An Endless Cycle

"So, little monster. What brings you to my den?"

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"Work."

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"How ordinary."

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A scaled claw, a single finger as big as Aisha's forearm, reached forwards towards Aisha. The small motion emit a smooth sound that echoed throughout the entire cave, but Aisha didn't even flinch as the sharp keratin approached her.

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A dragon… in the flesh. Or rather, what was left of his flesh. The creature in front of her was old and haggard, the skin bunching up around the creases of its joints, and the expression in its eyes was tired. A look that Aisha knew so well…

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"Don't lie to me." The old monster laughed, another sound that echoed vividly throughout the stone walls. "You've come here for the same reason all others do. To see the legend."

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"There's not much legend left." Aisha said impassively, although her voice betrayed a bit of the disappointment she felt. "You're-"

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"A husk? Or a shell of what I once was? Or maybe… supposed to be?" The dragon laughed again, its voice a mix of human speech and a lower, bass-laden draconic growl. "I have heard it all. Multiple of your lifetimes… it's like hearing the same joke over and over, except it's not even funny the first time."

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Aisha furrowed her brows. "I thought dragons were an immortal species? How are you getting old?"

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"All things come to an end eventually." The dragon sighed. "I have experienced everything there is to experience. There is simply nothing left… save for death."

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"That's impossible." Aisha blurted out. "There are an infinite amount of things to experience."

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"Once you've lived as long as I, you'll see how little there really is in this world." The dragon said calmly. "Over and over...It seems like you've heard this before."

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"Over and over." Aisha mumbled.

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"You're not as naive as you look. But still… you're hardly worth my time. Leave, little monster."

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The dragon made a small shooing motion with a claw.

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"Worth what time?" Aisha asked. "What are you talking about?"

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"You don't understand." The dragon growled. "I am a dragon. To stoop so low as to fight some pint-sized monster… it's beneath me."

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"Oh." Aisha's eyes suddenly grew tired. "You're actually going to do this."

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"You couldn't understand, little hume." The dragon scoffed. "You lack the perspective."

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Aisha frowned, putting a hand on her hip. It seemed that she would leave the cave, and the dragon to die a slow, uneventful death, but oddly enough, she didn't move an inch.

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"Why don't you explain that perspective to me, dragon?" Aisha asked.

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The old, withered dragon raised an eyebrow.

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"Hm." It said, letting out a short breath.

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"...Are you-"

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"You humes think of pride as a vice." The dragon started, cutting Aisha off.

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(How petty…)

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"I've heard many proverbs from the discarded memories of humes. 'Pride comes before the fall.' You humes know nothing of pride."

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"Hm."

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"Pride is not just blind arrogance or birth circumstance." The large beast hissed. "Pride is simply… what you are."

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"What I am?" Aisha echoed hollowly.

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"Every action you take… every word out of your mouth… you should be proud of it." The dragon said. "It should embody every part of your being. Do you know how, despite living so long, we dragons never lose sight of ourselves?"

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"I do not conform my actions to act as a creature of might should." The beast hissed. "Because I am a dragon, all of my actions are those of a dragon's!"

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The proud beast roared in defiance, the air pressure blowing Aisha's hair back, revealing her blank expression.

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"What kind of stupid circular reasoning is that…?" She mumbled, shaking her head. "You're a dragon because you do the things that a dragon does? And you do the things that a dragon does because you're a dragon? By that logic-"

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"I knew you wouldn't understand." The dragon spat, "You humans are always looking to subvert things. Prove your superiority… not in the ways that matter. When it is convenient, you look for the meaning in words, instead of the logic. And then again, when it soothes the ego, you look for the logic in words, instead of the meaning."

"What a pointless exercise! And for what? I have never seen a human happy. I have never seen humans coexist peacefully. And yet you filth congregate like ants, constantly fighting, bickering amongst yourselves."

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The dragon shook its head.

"Bah. I was right. I should not even wasted my breath."

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"To dismiss someone so easily, makes me think that you're the naive one." Aisha shot back, crossing her arms. "You might have the knowledge of hundreds of lifetimes… But you are alone, and close-minded. Even an average hume holds the history of his entire race behind him. The struggle to coexist, despite being unhappy, is what makes human lives beautiful."

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Aisha turned her body and began to leave. What a waste of time.

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"You truly believe this?" The dragon asked from behind her, a hint of amusement in it's magically constructed voice.

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"Yes." Aisha said, without hesitation. "I've seen the stories of many humans… thousands of memories… there is always hate. There is always… struggle. And nobody ever ends up happy. But they still go on. That's what… I find admirable about them."

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A flood of memories rushed through Aisha's head, once painful, but now… still painful. But bearable.

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Aisha's bootfalls echoed throughout the hollow landform as she began to step away.

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The dragon's voice came out amused from behind her.

"You're very insightful… and yet, you know so little about this world…" He laughed, a new smug mirth in his voice that irritated Aisha.

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"...What do you mean."

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"Do you think someone taught me your human language?" He asked hypothetically.

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"...Yes?" Aisha said, furrowing her brows.

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"Hahaha. AHAHAHAHA!"

Suddenly, the cave began to shake with power, and the sound of taut flesh being stretched once more radiated throughout the barren mountain, as the dragon began to rise to its full height, a towering, majestic creature, eyes glimmering with the last embers of life.

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A loud, hearty laugh boomed out of the dragon's throat, the sound nowhere close to any sound that any human could make, but still unmistakable. Aisha only watched passively as the faded white underbelly of the creature rapidly shook, as for the first time in months, maybe years, the lungs of the beast filled with full breath.

