Quick thing: thanks, Lx1997 for favoriting! It's great to have you on board. Thanks, for following, both this piece and a Certain Broken Testament! Welcome aboard.
Let's get into responses, shall we? As always, I look forward to what you lovely people have to say, and, additionally, as always, all input is very much appreciated!
Anon Guest: you're certainly not wrong there, friend; perhaps, the Kamijous give off some sort of previously unknown aura? If not, then maybe Kihara Kagun and Othinus know the married couple well enough to be able to instinctually know these things? I, for one am leaning towards the latter. Of course, this is Academy City, after all. Stranger things have happened, haven't they?
That's an interesting thought, in regards to the forming of a new Faction, devoted to seeing a new member of the Kamijou family into the world, by whatever means necessary. Could such a thing come to be? Time will tell.
This thought indeed rides the line between IN-teresting, and scary. If the "many a terabyte of footage" which some might believe Kumokawa Seria to be in possession of is truly an existing archive, then, perhaps, it could end up becoming "leaked" to the Kamijous, through one method or another. Me? I personally think Maria would be too cautious to do something of that nature.
It very well might be his destiny, given his possessing of a certain empowered right hand. Will the two end up engaging in coitus, or, on the other hand, will something even more IN-teresting occur? That's a matter which is up to time to tell.
Yet again, another good question. I'd imagine that Kanzaki Kaori's reaction would be subdued, when compared to Stiyl Magnus's own reaction. I can only assume that, while Kaori would very likely be deeply disturbed, she'd be more likely to simply leave the room, quietly, than throw a fit like Stiyl would.
It'll be coming sooner than later, in fact! Times Change's second season will focus heavily on the Hamazuras, and those they call their friends.
As always, it's great to know that I'm able to consistently gain your approval!
321jaz: guess who's back, back again. Guess who's back, tell a friend.
That's a dangerous slip to make, friend. It's a good thing fictional characters can't attack the living, or I'd truly be afraid for you. You aren't wrong, though. I, too wonder what Accelerator will make of the "drunken duo", so to speak, when he returns. Who knows what Worst has managed to rope our pyrokinesist into, as well! It's Worst, so just about anything is possible.
That you will; in this chapter, to be precise! I haven't forgotten about those two. Our French princess and our almighty thunder god are almost certainly up to something.
We all knew it; as Kagun said himself, it's hardly a secret. You're right about that, you're very, very right about that. In fact, Maria's sister is more than likely one of the sources of Kagun's concerns. You know how gentlemen can be.
I can only imagine what Floris is going to make of a certain right hand user's… "living arrangements". It's probably a good thing that she's intoxicated, or she'd be taken completely aback. Of course, that's merely my own presumptions; I'm merely a humble narrator, the lowly delivery boy of this narrative.
It's a very relatable concept, though, as we'll soon find out, everyone's idea of what "home" is tends to be completely unique. I suppose that's just what makes people, people!
As always, it's great that I'm able to continuously gain your approval! I hope to be able to continue to do so.
whwsms: alrighty, now, let's switch gears, and get into commenting on comments! Comment. Comment, comment, comment. Commenter. I'll stop now, I promise.
Very right, friend. Very, very right; I believe that Himegami Aisa would have quite a lot to say about that little statement of Accelerator's.
As mentioned previously, perhaps the Kamijous give off some sort of aura that others can detect. More likely, however, is the explanation that friends of the married couple know the duo even better than they know themselves. Poor Sphynx, indeed; the feline didn't ask for this. Then again, Sphynx could potentially just sleep through the entire fiasco.
The input and knowledge of "great uncle Ollerus" would, indeed be greatly beneficial to all involved. Both yourself and Anon Guest are onto something, in regards to the forming of a "new Faction". I really like the name "Next Kamijou Generation", if I'm being truthful! It would describe perfectly what this Faction would stand for, and what its endgame goals would be!
Just a matter of time, indeed. Floris has already fallen victim to the so-called "Kamisato Disease", so, there are only initiations and document-signing in the way of Floris becoming a full-fledged member of the Kamisato Faction. Of course, this might not happen at all; in fact, the two could end up remaining as close friends who shared an intimate moment together. Who can truly say, completely for certain what the future holds? Well, I can, but doing so would involve unleashing spoilers, and that's bad.
A certain almighty thunder god and a certain French princess will be making another appearance soon enough; just hang in there! I haven't forgotten about them!
That's a brilliant idea. I'm giggling to myself about the nearly Infinite Possibilities such an idea could give way for! If you'd have it so, I'd love to incorporate this into the premise, for at the very least a mini-arc!
As always, it's great to know that I'm able to consistently gain your approval!
For a considerable length of time, the evening walk shared by Kamisato Kakeru and the former New Light operative Floris was uneventful. Few words were spoken, and conversations which did crop up from time to time were short-lived, soon fading into obscurity after some few sentences were spoken. This fading hardly lead to discomfort. Both parties were fine with the descended silence.
This comfortable silence, and the peace of mind that came along with it were both shattered, like a pane of glass that had a great stone thrown into its surface. From the long, great window of a nearby structure, not one, not two, not three, but a total of six male individuals soared. Their collective journeys were only brought to a halt once their forms had crashed into the brick wall of an adjacent structure. The multicolored neon sign above the structure subjected to the physical abuse shook quite violently, before it eventually settled back into place.
Even while she was intoxicated, Floris tried her best to ready herself, and step into a fighting stance; but she only succeeded in awkwardly stumbling to one side. Kakeru raised his right hand, and cracked his neck, prepared for conflict.
Floris looked to her date, and offered him an offended facial expression. "Uhhh? What did we just tlak… I mean, talk about, Kamisato-chan? You're so thick. Am I going to have to drill this into your head? You can't just go around using that… thing, on people."
"I'll do what's necessary," Kakeru remarked, cryptically, "no matter how regrettable."
