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| [Graded][Arc] Cave of Wonders; 2 of 4 | |
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| Topic Started: May 30 2016, 02:02 PM (1,460 Views) | |
| heiner777 | May 30 2016, 02:02 PM Post #1 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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Vento awoke early to the soft rays of morning sunlight that poured in from the slits of the closed curtains to fill the inside the darkened hotel room, part of the accommodations provided for him by Neo Cortex. It was a three-star hotel named The Traveler’s Inn located at the outskirts of the city and provided a picturesque view of the Lavender Forest which bordered the finely decorated five-story hotel building that any traveler would find quaint and homey considering its relatively cheap staying prices which went even lower during the off-seasons. As if to mock his well-earned abilities, Vento's superiors expected him to complete his assignment for not more than a month and had rented out his hotel living quarters for that amount of time. He felt insulted and saw it as a gaffe on their part since the scholar planned to complete the exploration of the Genie’s Lamp in a day. If he had his way, he would have just taken the money they spent in advance to rent out this unnecessarily comfortable room and hired some mages from Blue Pegasus with that. Instead, he was being treated like some spoiled brat who did not know his way around the scientific method just because he was Zephyrus’ little protégé. It was an insult to his intellect; he did not need a month, only the necessary funds to exact his plans. Still, despite his reservations, he did have to admit that the accommodations were quite relaxing. Bits of sunlight danced across the floor lined with wall-to-wall white carpeting while the study desk and room mirror softly glowed with ethereal light from the small lamp he had left on to serve as one of the room’s primary sources of light the night before. The room itself still smelled a bit of the bottle of Malbec wine he had brought up from the buffet table, but he knew that was but a simple reward he had earned for himself after yesterday’s hassle. Groggily, Vento sat up from his sleeping spot on the couch on the far-right corner of the room beside the bed and surveyed his surroundings. The clock said ‘5:08 AM’ but the light outside made it seem more like ‘6:30 AM’. The scholar grunted in frustration, forced himself to go to the window, and pulled open the curtains. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness of Poinsettia’s brighter-than-normal mornings partly due to the sheer abundance of reflective buildings and seemingly bejeweled architecture that seemed like stars shining bright in a sea of light. “Too much brightness,” he mumbled to himself just as he turned away from the glittering scene to head straight to the bathroom as if in a trance to wash his face and brush his teeth to prepare for the buffet-breakfast, ignoring everything else. In the back of his mind Vento wondered where in the world Tsuna went off to. He knew that he and the young woman would share the room after their dinner at the lobby’s restaurant, but the last thing he remembered was of him halving the bottle of wine before passing out like a rock. The blonde would most likely turn up eventually since she was probably just on the queen-sized single bed under the warm covers of the cotton blanket or buried under the mountain of standard kits and other exploration gear issued to Vento by the organization. There was only one thing that worried him though. Vento could only roughly remember how he got back to the hotel room, but one hard drink too many had weakened the scholar’s usually titan-strong faculties and caused it to degrade, leaving him a mumbling sycophant, a little bit more willing and unrestrained to do almost anything he thought would feel good at the moment. He did not have to keep up false pretenses, after all; he could allow himself to let loose since it was justified after the stressful day he had just had. Even so, he was worried that he might have taken things a bit too far and, in a drunken high, might have made sexual advances towards Tsuna and maybe had his way with her while in his weakened state. There is no way something like that happened; I am absolutely positive nothing had happened, he thought to himself, confident about his conclusion. However, he wanted to reassure himself and thus took off the clothes he had worn the previous day to check for signs of carnal congress. He found that there were neither hickeys, nor scratches, nor wounds; nothing, not even evidence of seminal discharge. Vento sighed in relief. “Just the way it should be.” Edited by heiner777, May 30 2016, 02:02 PM.
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| Mariko | May 30 2016, 10:30 PM Post #2 |
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Phck.
