Eros
"Good, Pandora. Just a few more seconds, and you'll get all the treats you desire," I said as I gazed upon her kneeling visage. Her hands clasped together as the box of Pandora hovered just above, not wanting to leave its partner for even a second lest it become violent.
Xiezhi stood to my left, also observing her. We'd since finished our reciting for the inevitable ritual happening in a few hours, but Pandora's been having trouble nailing the finale stretch, so we were still lingering in the room of practice for support and encouragement, something most other squads in the organization would find annoying or distracting had their members done the same for them.
However, because our little group was more like a family than pure professionals, the act was seen more as a comfort and grace, especially with Pandora. Despite her childlike personality, she was very shy in large crowds and could often have deadly outbursts if she felt too enclosed or caught in expectation.
When I noticed the box above her start to fidget, I quickly made my way over before placing a palm on her clasped hands; immediately and expectantly, her eyes snapped open in surprise, as the frustration and mounting dismay built in her white pupils quickly fell apart, the gentle smile playing my face calming her enough that the hollow look that came with the focus, faded, leaving the bubbly myth to resume just being her, and not what's expected.
I cursed the higher-ups sometimes because while yes, their intentions were pure, Xiezhi could confirm; their ways of going about those intentions can often lead to hidden or fracture damage their tunneled eyes can't see, and the extra expectation they put on Pandora is a prime example, as they pulled our group to the side not long before practice to give what they like to call, 'A pep talk'.
Their words consisted of dulled-down gratitude and thanks before they buried a nail into us, unnecessarily going into detail on why this project needed to succeed, and how much danger the world would be in if failure occurred.
Usually, their words wouldn't get to Pandora much, but they've since come up with a way to abuse the unyielding trust and loyalty she had in Xiezhi and me to get her more, 'Motivated', using general phrasing like, 'Everyone would be disappointed', or, 'Don't let them down', talking to us as if we were less than competent.
However, Xiezhi and I could tell the last line was more directed at her than it was at us.
Her yellow eyes twinkled as her brain, not so restricted by expectations, recalled my words in the beginning.
"All of them!? Yay! Oh!? I forgot! Did I do it, Eros? I think I did; I even felt that swirly feeling you told me about. It was super weird, and it felt like I was becoming fuzzy. Kind of like a stuffed animal. Oh! Can I have a stuffed snake? NO! WAIT! A REAL SNAKE! Pandoris has been itching for something to break down and analyze, and that myth we caught for her last year is starting to vanish."
I chuckled, "I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to get you a snake, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow. You think you can manage until then?"
A puppy-like smile painted her face as she eagerly nodded. "I can! I can!"
With confirmation, I took her by the hand before gently pulling her up, my other palm gesturing for the spaced-out Xiezhi to fetch the necessary garbs for the ritual.
My Crimson voided eyes, despite not being able to physically see him, noticed how he nodded before heading off to fetch the cloaks, their forms required for most of the organization when dealing with massive mana gatherings, as any exposed flesh or appendage would run the risk of 'Life Death' a phenomenon know to occur when too much mana gathered or sifted through one specific area for a short period, resulting in the areas concept destruction; the description was self-explanatory.
"Right then, follow me, Pandora, because even if the dangers presented don't apply to us three, I'd prefer to be safer than sorry."
She hummed in response before we made our way over to the changing room, the waiting and cloaked form of Xiezhi staring out into space again.
Leaving Pandora's side, I made my way over while she changed, wondering what had gotten into him over the last few hours.
"Xiezhi," I called out, "What's settled on your mind?"
For his part, Xiezhi didn't so much as flinch, as even while zoned out like this, his abilities were still active, and the room's air wasn't exempt from its targetability, meaning he already knew of my and Pandora's approach, just as he knew of my query.
His twin suns fell down from the ceiling he was staring at before he answered, his voice caked with uncertainty and skepticism.
"It's the event or ritual; I can't see it."
This wasn't something to be surprised about, as there were limits to how far his gaze could reach before he ran into something bigger than a concept, and what the organization was trying to achieve here was something that fit that limit to a tea, meaning, for one of the very few times, Xiezhi was going at this blind.
Sighing, I shook my head. "That's a given, Xiezhi, but try not to worry too much, as the type of thing you're trying to understand and comprehend can mess with your mind to the point of no return, something Pandora and I would prefer not to see, as we'd likely be the ones to have to put you down if that were the outcome of your fate."
I could see how he bit his lip in dismay and contemplation, before he himself sighed, an agreement toning the air being released.
