Chapter Four: Joining and Parting
The car that rolled down the street of Kuoh was unlike any that'd been seen before, and had anyone been awake at that time of night they would've gawked. It was low and sleek, black and silver, the engine giving off a dangerous electric purr. Up close it was actually larger than it looked, with enough room to seat six; unusually, it appeared that the hood melded seamlessly with the windshield, and furthermore it didn't seem to have any doors or windows, just a strangely matte black material.
The door hissed as it slid out then flipped up, revealing a plush, comfortable interior, a cool, calming shade of white with blue lights…well, some of the interior, considering the view was blocked by a pair of bodies, lips smacking as they made out. "We-" Solomon tried to speak, only for Kozuki to pull him back in, "-we're-" She kissed him again, grinding in his lap, "-we're here!" he finally said with a tipsy giggle.
She ignored his words and tried to crawl further up his shoulders, except that he had leaned out to open the door and was halfway sticking out of the car. When pressed herself against him, he nearly tumbled out onto the sidewalk, only halting his descent by slapping a hand on the ground and his girlfriend seizing him around the waist.
"S-sorry, babe!" Kozuki giggled, her face flushed from a combination of a long makeout session and the pitchers of beer they'd shared. "I didn't hear you. You okay?"
"M'fine, but this angle is weird!" He laughed, reaching up to grab the roof of the car and pull himself up.
"Hey Solo-kun, can you do something?" his blue-haired girlfriend asked, putting her hands on his chest. He arched an eyebrow in question and she smiled impishly and gave him a little shove. "Fall for me!"
Saul grunted in surprise, throwing himself back to plant his hands on the curb and awkwardly flop backwards, somehow landing on his feet. "Ha-ha! Not this time, wench!" He said with a triumphant grin, pointing at the pouting woman.
She sniffled unconvincingly, trying to make her eyes look large and watery. "You're not gonna fall for me, babe? How could you?!" she wailed theatrically, trying to pull herself out of the car. "Waaah-fuck, I can't get out of the car! My legs are numb!"
Solomon snorted and reached in to grab her arms. "I mean, you were sitting on my lap for the whole hour-long trip, I'm not surprised your legs are noodles."
Kozuki gave him a saucy smirk as she slid out of the door. "I'm sure the imprints of your hands on my ass had nothing to do with it. Speaking of-" As soon as her knees had cleared the car, she pushed and spun, pinning him against the side of the car, licking her lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "-Where were we?"
The hand not supporting her weight caught her face, halting her as she leaned in to kiss him. She blinked at him in surprise, meeting his eyes as he gazed at her softly, a small, sweet smile on his lips as he took in her visage. He trailed a finger under her eye and down the heated flesh of her cheek, tracing some invisible line from the curve of her jaw to the shell of her ear, and despite everything they'd done that night, goosebumps erupted across her skin as she shivered. Hand cupping her ear and partially carding through her long blue locks, he gently tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss was soft and almost chaste, but no less heated, and Kozuki moaned into his mouth and melted against him, a wondrous heat pooling in her belly and dripping down her spine.
Their lips parted with a smack and her eyes shot open, unaware that she'd closed them, and met a look in his mismatched eyes that could only be called loving. "Somewhere around there, I think," he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers.
She draped her arms around his shoulders, her hands partially threading his hair, her pinkies stroking the back of her neck. "I want you," she whispered, her eyes widening slightly as she realized she'd said it aloud, before nodding slightly. "I really want you, Solomon. And I know-" She ground her hips against his, drawing a gasp from both of them, "-you want me, too."
Saul exhaled sharply, licking lips. "You're right," he admitted, and she grinned victoriously, "But not tonight."
Her smile fell and Kozuki threw her head back with a groan of frustration. "Why the fuck not?!" Her hands gripped his shoulders and shook him lightly. "We just had this awesome date, we kicked so much ass, then we made out for like, a whole hour and we were two layers of clothes away from doing it, so stop giving me blue ovaries and get in me already!"
Solomon kissed her firmly, swallowing her protests. "I've got reasons, Kozu-chan, good ones, I promise. First of all, you room with two other women-"
"Fuck 'em!" She interjected, trying to slip her hands around his front to finagle at his buttons, "I mean, me first, obviously, but fuck 'em, yeah." She paused and grinned salaciously, waggling her eyebrows. "And I do mean butt."
He groaned and she chuckled as his pants tightened. "Second," he gritted out, locking her arms to her sides with his own, "We've both had more than a little sip of alcoholic drinks, and if we're gonna do it, I want to be completely sober."
"Please," Kozuki rolled her eyes, "I'm not drunk, you're not drunk, and there's a coffee shop or vending machine around here somewhere and you've definitely got some at your place."
"Third…" Solomon held up his phone, showing that the time was nearly one o'clock in the morning, "It's a school night and we both have class tomorrow. Even if we went to sleep right now I doubt we'd get even six hours of sleep, and I know how demanding college can be."
Kozuki pouted and opened her mouth to reply when another feminine voice cut in. "At least one of you is acting somewhat responsibly." Kiba Yumi stepped around the corner, still dressed in her school uniform and looking rather disappointed. "Underage drinking? Driving while drinking? I thought better of you, Solomon-kun. I fear this woman is being a bad influence on you."
Kozuki exhaled and let her head drop against his shoulder, grumbling into his neck, "Oh god, not this she-devil again…" He restrained a smile and a chuckle, which only made Kiba's expression more severe.
"It's not funny, Solomon," the blonde girl stated, "Do you not understand that shenanigans like this could damage your company's reputation, and your own? Stumbling around, necking in public looking like you've been in a street fight while smelling of cheap beer? I get that-"
"Kiba," Solomon interrupted with a smirk, "I'm part German and I spent some of my younger years there. I've been drinking since I was twelve. Secondly, it wasn't cheap beer, it was a highball and a pretty good one at that. Thirdly…" He stepped away from the car, stumbling slightly as he was now carrying Kozuki, then said, "Caliburn, show off a bit."
The headlights on the car flashed and the door closed, then it took off with a squeal of tires, drifting around the block twice over before skidding in front of them and performing a series of donuts before parking again.
"It's a self-driving car," he finished, patting the hood of the car which seemed to purr in response. "No DUI's for me."
Kiba blinked, looking stunned.
Taking the opportunity, Solomon leaned in to whisper into Kozuki's ear. "I wanna wine you and dine you properly, Kozu-chan," he murmured, rubbing her back, "Believe me, I'm beyond tempted to stay with you, but we've got responsibilities. Tomorrow, I'll send the car around and we can spend the weekend doing whatever you want, okay?" He pecked the shell of her ear and set her down on the ground.
"Okaaaaaay," she groaned, stepping back like she was going to leave, then grasping him by the shoulders and pulling him in for a kiss. Their lips smacked and she moaned, thrusting her tongue into his mouth to wrestle with his, pulling back a bit to basically tongue-fence before coming back together. It was rather sloppy, with saliva dripping from the corner of her lips, much sloppier than even the fairly feverish making-out they'd done on the ride back. "Get plenty of sleep, baby," Kozuki said, her eyes gleaming as she nibbled on his bottom lip, "Because we aren't getting any tomorrow."
Looking somewhat dazed, Solomon grinned goofily and kissed her again. "I can't wait," he said honestly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and giving Kiba an apologetic look. "See you later, Kiba-chan." He stepped back from his girlfriend and gave them both a parting wave, slipping inside of the car before it drove off.