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(ooc: you told me i can do anything.) ---- It was undeniably the most comfortable sleep Tsuna had since the time she left Crocus. The queen sized bed might not be as fluffy and soft as the one she had back in the mansion, but it was ten times or more better than what the miserable inn in Poinsettia had. However, a familiar, pleasant sensation in her dream had caused the blonde to wake up earlier than the usual. When she was lulled roused from sleep her eyes caught glimpse of the time: 4:58AM. Judging on the rays of light that slipped through the tiny gaps between curtains panels, it was starting to get bright outside. Tsuna let her eyes wander around the room as the scent of Malbec wine lingered and teased her nose. From her position she could see the half-full bottle beside a glass with what it seemed a drop or two of the said drink set at the bottom of its bowl. Turning, Tsuna found on the couch the man that had been downed by the alcohol: Vento. He was still peacefully asleep. The sight of him caused the young woman to rub the side of her face and pull up the covers, drowning her entire body in its warmth while recalling what happened the night before. Underneath the fabric she was just in her shorts and loosely placed chest binders. But really, what happened the night before? xxx If there was something she discovered about Vento last night, it was that someone should steer the man away from alcohol. At first while they were dining in the buffet, Vento was still normal as he indulged in the exquisite taste of his choice of drink. Classy. Refined. Slightly snobbish when Tsuna would make a dumb remark, as usual. Tsuna did not bother taking a sip, she knew how weak her tolerance was and taking even just a little would jeopardize the journey they would do the following morning. After the guy had a few more drinks, and the young lady a few more slices from the lamb leg in the rotisserie, the former started blabbering about things the latter could barely understand. It involved too much science for her brain to understand. It lasted for a full hour, and Tsuna felt she had a session with the most torturous lecturer who would squeeze twenty-five volumes worth of encyclopedia articles in his student's head in just an hour. Before she could have brain hemorrhage, Tsuna thought it would be best to make him shut up by keep on filling his glass, which she did. She thought that would keep his lips busy. One after another she would pour wine on his glass and prod him to drink which he would gladly accept. But the more he took, the noisier he had gotten. "This won't work." When they were starting to attract the attention of other patrons, the woman decided to take the man to his hotel room. Good thing prior the dinner he had already told her their arrangements, such as where each of them would sleep and what was the room number. She was to ask for assistance from a hotel staff, but Vento was reluctant because 'he wasn't drunk' and 'he can perfectly walk straight', which obviously was a lie. With a heavy sigh Tsuna surrendered to her fate and took the man to the room on her own, pondering how should a person take care of a drunk companion. Do you have to dunk the drunk idiot into a bath tub for him to regain his constitution? Nah, she had seen movies where murder was committed through that method. Well at least, Vento was more cooperative. He would obey what Tsuna would ask him to do, like, 'don't turn there that's the wrong way', or 'you're heavy, please try to carry yourself as well' or 'be quiet we might disturb other people', or 'don't throw up that's embarrassing, okay?'. She could swear she almost saw him swallow something. Upon reaching their destination, the exhausted Tsuna immediately threw the man on the couch. However, by some force she failed to see, or was it because Vento was still holding her when she threw him on the couch, her body flew with him, and she ended up on top of the man who was laying on the couch. They were too close that Tsuna was able to once more take note of Vento's angelic visage and be mesmerized by it even if her nostrils was being invaded by the strong scent of the wine that it made it itch. She was like a metal drawn to a magnet. "Wow, I never thought you can be a pain. I'm physically and emotionally exhausted, you know. I deserve a reward for being your keeper," she dropped her shoulders as he made mumblings that resembled to him asking what it was. Jokingly, she replied. "A kiss perhaps?" She didn't realize he would actually heed it. In a heartbeat he leaned in and sealed her lips. One second. Two seconds. Three. She was surprised it felt her heart beat thrice faster, blood rushing her veins. She placed her hand on his cheek as she returned the kiss albeit deeper, her tongue moving past his lips to meet and swirl around with his. He clutched the back of her shirt. Tsuna was beginning to get lost in this little wonderland when she noticed out of the blue he stopped responding to her lips. Peeling her lips off his, she tapped his cheek lightly, "Vento, oi Vento." He passed out on her. "Wow, jerk, leaving a woman hanging like that!" She rolled off him, completely forgetting he still had his hold on her shirt, which caused the top to rip when she moved. "Tch, cheap clothing is cheap!" She looked for anything to repair her torn shirt but there was nothing inside the room. At least she saw a laundry bag and cards for the hotel's laundry service. She placed their dirtied clothes inside the bag, filled up the form and left both outside. Then, she took off her rag-like clothing and placed it inside the bin underneath the study table. After covering her chest with the binder, making sure it wasn't too tight, she went to bed. xxx After sometime, Tsuna heard footsteps, then the sound of the bathroom door opening. Vento must be awake. She waited for a minute or two before sitting on her spot, the sheet covering from below her clavicle. "G-good morning, Vento!" she greeted while he was inside the bathroom in a cheery tone. Should she tell him how much of a headache he was last night? |
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| heiner777 | May 31 2016, 04:20 AM Post #3 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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“Maybe for you; my head is ringing like a bell,” replied the scholar snidely only after he had finished his business and walked out of the bathroom with a casual gait. He turned to face Tsuna on the bed, the sheets covering the parts of her body from the neck down like a makeshift toga, implying that she was underdressed beneath those covers, or at most, nude. A sense of dread crept up his spine at the sight as the once remote possibility of having sexual intercourse with Tsuna slowly became a probable reality. He knew he was wrong, but the lovely beige-blonde-haired evidence of such illicitness that stared at him with a sickeningly sweet expression in a position that looked exactly what it says on the tin made him rethink his findings. Unwilling to accept such a scenario had happened Vento played it cool and decided to play his fears against itself. There was no point fretting over something which may or may not have happened so he figured it was easier if he simply let the situation play out its usual course and