058 - Sunset of the First Day

Elizabeth Bathory

Much to her chagrin, Elizabeth has no choice but to begrudgingly admit this Imperial Palace is the real thing. As much as she would've liked to turn her face and huff in disapproval at the barbaric amenities of ancient fossils who would send warriors as a diplomatic envoy and ruin her clothes and makeup instead of kissing her feet in supplication… The hallways are wide and lavishly decorated, the changing rooms warm and cozy, the fabrics are soft and fluffy and the baths themselves are to die for.

As expected from the Roman Empire, she supposes.

Well, she's still turning her face and huffing in disapproval, actually. Just because she's self aware enough to admit she has no ground to complain when it comes to their hospitality, it doesn't mean she's going to forget what she was put through to get here. This one pure idol can hold grudges with all the pure spite of her draconic ancestry, after all!

She carefully keeps a scowl on her face as she dismisses her utterly ruined dress and wraps one of the soft and fluffy towels around her body, as she does her luscious long hair into a high bum so it won't get wet and as she carefully walks into the warm bath waters to join the rest of the group.

That last one is a particularly hard thing to do, because P-san is already there and she's feeling suddenly self-conscious about her fanservice bath scene getup for some reason. She doesn't (have the courage to) bother checking, but she can easily imagine P-san's eyes roving all over her exposed skin, making weird shivers run down her spine.

Even if she's not actually showing off any more skin than some of her costumes do, the fact there's only a poorly secured towel covering her naked body is making feel incredibly exposed and vulnerable and… Anyway, keeping the scowl on her face is a bit of a challenge, but she still manages to pull it off with all the flawless grace to be expected of a professional performer.

"Ah… this is bliss…" Her sister in arms sighs in contentment, letting herself sink into the waters until only her head peeks out. "Vinci-san set up similar facilities back at Chaldea, but there's something different about an authentic Roman Bath."

"I know right? It's so warm and nice and—" Elizabeth blurts out happily, before catching herself and remembering she's supposed to be dissatisfied. "I–I mean… Hmph. I've had better."

"Oh, you can stop pretending to be upset, Eli-chan." P-san quips from her own seat. Elisabeth tries very hard not to think about what the neatly folded towel by her side means. She fails utterly. "I'm sure Rin is feeling properly chastised about everything her Servants put us through, but we are alone here. There's nobody to impress."

"I'm not pretending, I am upset!" Elizabeth protests, feeling very glad to have an excuse to justify her suddenly burning cheeks. "But I guess there's no point in showing my displeasure to thin air…"

"Exactly, the poor baths are not to blame, so don't ruin the experience with a grimace that doesn't even fit Eli-chan's pretty face in the first place!" P-san smiles and winks, which only makes Elizabeth's awareness of the redhead's state of (un)dress all the more problematic. "Just make the best out of our leisure time and enjoy the nice bath, I suspect we'll be back into the thick of things way too soon."

Elizabeth turns her head towards the doors, hoping the Cake Queen will be done changing soon and provide a distraction—

"Oh, my!" Only to get an eyeful of royal flesh when said queen steps into the baths without wearing a single stitch, carrying her own towel on her hand instead. "What a delightful place!"

That's not what Elizabeth meant! That's not what Elizabeth meant at all!

Elizabeth spends the rest of her stay in the Imperial Baths trapped between an unreasonably beautiful queen and an unreasonably attractive producer, which don't seem to have a shred of shame to put together between the two of them. And then there's her sister in arms, all cute and naive and soft to the point Elizabeth doesn't know whether she wants to hug her and protect her innocence forever or she'd rather do the despoiling herself!

And the stern Lady Director who is always frowning and intense and Elizabeth doesn't know whether she wants to put a collar around her neck for some role-reversal play or she'd rather get stepped on by—

W–wait, no, no, NO! What's she even… Ugh, it's this dumb sexy environment, way too much fanservice for her heart to take. She can hardly be blamed if weird ideas end up popping up in her pure and maidenly head!

An idol lives and dies by her reputation, and she must remain pure as driven snow, but what does that even mean?

Wouldn't that just mean it's fine as long as she doesn't get caught?

Even that meanie body double said so, she just needs to look pretty and not cause a scandal, right?

Does that mean it's fine?

Doesn't that mean it's not fine?