The individual who leapt from the window's frame, its glass completely shattered, neither Kamisato Kakeru nor Floris could've expected. He looked almost effeminate, and quite thin for someone of his height. He was dressed rather strangely, with extremely long, golden hair. Once his feet touched down upon the cobbled walkway, he was off; like a blur, he became more of a mess of colors than an actual human being.
Before the writhing forms of the six individuals who'd soared through the recently damaged window's frame he came to a grinding halt; from beneath the heels of his chocolate-colored work boots, sparks had flown.
The broken-looking individuals themselves were identifiable as members of some sort of clique, or perhaps a gang; though, they didn't quite look to be the part to be members of a gang. Their outfits, consisting of leather jackets, baggy, dark-colored denim legwear and tuques of various styles and colors didn't quite fit the bill; Skill Out-related gangbangers dressed far less conspicuously. Both Kamisato Kakeru and Floris knew plenty about the goings-on in Academy City's gang-related subculture.
"You all lack experience points! Cendri-chan isn't the kind of girl who's going to allow that sort of thing! Did you not feel the aura?! It was dark! Even someone without even a single experience point should've been able to feel THAT!" Following his speech, the oddly young, and effeminate-looking man placed his hands upon his hips. He produced a long, drawn-out sigh, and then proceeded to become quite complacent-looking; his shoulders slouched, and either of his arms' hands hung limply at his sides, as his arms buckled beneath their own weight.
"I'm not going to be able to help you much. Even with my own great experience, I'm high as a kite. I truly am pathetic. I don't think I should help you, anyways; what each and every one of you did, even those of you who only watched on are truly pathetic. Actually, you're quite lucky that I'm in a pleasant mood, or I'd kill you all myself. So tired…"
At this point, both Kamisato Kakeru and Floris had been overtaken by morbid curiosity. They'd stopped in the middle of the mostly-vacant walkway, and were awkwardly gawking at the scene that was playing out before them. Occasionally, the two would look to one another before they would look back to the unfolding scene. Neither knew what exactly there was to say.
"W…what is she, even?! She's tough as shit! Tough as fuckin' nails!" One of the broken individuals inquired, aggressively. "Just get her off my boys and I! We didn't mean nothin' by it, man!"
The oddly-dressed, vaguely feminine-looking individual sat down, crossing his legs beneath him and folded his arms across his chest. A few feet away from the broken male individuals, he produced another sigh. The whites of his eyes were quite clearly bloodshot; Kamisato Kakeru had a suspicion as to what the culprit of this mutation was.
Neither Kakeru nor Floris had the time to continue to observe that occurrence's happening, however. From around the corner of the structure, coming from some location neither Kakeru nor Floris knew the origin or exact placing of, a woman who both parties had to internally admit was stunning emerged. Her jewel-encrusted heels clacked against the walkway as she cracked her knuckles, a vein throbbing in her forehead, her right eyebrow repeatedly twitching. Her lips were curled downwards, her eyelids wide, the eyes within their sockets wild.
"Thor, don't even think about laying a hand upon them; don't you dare even think about trying to protect them either. They're mine. To the side with you, unless you'd like to be trampled."
"I'm not into that! Come on, Cendri-chan," the individual apparently known as "Thor" spoke, exasperated. "It's good that you're continuing to gain experience points, but you nearly killed these goofballs! They're harmless, anyways! Look at this one! He's sorry! Tell her you're sorry!" This individual, "Thor", barely sounded like he meant the words that'd spoken, especially when he described the broken men as being "harmless". He sounded more like he was trying to reason with some monster.
The apparent leader of this group of ragtag nobodies, with strands of orange-colored hair protruding from beneath his tuque rolled onto his back, and struggled to rise. "L-lady, w-we're sorry! We d-didn't mean nothing by it! Nothing at all! I sure as fuck didn't mean nothing by it, goddamn!"
The beautiful woman, apparently known as "Cendri-chan" didn't stop walking towards them. Rather, she picked up her pace. Though the effeminate man known as "Thor" had risen, and was trying to awkwardly waddle towards the woman, "Cendri-chan" wasn't intimidated.
"No?" She inquired, skeptically. "I see. So, you can sexually harass a woman freely, grope her and whisper filthy words into her ear, and then, when she retaliates, as per her right, her aggressors can simply say that they "meant nothing by it"? I was not aware that this was how these matters worked."
"Cendri-chan…" the individual known as Thor muttered, nervously. He tried to obstruct her, and get in the way of her path, but this "Cendri-chan" was having none of it.
She barged past the one called Thor, knocking him out of the way; he responded to this aggression by sitting down and yawning, shrugging his shoulders, as if to say "I tried."
It was then that Kamisato Kakeru snapped out of his trance-like state, and proceeded to walk towards the scene, his right hand falling back to his side. Though Floris couldn't have known it, her words were floating throughout the caverns of his higher mind. Floris herself was right behind her date, though, she still wasn't completely certain as to what exactly was unfolding before her.
"It appears that there may be a misunderstanding here," Kakeru stated calmly, his voice firm, but understanding. Floris suddenly felt like she wanted to jump his bones even more than before. She wanted Kamisato Kakeru to speak to her in that tone of voice as he was thrusting into her.
Then, shame was known to the former New Light operative; this was hardly the time for such thoughts to be flowing throughout her mind. She needed to focus, and keep on her toes, just in case she became a target. Floris would be damned if she didn't go down without a fight.
The golden-haired beauty's head craned in the speaker's direction. Kakeru looked into her eyes, and raised an eyebrow in her direction. Both he and Floris continued walking forwards, the former prepared to jump into the fray if necessary.