force the hand of fate to reveal the truth. It was akin to fighting fire with fire, such as when one would make use of a counter-fire to stop the spread of a hostile blaze from spreading any farther. If his hunch was correct, Tsuna would give him the answer he knew to be true all along. A shameless grin formed on his lips. “Well, well, well, you seem like you slept so well last night that you woke up like you just hit the jackpot,” Vento teased. Thereafter, he slowly went up and crawled onto the bed, making his way to Tsuna until he straddled her frame while on all fours. His face was leaned in close, not enough to kiss and far enough for the blonde to get a good sniff of the scholar’s minty-fresh breath each time he exhaled and spoke. Vento's eyes cast a predatory gaze over his intended prey and licked his lips accordingly – lustily – as if craving for a taste of the heiress’ silken meat more than the buffet offerings they would soon have once the restaurant opens. Vento began to speak while maintaining his position and, most importantly, his smile. “I wonder why you look so cheery though; did something good happen last night? Something that made your spine tingle, maybe? Or made your toes curl up from ecstasy?” Vento inquired, in a voice soft like silk, with a matching tone that bleeds out seduction and sensuality with every syllable. “How many rounds did we go; two, three, four, or at most five? I mean my memory may be hazy, but last night it seems like you got the better end of the deal. That annoying look on your face shows it.” With a loud bang, both of Vento’s hands slammed up onto the bed’s oaken headboard; an act which he intended would startle Tsuna. He prodded her more, steadily and methodically, until she was ready to submit to his whims at the slightest instance of desire. At that point, he leaned in closer until his lips were mere centimeters away from the blonde’s own, all the while hyping up the act to its supposed climax. “How about it, Tsuna; do you want to have sex again like we did last night?” The question was a pin-point attack which specifically targeted the matter at hand in a manner that produced the most optimal result. It was not an outward and direct question since Tsuna might spin the story to benefit herself and which she might use to blackmail Vento into doing anything she desired. In this way, he can directly force the issue onto the woman’s side in a lightning-fast preemptive strike designed to hit the subject straight into its heart. If he was correct and they did, indeed, refrained from any kind of sexual activity the previous night, Tsuna would show tell-tale signs of active or passive resistance, or hopefully, tell him outright that he had the wrong assumption. “Be honest with yourself for once; you do not have to play as Daiki right now.” To drive the ruse further into the realm of believability, Vento swept his right hand towards Tsuna’s face and gently caressed it like a lover would; slowly tracing the line of her visage down to her chin. He raised it up so that his face would meet hers, eye-to-eye – crimson moons reflected upon two-tone mirrors of cerulean and lilac. “Tell me the truth.” Edited by heiner777, May 31 2016, 04:25 AM.
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| Mariko | May 31 2016, 07:21 AM Post #4 |
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Phck.
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Initially the woman thought Vento was referring to the sweet drunken kiss, indicating that he indeed remembered what happened, how pleasing it was to the senses, and how he failed miserably in the middle of the unintended smoochfest. If he recalled the latter and still wear that face perhaps he was up to something to recover his 'manly honor'. As far as Tsuna knew, it was a shame for a man to leave a woman hanging or fail to accomplish to its end a deed for a woman. Men being egositical creatures would not let something like this tarnish their history. A comeback was necessary. His seductive tone prompted the heiress' heart to start pumping faster. A light shade of pink painted her cheek, eyes dilated as she anticipated his every move while unconsciously she was sliding herself down the bed until her head was pressed on the feather and down chambered pillow. Once he leaned in, her mind started running in a much faster pace her consciousness could not catch up. Tsuna gulped, lips trembled before she took a tiny bite on her lower lip while assuming that he wanted to redeem himself from the mishap that happened last night. She had no qualms; who would not like to be teased, pleased and spoiled by a charming young man first thing in the morning? She was just a simple lonely girl with base desires. Besides, kisses would not hurt; once-in-a-while hookups could give a bland dish a dash of flavor. However, the playful anticipation swiftly pivoted into a heart shattering news. It appeared that he was not referring to the deferred make-out session but, apparently, to them having coitus. Again. And with the word 'again' in his question, it meant that they HAD a nooky last night. The color on Tsuna's face faded as the mesmerized expression she had washed away and turned into disbelief with a hint of horror. Hold up... was she sleeping like a cadaver that she didn't realize he crawled up to the bed in the middle of the night and forced his knight to enter her castle? True, he was attractive and they did some french, but that was not in any way implied consent. He could have shook her, wait her to wake up and asked for it than forcing it on her while she was unconscious. Not that she would say yes right away, but he could have shown some respect to her as a lady, if not as a human being. Further, as if it was an insult Vento seemed to admit that he had a hazy recollection of how stole her chastity. The sultry smile plastered on his face became annoying, if not, a dagger that stabbed her back. Never in her wildest imagination would she see Vento as a sex offender, especially after all the headaches he had given her when he was in the state of intoxication. She could let the attempt to kill her slide, as it might be an accident, but to violate her was on another level. The blonde heiress was quick to become upset, eyes were welling up her when her hand flew straight to Vento's cheek, making a crisp resounding slap around the room, if it indeed landed. If not, she would pull her knee to hit his crotch, and if unrestrained after the first or second scenarios she would pull the blanket over her head and began crying audibly. If the raven-haired scholar was able to stop both or restrain her, she would just wail without the sheet. "How horrible!" her eyes were like a pair of leaking faucets. "How dare you do violate me, after all the trouble you caused me last night! If I only know you'll assault me I should have left you rolling and puking your intestines out in the hallway!" But what was the use of crying if he could not bring back her chastity. After a few moments, she sighed and accepted defeat. "Fine... if... that makes you happy... then go. Do it. There's no use of struggle anymore. Y-you've broken me anyway." She was already forced last night, there would be no harm anymore if she would force herself this time too, right? Slowly, she was to take the blanket off her. Edited by Mariko, May 31 2016, 07:27 AM.