"You're right, as usual, but I still don't like it, not because it's a danger to us, but because the type of thing you just described wouldn't usually be spearheaded into creation without purpose; theirs something playing out before us, something I can't see, and whatever it is, I feel it might spell another merge: an event I'm sure you wouldn't want to happen again."
My features darkened substantially at the recall, but they were quickly schooled as a response was given without much delay.
"You'd be correct in your assumption of my distaste for another... merge, but even if that possibility is a true one, that weapon is nothing more than that, a weapon, and like any true weapon, they can be dismantled and broken," I grinned, "you and I both know what our little groups main objectives are, and we both know that even without all of us present, destroying a construct like the one above us would be below our paygrade; so there is nothing to worry about, Xiezhi, trust me," I finished with a warm smile.
His twin suns shined with skepticism for a second before another sigh graced his lungs, the flicker of light gracing his horn showing that my words had made an effect on his perspective, a point further proven when he grinned at me.
"Together, right?"
I rolled my eyes before gesturing to the eavesdropping Pandora over, her guilty face acting as a comedic point in the tail end of our serious conversation.
Sticking my palm out, I repeated.
"Together throughout time and space."
The smiling Xiezhi placed his palm on top of mine as he continued, "Then our time shall be valued, and space." he paused while looking at the nervous yet joyful face of Pandora, waiting for her to finish our silly group motivator.
She stuttered for a moment before continuing, a blush of embarrassment painting her face.
"And space, invaded?"
The orbs of yellow and dots of white closed in eternal embarrassment, while Xiezhi and I started a chuckle fit, both of us highly amused by the new meaning of the group's slogan and the expected forgetfulness that always plagued her in moments of memory.
Disregarding the hand stacking, I wrapped my arms around the shorter forms of what I'd considered family before drawing both into a tight hug, wishing time itself would freeze so I didn't have to move on from this point into inevitability.
A laugh was shared in the group hug, with even some faint chuckles being heard from the cube hovering in Pandora's hand as it was decided Pandora would become the teasing bag of the mouth, but that wasn't new.
Breaking the hug, a smile of pure warmth sprouted as I spoke.
"Now then, I'd say it's about time we head upstairs for the excitement, wouldn't you say?"
The response I got in return was teasing from both sides, as they so kindly reminded me that I still hadn't put on my proper wear, with Xiezhi giving a mock impression of me and Pandora just being herself, except with a few playful jabs here and there; it was moments like these that reminded me why I threw away my divine factor, and why it was worth every loss.
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Abbie
'Tanya...' I thought while looking at the rebellious arm in disbelief.
The appendage in question seemed to have heard my thoughts and gave a thumbs-up in confirmation. It was both dismaying and relieving; dismaying because I currently had her in my arm without any knowledge of how she got there or would get out, but relieving to know she wasn't gone like I had originally thought, just... misplaced.
'How? How did... no, how are you in my arm? And where are we?' I thought the three most important questions that were searing in my brain.
However, due to her lack of mouth or anything else you'd find aside from an arm, she couldn't answer, only gesture, and those gestures led to her pointing into the vast plain of darkness, seemingly saying I would get my answers that way.
Eyeing the arm again, I questioned. 'Are you serious? Out there?'
She gave a thumbs up before doing a few extra gestures, all of which seemingly called me a pussy for being skeptical, but for 'Eko's' sake can you blame me? It's a literal maw of the void, and you expect me to believe that the eerie setting isn't hiding something?
The gesture that was calling me a pussy contined for another few minutes before I sighed, or, roughly grunted, as my voice was still kinda just gone.
'Fine, but I refuse to leave you,' my gaze flicked to my arm and her body for a short second before continuing, 'the other you, here; it'll go against everything I stand for if I do.'
The golden limb rolled its wrist as if to mimic when she'd roll her eyes before once more gesturing, this time seeming to signal the obvious solution to the problem.
I was unusually good at understanding what she was trying to show as my eye twitched in exasperation.
'Darling, my one and only star; you can't honestly expect me to carry your body at the moment. Not only does my vision sway when I move my head too fast, but even with the 'Pack Pruning' seemingly complete, I'm just barely half your size, and I don't want to even get into how much you weigh.'
I was promptly slapped silly for the last mention.
'Deserved, but still valid. You'd likely crush me with your beautifully chiseled abs before I could even take a step, and while not the worst way to go out, it's still one that pales in comparison to life by your side.'
However, even after pointing out that glaring fact, she continued to gesture, seemingly trying to say I was making excuses, while 'Eko' knows how continuing to roll my wrist; that feat of multi-motor function would be difficult, even for me, the owner, and she's doing it like she's been practicing for decades, its insane, yet highly praiseworthy.