One of the broken male individuals had nearly risen from the ground, his arms shuddering as he struggled to lift his aching form; beneath the domineering force of the woman known as "Cendri-chan", he was pushed back to the ground, like the smallest of insects crushed beneath the boot of an oblivious passerby. He gritted his teeth, and growled like an animal caught in a trap, her jewel-encrusted heel digging viciously into the young-seeming man's back. One, twice, and then a third time, "Cendri-chan" viciously stomped upon him, digging her heel deeper and deeper, cutting flesh, and, beneath his jacket, causing crimson lifeblood to flow freely.
At this point, the one known as Thor had laid himself out on the ground, and appeared to have drifted into slumber; his eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell, rhythmically.
"Misunderstanding? No, there's no misunderstanding here," "Cendri-chan" spoke, with a shake of her head. "These… primates, lead by this… this pig in human clothing," the stunning woman motioned towards the group's apparent head honcho, who'd managed to pick himself up from the ground, "came from behind and groped me. Without so much as a word of my permission, they were upon me, as if I was some… piece, available for public use. There were no misunderstands here. I will show these pigs in human clothing the errors of their way."
Kamisato Kakeru looked to the group's head honcho. His legs vibrated, and World Rejector's wielder could very easily tell that the brutish male was in shock, to some extent. Kakeru could hardly blame him; if he'd been thrown through a window, and sent crashing into the outer, brick wall of another structure, he, too would've been in shock.
"Is this true?"
"It wasn't like that, fuck me, man, it wasn't fucking like that!" the male remarked. "Most girls are into that. Freaky, right? Into being fondled and all that shit, we didn't mean no harm by it."
Kakeru breathed a sigh of irritation. Since turning World Rejector against this gorilla was apparently out of the question, World Rejector's wielder began to postulate. "You do realize how disgusting that sounds, no? Surely this is some sort of front. Who are you trying to impress? You're not impressing this individual, by any means; it would appear that your front has failed.
"Every person, male or female has their own comfort zone. You speak of "girls" as if they are mere brood animals, like cattle to be milked."
The group's apparent head honcho seemed to become just as exasperated as Kakeru was. Slouching forward, the gruff, well-muscled man began to massage his temples with the index and middle fingers of his hands. "Greeeeat. We get the preachy one. You're like one of those protagonists straight out of a fuckin' harem manga. Not that I'm a goddamn weeb or anything…"
Floris found herself awkwardly giggling at the remark. When all eyes, even the eyes of those who were struggling to push their broken forms from the ground fell upon her, Floris fell quiet, and then softly cleared her throat.
The one known as "Cendri-chan" had just about enough; not only of these pigs' presence, but of the bickering unfolding between their apparent leader, and the mysterious, but surprisingly handsome stranger as well. The former had closed the distance between the latter, and it seemed that a brawl would break out if she refused, or even tarried in intervening.
Under her breath, Cendrillon softly, but quickly began to chant, loud enough only for her own ears to hear. Her right hand's palm was extended outwards, in the pig-leader's direction. "Old lady of the pumpkin carriage, please send the carriage quickly. Send it before I wake, before I wake from this one-night dream. Please send the pumpkin carriage."
Struck, and practically mowed down by an invisible, forceful push, the group's apparent leader was swiftly, and efferently removed from the ground. Like some ripe vegetable plucked by the hand of a farmer, the air was torn from within his lungs, and, from his open mouth, his nose, and from the corners of his eyes, crimson lifeblood dripped.
"He will live. Probably," "Cendri-chan" spoke. She turned away from a nonchalant Kamisato Kakeru, and a shocked-looking Floris. The stunning, and apparently extremely capable woman looked to the pig-leader's compatriots, who were stumbling backwards, their eyes wide.
Softly, the stunning woman whispered, "old lady of the pumpkin carriage, please send the carriage quickly. Send it before I wake, before I wake from this one-night dream. Please send the pumpkin carriage." In an instant, her left hand's open palm was thrust towards the pigs.
Like bowling pins, they were tossed away; some into the air, others crashing, and rolling against the cobbled walkway, as an invisible force crashed against them, and broke them further.
Kakeru clapped. Slowly, and methodically he clapped his hands' palms together. With her arms crossed beneath her bosom, Floris eyed the stunning, princess-like woman.
The princess-like woman tossed her head back, as if to challenge the Bearer of the World Rejector, and the former New Light operative. "Cendri-chan" bent downwards, and scooped up the slumbering form of her companion. Placing him over her shoulder, she, without so much as another word began to casually take her leave, heels clicking against the surface of the cobbled walkway.
"Cendri-chan… did you kill 'em? I'm… munchies. Does… the hotel have… chips?"
"No, Thor. I don't know. We can get some."
"Kamisato-san," Floris spoke, "someone's ought to have called Anti-Skill by this point. We… should probably split."
"Mhm," Kakeru responded. "A moment, however. There's something I'd like to do before we depart. I think, despite their dark intentions, these individuals deserve a second chance. Perhaps this incident will teach them a lesson in humility. Though, perhaps it won't. Still, I believe everyone deserves a second chance. I will offer them this second chance."
Floris eyed Kakeru, as he produced his phone from within the right pocket of his pants. Unlocking the device, he swiped his finger downwards along the surface of the phone's tempered glass screen. Raising his phone to his right ear, he stood, silent and patient for some few seconds.
"Hello. Greetings, how are you this evening…? Good. I'll be needing an ambulance, in the Grand Kingdom amusement park. Yes, the Den of Debauchery quarter. Do you often get called out here? … I see. That's a shame. Across from an establishment known as… "Papa Jack's Taphouse and Grill." No, a physical altercation broke out, resulting in some rather painful-looking injuries. I merely witnessed the tail end of this altercation. No worries. Have a lovely evening, now."
Kamisato Kakeru ended the call, and proceeded to pocket his phone. Turning his attention to Floris, he offered the former New Light operative his right hand. Into her left she took her date's hand, as she returned to Kakeru's side.