As it turned the corner and the sound of the engine began to fade, the girls turned on each other, but Kiba was faster. In the blink of an eye she'd crossed the distance, a demonic red and black sword appearing in her hand to press against the Fallen Angel's throat. "I don't know what you're playing at, Fallen," the blonde hissed, her beautiful face twisted into a snarl, "But if you think for even a second-"
A burning hiss was her only warning before Kozuki batted her sword away with a spear of yellow light and punched her in the chest, sending her skidding back. The Fallen Angel grinned toothily, spinning her double-sided spear around to point at the Devil. "I think you can't tell me what to do, bitch!" She chuckled darkly, running her thumb along her lips, collecting every drop of saliva left behind from her makeout and sucking it from her finger, "And all I'm playing at is getting some play."
"Don't lie to me, Fallen," Kiba scowled, "You vultures never 'just do' anything. Whatever you're after, you won't get it. I'll cut you down before you harm a hair on S-anyone!"
"What I'm after just left, dumbass," Kozuki jerked her head towards the direction Solomon's car had left in, "And he promised to see me tomorrow…well, later today, I guess. And said we'd spend the weekend doing what I want to do, so…too late, Devil!" She put her thumb on her nose and wiggled her fingers, as well as sticking out her tongue.
Kiba narrowed her eyes, her grip tightening on the hilt of her sword. "You're only saying this to me because you know you can't say it to my King, or the other that resides here," she stated with a sneer, "That's why you and your ilk are scurrying around in the dark like vermin, trying to poach defenseless humans. You're too weak to face our Peerages directly."
"I know Envy is a Sin and your kind loves that kinda shit, but it's not a good look," The Fallen Angel sighed theatrically, though a twitch was present in her eye. "As much as I'd like to kick your ass, I do have class tomorrow and evaporating you in a pillar of my Light would make Solo-kun sad…and blow my cover. And, frankly, I don't need to beat you down," she smiled, a pair of wings so blue they seemed almost black erupted from her back, "Because I've already won!" She leaped into the air and disappeared into the sky, a victorious laugh echoing behind her.
The blonde Devil grunted and dismissed her sword, clenching her hands into fists so hard her knuckles cracked. "...She really is a cunt," Kiba muttered as she turned and took a step, vanishing in a blur of speed.
A gentle midnight breeze blew through the street, quiet and empty. Then a section of the wall deformed and flickered, taking the shape of a woman as she reached up and pulled a shroud from her head, revealing the white hair and blue eyes of Beth. She smirked in satisfaction. "Proceeding as planned," she murmured, and a white magical circle flickered under her feet before she disappeared, leaving the street truly empty.
…
"Big guy," I heard Jade's voice whisper in my head, "Wake up."
My brain woke up but my body didn't, still wrapped around a naked Beth. A plane stretched out before, a grid of blues and greens, with clouds formed of binary code that floated over a sea of rolling letters and numbers. I looked out over the Network connecting me to all of my machines, shaped into distant, peaceful islands and found Jade standing next to me, her long green hair fluttering in the breeze. "Morning, Jade," I greeted her, feeling the urge to stretch and sigh despite being an avatar in my own head. "What do you need me for?"
She smiled back at me and sat down in the soft, fluffy grass, leaning her head on my shoulder. "It's ready," Jade announced, holding a hand out and projecting an image. "After so long, and so many simulations, it's been completed."
The image was of a brain, though half the size of a human one. I felt adrenaline rush through my veins, a disbelieving smile growing on my face. "It's a little small, isn't it?" I asked, reaching out to take the image, rotating it in my hand to examine it from all angles.
"It's new. All the prerequisites have been downloaded onto it, and it'll grow by micrometers as more is accrued. It would take over a thousand years of absorption, constant absorption, to get to the point it would no longer fit in a standard human skull," she explained, bringing up a screen that showed a display of such a thing. "And by that point, it would be safe to drain unnecessaries away and reduce the size, or add space expansion to the container."
Letting out a sigh, I threw my arm around her and pulled her in for a hug, allowing myself to laugh freely and fall back onto the grass. "This changes a lot of things," I said, looking down at the container in my hand, feeling my smile start to fade. "…I'm gonna have to talk to Beth…Solana…the rest of the Seekers." I turned to gaze at my Sacred Gear, shaped and personified by my will. "I hope this doesn't ruin things for me."
Jade looked up at me with loving green eyes, her chin resting on my chest. "They'll understand, Saul," she replied, her hand cupping my cheek, thumb stroking my chin, "They know where you came from, how you got here. They'll understand having contingencies in place. And after seeing all the good you've done, all the good you've done for them, I know they will. And if they don't…" She shrugged, then hugged me tightly. "I'll always be with you. And them? They can be replaced."
"You're right," I sighed, enjoying the feeling of her warmth against me, a warmth that went deeper than even the mental plane we were both inhabiting at the time, down to my very soul. "Still, I wish I had your confidence. Heh, supercomputer for a brain…still have trouble talking to people. Is that ironic or just sad?"
Jade hummed noncommittally. "Well, I did run 37,289,569,420 simulations, and in Ninety-One percent of them, it ended well." She tapped my chest and sat up, throwing her hands out. The plane rippled and flexed, empty spaces converging into points of light that became featureless white bodies all standing in rows and columns. "Two thousand are scheduled for the first batch, and with the Matter/Reformatter MK 4 at Eighty-Nine percent Mass Conversion, it should take seven days, six hours, twenty-nine minutes to complete. Why don't you distract yourself by creating their personalities?"
I sat up and looked at the bodies, wondering how I could create such a number of beings, all unique and different, by myself. I thought to the back-when times, and an idea occurred. "I've got an idea," I declared, standing up and cracking my knuckles.
After all, why not? No one could stop me from what I was about to do…and if they were here, they'd probably agree.
Well, not with what I was gonna do afterwards, but with the principle.
Plus…I wanted to.
…
A few hours later, Beth and I stood in a training area. Not quite as advanced as something like the Danger Room or whatever, but it had varied terrain, hills, areas to practice hand-to-hand with dummies, and a shooting range. "With the scans taken from both myself and you, plus the examination of the DNA from their hair and skin cells, I can state with confidence that all this shit is fucking weird," I grunted, staring at two screens. One displayed all of the data I'd gathered thanks to my proximity to Kiba, Koneko, Sona and so on, while the other was gathered from 'Kozuki' and her friends when I'd shaken their hands the day before.
"Some would say the same about this," Beth chimed in, waving a hand at the room, herself and me. "Though I'm curious as to what has you frustrated."
I waved a hand and enlarged two sections of the screen, zooming in so that the skin cells were plain to see. "This!" I pointed at one cell from Kozuki, then another from Kiba, "Their energy is inside of them at an almost atomic level! It suffuses the entirety of their being!" I flicked a finger and the display changed to a dark gray, showing a dark purple energy flickering in Kozuki's cells, and a red and black in Kiba's. "And yet, this energy doesn't add mass, despite obviously empowering the being it resides in! Low-level Devils and Fallen Angels are obviously stronger, faster and more durable than regular humans, but by modern standards of DNA examination, there's no evidence as to why. And we know that Devils, even under the influence of Evil Pieces, can grow, become faster, stronger, etcetera, but their muscles, bones and tendons don't seem to actually change at all!"
