea as to who Othinus' "oldest once-enemy" was, as well.
Gently breaking away from his wife, Touma rubbed the top of Othinus' head with the index finger of his left hand. Othinus' left eye closed, as she squeaked softly in pleasure. "We'll get it all figured out, Othi-chan. You, me, Ojou-Sama here, and Index… we'll get it going together, like we always have."
Rising up on her toes, Misaki gave her husband a soft, swift kiss on the lips; a group of passing girls, one of whom was yelling "go, uncle Touma! Go!" swooned, as they entered the gift shop. Falling back to a normal, flat-footed position, Misaki took her beloved's arm in hers, and motioned towards the restroom facility. "Shall we meet Accelerator, my prince?"
With a grin, Touma nodded, as the trio began to make their way towards the facility across from the gift shop; the sun almost felt brighter, as they left the shelter provided by the gift shop's slanted roof. Misaki closed her eyes, trusting her husband to act as her vision, the young woman breathed deeply, and drank of the newfound positivity in the air. It was almost magical just how quickly Kamijou Touma could turn Kamijou Misaki's mood from a dark one, to a bright one.
Accelerator hadn't technically been lying, when he said that he was going to use the restroom. He'd done his business, he'd cleaned up after himself, and his genitalia had been safely tucked away. Still, he sat on the toilet, his pants pulled up, looking down at his smartphone, which sat in the palms of his clasped hands. The device was unlocked, and, on its tempered glass touch screen, a series of messages were displayed. These messages weren't important to Accelerator; they were in regards to previous correspondences. It was the newest message that he'd sent that was of importance to Accelerator.
"Estelle. Hey. Miss you. Don't think that I'm contacting you just because I need something. That's not it. This isn't for me, anyway. It's for some friends of mine. Listen. Your rituals, your magic, that Idol shit, it's based on stories, is it not? You know, symbolism and all that? You know any stories about something being… removed, from something else? Something being taken out and placed somewhere, or sealed?"
His message had sat there, on his phone screen, for a while. He read it, over and over again, scrutinizing it, his crimson eyes scanning over each word repeatedly. Had he said the right thing? Had he somehow managed to anger the necromancer? Accelerator didn't know. His phone vibrated, and Accelerator's heart jumped into his throat.
"Sensei! I would never. I know youre busy. Lets see. Depends on where you go. Bible has lots of stories about demons being exorcised, almost always by a holy man (and always a man). Not a lot of women doing things in that book from what i remember but dont quote me on it. If you treated whatever it is youre trying to kick out as a demon a magician might be able to cook up a ritual 4 you. dont try it yourself though."
Accelerator chuckled, as he quickly began to form a reply.
"Yeah. That works. It's something to consider, at least. Cheers, Estelle."
Pocketing his phone, Accelerator stepped out of the stall. The male restroom didn't seem to be particularly busy; he assumed that the Grand Kingdom had many restroom facilities scattered throughout it. There were a few other men, young and old, who were either relieving themselves, or washing their hands, having recently relieved themselves, or so Accelerator guessed. Taking notes from his fellow restroom-goers, Accelerator pressed the index finger of his right hand against the hand sanitizer dispenser's trigger, that was closest to him. The clear, germ-destroying jelly didn't slip out immediately. As Accelerator held a hand open, he produced a frustrated sigh. It was going to take its sweet time.
Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting, the dispenser broke down, and, at long last, produced a wave of hand sanitizer; what looked like two years worth of germ-destroying jelly made a glopping noise as it flowed endlessly into the palm of Accelerator's open hand; endlessly, at least, until Accelerator removed his finger from the dispenser's trigger.
Academy City's "top dog" walked with casualness in his step; he looked like he didn't have a care in the world. Even as another man, who'd turned the corner, entering the restroom, stopped, stammering, as he began to back away at the sight of him wasn't enough to bother Accelerator. Pushing his way through the restroom's door, he stepped out from the restroom, and into the "meeting point" of the facility. From here, restrooms for both males and females, rows of doors, some of which were open, which lead into singular, individual use restrooms, and a private room in which mothers could provide their children with the nutrients their bodies produced could be accessed.
This "meeting point" was quite luxurious, when it really had no need to be. There was a small café, from which snacks, drinks, and other odds and ends could be purchased – as Accelerator focused his vision on the café's prices, he scoffed – almost ¥640.14 for a bottle of water. He knew espers, and even magicians who could produce their own for free. At the café's front counter, a few stools stood, while, off to the side, near a small, upright chalkboard that advertised the café's "special" of the day, there were three small tables, with four comfortable-looking chairs to each.