"Are you feeling fit enough to run, Floris-san? I'd prefer it if we ran. At this rate, we'll be having more than one emergency service moving in our location. Even if we had nothing to do with this conflict, our status as witnesses to the altercation would be enough to inconvenience the both of us."
"I'd probably fall," Floris admitted. "Piggyback, Good Samaritan?"
With a shrug, Kakeru leaned forward, and patted his back with his right hand. Lacking any sort of hesitation, the intoxicated Floris clambered onto her date's back, wrapping her arms around his upper torso as best as she could. Around his lower torso, her legs were wrapped. Kakeru rose, and curled either of his arms around his date's legs; if she was to suddenly lose grip and fall back, Kakeru would act as a second line of defense.
As fast as he could manage to, Kamisato Kakeru bolted directly to the north, with Floris upon his back like a monkey, leaving behind the writhing, broken individuals. Only once all had become clear did patrons of the structure from which both "Thor" and "Cendri-chan" had emerged pop their heads out from the structure's windows, gawking, pointing and laughing loudly at the sight before them, glasses of alcohol and joints of marijuana in their collective hands. The structure housed a rather cost-effective, but equally seedy casino.
Kamisato Kakeru hadn't been able to run quickly; he'd barely been able to run at all. Floris was hardly a large woman, nor could she even be considered to be someone who was "large"; rather, it was the fact that her form was well-muscled that lead to Kakeru's back becoming strained. Floris was heavy, not large. That would be his excuse, should the topic emerge in conversation, at least.
For some blocks, Kakeru kept going, pushing his body, and mentally whipping himself. He wouldn't allow himself to be weak, like he'd been in the past. He wouldn't whine and moan like he'd done back then. Kakeru would push himself until he could push no more, and even then he would defy the odds and keep going.
Kamisato Kakeru made a right turn, and then continued moving down the walkway he'd turned down, before a left turned needed to be made. The Bearer of the World Rejector, with his monkey upon his back passed by a group of intoxicated youths who, at the sight suddenly broke down laughing. Kamisato Kakeru ignored them, and continued to push himself.
"Kamisato-chan? I think we're far enough away. Y-you could p-probably let me down. P-people are going to make a scene, you know how k-kids are."
He breathed a sigh of relief, as he came to a grinding halt. Kakeru's calves screamed for release, as did his lower torso, which was being tightly constricted by Floris's powerful legs. Floris dropped down from her date's back, awkwardly stumbling once her feet touched the ground. She'd just barely managed to keep herself from falling. Grabbing onto Kakeru's shoulder, Floris heard the soles of her shoes squeak, as they roughly scraped against the cobbled walkway.
"Parking spaces are some few blocks away… about four," Kakeru remarked. He stood upon his toes and stretched his arms towards the sky; his bones cracked, and his muscles flexed, crying out in joy and relief. Kamisato Kakeru eventually set himself back into a neutral standing position, and shifted his body's weight from one leg to the other.
Floris took it upon herself to slip her right hand into Kamisato Kakeru's left. She smiled to herself as their palms connected.
"This has been one… insane night," Floris remarked. "I don't really have any other word to describe it. Insanity! Both good and bad! It's been a pretty mixed bag, but… coming on the end, here, the night was really, really nice. I've enjoyed myself with you so much, Kamisato-san. T-thank you."
She began to walk forwards, her form bathed in the flashing neon light produced by a sign, mounted upon the roof of a structure adjacent to the duo. The sign looked to depict the form a faceless, mostly featureless woman, her form laid out in an alluring pose across the structure's roof. A pair of bunny ears protruded from the light fixture woman's featureless, empty head, and Kamisato Kakeru's thoughts turned to a certain young woman, one of his many lovers in his household, who was waiting for him to arrive home. For a moment, he wondered just what she, and the other women who called him their lover were up to.
Floris looked to her date, and awkwardly grinned, her eyelids closing shut as the two continued on their way. "It almost reminds me of this one night… back when New Light was, you know, a thing."
Kakeru produced a soft, curious "hm". Floris took this as audible permission to continue with the anecdote she'd intended to deliver onto her date.
"Oh, Kamisato-san… it was insane. Lessar, Bayloupe, Lancis and I, we all went to this club one night. In hindsight bringing Lessar to a club wasn't the best idea, but, what can I say? This was some six years ago, so… we were all still young and stupid. At least I can say that, from the start, Bayloupe thought it was a terrible idea.
"Anyways, I wish you could've been there, you would've been dying. Lessar's obviously doing her thing, having like, eight guys grind against her and she's obviously loving it. Lancis is over in a corner trying not to be noticed, and Bayloupe… it was the funniest thing. Bayloupe was just turning guys down left and right at the bar. She'd take the drinks they'd buy her, but she wouldn't dance with them. They were obviously so mad, but Bayloupe has this air about her. S-she doesn't fuck around."
Kamisato Kakeru produced a soft chuckle, and looked to his date, who had opened her eyes, and was looking at him. Oddly, Kakeru found himself almost being hypnotized by Floris. The longer he looked into her big, blue eyes, the stranger his feelings became. Her nose was small, but not too small, just small enough to be adorable to look at. Floris's lips were full, and so absolutely kissable.
The Bearer of the World Rejector felt an unusual shiver run down his spine, as his lower torso began to awkwardly tingle. The longer he looked at this young woman, the more he wanted to push her against a wall and thrust into her until he came; but that wasn't possible. She was intoxicated, and Kakeru believed in his heart of hearts that doing so would make him no better than the broken individuals he and his date had left behind.
"K-Kamisato-san?" Floris inquired, awkwardly. "Are you a-alright? You're staring."
"Uh huh," Kakeru murmured. "I'm good, Floris-san. Tired, is all; I allowed my conscious mind to drift away from me for a moment. Sincerest apologies."