Beth brought up a screen displaying Kiba and Kozuki after I'd left in my car, showing a brief video of Kiba charging at my girlfriend with inhuman speed, pausing as she was mid-draw and step. The picture zoomed in and a filter was applied, showing that same black and red energy emanating from Kiba's body on an invisible spectrum. "Here, Kiba accelerates beyond human capacity, the Devil Energy field sharpens, almost as if changing shape to reduce friction," she noted, rewinding the video a bit to just before Kiba lunged forward. "Here, it's more like a mist, an aura escaping the body in all directions, then, just as she's acting, it stops emanating and instead forms into something like a shell."
"As her muscles tense, so too does the energy," I sighed, sticking a cigar in my mouth and lighting it with my thumb, "It's like a second set of bioelectric potential, it responds to bodily cues such as thoughts…but in an obviously magical way, otherwise her clothes would've been shredded and set on fire from the sudden friction." Tapping my chin in thought, I played the clip again in very, very slow motion. "This magical energy is obviously connected to the soul, but escapes the boundaries of the body in the way a soul, a human soul, can't. It's almost as if…"
A thought occurred, and I hurriedly brought up a random scan of an average human, but through the filter that made their soul visible. The soul seemed to reside in the Central Nervous System, pictured as a white glow brightest in the skull, threading down through the body in the chest, arms and legs. Athletes and those in that sort of active lifestyle had their souls shine brighter, more fully filling in their limbs, but in Devils they simply didn't seem to have one anymore. I'd thought it was a result of the Evil Pieces literally consuming the soul for power, but…
"I've been looking at it wrong," I declared, snapping my fingers, and bringing up another screen showing a Devil with the same soul filter over it. "The Devil Energy doesn't consume the soul, it is the Soul! It's changed with the Evil Piece, almost as if it's a second body, layered over the first! That's why Devil Energy acts in response to neurological activity, how Devils grow stronger over time by using their power like a muscle, but without set limits, it IS!...Metaphysically speaking. Like a second, metaphysical body that occupies the same space and time, connected…through the nervous system by the soul, which is also the nervous system, or...It's…" My head started to hurt and I sat down on a nearby bench, rubbing my temples with my thumbs.
Beth sat beside me and tugged on my shoulder, pulling me down so that my head was pillowed by her thighs, her hand softly carding through my hair. "I think I smell something burning," she joked lightly, pressing a cool palm to my forehead.
I breathed deep and tried to let my thoughts flow. "That doesn't really explain Fallen Angels or Angels, really, though I don't have any scans of the latter so it's all guesswork on them," I mumbled, "Fallen are Angels who were corrupted, so we can assume their energy, while similar to a Devil while being antithetical, would also be similar to a pure Angel. The scans we've taken of the Fallen show a similar Energy Field around them, though with less bleedthrough as the Devils. But…weren't the first Devils, like Lucifer and such, also originally Angels? They went to the Underworld, which has its own energy like Earth has ley lines, so perhaps over time their energies combined…same source, separated for thousands of years, affected by the environment to the point that it radically alters…their souls are naturally like that, Evil Pieces convert human souls to be the same, so…does that mean humans are just metaphysically gimped from birth? If so, no wonder God made Sacred Gears for Humanity, that lazy sumbitch skimped on the power and left most of us easy prey."
It was mostly theory and hypothesis, so I gathered the data and my examinations of it and sent it down the pipe to The Ladies. They'd look at it, examine it in finer detail, then run simulations to see if I was correct. And while I thought I was on to something, I also knew I needed scans of an Angel to actually figure it out.
"…I need more data," I sighed, finally opening my eyes. Beth looked down at me, her crystal blue orbs curious and a little concerned. "If I'm right, then we can use that information, along with Magic, to convert our own Soul/Energy into Devil, Fallen and possibly Holy Angelic Energy and back, which means their techniques aren't out of reach."
She smiled softly. "It'll be another set of tools for us, and ones I can use to protect you," Beth promised before she leaned down, lips puckered.
Guilt shot through me and before I really registered what I was doing, my hand moved up to block her kiss. She blinked at me, confusion and hurt in her gaze. "There's…something, some things I need to show you," I said nervously, rolling off of her lap and walking out of the training area. I could hear her following behind me, practically feel the questions rattling around in her skull. I wanted to soothe her worries, but anxiety gripped my gut and I knew I needed to lay it all out at once, and I couldn't do that in an empty hall.
I pressed my hand against an empty patch of wall and a seam appeared, opening inwards to show a room hidden within. We were the only two people in the whole place, but I thought secret doors were cool.
It was dark, with a single light shining down on a clear canister. Inside that canister was a small, metallic brain suspended in clear, lightly bubbling liquid. Laying my hand on the top, I smiled at the small thing as it floated, pride welling up inside of me at what Jade and I had accomplished. "This here might just be the peak of what I can create," I told Beth honestly while she peered at it. "It's called a Neuromorphic Matrix. It has all the capabilities of a human brain, so it can store memories, develop habits, adapt to situations, learn and grow and change…it has neurons, it can develop new ones, it has cortexes, a cerebrum and a cerebellum…but it's entirely technological."
"Wow," she murmured, dragging her fingers lightly along the glass case. "This is…quite amazing, Solomon," her eyes met mine, "So why are you worried?"
I resisted the urge to lick my lips, glad that I could no longer break out into a cold sweat unless I wanted to. "This one, in particular, is for her," I pointed behind her and a light snapped on, revealing a large tube set at an angle. Inside the tube was a naked woman, her white hair swaying in the liquid, eyes firmly closed. Her features, from her eyes hidden behind their lids to the mole on her cheek were an exact match for Beth.
The original gaped at the one in the tube, shock plain in her eyes. "Wha…what is this?"
Leaning against the table, I took a deep breath. "When I got here, the Matrix was one of the first things I wanted to create besides the Matter/Reformatter, but my abilities with Unknown Dictator weren't advanced enough to outright create such a thing. I needed data, a lot of data, a lot of intimate data. So I went for the next best thing, and I figured, well, there are some people out there who aren't using their brains," I resisted the urge to make a joke about politicians or celebrities, but refrained since it wasn't the time for humor. "I might as well use them…I made sure brain death was a permanent affliction that can't just be healed, which…it can't. And, frankly, I was lonely. After a year, we finally had the data we needed, so we created the Neuromorphic Matrix, tested it for over a month with millions of simulations and it works perfectly…so now…"
Beth's hand slipped from the tube, her shoulders slumping into abject misery. She turned to look at me and my heart tore at the tears glimmering in her eyes. "You don't need…you don't want me anymore?" She asked shakily, arms circling her stomach as she hugged herself. "Is that what…she's for? To replace me?"
I opened my mouth to refute her, then stopped. "When I first created the program and nanites that would convert the braindead into cyborgs, I wrote a program into the system called Brutus Contingency," I admitted, making her blink, "There's a watcher in your head that monitors your thoughts. It's short-term, so it dumps the information if it doesn't find what it's watching for and I don't use it to read your mind or anything. If it does find what it's looking for, it's designed to release specific chemical cocktails and subliminal messaging that would ensure your loyalty and devotion to me, though that is the final part of the program. The first part would simply encourage you to air your grievances so hopefully the rest wouldn't need to be activated."
Beth stared at me, eyes bulging. Slowly, she looked down at her hands, then her reflection in the tube containing her double. "This…this program," she asked faintly, knees beginning to shake, lips trembling as more tears pooled in her eyes, "How…how long has it been active?"
I blinked at her. "What?"
She turned on me, eyes wide. "HOW LONG?! HAS IT?! BEEN ACTIVE!?" She shouted, her voice echoing painfully throughout the room. "How much of me…is you?!"