After a few more jabs at my ego, something that just didn't exist when it came to her, I finally gave in after a particularly dark threat involving grabbing and twisting my balls off if I didn't at least try once.
Sighing, I woozily pushed myself up, her coordination with my other arm once again displaying the seemingly mastered motor functions she had over the one she controlled.
With one more heavy grunt and a brief pause to stabilize myself, I was on my bare feet, my equally bare form looking around the void in wonder as it shakily took a small step forward.
Turning my attention back to the task at hand, I hesitantly sighed before turning and crouching between her thighs, my back quickly pushing up against her stomach as I wasted no time in attempting the lift, a feat that seemed impossible at my current condition and lack of sufficient muscles; the last one was a matter of opinion.
When her form began to give way under my strength, I realized it wouldn't be so bad; it was honestly kinda easy. The firmer my grip got, the better hold I had, until eventually, her crotch rested halfway up my spine while her legs and upper torso dangled, one hanging just barely one foot off the ground, and the other slumped over my head as midnight black cascaded in front of my face.
All and all, it was a fine outcome, but one that still left me dizzy with strain, blind, and horny, as the feeling of her warm pussy on my back was tantalizing at the least and irresistible at the worst; truly a difficult battle for self-control, as one slipping and I'd be back on the voided ground trying to fuck her not so oblivious form, literally and metaphorically.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, I was quickly pulled from those problems when the barbed blade embedded in the limb currently in control of Tanya popped out with vigor before the barbs seemingly buried themselves into her skin, their forms drawing the near-glowing red blood from the wound.
My everything froze as I looked on with horror at what she had just done with her and my body.
'DARLING! What the hell are you doing!?'
The hand couldn't really move at the moment. But a strange feeling told me she was rolling her metaphorical eyes as she told me to get over it, and that it was just a bit of blood, but for 'Eko's' sake, its not just any random person's blood, it was her's, and that was something I never wanted to see, especially when I was the one to draw it.
Trying and failing to simi-glare at the appendage housing her concussion, I sighed before deciding to talk to her about it later, as even if I hated to admit it, the relief the barbed blade gave was far more than I was comfortable admitting to, as it took off a substantial chunk of strain.
I knew it would likely become light work if I used the other one, but on top of being broken and still repairing at the moment, I didn't want to consciously hurt her in any way, shape, or form; one injury is already too much.
So, stubbornly pressing on, I moved in the direction she pointed at before, keeping said direction upfront in my memory to remind me which way I was going in the directionless void that was my current place of stay.
I had a feeling it was going to be a long walk.
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Alice
No one ever said watching your toy get hurt was both frustrating and mildly angering, and thus, I had neglected the long-ass sparing matches they got up to in favor of wandering the forest, or briefly popping back into my main domain for a quick update on what's going on around there and to say its odd would be an understatement..
For example, I'm currently watching the boy, Oliver, the very same person who tried to woo me about a year ago, sucking face with another unfamiliar boy who looked both angry and content with the action; he bared two odd-looking feathers that looked eerily familiar however the second part was swiftly discarded in favor of watching the show play out before me.
Oliver's eyes, once a neat crimson, were now pink, and his hand was palming the other boy's crotch, stroking the entirety of it up and down as the kiss they were sharing deepened substantially.
It was as the moans started that I myself started playing with my clit and ass, a finger massaging the first and tentacles entering the second; I wasn't one to indulge in yaoi, but when a prime event like this presents itself to me while I've been barred of today's sex, you can bet your ass I that I'm going to masturbate to it.
However, before they could truly get the show into the deeper end, they were interrupted by that stupid fucking bell, its loud chimes snapping Oliver out of whatever trance he was in as the sexual activity immediately stopped, leaving the deep kiss they were sharing to be broken as both teasingly slept on the edge of continuing but eventually succumbed to reason.
This caused the other boy to whine, which, judging by his expression of shame and anger, was involuntary.
Sighing, I ceased my own activities, as with nothing to get off on, it was just boring, and getting off on the memory of Claire wasn't enough to satisfy my lust for her, so that was a no-go as well.
With a click of my teeth, I switched to what was essentially my own CCTV system. It covered almost everywhere in the city and was run solely on my power, so there was no chance of power loss.