Kakeru made a left turn, down a considerably more populated walkway. Crowds had gathered in the walkway, as they moved towards Kakeru and Floris, passing them by, some paying the duo a series of glances, others seemingly not acknowledging their respective existences. Bathed in many different colors and shades of neon lights, some flashing, some solid, the duo pushed through the crowds, as if they were attempting to swim upstream, against a mighty current. Hand in hand, Floris followed. For a considerable amount of time, a comfortable silence descended between the duo as they walked, before Kakeru broke it.
"I have an entertaining anecdote to share as well, if you'd hear it," Kakeru spoke. "It is, however, a bit… raunchier in nature. It'd be wiser to wait until we reach the privacy of my vehicle to speak about it."
Floris responded to this statement by tilting her head to one side, curiousness in her mind and butterflies fluttering within her stomach.
Beneath a great, ornate archway the duo passed; high above their heads, the archway's existence brought an end to the cobbled walkway. Once the duo had passed beneath the archway, successfully managing to dodge groups of overexcited youths, and rampaging groups of even more excitable folks older than the duo themselves, the cobbled walkway turned to asphalt; they'd stepped into a great, fenced in parking space. One of many outside "the Grand Kingdom's" walls, in fact.
Illuminated by tall streetlamps, identical to those found in Academy City proper, the parking space was an overcrowded mess. Nearly each and every individual parking spot had been overtaken by vehicles of all makes, shapes and sizes. Along the sides of the fences that separated this particular parking space from Academy City proper, bicycles, electric bicycles and motorized bicycles were locked.
Kamisato Kakeru looked from his left, and then to his right. Though Floris didn't necessarily know what type or make of vehicle she was looking for, she did the same, as the two traversed the parking space, small pebbles and discarded natural waste material crunching beneath their feet.
"The vehicle I'm driving shouldn't be hard to miss," Kakeru spoke. He sounded distracted, continuing to look from left to right as his words emerged from between his lips. "My own vehicle is in for repairs, after one of my…. partners attempted to use it to attract unidentified flying objects. Supermagnets wreak havoc upon the internals of vehicles, apparently. In return, I'm currently using hers. Maybe you'd like to help me? If so, look for a van, with several satellite dishes mounted atop it."
The former New Light operative proceeded to do just that. Though the description was vague at best, Floris visualized such a sight in her mind, and attempted to find something similar in the world outside of her mind's eye.
Row after row of parked vehicles the duo passed by, but no vehicle among any in these rows matched the description Kakeru had provided. Vans were indeed present, among various other types of vehicles, but no van adorned in such a way was present.
Some four rows they passed, following the previous five, before a strangely-decorated, pink-colored van appeared in Floris's vision. Squished in between two smaller four-door vehicles, both of which were darker in coloration than the van itself, Kakeru's temporary means of transportation stuck out like a sore thumb. Larger than most vans, numerous pink-colored satellite dishes were indeed attached to its roof.
As the two approached, Floris noticed that, on the right side of the vehicle, a large sticker had been placed, depicting the word "ABDUCTION!" Floris could've potentially taken the word, and the nature of the vehicle itself out of context, if there hadn't been a decal depicting a stereotypical flying saucer on either side of the word.
"Forgive the… state of this vehicle," Kakeru casually remarked. "One of my partners uses this vehicle of hers to track unidentified flying objects, something she's quite passionate about."
"I can tell," Floris giggled. In her intoxicated state, her mind's eye could imagine a nondescript girl sitting in the back of the van, its doors open, with a telescope raised to her eye.
Kamisato Kakeru had broken away from his date, and had walked to the left side of the vehicle. Squeezing himself between his borrowed mode of transportation and the dark-colored four-door, which had been parked far too closely to his own temporary vehicle for Kakeru's liking, he reached into his pocket, and produced a set of keys. Unlocking the left door, he opened it as best as he could, and stepped out of the small space that was present between the two vehicles.
"After you," Kakeru said. "It could be a fair amount of time until we not only escape this crowded lot, but, there will be a fair distance between this district and thirteen, our destination. There's a functioning living space in the van's rear, though it lacks restroom facilities. Feel free to drop into the bed, if you'd like. The air mattress is quite comfortable; I can speak from experience. This vehicle's owner rigorously performs cleaning duties on a daily basis, apparently of her own accord. She may have some type of compulsion, but I suppose that's none of my business. Regardless, its sheets are cleanly to the point of absurdity."
She didn't know it, but she was blushing. Floris's face had erupted into an enormous, pink-colored blush. Floris could feel the heat rising into her face, but, in the moment she didn't associate the sensation with the unconscious act of blushing. Both her cheeks and nose had been completely consumed, as blood rushed to her face without her permission. "T-thanks, K-Kamisato-chan. I might do that, actually… this headache is getting to me. I m-mean, it's tolerable, don't worry! It's just… a-annoying, that's all. Eheheh."
Floris squeezed herself between the vehicle temporarily in Kamisato Kakeru's custody, and the dark-colored vehicle. A part of her felt like hunting the driver of the vehicle opposite her down, and screaming in their face, explaining to them exactly why they were a complete imbecile. Her more reasonable, though intoxicated higher mind reminded Floris that such a thing was not only completely impossible, but completely idiotic in and of itself.
Kakeru made his way to the vehicle's left side, and climbed in, after he unlocked the right side's door. Closing it behind him, he nestled himself into the van's driver's seat. On the vehicle's right, Floris placed a foot onto the edge of the van's interior. She grasped a handle on the inner side of the opened left door, and pulled herself upwards. Instinctually, Floris closed the door behind her, listening as it clicked satisfyingly into place. World Rejector's Bearer had placed a key into the van's ignition. Once he turned it, the van's interior sprung to life.
Pink-colored light bathed both Kakeru and Floris; the interior of the van was bathed in light of the same color. It sparkled and danced, as if some invisible disco ball was hanging above their heads.