I blinked again, idly rubbing one of my ears. "Uh…none? It's a contingency, it only activates as a last resort." I summoned a screen to my hand, showing a scan of her at that very moment, displaying her thundering heart rate and spiking brain waves. According to her scan, if she wasn't suppressing it, she'd be having a panic attack. Shit. I tapped part of her program files and expanded it, showing her a certain part. "See?"
It read: BRUTUS CONTINGENCY: STATUS: INACTIVE, 401 DAYS.
Beth froze, naked relief and suspicion warring in her eyes. "…How do I know you aren't controlling the display?" She asked warily.
"I promised I would always be honest with you, Beth," I said sadly, "I might omit a few things, but I'd never lie to you, of all people. You're my first friend, companion, lover and more on this planet. I love you," I admitted honestly. "Look." I tapped the program folder and deleted it, her face twitching slightly as it was removed from her code.
She breathed deeply, looking down at the floor as her hair shadowed her eyes. "Come here," she muttered, fists clenching.
It was pretty obvious what was going to happen. I stepped towards her and right as I came within arm's reach, Beth punched me in the stomach. I let myself feel that pain, folding over her fist as the air wooshed out of my lungs and stars danced in the corners of my darkening vision.
And then she hugged me, trembling as she sobbed into my shoulder. "Y-you bastard," she mumbled, arms squeezing me tightly, "I th-thought you were c-controlling me, using me l-like a toy!"
"Never," I denied harshly, hugging her back and trying to regulate my breathing, "I wanted to tell you now instead of finding out later, precisely so you would know I haven't been brainwashing you this whole time. I want our relationship to be on even ground, Beth. I've loved you for a while, but I didn't want to say it while the Contingency was still in your code, and I didn't want to remove it until I had the Matrix done because…I was afraid you'd leave and I'd never see you again. I want you here, by my side, for all time, Beth." I felt tears in my eyes, blazing tears down my cheeks as I cried for the first time since I'd enhanced myself.
Beth stepped back, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me. "Why didn't you lead with that, stupid?" She grasped my cheeks and rested our foreheads together, her breath still coming in harsh gasps, "I was questioning my purpose, my life, my very existence…fuck. Twenty minutes ago, if you'd said you loved me, I would've said me too in a heartbeat, but now…I'm kinda torn between wanting to scream at something, punch you again or make desperate love until I can't think anymore. I…I need to process this."
"I understand," I murmured in reply, stroking the back of her neck, "Take all the time you need."
She kissed me softly then pulled away, wiping her eyes on her sleeve and swallowing. "So…what's she for, then?" Beth tilted her chin at her double, "My replacement…in case I left?"
I bobbed my head. "Sort of. See, with the Matrix finished, I wanted to offer you..and Solana, and the Seekers, a choice." I tapped the case holding the little metal brain. "I can download your memories onto one of these and then place it into your double, so that…yes, I'd still have you around, and she would take over your duties. With that done, I'll offer you a ticket to anywhere you want to go, with accounts full of money so you can do anything you want. No obligations or strings attached. You could even…go back to your family, if you want." I'd memorized the names of all the families who'd lost someone to braindeath, who's bodies I used to create Beth, Solana and the Seekers.
Beth quirked her lips in something not quite a smile nor a smirk. "Saul…whoever my body was based on, she died the instant her brain did. Her family is not my family…I don't even remember her name, or theirs. By any metric, I'm completely different. And…" She stepped forward and took my hands, "I'm mad at you right now, but…I don't want to leave you. I mean…you gave me life, a purpose, the means to be a part of…all this." She gestured at the building around us. "That's not something I can ever repay. And I want to be by your side for all time, too."
Relief coursed through my body like warm honey and I stepped forward to hug her tightly.
"I'm still mad at you," she mumbled, though I could feel her smile. She stepped back, looking at the tube with her double. "So…what's gonna happen to her?"
I shrugged and my watch chimed, letting me know the time. "We can figure that out on the way to Kuoh," I offered her my arm and together, we walked out of the lab and to the elevator. "Ever wanted a twin? A sister? Two-person hive mind, maybe?"
Beth shrugged, leaning against me lightly as the elevator began to descend. "I don't know if I could share you with a twin of mine, but having two of me to look after you would be a good thing, hm…"
The window on the elevator opened up as we continued to descend, a bright light shining on our faces as the red sand of the Martian landscape caught the distant sun. A complex sprawled out before us like the legs of a massive silver spider, smaller buildings dotting the space in-between as an enormous curved wall that separated the rest of Mars from the compound. "I wish I had the time to explore the rest of this place," I muttered, my eyes sweeping the red-orange horizon, "But there are only so many hours in a day."
I'd scanned the for life signs and found nothing, but I hadn't had the time to do an in-depth planet-wide scan. With my army of drones controlled by The Ladies, though, the process to begin terraforming was well on its way. Part of me really wanted to play the world's biggest game of Civilization, planting a couple of cultures and watching them expand and fight, intervening every so often to push development along…but again, time was of the essence and playing god, even passively, was a massive time-sink.
Besides, I had a date to plan that night.
…
The Caliburn rolled up the driveway to Solomon's mansion as the man himself stood at the top of it, clad in a dark blue three-piece suit and tie, his hands clasped in front of him. The car rolled to a stop in front of him, the door hissing open to reveal…Kozuki.
She wore a, well…dress. Made of shimmery silver fabric that glittered subtly, with string-like straps that bared the entirety of her shoulders and arms, the front so finely cut and dipping so low that it barely covered her nipples while revealing the entire depths of her cleavage and the sides of her breasts and bared her back to down to the swell of her buttocks before sweeping forward along the curve of her hips to cover the apex of her legs, while leaving the rest of her long, smooth stems visible. Along with her dress was a necklace of fine silver chains, a bracelet of the same, and matching pumps with a slight heel.
The term 'sex on legs' had never been more applicable…especially since the cut of her dress made it very clear she wasn't wearing a stitch more.
Kozuki smoothly stepped out of the car, smirking as she found him gawking dumbly at her. She posed against the side of the car, brushing a few stray locks of blue hair away from her eyes. "So, how do I look?" She asked smokily, her lips painted a vibrant red, with just a hint of mascara and eyeshadow to make the yellow of her eyes pop. "Dead sexy? A goddess in silver? Eminently doable?"
Saul licked his lips. "Beautiful beyond words," he croaked, clearing his throat hastily and offering his arm. "Shall we?"
Her smirk became a genuine smile as she took his arm, enfolding it within the valley of her cleavage. "You look delicious," she purred, running her hand along his shoulder and across the back of his neck, delighting in the shiver she gained from him, "Though, I prefer how you look without the jacket…and the tie…with a few buttons open at the top."
He blinked in thought and gave her a slightly confused look. "…That's how I usually look, though."
She leaned in and kissed his ear before whispering, "I know," and nibbling on his lobe.
"Alright you temptress, hold it in until after dinner," he muttered, then turned on his heel and pressed her against the wall, kissing her firmly. She moaned quietly as his hands stroked her bare back, a leg coming up to wrap around his waist.
Kozuki blinked as he stepped back and straightened his suit. "...What did you just say?"
"Couldn't be helped," Solomon shrugged, taking her by the hand.
Licking her lips and resisting the urge to pin him to a wall, she looked around at the house they were walking through. "You know, it's a big place, but I kinda expected it to be bigger," she admitted, dragging her finger along the marble banister as they walked up the stairs. "I thought it'd be like those mansions you see those celebrities crowing about on American television, with thirty rooms and twenty baths, a pool with four levels and rock formations and a garage that's basically a warehouse."