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| heiner777 | May 31 2016, 10:34 AM Post #5 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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A familiar stinging sensation spread across Vento’s cheek, a reminder of his past when, as a child, his master would smack him for making the simplest mistakes or not living up to his expectations for the day's exercises. It was both a painful and fond memory of his childhood which he momentarily relived thanks to Tsuna’s soft milky hands. It was not as painful as the calloused and leathery digits of Zephyrus so he can deal with the pain far easier than he did with the old man’s slap, although he was already accustomed to corporal punishment anyway so it did not really matter in the end. There was also the fact that he could have just caught the young woman’s slap considering his superior physical attributes, but he no doubt knew that he deserved Tsuna’s rage. He went too far with his method, despite the fact that it was nevertheless successful in producing the result he had wanted. It was a necessary evil though, or that was what he thought in his mind when he justified it to himself. If he had not done that, he might commit an injustice to Tsuna and lead his partner on, which in turn might then blossom into a problem and cause complications during the expedition. He could not afford anything to go wrong, not when the assignment involved exploring a potentially dangerous ruin inside a forest known for mysterious animals and phenomena. Cooperation was the key to survival. After hearing out her teary-eyed outburst and before she could pull down her coverings and expose herself, Vento’s hand displayed its usual swiftness and grabbed Tsuna’s wrist to prevent her from going through with her intent. His face, too, was now back to its usual stoic mien although his reddened cheek, which was still feeling raw from the slap, made him appear like a ‘sad’ circus clown with half-done makeup. The stinging sensation did not bother him much though. “No need to go to such extremes; I only verified as to whether or not we had sex during the night since I was in a shameful state of inebriation. Your reactions have confirmed my initial conclusion – that we did not – and we just slept the whole night without incident. Absolutely nothing went on, I swear,” explained Vento. “My memory was hazy; I only have a vague idea as to the events that transpired after our dinner. As such, I needed to be sure, and the easiest way to be sure was to obtain confirmation through an unfettered and brutally honest response. Rest assured that your chastity is still very much intact.” Once he had explained his side of the story to Tsuna, Vento got off the bed and rubbed his raw cheek with a slight wince. “They say that ‘hell hath no fury than a woman scorned’. I have to admit, I am starting to believe that; it has been a very long while since I got slapped this hard,” said Vento with a hint of melancholic amusement in his voice. “I probably deserve it though. I never had any experience with women outside of work before so I just copied the mannerisms of some of the male protagonists in some of the romance novels I read to pass the time. I apologize if it was too extreme.” Apart from that small expression in his otherwise monotonous delivery, his facial expression did not change a single bit. Deep in his heart, however, he felt happy to have garnered some 'field data' from an actual 'adult encounter' and even hear a confirmation of his findings, albeit an angry one, from the mouth of another person, who was not affiliated with either Zephyrus or Neo Cortex, and did not dismiss him outright near-lethargically like most of his colleagues, superiors, and elders. He nodded to himself, acknowledging the success of the test; he was now free to resume with whatever he was doing before his mind was bogged down by his petty concerns. “In any case, now that we are both assured of our chastity, I recommend that you ready yourself for breakfast. Stuff yourself full when you can; the next time we will be back here, we would be the first ones to have conquered the Genie’s Lamp.” The scholar’s eyes glanced at the clock. ‘5:45 AM’ – fifteen more minutes before the breakfast-buffet opens up to serve the hotel guests; more than enough time to set up for the final preparations before they go on to their primary objective located inside Lavender Forest. Thus, while Tsuna did her morning rituals, Vento busied himself with checking and re-checking their gear from bungee cords, fishing line, small medical kits, signal flares, and on-the-go rations. After all, one never knows when they might need them and he was not taking any chances. |
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| Mariko | May 31 2016, 12:35 PM Post #6 |
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Phck.