Is it okay to be gay for your producer and your colleagues and even the gosh-darned CEO?

No, surely it doesn't… right?

Indeed, Elizabeth's next hour can only be defined as pure (heaven) hell.

"Well, I don't know you girls, but I'm wrinkly enough already." P-san finally announces after what feels like ten eternities, stretching her arms over her head and causing a dangerous amount of cleavage to peek out above water level. "As enjoyable as bathing in the present company is, I'm calling it a night here."

Oh, thank goodness. Elizabeth's saved.

"Besides…" P-san continues thoughtfully. "I still need to drag Eli-chan to the private rooms to have my wicked way with her."

Eh?

"Eh?"

"You made me promise you a massage with a lot of pampering, right?"

Elizabeth's done for!

Mashu Kyrielight

"Hnnng~" Moans of delight echo through the chamber as Mashu lies face-down on the stone table, resting her chin on her crossed arms and feeling her cheeks burn. "Fwaaa~!"

Somehow, she ended up getting dragged into the massage session when Senpai learned the room had two massaging tables. Something Elizabeth-san blurted out in a panic about not being left alone with Senpai that Mashu didn't really understand. Going by Elizabeth-san's look of disappointment once she realized Senpai would actually fulfill her request, she probably didn't understand it herself, either.

"Harder, P-san! Harder! Yes, right theeeeeere~!"

… Haku-senpai does that sometimes, Mashu reflects. She'll make you feel all flustered and panicky and you won't be sure how to react, so you might end up saying something that isn't quite what you actually wanted to.

Mashu finds her gaze trailing towards Elizabeth-san's table all on their own, lured by the clear enjoyment in the dragon girl's voice. Even when she tries to protest, there's no heat in her voice, beyond the sort of heat that has nothing to do with being unhappy and Mashu herself hadn't even been aware was a thing until very recently.

"Hye! Wasn't that a bit–!" Elizabeth-san cries out again, seemingly lost to the world as she enjoys Sepai's massage. "Oooooooooh~!"

Elizabeth-san's towel, once so carefully positioned to cover her naughty bits while she laid on her front, pools now on the floor by the side of the massage bed, utterly forgotten. Senpai's hands are all over the now exposed butt, massaging both pale flesh and the base of the draconic tail, much to the girl's visible -and audible- delight.

Mashu feels herself swallowing thickly as her thighs subtly rub against each other. Is this… naughty? A massage isn't supposed to be a naughty thing and she's sure Elizabeth-san would've protested doing naughty things in front of others, but it sure is making Mashu feel all naughty down there.

Maybe she's the weird one?

"Yes, yes, yesyesyesyes!" Elizabeth-san cries out in release, arching her back in a single-snappy motion that lifts her entire torso up in the air. "P-saaaaan~!"

The cries soon turn into a sort of strangled noise as Elizabeth-san relaxes back into the massage table, making a convincing impersonation of a boneless puddle, occasionally wracked by random twitches and happy gurgles.

Mashu can only stare in incredulous shock.

She's not… she's not the ignorant and naïve girl she used to be before she started experiencing the Dream Cycle. She knows what an orgasm is and what it looks like. It's just… she never thought all it would take was a good massage. Isn't it supposed to require a lot of stimulation, touching your naughty places while having dirty thoughts? Maybe Mashu just has a dirty mind and is jumping to conclusions?

"Your turn." A voice startles Mashu's dirty brain out of its horny thoughts and back into the real world. "Sorry to make you wait!"

Oh, Mashu realizes, looking up to find Senpai standing right in front of her, looking down with a wide smile. It looks like she's about to get her answers… firsthand.

The worst thing is, she can't decide whether she'd rather be right or wrong.

… She was right.

She was right and massages are wonderful and now she feels like she's walking on clouds.

The massage room connects with the changing room through the baths, so she has a chance to send a dopey smile towards Olga and make a weak thumbs-up as she walks past her.

"Oho~?" Olga arches an eyebrow with a teasing smirk on her lips. "You two must've had a lot of fun to forget your towels inside."

Did they… Mashu blinks, looking down to find her naked body exposed to everyone's eyes, and then turning around to see Elizabeth-san in the same state. The two of them look into each other's eyes for a moment before… shrugging and continuing their way. Somehow, it doesn't look like such a big deal anymore.