"The garage is pretty big, mostly because I enjoy putting vehicles and whatnot together in my spare time," he replied. The floor was covered in plush burgundy carpeting, the walls alternating between stained mahogany and warm, off-white ash wood. "There's five bedrooms with baths, plus the master bedroom and bathroom, then a living room, a game room, a home cinema, with a dining room and a big ol' kitchen, plus a huge library with many leather-bound books and chairs of rich Corinthian leather and bottles of cognac and trays of cigars."
Kozuki looked at him, eyebrows arched in surprise. "…Really?"
Saul grinned slightly. "Well, just the one bottle and a few cigars in case I need to have meetings with anyone for business." He nodded out of a nearby window. "And there's a pool, a hot tub and sauna out back."
She hummed thoughtfully. "As I said, it's pretty big but I thought it'd be bigger. Why isn't it bigger? I know you have the money for it."
He shrugged. "It doesn't need to be. The extra rooms are just in case I need to house a couple people or visitors for a while. Right now, it's just me and Beth and frankly speaking, we don't use all that much of it."
Kozuki brought their clasped hands up to her mouth and kissed his, giving him a warm smile. "…Maybe that'll change?" She half-asked.
He smiled back. "Maybe." They stepped through the kitchen and the dining room floored with black and white marble, and he pushed open a pair of double doors. "We're here!"
Before them was a wide, circular balcony. At the far end was a small table with two seats, and beyond was a perfect view of the sun as it set beyond the trees surrounding his property. Kozuki whistled lowly. "Alright, I thought it was kinda dumb when you said you wanted me to dress up for eating at your house, but I get it now," she admitted, unconsciously smoothing down what little fabric of her dress there was. "Even with just us, I feel underdressed somehow."
"You are undressed," Solomon snarked, running a hand down the curve of her thigh and drawing a surprised squeak from the woman. "There are bathing suits with more fabric. Speaking of…how did you buy this? I thought your allowance was pretty tight." He pulled her chair out for her before sitting down himself.
She quirked an eyebrow with a little smile. "You know…all that yen we got from those thugs trying to mug us constantly? I went to a pawn shop, too, and it turns out one of those plates was made of platinum, of all things. Let's just say my allowance got a big boost, even with the money I spent on this."
He squinted at her in disbelief. "...Some group of thugs going around mugging people…was carrying a plate made of platinum on them? But…why? If-" He shook his head. "Never mind. You look amazing, Kozuki, that's the important part."
Her cheeks darkened as a pleased grin spread across her lips. "Thanks, Saul. But I think I look even better without it," she replied, waggling her eyebrows.
"After we eat," Solomon promised, heat glimmering in his eyes. "We've got a couple of courses, then dessert. We've also been experimenting with different alcohols to break into that market as well, so you'll be one of the first to taste them."
The door opened again and Beth came striding out, pushing a silver cart with a cover over the top. "The first course of tonight's meal is a bisque of tomatoes and squash," she announced, ladling two servings of a rich, thick red soup into a pair of bowls, setting them on the plates before the two. "To pair, we have Apple Wine, also known as Mead." She uncorked a bottle of amber liquid and poured about an ounce into one of three glasses sitting before their dishes. "The first is simply apples, the second is apples and honey, and the third is apples, cinnamon and honey." She bowed shortly and left with the cart.
Kozuki watched her go with a confused look. "…I thought she was your bodyguard?" Taking a spoonful of bisque, she ungracefully slurped it down, her eyes widening. "Ooh!"
"She is, but since I don't have any maids or butlers or whatever, I asked her to act as one for tonight," he answered with a smile, "I'm glad you like the soup. Try the mead, too."
The blue-haired woman reached over to grab the first glass, taking a sip of the amber liquid and swirling it around in her mouth. She smacked her lips and took another spoonful of soup. "Hm, the plain apple is pretty good by itself, the sweet earthiness of the fruit goes well with the savory earthiness of the squash and tomato." She drank from the second glass and tried it again. "Ah! Even better! The sweetness of the honey really contrasts with the saltiness of the soup, I think that's your winner right there." She drank from the third and ate another spoon, her face twisting into a grimace. "…No. The cinnamon doesn't go well with the…garlic, I think, in the soup."
"Good to know," Solomon nodded, partaking in his own meal.
They ate soup, drank mead and chatted idly as the sun began to disappear under the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of purple and orange. As they finished the first course, Beth reappeared to clean away the bowls and glass to replace them with new ones, these ones filled with ramen and various beers.
"You know, this is just…delicious and all," Kozuki started around a mouthful of tender, flavorful noodles, slurping from a cup of a light yellow beer that tasted faintly of pineapple, "But, uh, there's not a whole lot of it." The bowl of ramen was about half the size of a small bowl at a ramen shop.
Solomon nodded, swallowing his own noodles and wiping his lips with a napkin. "It's a three-course meal and these are just the entrees. The actual dinner meal will be more substantial." He took a drink of beer, this one a darker shade of brown that smelled of coffee. "How do you like your meat, by the way?"
She arched an eyebrow and smirked. Something shifted under the table and her bare foot came to rest on his crotch, her toes rubbing his rapidly-hardening length as she searched for the zipper. "Does 'throbbing with need' and 'deep inside me' count?" She murmured huskily.
He flushed a little, grabbing her foot to stop it, but not pushing it away. His thumb dug into the arch of her foot and she groaned slightly as he began to massage the area. "Steak," he clarified, "How do you like your steak?"
"Rare," she sighed, scooting her chair in a bit so that her foot could rest more comfortably in his lap.
Saul grinned as she slumped in her chair, visibly relaxing as his hand went to work. "I would also accept medium-rare, and you're pretty enough that I would take 'medium' with only a little scorn, but if you'd said 'well done' I'd have to escort you from the premises."
Kozuki scoffed and polished off her ramen by drinking what was left in the bowl, setting it back on the table with a small but loud burp. "Fuck that," she grumbled, setting her other foot in his lap and caging his hand with both. "Just gimme a burger instead."
He finished his bowl and concentrated on massaging her feet, drawing quiet groans of pleasure and relief from his girlfriend as she melted into her chair. When he was done, he leaned down to kiss the top of her feet before pushing them off his lap. "You're gonna want to sit up for this one," he warned as Beth came onto the balcony once more.
She did so with a grumble, perking up as the lid was removed from the tray and the heady scent of freshly-grilled meat hit her nose. The small trio of glasses were replaced with a single wine cup, and bowls were removed in favor of a plate bearing an eight ounce steak, a row of lightly steaming asparagus and a bowl of potatoes.
The glasses were filled with a thick, dark red liquid the color and consistency of blood. Beth set the bottle on the table, bowed shortly, and then left.
Kozuki sliced into the cut of meat, licking her lips as steaming red juice flowed onto the plate, piercing it with her fork and bringing it to her mouth. As she bit down, flavor exploded onto her palette and she released an almost sexual moan. "Mmm…" she hummed, leaning back in her chair, "I'd say this is better'n sex, but…"
Saul chuckled. "Try it with the wine. It's been scientifically designed to pair with red meat." He took a sip from his own glasses and nodded in satisfaction.