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Tsuna was confused if whether or not she should be happy when the maiden heard the young man's verbose explanation. Okay, they didn't engage in unconscious sexual intercourse that lacked consent, thank God, and that was something she should be glad. At least she was still intact and would not be stressing over lost memories of a supposed good time. However, Vento's admission that he had vague recollection of what transpired that night further dragged her feelings down. It meant there was a high chance that he also didn't know their lips shared a good minute. Other than that, the blonde felt slightly guilty even if the raven-haired teen owned up the mistake. If her actions would be viewed vis-à-vis Vento's reasoning, she obviously overreacted and miserably failed in analyzing his words. The red mark on Vento's cheek was a proof of such. Tsuna's two-toned visual orbs followed Vento as he got off her, wearing his usual emotion-less visage. Tears were still rolling down to her cheeks, but it wasn't as much as she had earlier. The previous loud wail turned into muffled sobs. "You could have just asked. I won't lie to you... because ---" Tsuna said as soon as he was done with his one-sided explanation, sobbing in between before pausing for a while to think of the reason why she would refrain from deceiting the scholar. She could actually just lie any time she wanted, she was used to it anyway. However, there was something in this man that refrained her from doing so. Perhaps his off-colored view of the world? Could be, but if that was it the reason was a oddly loose. " --- because my life depends on you on this point." The more she needed to lie if that was the case, since she had to give him words he needed to hear to preserve her life. She needed to cooperate if lying was the method of cooperation that needed to be done. Even if it was another loosely-knit reason it was what she chose to tell him because it was what was convenient that time and consciously, partly true. “In any case, now that we are both assured of our chastity, I recommend that you ready yourself for breakfast. Stuff yourself full when you can; the next time we will be back here, we would be the first ones to have conquered the Genie’s Lamp.” The two went on with their lives after the little misunderstanding that happened on the bed. Tsuna remained on her spot for a few more minutes as if she failed to hear Vento's suggestion, pondering on what just happened and letting his explanations sink in her head while on the other side of the room Vento checked and re-checked the items they would be bringing in the exploration. There was an odd dead silence between the two, or so to Tsuna's part, until the heiress pulled herself off the comfortable bed and sluggishly dragged her feet to the bathroom, the blanket still covering her body. Who actually cares about a blanket at a time like this, when you're not sure what to feel about the person you are partnered with, alongside unneeded sensations from the confrontation earlier and the craziness last night. "I have our clothes washed. I believe it should arrive at 6:00 AM. Please just receive it and pass me my things. I'll just be in the bathroom." She stopped from her tracks for a few seconds when she was just a step or two away from her intended location. She gulped and sighed, "so you didn't also remember that you kissed me?" she dared to ask as it pestered her mind. Another audible sigh could be heard. "Nevermind, I don't want to hear your answer." She dreaded to hear a 'no', which was probably the answer Vento would say. She then proceeded to do her morning rituals, except for getting dressed. Once Vento would bring her her clothes, she would just let a hand out of the small door opening without any word. She completely finished prepping up at 6:12 AM. Tsuna came out of the bathroom in her normal clothes: white shirt, hooded jacket, pants. The chest binder was worn underneath for the usual reason: to flatten her chest. However, it ended up not as completely flat as she used to have with the dangerous wraps, it merely reduced her cup size by two. Her hair was done the usual as well: tied and pinned underneath her top hair so it would appear short. Upon the raven-haired scholar's prompt, she would leave the room to take her breakfast in the buffet restaurant located at the lobby. All throughout the breakfast she would remain silent. Edited by Mariko, May 31 2016, 01:15 PM.
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| heiner777 | Jun 1 2016, 12:56 AM Post #7 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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Women were confusing subjects of inquiry – that was the conclusion Vento had come to when confronted with Tsuna’s fluctuating reactions on the issue of what had happened last night. He did not understand what had gotten his companion so engrossed on the subject to the point where she even asked if he remembered having kissed her then immediately retract the question. It was a wonder why she would even ask in the first place when the obvious answer to that would be a resounding ‘no’, he did not, and like much of the things he had done the night before, he could not have nor was he expected to because he was inebriated. However, since she did mention it, then he guessed that it must have happened, at one point or the other. The morning went on thus with an air of awkwardness between Tsuna and Vento, with the former more affected than the latter, yet the latter more concerned with the former. Nevertheless, both continued with their respective motions and favors without much thought given to the issue at hand. People would often reason out that things would normally fix itself given enough time and that problems have a knack of getting resolved without really paying attention to it. It was that same passive-aggressive nature of humanity that Vento utterly despised; they were like ants following a beat of a non-existent drum and content with things playing out as a matter of course. It was not in itself a bad decision to make, but for the scholar, it was a waste of the faculties given to them. There was a time and place for passivity; this