"That and the doors aren't soundproof!" Marie-san points out happily. "You two sounded like you were having lots of fun!"

That… Mashu feels her cheeks warm up once again. Being honest, it doesn't look like such a big deal either… Maybe. But it's still rather embarrassing to know she was heard. There are some very lewd noises she let out in the heat of things.

"I was trying to be considerate with their feelings, but yes. That too." Olga grumbles out before letting out a sigh and smiling again. "Honestly, I'm a bit envious. I could do with some top-notch stress relief myself."

"What do you mean, Lady Director?" Haku-senpai asks in wonderment, peeking her head out of the massage room. "It's your turn next!"

"What do you mean, 'my turn next'?" Olga gasps, her previous quiet confidence suddenly vanishing into thin air. "I-I mean, your hands…"

"My hands are well enough for this much. Come one, it was a nasty burn, but I heal fast." Senpai tilts her head to the side, raising her hands to show off palms that look maybe a bit too red and tender, but certainly are in a much better state than they used to. Mashu feels a bit ashamed that she didn't think to worry about that when it was her turn to get a massage. In her defense, these were extraordinary circumstances! "And Marie's request was for me to treat everyone, remember? That includes the Lady Director, of course!"

"I didn't—! I never—! This isn't–!" Olga stutters, seemingly incapable of forming a whole sentence anymore. "NO!"

"Marie, do you mind bringing our shy Lady Director inside?" Senpai addresses Marie-san instead, utterly ignoring Olga's protests. "I'm sure she'll appreciate us defying her authority this one time, it's for her own good!"

"Oui!"

"Treason! Mutiny! Insubordination!" Olga seems to have regained her coherence but, unfortunately, there's very little she can do to keep a Servant from bodily dragging her into the massage room. "Curse you, Rider! Curse you, Fujimaru!"

A warm smile takes shape on Mashu's lips as she watches the doors of the massage room slam closed behind Olga. Shaking her head, she turns around to make her way into the changing rooms, hoping her friend will enjoy her massage just as much as Mashu did with her own.

As she changes, she goes through her plans for tonight once more. This might not be the best time for what she wants to do but, on the other hand, she might never get a better chance.

She's given herself more than enough time to consider her emotions and come to terms with her own heart. She has confided with her trusted friend and received wise counsel. There's nothing else that can be gained by stalling and hesitating. It's time to make her move and let Senpai know her true feelings.

Watching the setting sun through the window, Mashu clenches her hands into fists, and eyes bright with resolve.

Tonight, for sure!

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus

How long has she spent here, she wonders? Trapped in this limbo, too weak to live, too stubborn to die, overlooking the seven hills as life goes on without her? It has been hard to keep a grip on the passage of time since the Wicked Woman of Greed and the Destroyer of Civilizations kicked her out of her own empire, to the cheers of her own people.

"And here you are, barely hanging on to life after being turned on by your own people." A female voice is heard out of nowhere. "I had wondered."

A visitor? Nero barely has it in her to feel surprise anymore, but she struggles to look away from the seven hills and towards the voice all the same. This is the first time a visitor has reached this little limbo of hers. What she finds is a beautiful woman clad in exotic clothes from the Far East and proudly displaying animal features.

Nero's sure she's never met this woman before in her life, and yet there's a vague feeling of… familiarity. A trustworthy friend, a bitter rival, a reliable ally, a terrifying enemy. She doesn't know this woman, but she can't quite shake the feeling that she should.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen! I'd say this is an ironic turnaround, but…" The fox woman sighs, shaking her head sadly. "I don't quite despise you enough to wish something like this upon you."

That's… Nero doesn't know what to make of that. Should she feel comforted? Insulted? Should she… say something in return? She barely has the energy to spare for thinking, busy as she is stubbornly clinging to life.

After a brief pause where the fox woman stares at Nero in silent expectation, she shakes her head again, this time in disappointment.

"We'll be seeing each other again, Sa— Nero."

Her piece said and without waiting for an answer anymore, the woman simply turns her back to Nero and walks away… Westward. That feels important, somehow, the direction in which she left.

As Nero is left alone once more, she can tell something has finally changed in this eternal limbo where time seems to lose all meaning and days blur together. In a very real way, the sun is setting for the first time.

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