She did as he did, taking another bite followed by a drink, visibly freezing as she tasted the combination. The wine was thick, sweet and rich, with a hint of fruit and spice that, when paired with savory juice and flavor-packed flesh of the steak, created a medley of taste that danced along her tongue and down her throat, pooling in her stomach like pure satisfaction. "…Getting real close to the 'better than sex' part," she mumbled, shaking her head to clear it and giving him a look over the table. "Speaking of sex…"
"Not until after dessert," he replied, taking a bite of the potatoes that had been blended so finely it almost resembled whipped cream, mixed with basil and soft cheese.
"Not that," she denied with a wave of her knife, not noticing the drops of juice she'd flung with the motion, "Beth."
Solomon stiffened, eyeing her over the candles set up between them.
Kozuki rolled her eyes. "I'm not mad or anything, babe, I just figured something had to have happened between you two. I mean, she's pretty hot and you know I find you delectable."
He licked his lips and nodded, taking a bracing drink of his wine. "Beth and I share a bed every so often, yeah," he gave her a wary look, "Is…that a problem?"
She grinned, swallowing a mouthful of steak. "Nope. 'Member last night when I said you should fuck my roommates? I meant it. Between you and me, they could both use a good hard dickin'...me first, though. And I wouldn't mind getting my hands on them myself, you know?"
Solomon squinted at her. "I…really?" She hadn't shown any inclination in that direction, though he also hadn't assumed it would be a thing, considering the many times they'd made out.
Kozuki shrugged casually. "I like men," she announced, licking the rim of her glass with a salacious smile. "You could say I most enjoy getting probed, but I'm not averse to spelunking. At the same time is best, I think. I'm a little disappointed I'm not your first, but I'm glad you've got experience…because now my expectations went straight up."
"And your roommates?" he asked.
She grimaced a bit. "They get real bitchy sometimes, mostly with each other and I've gotta be right in the middle of it. Pushing their heads between my legs would shut them up and make my head feel better, so win-win."
Solomon hummed thoughtfully. "Good to know that's an option, I guess. If you want to, and they're onboard, we can see about doing something like that," he sucked his teeth apologetically, "Beth is not a noodle girl, though."
"Damn right I'm not," Beth huffed, making both of them jump in their seats. They turned to look at her, and found the white-haired bodyguard laying out a blanket and a tray. "Your dessert, when you're finished." She announced, patting herself down. "May I be excused for the night, Master?"
"'Master?'" Kozuki asked, waggling her eyebrows, "Kinky."
Beth didn't respond. "Thank you for tonight, Beth," Saul said in reply, giving her a grateful smile. "You're excused."
Bowing, his bodyguard turned on her heel and walked away, shutting the door behind her.
"…Noodle girl?" The blue-haired woman asked.
"Straight until you get them hot and wet," he answered bluntly.
She snorted mid-drink, spraying wine from her nose. Laughing, Kozuki covered her face with her napkin and tried to mop up the spillage as he refilled her glass with a chuckle.
With dinner done, Saul shed his jacket and tie as they moved to the blanket, sitting back on their hands as they gazed up at the shimmering diamonds piercing the velvet blanket of the night sky. They were far enough from major cities that they could see the nebula that painted the cosmos, with enough light to no longer need the candles.
With a flourish, he flipped open the tray resting between them, showing a collection of fruits and various delights to dip them in. "Are those…olives?" His girlfriend asked in disbelief, eyeing a plate of what looked like black olives stuffed with some sort of cream.
"Grapes, actually," Solomon said, picking one up and popping it in his mouth while offering her another. "We freeze the grapes, then blend the insides and suck them out, then mix it with a light cream and inject that mixture inside and freeze it again."
Kozuki took the small, cold grape and bit into it gingerly, eyes widening as the flavor hit her tongue. It was light, crisp and subtly sweet, the tang of the grape mixing perfectly with the light creaminess. "These are amazing," she mumbled, taking another for herself, "Sounds like a bitch to make, though."
"Tedious more than anything," he nodded, dipping a slice of apple into a bowl of melted chocolate. As he chewed, his gaze slid from the stars to the woman sitting next to him, who was stroking her hair pensively. He had noticed that she'd done her hair up in an offset ponytail on the side of her scalp, leaving long blue locks to frame her face and bangs to cover her forehead. "Kozu-chan? What's wrong?"
For all of the near-month he'd known her, Kozuki was rarely pensive, nervous or on rare occasions, slightly cautious. To see her anxious to the point that it was plain on her face was disquieting.
She looked at him, cobalt hair brushing yellow eyes, and she bit her lip. "This…our relationship," she uttered, stroking her hair, "It isn't…it won't ruin what's between you and Beth right?" As he opened his mouth to reply, she hurriedly added, "It's just…I want this to work, Saul. I know…I know you can get another girlfriend, but…someone you trust implicitly? That's…so much harder to find."
"Beth and I know our limits, we defined what we are and can be with each other," Saul said softly, reaching over to take one of her hands, "We knew how it would have to be before we became…entangled."
Kozuki sniffled, the moisture in her eyes glittering in the starlight. "That…that's really fucking sad," she mumbled, squeezing his hand.
"Depends on how you look at it," he shrugged, putting the cover back on the tray and sliding away so that he could wrap his arm around her shoulder.
She rested her head against his and relaxed into his embrace, breathing in his scent as it mixed with the fresh evening air. She giggled quietly, "You know, it's kinda funny," Kozuki started, nuzzling the side of his throat, "I was actually super pissed at you last night."
His hand that had been rubbing her back stopped, and he arched an eyebrow. "…How's that funny exactly?"
"Well, I wasn't like, really mad, I was just cursing you and your family while giving the showerhead a workout…but the whole time, I was picturing you in my head," she admitted, almost shyly, "How you would react to what I was saying…I just knew you'd give me that damn little smile again, that one where it's obvious you're holding yourself back from trying to push me up against a wall, then wag your finger and tell me to wait."
Saul bobbed his head in agreement. "Yeah, that does sound like what I'd do," he said, "But…"
"I stopped," Kozuki murmured, slipping her hand under his shirt to rest her palm on his sternum, his heartbeat pulsing against her fingers. "Which…honestly has never happened before. This is the longest relationship I've been in, and usually if some guy denies me, I'd just go find someone else, but…last night, I didn't even finish rubbing one out, I…stopped, because I wanted to wait, to do…this with you instead."
Solomon blinked and cleared his throat, his eyes looking a bit misty. "K-Kozuki, that almost sounds like a confession…"
She chuckled quietly, and he could see a flash of self-recrimination pass over her eyes. "Not…not quite," she admitted, looking up at him with a small, hopeful smile. "But…maybe one day. Maybe one day soon. Because…I've never wanted to wait before, but you, Solomon…you're worth waiting for…" Kozuki squinted and rolled her shoulders in discomfort, then found a hand cupping cheek.
Saul leaned in and kissed her softly, his fingers trailing from her cheek to behind her ear and the back of her neck. She sighed in comfort and pressed against him, slipping an arm around his neck as their lips embraced. Without breaking the kiss, Kozuki scooted closer to him and threw a leg over his, seating herself in his lap. No longer needing to balance herself, she melted against him, one hand carding through his thick hair as the other pressed him more to her as if trying to meld their bodies together.
He carefully lay back on the blanket beneath them, her weight comfortably resting atop him. Shifting his head for a new angle, he felt her tongue brush his lips, parting them to let her slip inside, her heated breath brushing his face as he tasted grapes and cream. Trailing his fingers up from the back of her knee, he dragged the tips up to the curve of her thigh and gripped lightly, earning a quiet gasp. His other descended from her neck, dancing along the ridges of her spine before settling between her shoulder blades to gently massage.