was not one of those times. Vento allowed the air between himself and Tsuna – now dressed as Daiki – to remain since forcefully prying on the subject would do more harm than good. Studies have shown that, more often than not, women were emotional creatures who allowed their feelings to pervade into most of their daily lives, especially social interaction. However, to simply understand them at a scholarly level was nearly impossible, although reading upon their behavioral patterns did provide some degree of comprehension. It also helped that Neo Cortex’s social experiments sometimes involved females, so monitoring them from a researcher’s point of view was likewise a little help. Nevertheless, Vento knew that booked knowledge rarely applied in the dynamic situations of the real world and it was up to him when and where he would pull it out. Breakfast went by drearily, as expected; not even the warm rays of sunshine and the colorful décor of the restaurant managed to salvage the feelings Tsuna had on the event. Even if she was just play-acting as Daiki now, it did not take any more analysis than looking at the cover of a book to know that she was feeling down and out. To think that this was all because of a simple and insignificant kiss; was it really that important to her? It was nothing more than physical contact of lips, no different from touching hands. That one would ascribe any meaning into that was illogical and only meant to service societal norms as to a standard and uniform expression of deep emotion. Beyond its practical use as a means to transfer contagions, for Vento, it was meaningless – useless. I simply do not understand the meaning behind kissing; there is no application for such a thing, yet people give it so much meaning – it is stupid beyond doubt! It is only society that creates meaning behind otherwise useless actions; why should I jeopardize my assignment for something so petty?! Vento brooded over with a grunt. Still, with things as they stand, I cannot guarantee full cooperation from Tsuna. In that case, I just need to bite the bullet and accede to this otherwise meaningless practice. With a bold resolve in his chest, the raven-haired scholar rose up from his seat and moved over to Daiki’s seat, his eyes burning with whatever intent he had planned on doing. In that instance, in front of the other hotel guests and waiters, Vento Aureo leaned in and planted a small peck on the blonde’s cheek; a quick and insignificant one compared to what had occurred last night, but this time it was done willingly and consciously. “I hate it when I do not remember anything I did, so while I have no clue what kind of kiss I did with you last night, I can reckon that ‘this’ was that,” explained Vento before going back to the room to fetch their gear. “Wait for me at the lobby; our guide will be here shortly.” |
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| Mariko | Jun 1 2016, 05:13 AM Post #8 |
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Phck.
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Eyes of cerulean and lilac - hued gradient widened as soft blush of pink permeated her visage when Vento's lips unexpectedly pressed on Tsuna's cheek. She was surprised she dropped her fork; it fell on the china plate, making a loud clanking sound. It was quite obvious though that the peck was bland, but what made it a big deal for the young lady was he did it in front of a lot of people when she was disguised as a man. He did not care if he would be branded as a homosexual, even if there was a high probability that the said rumor might reach his superiors in Neo Cortex. “I hate it when I do not remember anything I did, so while I have no clue what kind of kiss I did with you last night, I can reckon that ‘this’ was that.” Tsuna tried to keep a straight face as she corrected his presumptions, making sure that it was only him who could hear her thin feminine voice. "You kissed me on the lips. Torrid. Then you passed out on me." The honest answer lacked any color. It wasn't like she wanted him to do it right then and there, but the reply was meant to make him know what he really did when she was just joking that night. Also, at least he would have an idea what he could do. "And you do know you're the only one in this restaurant who knows I'm a girl, and everyone thinks you're gay right now, noh?" It was not difficult to notice that a number of eyes peer over them, most of them ladies. Perhaps they thought it was a shame to realize a good-looking raven-haired man would prefer another man over a woman. Or to some, maybe it was a sneak peak to their daily dose of yaoi. The scholar told the heiress that she wait for him at the lobby, to which she only responded with a nod while picking up her glass of Pomegranate juice to drink it. She was almost done with her breakfast, and undeniably satisfied. As he walked away, Tsuna was left to overthink of his actions, as she was prone to do so. Any teenage girl would actually do the same. "Why would he even do that?" she asked herself while sipping on her drink. "He did not have to do that. He could just say that he didn't really remember then apologize and ask what happened. What's the kiss for, a payment for not remembering anything? Does he think I can be easily bribed --- well you are, that's why you're here in this hotel and about to trek in an unexplored ruins. You only worth a decent room for sleeping, a meal and One Thousand Jewels. Such a cheap soul you have, Tsuna." She tilted her glass to empty it up when a realization caused her to choke on the liquid. She placed it down and wiped the drops of liquid on the edge of her lips. "Wait, does that mean he likes me? Well, what could a kiss mean right? Sure it wasn't on the lips, but hey you don't simply land your lips on someone's face unless like them! Ugh, erase! Erase! That's impossible, Tsuna. He's too intellectual to like a simple-minded girl like you. Well, what's so impossible in this world, Tsuna? He did say he doesn't know how to interact with girls and just copies what male protagonists do, and in stories male protagonists kiss the ladies they like. Didn't matter if it was in the cheek or the lips or forehead, but they do that! Sooooo ---- Oh. My. God." The unnecessary over analyzation was extended until she reached the lobby to wait for her exploration partner, until her mind surrendered to overuse and hurt. "Okay just don't think about that for today, will you? You have a work to finish. You need to concentrate, Tsuna. Pretend you don't know he likes you! Pretend you know nothing!" The blonde turned to her left hand, steering her head to ponder on today's task and if she could really cast her new-found ability on a whim. Vento appeared to expect her to activate it right when it was needed, but with her lack of adeptness she was not sure if she could meet this expectation. Worry was apparent on her face. Upon Vento's arrival, Tsuna would keep her silence, after all she was Daiki this time and in that persona being talkative would be out of character, and would follow his orders like an obedient worker. |
