Food, Glorious Food! (Intro/Open)

“Do you have any more of those chicken wings?” The white haired figure asked, a wide smile crossing her face as she looked cheerfully at the waitress walking past her table. “I could eat them all day long.”

One look at the table that she was sitting at would be all the proof needed of that. She’d wandered in, taken a seat and started ordering the hottest dishes that the place had. They’d tasted heavenly too and even now her stomach was still growling, as if it was a bottomless pit that just couldn’t be filled. Considering that she’d been travelling for a while though, it wasn’t all that surprising. It’d been some time since she’d last had a hearty meal and she was definitely making up for it now. The waitresses didn’t seem to mind and it wasn’t as if the eating machine was rude or anything like that. On the contrary, the dragon slayer spoke with a friendly and infectious charm that seemed to affect those around her.

She’d heard quite a lot about the tavern and the guild that used it as their local watering hole, which had naturally aroused her curiosity. Having spent the entirety of her life in Bellum, the opportunity to spread her wings and travel elsewhere was more than enough to light the fire within her, not that it ever truly needed much to energise anyway, especially now with the war going on. Honestly, Vitria would’ve liked nothing more than to just fly to the nearest battlefield and beat the ever loving shit out of the Pergrande scumbags but she’d reluctantly had to admit that she just wasn’t ready. Her magical power wasn’t high enough to fight an army by herself, at least not yet and she knew that she needed more training. That was one of the reasons why she’d come to Fiore in the first place. She needed to become stronger and by perhaps joining a guild, she could achieve that? Her family were already fighting on the frontline and unable to teach her, so she’d been forced into taking a more drastic step. She would see them again, once she was ready,

The waitress soon returned to her table and placed another plate of chicken wings, along with a large glass of ale down, before whisking the dirty plates away. “Thanks very much!” Vitria called out happily, taking a bite out of one of the wings, the spicy texture tickling her taste buds. They were the best and she made a note to try and get the recipe off of the chef later. Even with everything going on in the world, she couldn’t help but smile, confident in the choice that she was about to make. She’d checked out loads of guilds but it was Sabertooth that had attracted her attention the most. A guild of tigers sounded like the perfect place for a dragoness such as herself or at least a slayer of them. Perhaps one day, she'll be able to test out her magic against a dragon itself, a thought that sent a tingle down her spine.

(519 Words)

*SLAM!*

Ah, there it was. The familiar gate slam when a certain Ace of Sabertooth was running away from terror… Mai still had much to learn, but at least she had gotten slower. Her bloodthirst was lower than before; that was an improvement! She was advancing – slowly but surely, that was for sure! Yup!

Still, what was up with her and Sei? Just because Imai refused to let her literally eat his alien company, she threw a tantrum and accused him of stealing candy from her. Sei might’ve looked like a candy-floos cat-monkey, but one thing was certain – the little alien was not edible. If only Mai could understand that… sometimes, he wondered if she was just playing around or if she was serious. Then again, she was still so young, so maybe she’d change once she hit the preteens… or maybe when she hit puberty and suddenly started getting feelings and stuff. The good-old, stereotypical ‘I am 14 and this is deep’ phase… that’d suit her much more than this little devil phase.

Waddling over to the counter once his safety was secured, Imai felt quite empty in the belly. “You know the deal, gimme the tastiest chicken wings y’all got!”

“…”

“…?”

“…”

“… P-Pretty please, may I partake in some of your delicious chicken wings, please, pretty please, bitte?”

“That’s more like it, boy… but you gotta wait. We just sold our last batch, me and the boys are about to cook some more.”

“Didn’t you make a to-“ Imai was about to comment, but he was visibly suggested not to say a word by the counter lady. She pointed towards the guilty one; a drop-dead gorgeous girl with an appetite that rivals Mai’s, if the counter lady had to go by the number of dishes from earlier. “…” Wanting to be discreet, Imai leaned in towards the counter lady and whispered, “Yo, is she new here? A new member, or is she just visiting? You know her name? You got her number, maybe? Ay yo, she’s fucking hot, when’d she come here-“

His words were braked by his cheek being pinched by the counter lady who knew all too well Imai’s explosive interests. A chuckle followed from her afterwards. “Well, you’re the Ace. Go and find out for yourself, pal…” With stars in his eyes, Imai attempted to do exactly that and approached the white-haired beauty, suddenly being bombarded by comments from the kitchen such as:

“Alright, guys, prepare some cola for him later, he’s gonna cry his heart out.”
“I-I feel a little bad for him…”
“I don’t, he tries too hard, that kid! And it’s hella hilarious to watch! I swear, this inn never gets boring…!”
“Bet?”
“8/10 she’s gonna ignore his advances and leave without ever realizing he was flirting with her.”
“9/10 she’s gonna leave immediately-“
“Yo, that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? Why aim that high?”
“I’ve known the brat for a while, dude… he may be an Ace, but he’s hopeless.”

“Well, I think you all should go back to work immediately! And shut your damn mouths, already!” the counter lady scolded them before returning to her duties. Imai heard the whole ordeal behind and cringed a bit, but he was going to prove them wrong. Determined to make a fool out of them, and to finally try and see whether this girl would ever, ever, ever find him interesting.