"Is the… uh, is the bed held in place by something?" Floris inquired. She felt foolish for asking, but, her own desire to find personal safety overwhelmed her own social anxieties, for a time.
Kakeru nodded. "Two belts tie the air mattress itself to the interior walls, some type of leathery material. Extremely difficult to snap. There's no need to concern yourself with crashes of my own creation, Floris-san; I drive defensively. Still, a genuine and commendable concern in and of itself. You're very mature, Floris-san, dependable and reasonable, highly intelligent as well. You're…"
He'd been denied the chance to speak even a word more. Floris, like a predator springing upon her unsuspecting prey, had forced herself into her date's lap. Her posterior had been pressed against the steering wheel; it had brushed against the large, saucer-shaped attachment which had been set over the wheel's horn. The van produced a loud, almost aggressive-sounding honk for a fraction of a second.
Floris couldn't have cared any less. Pressing her lips against Kakeru's own, she began to viciously grind her body against his own, moaning aloud all the while, as their lips smacked together. She reached downwards, towards her date's crotch, with the intention of massaging him. Floris's tongue found its way into Kakeru's mouth. Wrestling with her date's own, Floris's tongue thrashed and whipped from side to side, as she tasted him.
Her cheeks and nose were bright red, as more and more blood rushed into her face. Floris grabbed either of Kakeru's hands with her own, and placed them against her posterior. As he grabbed on, squeezing down tightly, Floris broke their kiss, and moaned aloud in ecstasy, her entire body shuddering as she did so. Both parties were lucky that the van's windows had been rolled up some time prior to their sudden encounter.
"That's s-so good!" Floris cried out, thrusting her bosom into her date's face. With her hands free to be used as she saw fit, Floris grasped onto the back of his head, wrapping that soft, perfect hair of his between her fingers. Floris felt the beginnings of tears running down either of her cheeks. Her womanhood ached and throbbed, demanding to become one with this handsome young man beneath her.
"Fuck me, fuck me fuck me fuck me FUCK ME! I c-can't hold back anymore, K-Kamisato-chan," Floris spoke through a joyous sob. "Have sex with me, please. Thrust into me until you're ready to completely lose it, and eject that nasty, pent-up stuff, I c-can't fucking last another minute with you. Can you k-kiss my boobs please? If y-you d-don't want to have… if you d-don't want to fuck me, I can grind on you while you make out with my boobs. I think that would w-work, huh?"
Kamisato Kakeru sighed, and reluctantly removed his hands from Floris's posterior. This certainly wasn't how he'd imagined his night would've gone, when he'd awoken in the morning.
"That isn't how I feel, necessarily," Kakeru spoke. He fell back on tactics, and his own inborn smarts. This young woman was plastered, very emotionally-charged, and obviously had very, very strong feelings for him. As if he was diffusing a proverbial bomb, Kakeru braced himself, and steadied his higher mind. "You're intoxicated, and you can't properly give consent to engage in sexual activities. I can't, and I won't take advantage of you in this situation. Not only that, doing so would be moving too quickly. At least, I think so."
Kakeru could hardly believe his own words; here he was, playing outside of his own game's rules again.
Floris didn't immediately respond, at least not verbally. She slumped downwards, and began kissing her date's neck, softly, and gently, with the upmost respect and adoration. Between her lips being pressed against her date's soft, warm skin, Floris murmured. "I'm sorry, I s-swear to God in Heaven that I-I'm not normally… l-like this. Y-you make me unravel like this, and I l-love it and I hate it a-at the same time. You're right, I d-don't want to move that fast. God, I-I'm sorry, Kamisato-san."
"You're fine."
Kamisato Kakeru's tone of voice was calm, comforting, almost fatherly. Around the young woman's waist his arms coiled, taking Floris into a friendly, warm, and very much welcomed embrace.
"It's okay. Allow yourself to experience this, allow yourself to feel these feelings. I promise, Floris-san, I won't hurt you. Breathe, and relax yourself. I have no reason to wish to harm you, nor would I gain anything from doing so. What you're doing in this moment is fine. You're exploring, allow it to happen. I don't mind to act as a guide. I found myself in a similar position to the one you've found yourself in for the this last while, not so long ago, you know."
Floris nuzzled him; she nuzzled him, and she nuzzled him and she didn't stop as the butterflies within her stomach bounced, and twirled and performed all sorts of acrobatics.
"D-Did you?"
Floris unconsciously found herself pulling away from Kakeru. Squeezing herself between his form and the steering wheel behind her, Floris plopped herself into the passenger seat. She strapped herself in, clicking the seat's seatbelt into its corresponding buckle. Floris looked to her lap, as the vehicle, commanded by Kakeru, began to pull out from within the parking spot it had rested in.
Nodding, Kakeru kept his attention on his driver's side rear-view mirror, occasionally looking to the small mirror a few inches away from the vehicle's front windshield. "I did."
Floris noticed that a number of small knickknacks and collectibles had been taped to the vehicle's dashboard; little alien bobble heads, and statuettes of little flying saucers.
"It was a… strange time, Floris-san," Kakeru began. Having emerged from the parking spot, Kakeru had pushed the vehicle forward, and was making a beeline towards the runway, which lead to the exit of the parking space. Other vehicles followed behind him at a brisk pace. With the push of a button, the windows of the van began to roll downwards, allowing the night's cool, refreshing air to rustle Floris's golden locks, as well as the fringe of Kakeru's own hair.
The breeze kissed Floris's cheeks, softly and lovingly, while it batted her bangs about. Her own hair's fringe wasn't doing much better than Kakeru's. The feeling of being kissed by the breeze was a funny one; Floris found herself awkwardly giggling, her eyes still moist.