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| heiner777 | Jun 2 2016, 03:51 AM Post #9 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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Vento stood in front of his communications lacrima in a formal stance befitting that of a military officer more than than that of a field researcher from a scientific organization. In front of him was the visage of a man in his middle fifties with brown hair streaked by silver lines and a wrinkled face with a seemingly perpetual scowl, a cold and stoic picture of years of experience as one of Neo Cortex’s Arcane Archaeology and Artifact Retrieval Department. His name was Herman Ross, Vento’s current boss, and by the look on his face indicated that he had some breaking news for the scholar who was out on his assignment. He had no idea for the sudden call from his superior since he already made it clear the previous day that he planned on finishing the exploration of the Genie’s Lamp by today, so there was no reason for him to check up on Vento. “Yesterday, Frederick committed suicide while out on an assignment to investigate a ruin near Ranunculus Town,” the man announced with an alien cadence. “We have yet to uncover why he killed himself, but the autopsy reports say that there were no signs of foul play. The reason why I called you is because I want to ask if Frederick contacted you in any way, shape, or form; you were once his partner, after all. I need you to tell me whatever you can so we can shed light on this matter.” The scholar felt his muscles tense up, the last shreds of doubt withering away. For a moment he felt the collision of thrill, privilege, and fear he had experienced when Frederick contacted him yesterday morning. There was an uncharacteristic distress in his voice, frantic and scared beyond doubt as if he had uncovered some kind of nefarious plot which he had to tell someone – anyone – before it was too late. Most of the things he had said were akin to mad ramblings of an insane person, of rituals and human sacrifice, secrets, and other kinds of things Vento considered as nothing more than delusional at best. To think that those words actually had some significance to it made Vento’s heart jump; now he was curious as to know the exact reason why that came to be. Frederick Hylann was one of the few people in Neo Cortex whom Vento could get along with. He did not talk much, usually kept to himself, and obeyed his instructions dutifully without question. For him, he was the best tool a researcher could ask for; as such, it was not hard for Vento to quickly consider the man as an irreplaceable asset whenever they would work together. In that respect, he was quite happy for Frederick when he was given an important assignment exploring the Jagdarmee ruins, albeit somewhat jealous as well since it was at the same time that he was given his task with the Genie’s Lamp – a relatively low-profile project compared to exploring Jagdarmee. As such, when he was contacted by Frederick in such a manner, he felt extremely happy to know that he was breaking down under the pressure. It served him right for biting off more than he could chew. Without missing a single detail, Vento recounted the communication between himself and Frederick. Herman quietly took in every detail without fail, intently hanging on to every word until Vento finished with a smile on his face. At that point, the older man nodded and thanked the raven-haired scholar for providing him the information he needed. However, before signing off, he had one last message for Vento. “One last thing, since this is a matter deemed sensitive to the organization, we would like it if you refrained from disclosing our communication to anyone outside our department. You know how it is,” he said. Vento nodded in reply. “This conversation never happened.” With that, the glow of the communication lacrima dissipated as the light of the sun once more had monopoly over the room, and with it, the illuminated visage of Vento who had a wicked smile plastered on his face. He knew that if even his superiors wanted things to be kept in the dark, he knew that there must be something working behind the scenes. If it was in any way that important, then it was his job to make sure that he had something to use as a bargaining chip for future assignments. Even in death, you are still a useful tool to my plans, Frederick. Your suicide will not be for naught. For what seemed like an hour, Vento finally descended back to the lobby carrying two heavy-duty backpacks and an aluminum walking stick. This being an exploration, he had also changed out of his casual outfit for a more robust ensemble which consisted of a black t-shirt, acid-washed jeans, and a pair of steel-soled hiking boots with gum soles. “Sorry to make you wait; I had to take a call from one of my superiors,” he explained as he walked out of the elevator towards Daiki, tossing to him his share of the gear, and thereafter looked around for their guide who was not here yet. The scholar glanced at his watch. ‘8:12 AM’, it said. He gritted his teeth, annoyed. What the heck is that man doing? He should be here by now! Edited by heiner777, Jun 2 2016, 05:44 AM.
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| Mariko | Jun 2 2016, 01:20 PM Post #10 |
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Phck.