Between the café, and the front of the "meeting point" there were a number of luxurious-looking, large leather seats – eight, exactly, all of which had a singular, round, light brown coffee table in front of them. A few feet away from the collection of seats was large, bright blue box, which had two round holes on its surface – above one hole, a small, white recycling icon was printed on, while, above the other, there was a pure white image of what looked like a human hand tossing away a white circle. These were made irrelevant, when Accelerator noticed the janitorial robots that patrolled the "meeting point".
At the front of the "meeting point", in front of either of the walls to the east, there was a long, wide, metallic counter, either of which were flanked by a row of evenly spaced stools. On one of these stools, a certain married couple sat. Accelerator shook his head, as he smirked. Kamijou Misaki had set herself in her husband's lap, and was clearly enjoying herself, as she gently, and almost unnoticeably grinded her posterior against her other half's crotch. Touma certainly wasn't shying away from the attention; his hands were placed firmly on either of his wife's hips. Their discreet ritual wasn't unnoticeable enough to get past the all-seeing, crimson eyes of Academy City's "top dog".
"Get a room, you fucking nymphomaniacs," Accelerator teased, as he plopped himself down on the stool next to the Kamijous. Set next to the married couple, on the counter, was Misaki's purse, on which Othinus sat. The tiny, former Magic God's legs dangled over the accessory's edge, and she kicked them back and forth, casually. Othinus waved politely to Accelerator, who merely clicked his tongue in response. "Oi, one-eyed brat."
"Bout time, old-ass lady," Touma remarked, as he placed his hands higher up on his wife's sides, and began to tickle her. Misaki jolted up, as she giggled loudly, gently slapping at her husband's hands, in an attempt to save herself.
Accelerator lightly punched Touma on the shoulder – even if Accelerator had wound up the strongest punch he could've possibly managed, it likely wouldn't have done much to the gentle giant sitting next to him. "So, hero, fifth ranked, one-eyed brat, I guess, too, where are we going first? Personally, I want to see what all the fucking hubbub is about this Citadel thing."
"In the center of the plaza, there's a big map… sign… thing, that lays everything out pretty good. We could check it out?" Touma suggested. "How's that sound to you, Ojou-Sama?"
"You are VERY fond of calling me that…" Misaki remarked, as she turned herself around, and placed her nose gently against her husband's own. "I do not want that desire to flee from you. Keep it. I want you to call me "Ojou-Sama", or, more specifically, "my Ojou-Sama", when we…"
Misaki began to blush, as she pulled away, and stood up, tall, and straight. She softly cleared her throat, as she faced her grinning, chuckling husband, and then looked to Accelerator, who'd rested his head in his right hand's palm. "Y-yes… let us go, t-then… I seem to be fond of l-losing myself, today…" Misaki awkwardly muttered.
Picking up her purse, as Othinus happily leapt back inside, meeting the beautiful, soft interior head-on, like she was in love with it, Kamijou Misaki returned her arm to her husband's. As the married couple began to make their way out of the restroom facility, Accelerator trailed a few feet behind.
"Are you sure you want a brat? You won't be able to fuck twenty-four seven anymore. Can you nymphomaniacs handle that?... I'll probably get fucking stuck with their brat when they want to fuck… not that I'd mind. Heh. "Uncle Accelerator". Never would've fucking thought."
Kamisato Kakeru passed a card processing machine through his small, circular window, as he produced an exasperated sigh. This really wasn't getting any easier. More than once, this woman, this "Floris", had "accidentally" brushed her hand over his, during their clumsy interactions with the technology around them, namely, computer keyboards, mice, and card processing machines, and the walkie talkies that were set on the counter that Kakeru and his three compatriots shared.
"Eheheh… sorry…" Floris spoke, softly, a bright pink blush visible on her cheeks. Kamisato Kakeru shook his head at the sight. Floris was attractive, Kakeru could tell that much, and it was something that he had to admit to himself. Her body was something that he could see many a man lusting after. Even in her uniform, Kakeru could tell that this Floris girl was incredibly curvy.
If any woman could claim to have an 'hourglass shape', it was Floris. Her waist looked like it was made by a master craftsman, for the specific purpose of being held; Kakeru could almost see her being the Beauty Queen in a nightclub, conquering the floor with her presence. If anything, his assumption wasn't too far off. Kakeru allowed himself to indulge in her form – even if this woman noticed, given her behavior, she likely wouldn't mind, at least, if it was Kakeru who was doing the looking. His eyes dropped to her posterior, for the first time, in fact.
They widened. Kamisato Kakeru's pupils shrank, as his eyelids parted. If he was the type to become flustered, and break out into a blush, he would've done so. Her uniform's black, silky pants were tight – extremely tight. Her posterior was not only highlighted, but accented by them. It was a grand, glorious, beautiful bump. It looked firm, and plump. Squeezable. Kissable. Fuckable.