*cough*

Channeling his inner ladies’ man, he gently walked towards the table and rested his hand on it while glaring down and locking eyes with her immediately. There was a comical sort of glimmer over his face, his eyes looked deeper and darker than normal, and it’s like his chin was a little sharper. “Glad to see you’re enjoying your meal here. They do say you are what you eat, and stuff…”

He-… he meant to say that she was spicy. Not a chicken. And yet, that line alone caused some snickers to emerge from the kitchen, which were abruptly shushed off by the counter lady.

“… I-I’m Imai.” His shell was sweating, he was about to break, “Nice… n-nice to meet a beauty such as you here. N-Not that there aren’t many beauties around at all, b-but you… no, not to say you aren’t beautiful, but- oh no, I-I’m fumbling- oh shit- YOU GUYS ARE MAKING ME LOSE FOCUS!!!”

He suddenly roared back at the kitchen, completely shoving the ladies’ man character aside. Yup, he ruined it…

WC: 748
TWC: 1267

He wasn’t exactly hard to miss and as the young man approached her, Vitria’s orange eyes looked up to meet his rather intense gaze. She didn’t say anything as he spoke, the dragon slayer silently nibbling on a chicken wing, curious as to what he wanted with her. He was rather cute and a smile crossed her features as she listened to him stumble over his words. His nervousness was obvious to see and it seemed apparent to the teenager that he was being wound up by someone. Either that or he was just incredibly nervous around women normally. She guessed that he was trying to be smooth but the white haired girl had to stifle a giggle as he continued on. Vitria didn’t mean it in a harsh or unsettling way, in fact she found him rather sweet. Until the end anyway, when he finally seemed to blow a gasket and yelled at the folks who were working in the kitchens.

She couldn’t hold it in anymore and after putting her wing down, Vitria covered her mouth and started to laugh. A lighthearted and cheerful chuckle that gave very little away as to whether she was making fun of him or that she just found the whole scenario funny. Her orange orbs were filled with mirth. It had been worth coming all this way just for this and it took the white haired mage quite a while to calm herself down. His whole ladies man gimmick had shattered like a pane of glass in front of her and she just couldn’t stop laughing. It was as if he’d been set up to the butt of a joke or something, one that she found completely hysterical.

Wiping away a tear, Vitria finally got a grip on herself and encouraged him to take a seat opposite her, offering him one of her chicken wings. “I’m sorry for that but I just couldn’t help myself. You were trying so hard and all. It’s nice to meet you, Imai, I’m Vitria, Vitria Fayer. I appreciate the compliments although I hope that you weren’t referring to me as a chicken…” Her eyes briefly lit up, giving him a more competitive look for a moment. “I can assure you that I’m not afraid to get rough when I need to.”

She took a drink from her glass and then added, looking him over for a moment. “You’re not too bad looking yourself, you know? Definitely a lot cuter than those guys slaving away in the kitchen.” She raised her voice deliberately as she spoke, teasing those that had teased Imai before. If they wanted to play games with him then she’d play games with them. “Are you a member of the guild that likes to use this place as a hangout? I admit that’s one of the reasons why I came here. A lot of people I met on the road said that guilds were the best places for mages to be. Who am I to argue with them?”

(504 Words)
(1771 TWC)

… S-She… began laughing. At first, he couldn’t tell whether it was the esoteric laughing with him or the common laughing at him, and he sort of just stood still waiting for the inevitable backlash. He meant to, at the very least, make her giggle a bit and blush, y’know, all cute-like, but her chuckling almost… sounded like his own laughters. And that confused him.

… Hold up. She held a hand over to the other seat across the table. She wasn’t leading her hand towards the gate in an attempt to tell him off, and she wasn’t leaving herself out of some kind of embarrassment… she… wanted him to take a seat? Wait, was she going to verbally slaughter him now? Had he really done goofed that badly? You better remember this, Imai; that game of yours needed an update, really.

Preparing himself for the worst with a sigh, he took a seat and had to gulp before looking her in the eyes again. However, when he expected a diss track from her, she instead apologized and greeted him sweetly. She even told him her name, Vitria Fayer – d-definitely not a Fiorian name, it was probably either from Ca-Elum with their strange accents or Bellum with their fancy language. “N-No, no, no, no, no! I just meant as in spicy, b-but I think the joke choked on itself-“ he protested, not having wanted to specifically call her a chicken as such… she was spicy, that was what he was getting at. And though-

Her next phrase kind of threw him off guard. She wasn’t afraid to get rough? … Woah, woah, woah, hold the fuck up, what does she mean by that? Is that… an innuendo? Wait, she likes it rough?! Woah, wait, maybe I’m doing great! Holy shit, holy crap, what’s happening-!

While her eyes looked competitive and probably meant something more battle-like, his eyes were spinning a little as a blush rose up on his face. “R-Really… that’s hot,” he replied quickly before his chin was raised up by the arrival of Sei, the little alien cat mouse creature. Sei glared at the absolute angel in front of them with curious, wide eyes while Imai helped himself to a chicken wing in order to focus his mind. That small amount of focus broke down once she even went as far as to call him cute, a word he hadn’t heard in such a long while that it felt like being confessed to for the first time.

The guys at the kitchen held their tongues at her mention of them, sweating a little as the counter lady couldn’t help but chuckle victoriously. It served them right, really, and all of them had lost their bets, which had made her quite rich today.

“M-Mhm…” Damn it, one single compliment and his heart was fluttering. He had to behave. “Uh, yeah, actually! You must be talking about Sabertooth – we’re kinda the champs in this city. Have been for a long time, really. Coolest guild in the land, I tell ya~!” He was keeping things fresh and entertaining for her, but he didn’t know whether those unorthodox Fairy Tail guys had reached higher standards than themselves after the renovation of their guild hall. Still, he wouldn’t want to advertise for other guilds in front of Vitria… what if she- she wanted to join, right?! He wanted her to join them! He wanted to see her again!