Kozuki moaned into his mouth, her back arching as she pulled away from him. Looking down at him beneath her, she smiled gently, her eyes like pools of heated honey. Kissing him again, she cupped his cheek and slipped her hand down across his jaw, his neck and finally his chest, pushing his collar aside. Slowly, she trailed her lips along the path of her hand, gently kissing his cheek then his jaw and down his throat, subtly sucking on a pulse-point. She stopped there, nibbling his neck while her hand worked at his buttons, dexterously parting them with her fingers to expose more of his chest.
Solomon wasn't lying still beneath her, one hand massaging her between the shoulders while the other alternated stroking and gripping her thigh, creeping up her sinfully soft skin until he could cup half of her rear. She sat up with a gasp, his shirt and vest falling open, pressing herself against his hand and smiling as she beheld his naked torso. With an idle sweep of her hand, the straps of her dress fell down her shoulders, followed by a shrug as the glittering fabric continued to cling tightly to her bosom before falling away.
Her breasts were large and shapely, only slightly sagging under their own weight, topped with crinkled pink nipples that begged for attention. Kozuki, sitting astride his lap with her dress bunched around her stomach, face flushed and eyes nearly alight with desire, backlit by the painted night sky as the stars glittered along her skin…
She really was a beautiful creature.
Licking his lips, Solomon reached up to touch her, hefting the globes of flesh in his palms, squeezing and flicking her nipples with his thumbs. She gasped and thrust her chest into his hands, a quiet, needy whine escaping her throat. He sat up, back arched awkwardly and buried his face between her breasts, withdrawing just a bit to explore one with his mouth and the other with his hand. He kissed and nibbled across her sensitive flesh, taking her stiff peak into his mouth and mapping every little crevice and crinkle with his tongue.
Kozuki writhed in his lap, mewling as his hands and mouth sent bolts of pleasure shooting down her spine to pool in her belly. With a gasp she pushed him away from her chest, pulling him into a heated kiss while she fumbled with his belt. She broke away with a gasp and smiled. "No more playing," she breathed, still pulling at his belt buckle, "It's time to-finally…god…dammit, what kinda buckle is this?!"
He clasped her hands in his and smirked playfully. "Lemme help," he murmured, kissing her and easily undoing the buckle with a few tugs, which was swiftly followed by his button and zipper.
She pressed him back down on the blanket with a heavy smooch, leaning back and grasping his pants. With a couple tugs, she pulled them down his thighs but when his length sprang free, she paused and forgot what she'd been doing. She brushed her fingers up along his arousal, tracing a throbbing vein with her nail and giggling as he twitched against her hand. "You're bigger than I thought you'd be," she mumbled, grasping him fully and stroking down from tip to root.
He blinked at her, his eyes slightly glazed. "Uh…glad to exceed your expectations?" He offered with a shrug.
"You're not done growing yet, is all I'm saying," she replied with a smirk, still holding him with one hand as the other grasped the hem of her dress and pulled it to the side, exposing a pair pink, nearly hairless lips with a neat trail of dark blue at the apex. He could see clear beads of arousal spilling from there, could smell something sweet and musky that made him throb with need.
With a final stroke, she lifted herself up and aligned his sex with hers, then pressed down. Slowly, almost painfully, he penetrated into her, walls of burning silk welcoming him inside to embrace him tightly, until he was finally fully sheathed inside of her. She threw her head back with a throaty moan, breasts heaving as her breath came in sharp pants.
"Finally," she murmured, rocking her hips gently and biting her lip, her eyes fluttering closed as she enjoyed the sensation of their joining.
He rolled his hips and she gasped hotly, falling onto his chest, planting her hands on either side of his head to look down at him. He smiled at her and reached up to undo the offset ponytail, letting her hair curtain around them. It was just her, it was just him, and the heat between them.
She kissed him hungrily, grinding her hips against his as he grasped her rear and rolled up into her, sparking delicious friction that drew a symphony of moans, sharp inhales and soft exhales from their lips. All of the teasing and the waiting took their toll, and it wasn't long before the heat in her belly grew out of control. She mewled into his mouth as her walls fluttered around his length, her arms trembling and finally giving out as she collapsed against him, biting his neck to muffle her cries.
He slowed down his already mild pace as she shuddered through her orgasm, stroking her spine and kissing all that he could reach of her face, but when she began to recover, he hefted her hips up and drove himself into her, arching his back so that his tip scraped the upper part of her core. His soft grunts of effort joined with her moans of ecstasy, her whole body jolting as his length brushed that certain spot within her. Adjusting himself, he thrust into her with a needy speed, a pressure growing within him that needed to be released and only growing faster with every slap, slap, slap of moist flesh meeting, every whispered invitation from his lover as she pushed down against him and kissed his neck.
With a strangled groan, he pressed her rear down and himself up, burying his length as far as it would go within her gladly yielding body before he was overwhelmed by the pleasure. It was only compounded by her falling into her second orgasm, her fluttering walls trying to milk him dry before she collapsed atop him, panting and shiny with sweat.
Kozuki blinked and found herself oddly more energetic than before, even as the aftershocks of their love-making still sparked throughout her body. Breathing deep, she nuzzled Solomon's neck and hummed contentedly, feeling full and fulfilled in basically every way she could. Well, almost…
Saul sucked in a breath and cleared his vision, looking down to find his girlfriend resting on his chest. He pulled her closer and kissed her gently, enjoying the way her breasts mashed against his chest. "So," he breathed, stroking her hair behind her ear, "Worth the wait?"
She giggled and rubbed her thighs together, their combined orgasm squelching lewdly when squeezed between sweaty skin. "Oh yes, very much so," Kozuki murmured, kissing his cheek and walking her fingers up his chest. With an almost embarrassed smile, she asked, "...You've got another in you, right?"
He smirked.
…
She gasped as her face was pushed against steamed glass, a hand tangled in her hair to use as a handle while he drove into her from behind, other hand on her hip. Every thrust sent a clap echoing through the bathroom, joined by her groans and moans and buried under the running water of the multiple shower heads. Every penetration sent ripples across the taut, pillowy flesh of her ass as he powered into her. The hand on her hip left then descended on her cheek with a slap, making her buck and squeal against him, and he pushed forward until her whole front was squished against the glass of the shower door.
His hands slid up her front to maul her breasts while continuing to pound her welcoming sex, lips descending on the junction of her neck to bite and nibble. "You mark me," he growled, biting down and sucking hard as she cried out and came, "I mark you."
She reached back and grabbed a fistful of his hair, turning and kissing him fiercely to the point that she bit his lip, nearly drawing blood. "Do it, baby!" She moaned, "I want…all the jealous bitches…to know what we did!" Then pulled his face back to her neck.
With free reign granted, he left dark red spots up and down the side of her throat, groaning into her skin as his end came like rolling thunder. Feeling him speeding up, she suddenly pushed off the wall and made him step back before spinning on him and pinning him to the wall with a grin. "Watch this!" She gloated and put her foot on the glass next to his head, impaling herself back on his pulsing length while doing a standing split.
…
Saul carried her out of the bathroom, part of him very glad that he had unlimited hot water; the other part was noting just how tired he was feeling. Keeping himself at slightly-above human standards meant the-he mentally checked the time-two and half hours of sex meant he was close to passing out and getting hungry, despite the meal they'd shared. Kozuki was fairly tired, too, as he'd kept the ratio of orgasms 2:1 in her favor.