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"What's taking him so long?" Tsuna was starting to get worried as she kept on pacing back on forth, a hand on her pocket while the other was on her lips, unknowingly biting her fingernails to keep up with the horde of things going on inside her head. If she would not do so her simple mind might deteriorate even further or she would get overwhelmed too much. She could only guess what was the reason for the delay: there must be a few things he forgot to check or pack, he must not be feeling well and was throwing up this whole time because of drinking too much last night, or he took another route out of the hotel and left Tsuna behind because of everything that had happened between the two of them since last night, but until Vento would come down or she would go to back to the room none of these would be verified. Even if the urge to check on him grew, she was afraid to earn the ire of the man. The last thing she wanted to happen was Vento getting mad at her and because of it she would be placed in a perilous situation inside Genie's Lamp out of 'teaching a lesson'. It was not impossible, but the beige-blonde heiress would like to hold on to a probability that the scholar would not do such a thing to the person he 'likes'. She looked around and also tried to see if there was another man who was dressed up as a tour guide, or anyone who would be inquire about the man from Neo Cortex in the reception, but there was none. Weird. Vento said the tour guide should be there any minute, and she was precise 'any minute' for Vento could be translated as 'thirty minutes or more'. 'Are we really still going to venture Genie's Lamp? If it will be postponed today, I have no qualms. At least I still have a day to try tapping my powers.' For a moment she halted from further flattening the tiled floor with her uncontrollable pacing. She breathed deeply and concentrated, trying to make a dark purple wall of energy in front of her like she did yesterday, but it was all in vain. It wasn't easy, was it? The heiress dropped her shoulders in surrender, and resumed pacing as if patrolling the vicinity. Forty five minutes. Tsuna was already getting bored. Her own thoughts failed to amuse her anymore. The people around did not look interesting enough to waste time with. On the other side of the lobby there was a huge metallic box powered by lacrima that dispensed different kinds of drinks upon feeding it with Jewels. In the same steady pace as she did earlier, the girl decided to check out the dispenser and probably get herself a drink. Once she was in front of it, she fished out her hard-earned money and placed it on its mechanism, amount of which was enough for two drinks. After being shown some choices and picking out the ones she liked, she picked the items out and went back to her position while placing one of them, a canned butterbeer, inside one of the pockets of her pants. The other other one was for her, a single-serving sized carton box of broccoli and kiwi juice that came with a straw. She leisurely sipped through the straw while waiting. The silence of the hall was interrupted by the arrival of a group of teenage girls giggling and talking loudly. There were four of them, each were donning skimpy outfits as if screaming to the world their hourglass figures. Their pouty lips were colored with matte lipsticks that complimented the colors of their thick eyeshadows. Most of the males in the lobby, who were in hotel uniforms, were looking at them lustfully; some where flirting with a couple of them as they were to check in, but they were not caving in to the catcalls and compliments. "Tchn, do guys really like cheap looking girls? Obviously their jeans were fake, and the bags they were carrying aren't authentic. Just look how that gold-colored K logo, it's too big and horribly misplaced. That apricot clutchbag, oh my God! It shouldn't look that lousy, it should have its own body that even from afar you can see its shape! How dare these girls wear a Kushinada counterfeit?!" Tsuna started critiquing the females inside her head, especially the bags that bore an italicized sans serif-typefaced K logo. As her eyes squinted while trying to point out more mistakes, one of the girls approached her. She strided towards Tsuna while twirling her long wavy hair, then stopping in front of her before giving a wink. "What's a cute boy doing alone so early in the morning?" "Ugh, drinking juice?" Tsuna said after she withdrew her attention from the group, taking another of her juice. The girl beamed and extended a hand, "Vivi." Trying to be polite even if deep inside her her blood was boiling because they were using imitations of products made by one of her family's businesses, Tsuna reached for the said hand and half-heartedly shook it. "Daiki." "You're staying here too?" Vivi asked. Her friends seemed to noticed what the former was doing so they approached her even if their transaction with the receptionist wasn't completed yet. They circled around poor Tsuna, their strong perfumes hurt the latter's nose. "Hey cutie~! Why so quiet?" the girls greeted. "Y-yeah, got a room here... apparently," the heiress answered the question, dismissing all the other greetings. Do these girls really think she was a guy? They were flipping their hair at the cross-dresser, one was pulling down her top to show more cleavage while the other kept on batting her eyelashes. Children nowadays... "We'll be staying at 409. If you're bored, you know where to go ~" "Ugh, yeah. Sure. I'll ask my boyfriend if he'll let me. He's kind of possessive," it was better to pretend to be a gay than be flirted with these cheap girls. Just in time, the elevator door opened and she caught glimpse of the raven-haired researcher carrying their gears. "Oh, he's here!" Tsuna exclaimed as she wore a big smile. She passed by the teenagers and caught her own gear, which she quickly dropped because it was quite heavy for her to carry. "It's alright dear, I don't mind waiting~ " Tsuna spoke in a semi-feminine tone, the end of each word she uttered was with a bothering curl and oddly emphasizing on the terms of endearment. Afterwards she took out the can of butterbeer she bought earlier and handed it to the scholar, "Here's your drink, sweetheart, you must be thirsty after all that talk ~ " Afterwards, Tsuna positioned herself beside Vento to the point her shoulders were closely pressed against his, before wrapping her arm around his and then resting her head on his shoulder. "How's the call from your superiors? I hope it isn't bad, dear." The girls who were a few steps away from her were just watching with their eyeballs popping out of their sockets, disbelieving what they were seeing. A couple of them cursed under their breaths. "Just ride along for God's sake," Tsuna whispered to Vento, hoping the ladies didn't hear it. She only wished the man who had no idea how social interaction goes knew what was happening. "But seriously though, are you okay Vento? It took you too long. I got a little worri --- bothered," she continued in a hushed tone. |
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4:54 PM Jul 13