“You… you wanna join our guild?” He really wanted to let her join immediately, just so that he’d have a chance to see her again, but Ace was Ace. He had to ascertain her capabilities, and thankfully, that wouldn’t be so hard to do. All he had to do was look at her a little sharper… Imai’s Magical Sensory was nigh unmatched, and he could often tell just what kind of magical natures people possessed simply by glaring at them.

“I’m just gonna see what you’re made of, gal. When it comes to sensing Magic, I’m kinda the shit…”

While his words assured so, he… just glared at her chest for quite a while. No, seriously, that was where he sensed the strongest magical signature – right at the center of her bosom teasingly hid behind layers of clothes. He glared for quite a long time before his eyes widened up in shock. At first, he could’ve just been bluffing about Magical Sensory as an excuse to ogle at her, but his next words confirmed his ability.

“… Holy crap, you’re a Dragon Slayer?!”

WC: 758
TWC: 2529

An eyebrow shot up as Imai stared intently at her ample chest, with the white haired slayer wondering whether she should say something or not. She might have if it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t seem to be simply looking at her out of lust. There was something else going on and so she simply munched on another chicken wing instead, letting him do whatever it was he was trying to. Vitria didn’t even blush and there was actually another smile that formed on her features. He was a rather direct kind of guy and she could dig that. Perhaps if things went well, she could find out just how far his directness went? The orange eyed woman knew already that he liked her, that much was obvious by his speech and body language. If everyone in the guild was as quirky as him then maybe she had found the perfect place for her. She always enjoyed the company of those who could make her laugh or arouse her curiosity and he’d already achieved both.

When he finished with his magic sensing and looked back at her, Vitria couldn’t help but joke, glancing down at her chest. “You figured that out by just looking at these for a while? That’s quite a gift you’ve got, Imai, what else can you sense?”

Looking back up at him, she’d then nod. “That’s right. I’m a Dragon Slayer, a hybrid one to be specific. I’ve had two lacrima inserted inside my body which lets me wield the powers of different ones. It wasn’t all that long ago that I had them put in to be honest and I’m still getting used to how my powers work but I’m growing stronger every day. My family had kept a hold of the lacrima for years and gave them to me because apparently they glowed brightly on the day of my birth and have ever since. A sign that I was meant to have them, a sign from Arcanos.”

Spotting the cat creature at that point, she’d tear off a bit of the wing that she was munching on and offer it to the sweet little mite. “Here you go.” She’d never seen an animal quite like it before but was hardly frightened. Vitria had always been fond of animals.

It was only then that she brought the topic back around to what he said about Sabertooth. “Yeah, I’d heard that Sabertooth was the guild to join if I wanted to be in one. You guys must have a lot of powerful and sexy mages who call it their home, right?” It was only after she’d spoken that Vitria realised how that last sentence might have sounded but it was too late now and she wasn’t all that bothered anyway. “I was hoping to join, yeah, I figured that maybe I could get some training as a member and toughen myself up a bit. There are some scumbags from Pergrande who are owed a beating and I want to be the one to give it to them.”

(513 Words)
(3042 TWC)

… He just noticed now that he was ogling at her. His first reaction would’ve been to avert his eyes away and pretend like he wasn’t totally checking her out right in front of her without warning, but she seemed far more interested in his ability to sense Magic via that than any sort of annoyed. No, she didn’t appear annoyed at all… what the fuck.

Y’know what, he felt far more at ease now. She reminded him of Kenna-nee with how laidback and easygoing she was with him, no baps or random slaps whenever he let his eyes trail away, no creepy remarks at him, no toxic attitude, no nothing of that… dear…

“… O-Oh, I can actually sense a lot! Magic is like reading a scientific article – the more I read, the more I get to know,” he quickly explained, “Pretty damn cool as hell, if I say so myself.” A little self-praise here and there wouldn’t hurt, and Imai held himself in high regard…

For the most part…

“For reeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaal? Kenna-nee’s a Dragon Slayer too- wait, I think she’s a Demon Slayer, actually- or, well, maybe something… s-something in between that. Hehe…” Now, when it came to Kenna-nee, Imai couldn’t help but be reminiscent of when she was around more and being such a caring sister figure to him. He lowkey felt like she was spoiling him rotten from time to time, but since they bonded much more after the death of Mashyuu, it was likely to reason.

Sei grabbed the chicken wing quickly and munched on it with a giggle in response. Then, the alien retreated back onto Imai’s back and took a nap. “Yeah, we have a lot of powerful and sexy mages who- hold up,” he spoke up, suddenly realizing a scent, a tinge, a shard of… lewd? Hmh, lewd? “…” No way… wait, this explained everything! Who Imai was looking at… she was definitely like…

Like him!!!!! A rival of some sorts? Was she intent on having her way with the mages here in Sabertooth and take over his imaginary life?!

“… N-Not many people like Pergrande here. We actually fought them once,” Imai added, suddenly realizing that the subject had changed, “W-Wait, wait, wait, wait! No need to rush things, we all want to teach them a lesson, b-but let’s get you initiated first, shall we? I’m pretty sure we got ink upstairs, give me a moment!”