Tripping over the carpet, he fell on top of Kozuki as they landed on the mattress, a woosh of air escaping her lungs swiftly followed by a giggle. Propping himself up, he smiled down at her, her blue locks spread out behind her like a halo, and kissed her softly. She sighed into his lips and languidly wrapped him in her arms and legs, softly grinding against him. "…Got one more in ya?" She asked tiredly, already reaching down between them to grab his half-hard length.
He chuckled as her hand stroked him, allowing a bit of energy to leak out of his self-imposed restraints and his arousal swelled against her palm once again. "…You want me to die, woman?" He asked, stroking down her sides and adjusting himself that his tip poked into her wet, welcoming sex.
Kozuki made an expression that wasn't quite a grimace nor a smile. "But what a way to go, huh?" She whispered, rolling her hips and taking him deep within her body once again. They groaned in concert as they softly and slowly made love on his bed, the tenderness of their respective sexes restricting him to gentle thrusts and deep rocking.
Their lips locked, her fingers tangling in his hair, his tongue swirling against hers, his hands stroking down her sides, brushing the sides of her breasts as they continued down to her hips to gently grip her thighs before sliding up again. Her ankles crossed behind his back, pulling him just a little deeper with each tender stroke.
It seemed only minutes before that familiar pressure started to build within her, but she resisted the urge to give in. "A-are you close?" she whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut as if that would dam up the wave that was coming.
"Y-yeah," he moaned, pressing soft kisses along her jaw and up to her ear, "I just…can't help it, s-sorry." His thrusts gained just a bit more speed and momentum, his tip crashing against that special spot inside her.
"Don't b-be," she gasped, grabbing his face to look him in his mismatched eyes, "I…I want that f-fantasy shit…come with me…"
"Ko-Kozuki…!" He exhaled and pressed her down into the mattress, grunting his orgasm into her lips as she moaned with him, shuddering and shaking as a gentle wave of ecstasy rolled in and washed them both away.
Kozuki sighed deeply as he slumped on top of her like a weighted blanket, feeling full and satisfied in almost every way that counted. Feeling Saul's eyelashes fluttering against her skin, she rolled them over and found him on the verge of falling asleep, gazing at her through half-lidded eyes like he never wanted to look at anything else. She smiled softly and scooted away, pulling open a drawer on the bedside table to withdraw a pack of wet wipes that she used to mop up the sticky mess that was the result of their lovemaking, throwing them away before snuggling up to his side and pulling the blanket up to cover them.
With a soft hand, she reached down and stroked him back to hardness, dragging an exhausted, reluctant groan from his lips. Giggling quietly, she threw a leg over his hip and pushed him back inside, but didn't move beyond a little wriggle to get comfortable. "I just want to fall asleep like this," she murmured in explanation, stroking his cheek as he blinked tiredly at her. "This feeling of being connected to you so intimately…I want to feel it everyday. I don't think I can live without it." She kissed him gently and settled down on the pillow, watching him fall asleep with a warm smile on her lips and affection in her eyes.
Eventually, she too fell asleep, warmer and more comfortable than she'd felt in centuries.
…
Something touched her senses and Kozuki jolted awake, casting a groggy gaze over the room to determine the source. She settled on the window, the curtains pulled wide to let the night sky seep in, carefully slipping out of bed to pad over to the glass.
Beyond the boundaries of the property, perched in a tree like the world's most enthusiastic flasher was Dohnaseek, trench coat buttoned up and fedora firmly planted on his head. Their eyes met, even across the distance and through the inky darkness, such things be no obstacle for their kind. She didn't care that he could see her nude form, nor the reddening welts and love bites scattered across her neck and chest.
He frowned, brows tightening in displeasure. Finish the mission, his eyes seemed to say.
Her eye twitched, recalling the shouting match she'd shared with her fellow Fallen Angels the day-two days, actually-before, where they had made it known they were disappointed one of their targets had survived a trip out of town.
His hand clenched into a fist, now wearing a scowl, dark wings spread out like shadows over the stars.
She glanced behind her, finding Solomon mumbling something in his sleep as his hand unconsciously sought out her missing warmth.
Dohnaseek bared his teeth in a silent growl, jerking his head at the target lying helplessly before her.
Kozuki, better known as the Fallen Angel Kalawarna, looked back at him with a flat, expressionless face. Silently, she raised a middle finger in his direction and pulled the curtains closed, slipping back into the warmth of her lover's arms and going back to sleep.
Snarling, the other Fallen Angel bent his knees, summoning a spear of blue light into his gloved palm and made to leap forward…
A tingle went down his spine and he froze as the air was filled with vicious, sinful intent. His eyes darted upwards, and he beheld a figure.
Floating in front of the moon, bat-like wings extending from her lower back, hair glowing like burning blood in the light of the celestial body, was a Devil. Her arms were crossed, posture almost relaxed, but her eyes were full of wrath and promise, nearly glowing with destructive power as she glared down at him.
Rolling his shoulders, he gripped his spear, then paused again. Looking behind him, he found another Devil, air subtly crackling with ozone. A rustle in the tree to his left made him glance over to find yet another Devil, a white-haired girl with yellow eyes idly cracking her knuckles. A burning sting touched his throat and he froze, eyes darting down to find a blade under his chin, following the length of magical steel down to find one more Devil, a blonde with blue eyes and cold stare.
Sucking his teeth, Dohnaseek dismissed his spear, and the edge was pulled away from his neck. With a contemptuous snort, the Fallen Angel fled on black wings.
With the threat gone, the Devils traded looks. Nothing was said. One-by-one, they vanished into glowing red magic circles, until only the blonde remained. She cast a solemn gaze over the mansion and the window in particular, and sighed heavily. Biting her lip, she sniffled quietly and shook her head before teleporting away.
The night was once again still.
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A/N: The chapter ended up being a lot longer than I intended, with the date itself taking up over half, but I feel like it was worth it in the end!
And, to be honest with you, I had intended for the chapter to end the way it did, but I've convinced myself to make Kalawarner a bigger part of the story. I mean hey, we didn't know shit about her in the anime and she wasn't really present in the LN, so you know what they say:
*gestures for you to come closer*
*Whispers* "It's free real estate." *Shrugs*
Also the chapter would've been maybe two thousand words shorter without that rant about metaphysics, Devil energy and angels and whatnot, but it occurred to me as I was writing and I had to throw it in. Which also means I did, in fact, make it up on the spot. Seems to make sense to me…as much as it can, anyway. Thoughts?
NS: It helps that it's a pretty cool bit of original lore, and ripe for further exploration.
So not much action this chapter, but I can promise there's a lot more action to come, from the fallout of Kalawarner's decision and from the plot starting to move forward. I hope you're looking forward to it!
Big thanks, as always, to NSG for being a straight-up lad! I believe he's updated recently, why not go and give him a visit, as a present?
And another big thanks to all my Patrons on P atreon for supporting me this year! It has indeed been a Merry Christmas because of you!
Wanna support me and read chapters early? You can find me on P atreon under the same name, and even a dollar a month gets you a vote in my monthly poll! You can even bully me into updating stories I haven't touched in a while, like Console! Plus, an exclusive surprise from me…
Thank you for reading, reviewing, commenting, favoriting and all that good stuff. Whether it's because you've had too much IRL interaction or you're trying to avoid family, thanks for being here.
Stay Awesome!
~Soleneus
P.S.: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and in general, Have a Happy Holidays!
Next year…I'm gonna bring the thunder.
Stay Awesome Some More.
~still Soleneus