They were almost microscopic, and I had close to three hundred thousand scattered about the school, and a few million for the city; however, they were null in the areas I didn't want to bother knowing about, for example, the Cat Lady. I respect her enough to give her some privacy, and sitting alongside her was that little organization of myths, keepers of balance, or so they like to say. I kept my little cameras off their territory, because one, they'd be a headache to deal with twenty-four-seven, and two, they have a few members to be wary of, especially that airhead of a girl; she may seem stupid, but what's hidden in that box of hers is nothing short of chaos incarnate, and something that would quite literally be too much for the universe to handle should it be freed.
I even pondered if it could take me on at times, but those usually led me to anger, so I tended to avoid the topic, but, putting those aside, the next odd scene would be the foreigner, or 'Asrel', as she's called.
Switching from the Yoai CCTV to one of the free CCTVs tucked away in the place she was currently staying, I watched as the 'Asrel' character talked to a faculty member of the school, which, surprisingly, ended up being the second most bloodthirsty teacher, Ms. Thavel, if I recalled correctly, which now that I properly saw her, looked mighty similar to Nyx in one of his first iterations, except her features were more dulled down and hidden.
'An offspring, maybe? No, that wouldn't make sense, so maybe an 'Imitator?' No, that's not right either, as I wiped those nasty fucks out eons ago.'
However, I'm getting off-topic. This 'Asrel' Creature, most definitely didn't come from this universe, and I can't recall any other aside from the Exo Universe created by that Divine being, Hestia, her attempt in fleeing the chaos of eldritch ending in success as she managed to pull herself, two other divine beings, and a couple million humans into a 'Balanced Stabilizer', a pocket dimension that not even I could break into, as it was made up of the remains of over fifty-two divine beings, including a few kings.
It was a marvel in power, but one that seemed to be weakening, judging by the looks of the stray currently eating in this universe. However, I didn't particularly care as long as they stayed where they were. Neither would any of my other kind, for that matter, as I had since wiped them all out. So, it's more of a keep-to-yourself type of situation between me and what remained of the divines, something they have since done expertly.
Sighing, I moved on from the 'Asrel' character, trying to find the Cat lady, her absence being noted by her empty classroom and untouched office desk; I never said she would have complete privacy, and it was for that reason that I knew of her little relationship with that boy, an odd extrusion, but one I wouldn't mind watching unfold, as the cries of disgust and utter hatred will most definitely sing when word finally gets out about it.
I chuckled before clicking my teeth in disappointment when her form could not be found, my conclusion being she either stayed home, something that I believed impossible, or she was somewhere outside of the country, another impossible thing to believe given her last trip ended in what could best be described as mayhem; it was an unfortunate event I missed.
After a few more seconds of pondering, I gave up the idea episode, looking to just let my attention dance around the more interesting parts of the city, aka the red light district, by far the only part of the city with the most action, with everything from drug deals, murders, robbers, smugglers, slave traders, to even a few violent myths that have made their homes there, or at least the few that haven't been caught and erased by that pesky organization.
However, if you ignored that last part, it was the perfect place to find some entertainment, for example, one of my views was witnessing an attempted rape; the assaulter was a young man with what looked to have too much of an ego and the victim was an inconspicuous and totally not suspicious girl wearing what was the equivalent to a tight bikini.
It was as the girl was penetrated that she showed her real colors, that, of course, being a trap, literally, as one second the guy was there and the next he was gone, the ground beneath where he and the girl were standing rippling as if something was lurking in the cemented depths.
Not far from the rape case turned missing person case, the very same girl showed up again, looking to lure yet another poor sap into the honey trap that she was.
You can never go wrong with the 'Anchor Angler', as they always knew how to put on a good show.
My adventure came to a close when the door-knob to my shared room twisted before being opened by the very sweaty and out-of-breath Claire, her form quickly stripping as she tried to make her way over to the shower, yet again, the keyword was tried, as I was still horny and the thought of sweaty sex with her made it worse.
She yelped in surprise when I caught her with my inky tentacles before quickly falling into the motion of pleasure with me; she would be getting a shower today, just not the kind she'd be expecting, no, scratch that, she'd be getting that shower as well as I liked the idea of fucking while underwater.
I enjoyed the yelp brought forth by my teeth ensnaring her nipple.
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Kevin
That Asrel girl was odd, yet so fascinating, and her race, demons, those were since thought to be fiction, as not one had been driven forth from myth since the merge, yet here I am with a claim and sighting of a demon, which while certainly not what I was expecting when the name of demon came to mind, but an authentic one none the less.
I don't think she noticed, but I'd placed a gentle yet firm speech spell on her that would force the truth out when I asked that question, so lying was off the table and she couldn't deny the question as it would have forced her to speak as well, however, maybe I hadn't needed the spell anyway, as every question seemed to draw her in just as much as hers drew me; great minds think alike after all, though her's could definitely use some work.