And like a flash of light, he was gone again. The waiters inside the kitchen were feeling a bit toxic and wanted some revenge, so they began whispering to each other about planning to push Imai across the floor a certain way and angle… they had seen this kind of ‘accident’ occur in cheap manga before, and it always resulted in a slap or two. They didn’t seem to have heard that Vitria was a Dragon Slayer, y’know, who often had enhanced senses… including hearing.

Imai came flying down the stairs again holding a wooden box in his hands. “Here we got our breadwinner! Each member has the Guild Crest painted somewhere on their body, and uh… j-just to let you know, you don’t have to be picky! I’m very tolerant, actually, I’m so tolerant that nothing moves me anymore- wait, no, that’s inhuma- w-wwaaaahahAAAAAARHG!”

All of a sudden, one of the waiters were mopping the floor at a rapid pace and just bolted into Imai’s back, sending him flying forward. “Oops, apologies! Didn’t see you there!” he apologized, but Imai was already in the air. Thankfully, he managed to catch his balance on one foot, but another waiter ran by and pushed an elbow to his back quickly, sending him even further. “Sorry, I dropped a coin!” Tiptoeing on one foot slightly more forward, Imai was approaching Vitria’s position – and as if things couldn’t get more chaotic, Imai accidently tipped over a glass cup that wasn’t there a moment ago. The glass cup was about to shatter on the floor, but the tackling arrival of the third waiter came to view as he managed to grab the falling cup. "Got it!" However, his tackle flipped Imai’s feet up in the air, and the young man was descending at a rapid speed-

*Boooooooing*

… Well, at least his face didn’t meet the floor. It met something far softer and inviting… but what on earth was that? “… M-Mhhff?”

WC: 733
TWC: 3775

It seemed that his nervousness had gone or at least up to a point. He spoke more confidently and there was a look in his eyes that seemed to confirm that. Vitria was pleased to see it, to be fair, as she’d happily admit that she got on better with people who were just open and honest, regardless of the results. Holding your true self in was kind of silly in her opinion and she’d stopped doing that long ago, despite her parents sometimes scolding her for it. They were a lot more private than she was and struggled to express themselves. She understood that though and loved them nonetheless, knowing that they of course felt the same way towards her. Vitria was just more spirited than them, that was all it was. They’d eventually realised that too and before leaving for Fiore, the two of them had been far more emotional than normal when saying goodbye to her. Their hearts were in the right place.

It seemed that Pergrande weren't liked in Fiore either and that didn’t surprise Vitria one bit. She knew that Bellum and Fiore had banded together to join the fight against the magic hating scumbags which was just another reason for her travelling there. He spoke about being cautious when it came to taking the fight to them, something which the Dragon Slayer found rather difficult to do. She knew that she wasn’t strong enough yet but that didn’t stop her from wanting to fight anyway. Her main lacrima was believed to have been created from a dragon that had despised Pergrande as much as she did, a beast that had defended her ancestors from the horrible country, before Bellum had even existed. It was a tale that had been passed down through the generations and now, it was the source of Vitria’s strength.

She would have said something in return but he was already gone, seemingly going to retrieve something that he needed to initiate her. Ink? What would he need that for? Did she need to sign some forms or something? Maybe sign a waiver? While she was musing to herself, her enhanced hearing soon enough started to pick up on a particular conversation that was stemming from the kitchens. Vitria gave nothing away and simply took another drink from her glass, as though she was completely ignorant but the more that the white haired woman heard, the harder she found it not to smile. They were up to something alright and she didn’t mind one bit.

Soon enough, Imai came flying back down the stairs, explaining that she needed a kind of tattoo on her body to prove that she was a member of the guild. She had no problem with that and was just about to open her mouth to say where he could plant it, her eyes sparkling but that was when the kitchen staff struck and before the orange eyed girl knew it, Imai ploughed straight into her and knocked her off her stool. It wasn’t the nicest landing for her and she landed rather hard on her back but that wasn’t what had her attention…

Her cheeks turning rather red for a moment, she’d look down to find his head plunged deeply into her rather ample chest. Yet, there was no slap or insult from her and instead she laughed again, her eyes burning with mirth as she pulled him out. “Come on now. I’m sure that the nice folks here aren’t going to want to see such things.” Judging from the faces of those she could see, it would be fair to say that she was wrong about that. "What would your guildmates say if they found you ravishing a potential member?” Her tone would give away the fact that she was just joking, not caring an awful lot about how things looked. “I’m glad to know that you find me appealing but now’s not the time for that. Perhaps when I’ve settled in?”

(667 Words)
(4442 TWC)

Well, this was bloody nice. Imai had done his very best to behave – okay, yeah, sure, he was being a playboy earlier, but he tried his best – and yet look at how things ended up! Another girl was going to kick him in the balls, call him a lecherous creep, a s€x øff€nd3r and all other shit that he never was. It was magical to think that his game was so terrible that it led to a few girls in the past to call him those names… but Imai’s lecherous actions were limited to Kenna-nee, and she rarely minded!

Where was the justice in this world, man…?

Of course, Imai was overreacting. Not many people had ever really called him those terrible names… at least, not after he left Shirotsume High School for Mechanics. That was one depressed time in his life, but he had gone to better places – like Sabertooth! He was an Ace now, so fuck all of you!

Fuck all of you! Seriously, fuck all of you!!! He had come so far, so he didn’t care what people thought of him! He didn’t do shit! She could violate his feelings and groin as much as she fucking wanted, he wouldn’t feel any bit of- wait, why was she laughing?