"She's got the booty. I repeat, this "Floris" has the booty. This may well just be worth pursuing. What can you do, "Floris"? How much pleasure can you take?"
This young woman's bosom was nothing to scoff at, either. It was round, her breasts perfectly symmetrical, and, even in her uniform's shirt, it protruded considerably. Two round, smaller protrusions could be seen poking the inside of her shirt, and surfacing on its outside.
Kakeru's eyes met Floris' own. She'd stopped functioning completely. As if "Kamisato Disease" was laying siege to her body's nervous system, the young woman's face was beet red; she almost looked like she was fevered. Tsuchimikado Motoharu was laughing hysterically, as he handed tickets to a family on the other side of the booth. Stiyl Magnus rubbed his temples with his index fingers, as he muttered incoherently to himself. His facial expression was one of aggravation. Noticeable creases had formed on his brow, and his lips were curled into a disapproving, frustrated frown. Kamisato Kakeru couldn't care less.
Motoharu, still laughing, pushed himself towards Kamisato Kakeru, who he put his arm around. Kakeru's eyes shifted in his head, as they looked towards Tsuchimikado Motoharu's form.
"You… hahaha! You noticed, huh, buddy?" Motoharu loudly hissed, in a failed attempt at a whisper. "Yeah, I noticed too, way before you did. She's got the booty! SHE'S GOT THE BOOTY! When you're… ha! When you've got one of Floris-san's legs in the air, cock stuffed deep inside her, cum in her for me, yeah? Do a favor for your old pal Tsuchimikado? While you're at it, film it! A buddy of mine would really appreciate the favor!"
"Why would I do that?" Kakeru inquired. "I don't want children. As for potential pornography, I'd only do so if the other, hypothetical party involved consented."
Motoharu only began to laugh harder, as he began to awkwardly stumble away. "You're a real card! You're acting like plan B isn't a viable option; and consent! What's consent?! Oh, the beautiful friendship we are forging! It warms my heart!"
Floris' fist warmed the side of Tsuchimikado Motoharu's face, sending him flying. The Necessarius agent's body struck the adjacent wall, with considerable force, enough to give him quite the shake. Motoharu hit the ground with a thud, and a pained groan.
"Sick, deluded pervert!" Floris angrily exclaimed, as she moved in for a second assault.
"If anyone's the pervert here," Motoharu began, as he slowly rose up to his feet, "it's you. You're totally coming onto Kamisato-chan, here. If you didn't want to have your plumbing done, you wouldn't be following our esteemed partner around like a lost puppy, blushing. Now that I mention it… did you save her, or something? Isn't that how this sort of thing works? You save a girl, and then she wants to munch on your nuts?"
"Floris-san" seems to be more than capable of protecting herself," Kakeru remarked. "No. I wonder, though. Are YOU, in some way, attempting to live vicariously through these escapades? Perhaps, you're feeling… conflicted." Kamisato Kakeru's lips curled into a small, but sinister-looking smirk, as he raised his right hand, and pointed it in the direction of Tsuchimikado Motoharu. Stiyl fulfilled another patron's order, before he moved to open his mouth. He was interrupted, however, when Kamisato Kakeru spoke.
"I wonder… Tsuchimikado-san… do you wish for a new world?"
"Back off, freako!" Motoharu cried as he scurried away, in feigned terror. He knew well enough that he could easily deliver quite the beat down onto the likes of "Kamisato Kakeru". "There are appearances to keep up… let him think I'm scared of his hand."
"Fools! Attentions on the crowd. Now," Stiyl Magnus commanded. He'd set his palms down on the counter, and leaned forward. The red-haired young man's eyelids narrowed, as he scoped out the individual who'd caught his attention.
"Who, exactly, are you calling a fool?" Floris demanded. "I'll have you know I…"
"Yes, yes, Curtana this, Curtana that. New Light this, New Light that. "British Halloween, British Halloween". We've heard this same mock-rhetoric a thousand times over," Stiyl grumbled. "Those accomplishments mean nothing. New Light is Necessarius, now, as are you. Instead of gloating of past successes, struggling to relive your old glory days, perhaps, you could focus on the present. Perhaps, then you'd get something done."
Floris was more stunned than she was angry, at first; but as the shock faded, the former New Light operative slowly began to boil over.
"Good job, Barcode Boy," Motoharu scolded. "Now you've got her being all pissy again. Stick a tampon in it, would you? Something wrong with all of you New Light cunts."
Kamisato Kakeru had to take over, and become the mediator in this situation. He held no love for these Magic Side maggots, but, for his own convenience, infighting couldn't be allowed.