Hoping down from the mountain of literature that filled my underground abode, I went off to fetch one of my many books filled to the brim with spells of all varieties, however, nothing in it should have been too difficult to understand, as it was filled with what I liked to call basic spells, such as Teleport, Mediume Healing, Candle-Light, Scription, Duel Mind, A.I Copy, Brand, Flight, Muscle Control, and a vast swath of other spells I considered basic.
The plan was to use this as a bargaining chip, as I was going to offer her the chance of easy knowledge for consent and rights to study her physiology, aka, what does this and that do.
The reason for this autopsy, one may ask, is because her mana is unique, something unlike anything I've ever seen; it's like a unique mana type stored away in a pocket dimension, with the only difference being the fact that she was in all but name that pocket dimension, and there wasn't anything leaking out to be taken by whatever governed the law's of those hundreds of dimension either, so if I could break down and analyze her mana, I could possibly create an entirely new type of mana. It was mouth-watering, the thought.
But first, I needed her consent and opinion. I'm not a greedy enough bastard to use her for a project and then throw her to the side after I was done; that would be illogical and quite stupid, especially now that she's a friend.
And plus, a mind like hers is one that I recognize, it's one that, while hidden, also seeks knowledge just as I, and who was I to deny her that thirst when my own was also fed in the same way?
Sighing, I clutched the book before my existence blinked, my form vanishing from the abode and appearing in the almost sterile halls of the school, the place I still frantically searched for answers on, as its existence still felt wrong, as if it was a mistake made by something higher than a concept.
So far, the only definite answer I could come up with as to why it exists is Alice, a creature that seems to make the very concept of mana retch in disgust whenever she draws near.
My hand drew up to my sharp teeth as I remembered the near-fatal encounter I had with the entity, her wicked grin as she toyed with my bloodied maw sending a faint shiver up my spine, its form unable to be truly suppressed as the encounter was buried too deep to forget. Mana quaked around her, and I remembered trying to get away with teleport, but failing in the attempt as the mana around her fled for its life, leaving me powerless to stop the torment she put me through.
It only ended when Ms. Circle close-lined the beast, sending her through a few walls before making her retreat to the room she crawled out from, all the while I could still feel her bloody gaze upon my back.
It was a horrible experience, one that had me avoiding that East wing at all costs lest I drew the ire of that thing again; doing so would likely lead to my demise, and I'd likely not be able to use 'Resurrection' on myself either, as her anti mana field would disrupt it enough to dispel it, or to at least delay its effects enough for soul consumption to claim me.
Sighing, I shook my head of that problem while moving on to why I was here anyway, it's just unfortunate that doing so would take up all of the time I had for roaming, thus leaving me disgruntled and discontent with my lack of success, however, I still had Ms. Thavels' class left, and I was pretty sure she was the one Asrel left with, so with any luck I'd find her there.
Walking to the next class like a normal person was always a chore, but I didn't want to reveal too many of my tricks to the masses, so I made do with the restriction, however, that wasn't to say I completely crossed off its use during school hours, as rounding corners and entering empty rooms tended to do well in concealing the ability.
And now was no exception, as immediately upon entering an empty room, I vanished, my form quickly disappearing before reappearing in the almost empty class of Ms. Thavel; I say almost because aside from Ms. Thavel herself looking at me with a stare that truly expressed how done she was with everything, Asrel sat by a window near the back, her peaceful form, staring out the window in obliviousness while her teal gaze seemed to wonder and ponder on subject hidden to me.
However, being gentle about things was never really my strong suit, so it couldn't be helped when my voice sent her sprawling up in surprise, that unique mana bearing down at full force as it began to gather in her long bushy tail instinctively before she subsequently realized what happened and halted the process; a disappointing yet suitable outcome, as it showed that even though inexperienced, she knew how to use it in basic applications, even if said application was rubbing it together until friction tears formed, but maybe that was apart of the manas abilities; something to ponder on later, with her, if this venture had any luck.
"Asrel, it's nice to see you again."
The girl quickly recovered from my sudden arrival before greeting me in return.
"Indeed, it's nice to see you again, Kevin."
She paused before looking at the book in my hand, curiosity immediately piqued as one of the fancier spells inside had begun to glow in the presence of her mana, lighting it and most of the book up in an orange light.
Seeing no reason not to dive into the main reason for my arrival, I quickly asked my question.
"Say, Asrel, how would you like to make a deal?"