Again, this lass was just… so… alien from Imai’s previous experiences. She reminded him of how laidback Masha used to be- wait, he shouldn’t think of other women in this kind of situation. Stop that, Imai. “… M-Mwah- w-wha? They…” his reddened face tried to push words out of his mouth, not exactly sure what he should respond with. And yet, listening to her finally made him realize just how playful and…

Friendly…

… that she was.

“P-Please, they’ll just scold me all day again…” he beckoned her, only a moment later noticing the joking manner in her voice and that she was… glad? Happy? Flattered, even? He was a stranger to her, though! And yeah, she was planning to join, but this was still out of line, right?! And yet, she looked more like a girl who had just achieved a sweet compliment rather than someone who had just suffered a hit on the back falling down by a guy tackling into her. A-And her last words, honestly, just made Imai’s brain malfunction.

“B-… B-W-B-B-Ba-Wa-Wait, y-you mean-W-Woa-h-hold-up-“

… There was no denying it. That godsend of a ‘Perhaps when I’ve settled in’ spoke volumes to him – she digged him. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! She actually digged him! Wait, no, Imai, focus! Only time could tell, don’t get your hopes up – you’ll just get your heart shattered again!

“… *sniff*” Sniffing once to retreat the trail of blood that was slowly escaping his right nostril, Imai rose up on his feet and offered a hand to help Vitria up as well – very gentleman-like, extra points for that. Afterwards, he readied the ink and pen and revealed that the box he held contained a small volume of glistening ink that clearly emitted a unique, magical signature. The ink itself was mainly white, but it would take on the desired color of whoever got the Guild Crest painted onto them. Imai was a little impatient, but t-this girl was just too sweet – and tolerant as well! She was a clear 10/10- no, hell no, a 100/10! She was already on par with the rest of his close femme friends here in the guild, and he knew that she’d fit right in. Gaia had another child in her family, and she’d better be thrilled to meet her!

“S-So, hey, with all that said before, where you want your mark painted on? Doesn’t have to be a visible spo- like, whatever, wherever you want, b-but, y’know-“

As if even able to hide the implications between those words, he was… secretly hoping that she’d be daring enough to have her Guild Crest painted somewhere dangerous.

WC: 663
TWC: 5105

The Dragon Slayer just looked up at him for a few moments as he offered his hand to her, the smirk crossing her face a clear signal that she’d meant what she’d said. He was awfully cute and the strange mixture of lewdness and nervous stuttering was quite attractive in her eyes. It was obvious that he liked her and Vitria had no problem with that whatsoever. She couldn’t help but get the feeling that in a way, they were rather similar. The white haired woman wasn’t all that difficult to read when it came to most things either and right now, she was definitely interested in him. There were words used for women who came on strongly but Vitria couldn’t have cared less in truth. If other people spent less time looking down on others and focusing on themselves then the world would be a much better and happier place in her opinion. Why bitch when you can have fun instead?

“Such a gentleman,” she replied with a smile, taking his hand and letting him help pull her up. Her back twinged a little bit but it wasn’t that bad. She’d taken much harder hits during her early days of training and she knew that her future was going to be filled with taking big hits. Vitria was a close range striker, having already discovered that during her travels and in order to be effective, she had to get pretty close. Oh, she had lots of different elements that she could use but they all required her to be near to her foes. It was the way it was and she was OK with that. At least it meant she could get a good look at her opponents, which was always a pleasure.

As he explained the deal with the ink, Vitria raised an eyebrow at the idea. She wasn’t against tattoo’s or anything and that was kind of what she’d thought it was going to be used for. A laugh escaped her when he asked where she wanted it and for a second or two, she moved her hands as though she was going to start unbuttoning her shirt. The orange eyed girl knew exactly where his dirty mind was heading and just for those few moments, it would seem as though she was going to give him quite the eyeful. “Oh, I think I know where you’d like it to go…”

She felt other eyes on her too at that point, namely those from the kitchen staff and that was when the new recruit stopped and just sniggered. “Just kidding. I’m afraid that it might be a little too scandalous if I revealed them to you right now. Keep dreaming boys.” The kitchen staff suddenly realised how they’d been caught out and quickly got back to work, a noticeable amount of them incredibly red faced.

As for Imai, Vitria would look at him and then pull up her shirt to reveal her lower body to the Sabertooth mage. “How about a nice red to match the colour of their faces? Not to mention yours.” She couldn’t have been enjoying herself any more at this point.

(528 Words)
(5633 TWC)

Man… what was this? Today just got better and better – maybe Imai had drawn the lucky card in life lotto or something. Things were truly about to change in his Sabertooth life… like the turning point of a romcom virtual novel, or one of those shōnen mangas he’d been reading lately.

Now, while he thought that he sounded discreet enough to veil his obvious desire, when Vitria suddenly reached for her shirt’s buttons and began pulling them off one by one, his heart bobbed up to his throat and almost choked him. She had definitely read his words sharply, and she sounded so alluring and inviting as well... it was really messing with his head, and his shaking eyes were apparent proof of his dropping levels of focus and reason. Was she... oh god, just a few more buttons-

...

...

...

N-Noooooooo...

He fell victim to one of the classic blunders! She was just kidding, her shirt only a couple more buttons away from exposing her entire chest region and causing a red, mental breakdown in the cosmic wizard. While it would’ve been so unbelievably unreasonable to strip inside the inn like this – especially in the front room with all the other guests around – Imai just couldn’t have helped but hope. He gulped in an attempt to sink his heart back down again, not sure as to how much more teasing he could take before his urge to isolate himself in his bedroom would force him to just run away.