"There was a time when I hardly even knew who I was, or what I was doing here, as in, on this planet, Floris-san. There was a time when I believed I was simply some "normal, everyday high school boy that could be found anywhere". Greater nonsense has only been spoken by politicians caught in lies, and by celebrities searching to protect their own images. At the very least, these individuals would have reasons for lying, however concerning.
"Of course, I see matters for what they are, with the clearest of vision in the present: I was a coward, unwilling to face up to the responsibility thrust upon me. Moaning about such responsibility as I did then accomplished very little.
"It was some time after my obtaining of this power, this responsibility, "World Rejector", that another milestone was reached, and another hurdle presented itself. With individuals of the opposite gender surrounding me, gathered by this "World Rejector", it was only a matter of until a sexual encounter came to be, excuse the double entendre."
Kakeru didn't find himself in a position to physically turn his head to look to Floris. With his vision focused entirely on the asphalt before him, Kakeru was dedicated to escaping the parking space.
He could see the grand archway, and the standard Academy City roadway just beyond; the more lightly-colored asphalt of Academy City's own roadway was a clear indication that, once he and Floris's temporary vehicle passed beneath the grand, ornate archway, they'd be free of the crowds, and of the terrible, irate drivers who circled the parking space like bloodthirsty sharks.
He spoke regardless of whether he could look to his date or not. "Are you comfortable with discussing the subject further? I assure you, the story is a humorous one. I wouldn't tell it otherwise."
Kamisato Kakeru had no way of knowing it, but Floris found herself awkwardly hanging on his every word. She was seeking information, something to record and stick away inside of her subconscious mind. Floris wanted to know exactly what this young man was into, what he liked and what he didn't like. Floris licked her lips, as thoughts of tending to his physical needs flooded her mind's eye. It also wouldn't be bad if he'd tend to hers.
"I d-don't mind," Floris remarked, giggling. "I already t-told you about my own fuckups, right? It's only f-fair for me to hear you out. I really don't mind."
Kakeru slammed the breaks, as a bright-colored sports car swiftly pulled out from within the parking spot that had contained it. Its engine roared, and its wheels squealed as the vehicle's headlights shone into the cab of he and Floris's van. Floris raised her hands to her eyes, whose lids closed tightly, and shook her head as spots danced across the darkness before her.
The World Rejector's Bearer held back a flurry of curses, and inhaled deeply. Once the opposing vehicle had cleared out of the way, Kakeru commanded the vehicle to continue onwards, his foot gently pressing against the pedal.
"Well, Floris-san, neither one of us were intoxicated, which probably made the encounter even stranger for the both of us," Kakeru elaborated.
"One of my partners, named Fran, an easily-excitable, but thoughtful and highly intelligent young woman – the owner of this vehicle in fact – and I had remained behind at our shared home, as our fellows had taken off to a viewing of a superhero film that'd been popular at the time. I believe it was one of those ensemble team-up films, what was the name…? "The Vindicators"? Something of the sort. Neither Fran nor myself had even the slightest interest in this film, to make a long story shorter.
"Of course, this had been some years after a particularly… traumatizing set of incidents, for the both of us. Of course, it would come up in conversation. Now, in a perfect world, that point would've been the point in which the narrative of our situation suddenly turned one hundred and eighty degrees on us. Animal comfort, which we'd sought from one another should've turned to passionate lovemaking, but… awkwardness ensued."
"You're killing me with this suspense," Floris spoke, her words emerging from her lips at a higher volume than she'd intended. Floris was, quite literally on the edge of her seat; as close as she could get, at least. "What happened, Kamisato-san? Did someone faint? I've watched some of those h-h… h… HAREM… anime before, and the guy always blushes and faints whenever the girls start getting all over him. NOT THAT I THINK YOU'RE FAKE OR ANYTHING!"
Kakeru produced a series of hearty chuckles. He and Floris's temporary mode of transportation finally passed beneath the archway, as the smaller, but considerably longer minivan before them finally managed to pull out onto the roadway, making a left turn.
"No offense taken, Floris-san. You know those male characters are written to behave in such a manner for a reason, right? It allows for the audience, generally young adult males to more easily project themselves onto the male lead. Sells merchandise, and such."
Pulling out into the roadway, and making a right turn, Kamisato Kakeru could increase the speed in which the vehicle travelled. Slowly, the van began to gain speed, and the light breeze quickly picked up, becoming a whipping whirlwind. It kissed the cheeks of both Kamisato Kakeru and Floris with considerable force, much more than previously.
"Oh, definitely," Floris remarked. "It's totally wish-fulfilment; trashy wish-fulfilment at that. But you were telling a story, and I was l-listening, for, um… research purposes. Please continue, Kamisato-san!"
"There's very little left to tell," Kakeru admitted with a shrug. "Fran, in an act of what we both know was love, attempted to manually stimulate me with her hands. The keyword being attempted. Well, to say that she hadn't succeeded would be a lie. I simply couldn't last. I'm man enough to admit it. I was young, naïve, the only hands exposed to that part of my body before had been my own."
Floris bit her lip, and held back a barrage of giggles that were desperately struggling to escape. Her cheeks were growing red, though, not because of blood rushing to her face; rather, she was physically fighting against herself. Floris could feel her lips curling upwards, even as she bit her lower lip, pressing down with more and more force.
"K… K-Kamisat… K-Kamisato-san," Floris blurted out, awkwardly, "there's nothing to be ashamed of! Not everyone's first time with these things can be like they are in the movies, right?"
"Right," Kakeru remarked. "It was… quite awkward, and rather uncomfortable for the both of us, especially for myself. Still, in the end, no matter how embarrassing, it became a memory we shared together."