"Floris-san, I'm quite sure that Magnus-san doesn't mean his words; besides, Magnus-san has his own secrets, his own shortcomings… his own inner conflicts. We all do. Some of us, though… some of us are more conflicted than others. Hush, now. I've spotted the odd-looking individual, too."
Pointing outwards, Floris' attention turned towards his finger, and, subsequently, to the "odd-looking individual". As Floris' big, blue eyes landed on the "individual", she nearly burst out laughing, despite the rage she still held in her heart towards Stiyl Magnus, and towards Tsuchimikado Motoharu. This sight was enough to make her cast her anger aside. Kakeru smirked, thinly, as he began to process the purchase of another family, who sought an entrance to the Grand Kingdom.
Approximately ten feet from the quartet's booth, amongst the line's crowds, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was rather short, despite his monstrous appearance – he couldn't have been any taller than five foot eight.
His long, shoulder-length hair looked to have been dyed pitch black; it was far too black to possibly be natural, and, atop his head, he wore a pointy, black, wide-brimmed witch's hat. His face was painted white, and, around either of his dark brown eyes, jet black, fiery orbs were painted. His lips were painted black, and, they were 'extended' into a perpetual, unnatural-looking frown. Around his neck, a black cape was tied, the end of which fell to his tailbone. The person, or, thing, nobody in the booth could be certain, wore a long sleeved, skin tight black pullover sweater, and equally tight, jet black, torn jeans. The black combat boots the person wore likely gave him a few extra inches of height; Floris in particular found herself wondering just how short the person would be without them.
"I'm not helping this weird motherfucker," Motoharu stated, as he stepped away from his computer, and the small machine that was placed next to it, which printed tickets for those who didn't already have virtual tickets. "No way. This guy looks like he just wandered out of a circus. What's with the hat? Is he a stage magician? What kind of magic would he even use? "Fucking lunatic voodoo magic?"
Stiyl offered his fellow Necessarius operative an indifferent shrug. "I will do what you are too incompetent to do, as I always have… I will…"
"Hallo. Kan jeg få en billett, kan du?"
Stiyl raised an eyebrow. The hat-wearing, caped man, or person, whatever he was, or they were, stood mere inches from him. Though he, or it, had to look up, Stiyl still felt as if he was about to be sacrificed to some sort of dark god.
"Say what, now?" Kamisato Kakeru spoke, as he moved towards Stiyl; his arm accidentally brushed against Floris' back, causing her to shiver, and produce a small, barely-audible squeak of awkwardness, as her face erupted into a blush, one which Kakeru wasn't paying any attention to.
"Du føler ham? La det skje," the man, or person, spoke. His voice was deep, almost unnaturally so. Only the Necessarius magicians had heard such a deep voice before, and that belonged to William Orwell, someone who could easily best this painted man-beast.
"I assume he just wants one ticket? Doesn't seem to have anybody with him, big surprise there, I know," Motoharu commented; Stiyl was already on it. Printing out a ticket, Stiyl Magnus pushed it through his circular window, and handed it to the painted, hat-wearing man. With a nod, and a grunt, he walked into the park without paying.
"Woah, hold it! Hold up! You didn't pay! Stop right there! Come on now, stop!" Floris proclaimed, as she waved frantically at the swift, hat and cape-wearing creature.
"Fuck it, let it go; do you really want to fuck with a guy like this?" Motoharu pried. He folded his arms, and tossed his head in the brigand's direction. Stiyl sighed, as he rubbed his temples with his index fingers. Kamisato Kakeru paid Floris' posterior another glance; at least, with this newfound treasure trove, his temporary position would be a bit more enjoyable.
"Let it go?" Stiyl pried. "Our purpose here was to keep watch for nefarious-looking individuals. That was nefarious enough. Someone will have to trail him."
Kamisato Kakeru raised his right hand, and offered a nonchalant shrug. "Be my guest, "Kamisato", if that is even your real name. Prove your loyalty, then," Stiyl grumbled.
"I-I'm going, too! K-Kamisato-san might need help!" Floris excitedly proclaimed, as she quickly took to Kakeru's side. As Kamisato Kakeru pushed the large, metallic door that lead from the metallic greeting booth to the outside world, holding it open for a blushing Floris, Kakeru couldn't help but muse. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Motoharu leaning towards the red-haired young man, likely whispering something to him. He didn't let this sight interrupt his internalizations.
"Perhaps, I can even gain something from this. A man has needs, after all. Why not switch things up? Faction-worthy…? We'll have to see, Floris-san. We'll just have to see. I can make a woman out of you. I just have "this feeling" of my own. What can you do? I want to see what you can do."