He did have plenty of cleavage to see, which was the saving grace of her trick. Dear Lord Almighty, her skin was so fair and bright as well... it made him feel things.

“...” Imai was properly phased out of reality, almost not hearing any of Vitria’s next words due to how overwhelmed he looked, “... W-Wha? Oh, yeah, h-hmh...” Even when she wanted the Mark on her lower torso, he still got such a good view that he had trouble painting the Mark on her at first. His hand was shaking a bit, but throughout the next 30 seconds, he managed to draw the Sabertooth insignia in a pleasant, crimson color. She would be able to feel the sudden change in her magic signature, inviting the faint mana of the Mark emesh itself with her magic.

“... I, uhm... so, welcome to Sabertooth! Looking forward to some nice cooping,” he welcomed her, getting a minor round of applause from some guests around while most of the others were giggling at all the scenes that had occurred earlier, “S-So, uh, I, uh, I’d love to go take a quest with you – get you accustomed to how we do things around these parts and that, b-but I just remembered that I gotta switch the string on my crossbow quick, s-so just gimme, like, uhm, let’s say, uhhhh, 10 minutes, and I’ll be back! I’ll be quick, I promise!”

With that, he was suddenly gone in a blur, having darted through the counter and up the stairs on the back end of the inn where only staff and Sabertooth Mages were allowed to enter normally. There were a few rooms back in there that people could rent, and he decided to just...

None of them were available. Shit. He was in trouble.

Imai ended up running back out to the front inn in a hurry. “Gimme 20 minutes!” was all he spouted before exiting the Red Dragon Inn towards who knew where… probably back home, where he had all the discretion and privacy to purge himself of all the excitement he had accumulated from that one encounter with the newest Sabertooth mage.

WC: 611
TWC: 6244

To say that Vitria was a little confused by the turn of events was a bit of an understatement. He had marked her with the ink, welcomed her to the guild and then ran off? She was pleased to have been inducted so quickly and the white haired woman soon began to feel pride that she’d been let in but there were questions that needed to be asked, ones that she hadn’t been given the chance to. Vitria was willing to take a punt that the inn wasn’t the guild hall and Imai hadn’t mentioned anything about just where it was or how she could get there. The woman didn’t even know if there were any ground rules that she’d have to follow as a member of Sabertooth. She felt as though there was a lot of information that she was lacking but for the moment, it seemed that there wasn’t much she could do about it. The Bellian woman would just have to wait. It had all happened so fast that she was in a bit of a headspin so a few moments to simply recover was actually quite nice. Who knew what job Imai would choose for them to take part in?

Taking a seat back at her table, she’d carry on with her meal, happily munching away on chicken wings as she awaited Imai’s return. He was a funny guy and Vitria had to admit that she’d taken a liking to him very quickly, even if he did have a habit of suddenly disappearing all of a sudden. The thought of going out on a job with him was a pleasant one for her and she was more than eager to test herself, as well as prove her worth to Sabertooth. Ok, she wasn’t going to be beating up gods and demons just yet but one day, she'd be able to. The sky was the limit and she was determined to put in the hard work to become stronger.

She pondered as to just where the red haired guy had gone but judging from the look on his face when he’d dashed off, Vitria had a sneaking suspicion that he might have returned back to his home. It did seem that she might have overwhelmed him a little with her sparkling personality, among other things and a dirty smirk crossed her features as she mused to herself. Were all Sabertooth mages like him or was he just one of a kind? Either way, she’d find out sooner or later and as she munched away on her wings and took an occasional drink from her flagon, she felt completely at home. A place to call her own, somewhere where she could prepare for the trials that were no doubt waiting for her, not that she thought of them as such. Every day was just another adventure for the Dragon Slayer and whether it involved drinking, fighting or f…fooling around, it wouldn’t make much difference to her. She’d enjoy whatever was in store for her.

(506 Words)
(6750 TWC)

Damn it!

Imai had frozen in his tracks. He was on the bed, tissues ready, but somehow, his arm just wouldn’t move. It just… froze up. There was something insanely intimidating about all of this, and it wasn’t a new feeling. Imai knew this feeling all too well… but the truth was, he hadn’t felt this empty for courage ever since that day. That damn day… with his classmate.

Maybe it was because both his previous classmate and Vitria had such silky-white hair, but it did remind him of that embarrassing event. It was more than pressuring enough to completely seize his actions, ultimately robbing himself of quite the mental relief in exchange for an inner reality check. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck…

In the end, he put his pants up and just sat on his bed, trying to push those memories onto the very end of his brain. He did not want to waste time in that painful thought, no fucking way… y’know what, fuck the monkeys! Imai was a grown-ass man today, and he wasn’t going to succumb to a damn, pathetic virgin-ass-

God… for the love of… he felt so terrible.

About 15 minutes had passed before he returned to Vitria, a blush still apparent on his lively face. He did not look relieved at all, but he tried his best to hide his… uh, edgy tendencies behind a wide smile. “S-Sorry for the wait! Hope you’re enjoying your stay in the Red Dragon Inn, but… h-hey, wait, it ain’t even the actual guild hall- yeah, of course! I gotta show you!” he revealed to her with a bulb appearing atop his brightening face, “It’s a weird system we’re using here, with wormholes and teleporters and stuff. We’re kinda big fans of those, and it makes it so damn hard for enemies to find their way around if they ever tried…” Ye, good luck trying to raid the Yggdrasil; the wormhole system was so intricate and complex that not even the bachelor degree holder that was Imai knew head or tails around the system. He just knew that it worked… via one’s Guild Mark.