Floris smiled, and nodded approvingly. Her eyelids were becoming heavy, and the van's passenger seat was becoming a place of considerable comfort; the thick, soft fabric its seat and backrest were made up of caressed Floris's body, and massaged her as she moved about in her seat. "That's a nice way of looking at the situation. Kamisato-san, I think I might grab a nap quickly. Don't be afraid to put on music or something, I'm a pretty heavy sleeper… d-don't be afraid to t-touch me, either. I'm a f-freak, I know. S-sorry, that slipped out."
"Our journey should take no longer than an hour and a half, should traffic conditions remain favorable," Kakeru explained, softly. "I'll do my best to ensure that your rest is a deep and refreshing one, Floris-san. I promise, I am a very defensive and, not to toot my own horn, experienced driver. You've nothing to worry about."
Floris placed the back of her head against her seat's headrest, and, one last time nuzzled into the seat. She rested her right hand on Kakeru's knee. Beneath the cool fabric of his uniform's pants, she could feel the warmth produced by his hard, and well-muscled leg.
Within mere minutes, Floris's higher mind faded into the warm, welcoming embrace of slumber, her hand's fingers gripping her date's leg tightly. The whistling of the wind, and the soft hum of their shared vehicle had quickly lulled her.
As Floris slumbered, the ride between school districts was mostly uneventful. Though Kamisato Kakeru had cussed out more than one individual who'd cut him off, or had been driving too slowly for his liking, he'd done so as quietly as possible. Waits at stoplights were encountered, and more than once, Kamisato Kakeru witnessed specimens who'd become victims of Academy City's "interesting" nightlife; groups of intoxicated, or otherwise sober, but rowdy and impressionable youths roamed the walkways, disobeying their respective, or collective curfews and bothering adults on their own night commutes.
Once Kamisato Kakeru, and, by extension, the slumbering Floris had arrived at their destination, Kakeru had just about his fill of driving. After signalling, he made a right turn, into an expansive, and delicately-cobbled driveway. Flanked by two great streetlamps on either of its sides, a tall, silver-colored gate stood vigilantly before him, barring him from entering the lot beyond it. The passageway beyond was additionally protected by walls of brick, which surrounded its perimeters, and rose some fifteen feet into the air. It had an air of royalty to it, like the outer walls of some grand palace.
Just beyond the gate was a tower. Appearing to have been made completely out of glass, the tower, which was in fact a great condominium was twenty-five stories tall, and dozens of meters in width.
Some few feet beyond his driver's side window, a great machine stood, its base placed on the cobbled driveway. Directly behind this machine, there were several rolling, grassy knolls. Thin, but tall, the machine was silver in coloration, with a palm-sized screen placed in its center.
Kamisato Kakeru reached out from the window, and placed the palm of his right hand against the screen's cool surface. Though blank and featureless at first, the screen quickly jumped to life, becoming colorful and lively.
A soft, synthetic voice spoke, its words emerging from a small speaker placed below the screen. Matching text appeared on the screen, accompanying the vocalizations. "GOOD EVENING! FEATURE ANALYSIS SCAN UNDERWAY, PLEASE WAIT/こんばんは！機能解析スキャン進行中、お待ちください/Добрый вечер! ФУНКЦИЯ АНАЛИЗА ПРОДОЛЖАЕТСЯ ПРОВЕРКА, ПОЖАЛУЙСТА, ПОДОЖДИТЕ/안녕하세요! 기능 분석 검사 진행, 기다려 주세요."
This text, floating at the screen's bottom, and at its top scrolled continually, from left to right for some moments, before the synthetic voice spoke again, with accompanying text to follow.
"GOOD EVENING, KAKERU, KAMISATO! WELCOME HOME."
Into the rightmost wall the gate began to roll; within, dutifully-working mechanical limbs yanked the gate inwards. Kakeru slowly drove he and Floris's temporary means of transportation up the incline, and back onto flattened, cobbled ground. The gate swiftly and silently closed behind the vehicle, pushed outwards by the same mechanical arms that'd only moments before pulled it.
Kakeru quickly performed a right turn, and slowly drove down a slope, which lead downwards, towards a large, square-shaped metallic door which opened automatically, as the vehicle approached it.
Into an underground parking garage the vehicle had descended. The metallic door had closed shut behind the borrowed vehicle, blocking out the moon's light; only bright, synthetic light produced by bulbs periodically set around the underground garage's ceiling remained.
After some brief circling, Kakeru parked the vehicle in a parking spot. Next to this spot, a pillar rose upwards, connecting the concrete floor and the ceiling. The number "538-E" was painted upon its surface facing away from the parked vehicle, the paint used to form the number itself bright golden in coloration.
Turning the vehicle off, and removing his borrowed key from the ignition, Kamisato Kakeru pocketed the set of keys, and turned to the slumbering Floris, whose head had awkwardly drooped forwards. Kakeru unbuckled his seatbelt, and nudged the slumbering woman.
"Floris-san, we're here. Could you do me a favor and wake up, please?" He inquired, softly, whispering into his date's ear. She hadn't lied about being a heavy sleeper; Floris didn't even stir.
Kakeru attempted to whisper to Floris a few times more; all his attempts failed. Finally, Kakeru moved onto a spontaneously-conjured 'plan B'.
He moved in, and tapped both of Floris's cheeks with his hands' index and middle fingers, softly and gently, until Floris eventually stirred. Her eyelids soon fluttered open; at the sight of Kamisato Kakeru, her lips curled into a great, wide smile, and her cheeks, with her date's fingers still upon them erupted into a deep blush.
"Morning," Kakeru remarked. "Just kidding. It's still late in the evening. Are you feeling up to making the walk? It's not particularly long; the lobby isn't far at all."
Floris nodded in response, before she began to stretch her arms and legs. She produced a yawn, just as Kakeru parted, and scooted back into the driver's side seat. Though she'd only just awakened, her heart was slamming inside of her, as excitement, nervousness, and ecstasy flowed throughout her body, from her head to the tips of her toes. Floris just didn't know what to expect.