“… Hey, before we go check the portals out, uh… I haven’t forgotten anything, have I?”

It was a good thing that he took the time to recover from those bad memories, for otherwise his crotch would’ve scared a few guests away…

WC: 395
TWC: 7145

The white haired woman couldn’t help but wonder about what he’d been doing in the short time he was away and Vitria’s mind couldn’t help but drift towards the idea that it’d been something naughty. The blush on his face was almost beetroot-like in colour and he didn’t seem to have been able to relieve himself of whatever tension he’d been feeling. Still, he was smiling at least and the Dragon Slayer was happy that she hadn’t ended up spooking him off due to her rather casual way of things. Not everyone was on the same wavelength as she was and the Bellian native had come to terms with that. That being said, she still reckoned that Imai was fairly similar to her in certain ways and she thought they’d hit it off rather well.

A lot of his explanation went over her head. She wasn’t the best when it came to space stuff like wormholes and teleportation but Vitria understood enough to get the gist of things. It was one big security system and the newest member of the guild was glad that Sabertooth had such an elaborate method when it came to dealing with any possible intruders. “Science was never my best subject so I’m not going to say that I got all of it but if these wormholes mean that no one’s going to break into the guild then I’m all for it. Wouldn’t want anyone interrupting anything.” There was a touch of filth to her tone of voice but that was to be expected at this point. There was no need to be so restrained now that she’d been approved.

When he asked her if there was anything that he’d forgotten, the young woman chuckled. “I don’t think so. Not unless there are any other secrets about the guild that I need to know. I admit that I’m rather excited to see the actual guild now after you’ve made it sound so mysterious. Lead the way.”

Devouring the last of the chicken wings and finishing off her drink, Vitria would then rise to her feet, ready to see the famed Sabertooth guild for herself.

(358 Words)
(7503 TWC)

”Science was never my best subject-“

“Oh, that’s totally okay! I’m all the science this guild needs, really!” Imai quickly reassured her, letting her know that scientific experience wasn’t really that big of a deal here. Albeit, he heard her out and smiled in pride, for these wormholes were quite the treat to indulge in here in Sabertooth. Who didn’t like warping through dimensions to get to places?

As of right now, Imai was also considering a project to make the portals sort of work through their Guild Marks even more independently. That way, they could just teleport to the guild hall from absolutely anywhere they ever found themselves at. No more getting lost on the way back home.

He noticed it again – that sexiness in her subtle, discreet but noticeable change of tone. It made his eyes widen up, veins almost popping through the whites of them, but he instantly recollected himself… he really should’ve relieved himself. He had gotten… say, sensitive to sensory inputs at this point.

… Shit. Well, it was written all over his face, but a clenched hand over his mouth along with a couple authoritative coughs brought him back on track. “A-A-A-Anyway, if you’re ready, let’s go to the private quarters at the back – w-whew, hehe, n-not those kinds of private quarters – w-we got our own, Sabertooth-only rooms at the end, t-this way…” he explained before leading her through a guarded doorway.


There was a very apparent portal at the end of the quarters. It was oval in shape, and this was where their Guild Marks would come in handy. “Now, all we gotta do is step through here, and then we travel down the wormhole. It’ll take us to a gigantic, damn too big tree called Yggdrasil – our guild hall is built attached to that tree. Don’t worry, the wormhole’s kinda like a waterslide – you just go sliding across dimensions and stuff instead of water. Y’know, like thiiiiiiiiii-“

He leaned his torso into the portal and watched with glee as his entire body got sucked in. Vitria would see him float away into the matrix before disappearing, but if she stepped in herself, then she would follow in hot pursuit. Imai had landed on the other side and awaited her arrival with open arms, as one’s first time using the portal could be… chaotic.


They were now in the Inner Circles of their castle on Yggdrasil. The atmosphere had completely changed, the temperature had gone down from the summer heats and into the typical, slightly pleasant cool and airy temperature of early autumn, and the room was… huge, to say the least. A few meters down the stairs, and they would meet a huge hallway that looked like it was meant to be the castle of royalty, housing rooms fit for hundreds of members. And the architecture rivaled even that of Bellum and Minstrel.

“Now, now, be careful with your steps on the way through the portal, or- w-wait, can she even hear me right now-“

WC: 503

Again, some of the more sciency bits went over her head but Vitria thought that she had at least had some grasp of how the wormholes worked. She watched in wonder as he slowly vanished into the strange void and her eyes widened with shock as he hovered away from her and then disappeared entirely. It was a rather stunning scene to witness and for a few moments, she was unsure if she should just follow him in. What if she got lost on the way and ended up somewhere else entirely? He spoke as though it was simply a one way street but she couldn’t help but be a touch nervous about it. Still, she’d never really bothered by nerves or anything like that in the past so why should start letting them now?

Nodding her head to psyche herself up for a moment, the white haired girl would then sprint forwards and jump into the wormhole. The result was instant and she was soon zooming through what seemed to be space. It was rather confusing and her senses were knocked all over the place, with the teenager unable to tell where or what was going on. She could see stars, planets and galaxies fly past her as she desperately tried to get a grip. Her stomach started to churn once or twice, causing her to wonder if perhaps she shouldn’t have eaten so many chicken wings. They were coming back to bite her now and if that wasn’t bad enough, her motion sickness was starting to play with her too. She briefly turned rather green in the face and it was only after she managed to get a grip on herself that the Sabertooth member managed to regain control of herself and open her eyes again.

Then there was a sudden jolt and she found herself on the other side of the wormhole but due to her speed when going into the hole, she came out at a sprint. There wasn’t a chance that she could stop herself before reaching Imai and she ended up running right into his arms, knocking both of them to the ground in a rather intimate embrace. Vitria’s eyes widened in shock at the result but soon enough, a grin appeared and she uttered. “I appreciate you waiting for me but I didn’t think you were quite so eager for us to get this close.” The deviousness was back in those eyes of hers and a giggle escaped her lips.

(417 Words)
(8423 TWC)

…

Ever heard about the term ‘magnetism’?

When two objects possess one of each pole – a positive charge and a negative charge, symbolized by the northern pole and the southern pole – an invisible but highly accessible force manifests between the two. The force attracts them both towards each other, causing a cycle to manifest – and systems loved cycles, so the more attracted the two poles were, the stronger the force would be.

And here he was, embracing Vitria once more. It was as if an attractive force had grown between the two, nearing the inevitable clashes that they would have. He had tried to grab her in order to save her, but he ended up on the floor with his chest against hers, his face in front of hers and with his hands inches away from copping some very, sweet, round seat pillows.

And there it was again… that force! His fingers were approaching the profane, and every cell in his body dared him to go for it – I mean, just look at her! She was undoubtedly into him! No girl who lacked affection for the young Ace would smile just like that, just like this, in this scenario unfolding in front of them!

He… he didn’t want to get back up. He needed time, t-time to calm down, so she wouldn’t notic- w-wait, why would that even be a problem? She’d likely see it as a compliment! Why was he so, so, so, so, so… bashful?

Damn it… it was because he didn’t get to finish back at his room. His brain had moved down to his gutter, and he wasn’t thinking any clearer than at any Friday bar. She was sooooooooooooooo dreamy-

*poing*

… His hands had decided to take the initiative for him. Gently, they both let go of their wrist muscles and landed flatly on her warm, baked buns, and Imai was officially out of commission. Steam was escaping his ears, and his face was crimson. “… S-S-Sorry, s-sorry, s-s… s-sorry… p-please, d-don’t hit me…”

WC: 339
TWC: 8762

As she felt his hands on her, Vitria’s body seemed to react on instinct as well, her buns pressing against him. His apologies fell on deaf ears and they were completely unnecessary anyway. Had she once given him any inkling that she wouldn’t enjoy being in close proximity with him? Oh no, she felt the exact same attraction that he seemed to have to her and to feel his hands on her made every nerve in her body flare up with pleasure. He could put his hands wherever he wanted and there wouldn’t be the slightest complaint from her. There wouldn't be the slightest hint of embarrassment at all in her eyes and every movement of her body would be telling him that he had her permission. There was no reason for him to be nervous around her and there never would be.

“I’m not going to hit you but I’ll do something else.” She breathed, those orbs of hers still focused entirely upon his face. Leaning in, the white haired slayer would capture his lips with her own, a gentle and teasing kiss that would hopefully prove to him just how sincere she was. She’d liked him from the start and their conversation had only increased that feeling within her. The newest member of the guild was grateful to him for showing her the ropes and perhaps a part of the reason for the kiss was in appreciation of that but that was only a minor one. What more reason did someone need then because they wanted to with all their heart? She guessed that he was technically her superior due to his status but if that mattered so little to her. Such things had never mattered to the Bellum native and honestly, did guilds even care about that?

When she finally broke the kiss, a wicked grin was on her face again. “Don’t apologise to me for just being yourself, OK? That’s not something that you should have to be sorry about around anyone.”

(336 Words)
(9098 TWC)

… S-She didn’t hit him. She didn’t raise her voice or anything, either…

As a matter of fact, she drew closer to his grasp as if… she liked it. She really did like it. There was no doubt anymore – only a fool would continue doubting her advance as genuine attraction towards the Ace. His hands kept moving, it was more than too late, and she just… looked straight into his eyes. Her glare darted through his spheres with a look that could make weaker men wet their pants… no, not like that-

Yes, actually, just like that. Imai was stronger than most, despite his present composure.

And as if he needed anymore clarification, Vitria stated out loud that she wasn’t going to hit him. He could breathe easily again… but she’d do something else. There were seriously very few things hotter than suggestive words like those exchanged amidst a stance of delight – if you could even call this a stance-

!

Taken by surprise, his lips were sealed by hers. Her soft, warm lips did something as simple as press up against his, and yet it was like fireworks inside of his body went alight. How troublesome the human body and mind were to react to these gestures so strongly, and yet how grateful he was to be able to feel it… in times past, he’d genuinely thought that he’d never get the pleasure. And here he was, having his second kiss ever.

He didn’t even hear her last words. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he knew precisely that she would be willing. His body moved up and captured her lips once more, going on autopilot while he drew his hands all over her. At one point, he’d even start undressing… and whatever happened next, at the forefront of the portal, was all he ever wanted.

Surprisingly, no one used the portal during that time. Perhaps higher powers interfered, allowing the two lovebirds their privacy.

WC: 329
TWC: 9427