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"You are different!" It observed, looking Aisha straight in those hard, red eyes, the dull irises refracting the dragon's own desperate fire. "I changed my mind!" 

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It shouted, letting loose a defiant roar. "Isn't it fitting, little human? You, who are looking to complete yourself… and I, who are complete! Take my power, if you can! I have decided that this is a proud end for me!"

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Aisha whipped around just in time to see the dragon rear its head backwards, a plume of orange fire erupting out of its mouth like a volcanic eruption. Aisha furrowed her brows as she met the fire with her own formless magic, but quickly dove out of the way when the dragon's fire melted through her shield like wet sand.

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"What!?" She yelped, alarmed.

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"Your mana stinks of insecurity!" The dragon laughed. "It wavers, just like your heart!"

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.

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Before long, the fighting had died down, and Aisha stood victorious over the dragon. It's magics had stood no chance against her raw power. But despite the victory, that first blast of mana gnawed at her mind. Why did the dragon's magics corrode away her own so easily?

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"...Thank you, little monster."

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"For giving you a proud death?" Aisha mumbled, breathing heavily, a thin sheen of sweat covering her arms. "Hardly a proud death, dying out in the middle of nowhere. I'm the only one here. I don't have a cart. Your body is just going to sit here."

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"For a lesser primara, that is good enough for me." The dragon sighed, its muscles beginning to relax, maybe for the first time in centuries. "To die by the hand of a great warrior…"

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"Not even a full dragon…" Aisha muttered, her face souring. "What a disappointment…"

"Haha… sorry…"

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Aisha looked at the dragon and saw only contentment, the large beast's eyes half-lidded in a satisfied acceptance. She balled up her fists weakly, the rage just not coming to her.

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What was this immense jealousy that she felt?

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"Whatever. It's not like I'm not a great warrior either." Aisha muttered. "I… don't know what I am."

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"You are whatever you want." The dragon snorted. "I thought you humans were always chasing freedom, and yet, having reached true freedom, you want someone else to tell you what you are?"

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"..."

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"Finish me off, little one." The dragon rasped, its breaths drawing more and more shallow by the second. "Your path has yet to even begin. There is nothing but wide open space for you, little fey…"

.

.

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"Wide space my ass…" Aisha mumbled.

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Indeed, instead of wide open spaces, Aisha was met with a massive concrete wall, its design marvelous and ornate with patterns of soft pinks, greens and whites. If she was here with a girl, perhaps she would have stayed a while to admire the intricacy laden within every centimeter of the massive, mile long wall.

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But right now, it pissed Aisha off. A strange, wild heat burned within her, as she felt the skin on her stomach burn - she hissed, her knees buckling slightly.

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Damn. Even though she had dispatched the dragon quite easily, it seemed that her body was having trouble adjusting to the new energy. A bright fire burned within her tummy, flaring up occasionally like sunspots. A trail of burnt destruction was left behind Aisha as she walked, a visible remnant of her body leaking it's new power.

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"The power of a soul isn't based off magic capacity." Aisha mumbled slightly. "...It must be based of… something else…"

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In the back of her head, Aisha heard Aiyu also panting, a second breath layered on top of her own. She felt terrible - usually when she absorbed a soul, she simply absorbed the thing, but it looked like absorbing such a powerful soul was changing her entire being.

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It couldn't have been pleasant, even if she didn't have a physical body…

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Aisha let out a shuddering breath as the heat passed, a bit of fluid dripping from her mouth and onto the grass. Like magma, it began to burn the grass - no, was that actual magma?

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Whatever. Regardless… she had to keep moving.

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Eventually, after what felt like hours, Aisha found a break in the delicate monotony of the wall. By now the designs just annoyed her, after looking at the things for so long.

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Thankfully, the little outcropping was a gate, and Aisha felt a bit of relief, knowing that she could stop walking soon.

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She would be lying if she said she wasn't a little excited - she wanted to make some new friends… maybe buy some cute clothes…

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But most importantly, she wanted to take a bath. Conjuring water was child's play for her at this point, but finding a suitable basin to actually warm the water was difficult. And even her supernatural fey charms couldn't mask the smell of her months of travel forever.

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Coming up on the massive gate, she was surprised to see someone sitting inside of the wall, a small window and door separating a cubicle in the wall on Aisha's side of the gate. His face turned to look at Aisha as she approached, but his expression was completely stoic and unchanging, even as she walked up to the guard.

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"Hi." Aisha tried, mustering up as much friendly energy as possible. "Can I go in?"

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"Papers." The guard replied.

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"Eh…" Aisha's smile faltered at the soldier's curt reply. "...What papers."

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"..."

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"Seriously?"

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"..."

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Aisha just glared, resisting the urge to bring down the entire section of wall closest to her. But even her meanest look didn't even get the soldier to look away, the uniformed hume returning to staring at the blank section of wall across from him.

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Aisha let out a frustrated breath as she slid down the wall, resting her back against the cold concrete composite. Months of travelling, of pain, to be blocked by such a stupid fucking obstacle?

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She didn't want to antagonize anyone. She had learnt her lesson regarding that in the other superpower of the continent. She just wanted to finish adventuring, and… and…

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A familiar bitterness returned to her heart as she thought of what was to come next.

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It had been… what, close to a year now? And despite being most of the way through the ranks, she had still yet to scratch the ridiculous amount of contracts that she would have to do in sapphire.

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And then afterwards, she still had to reunite with her mistress… and find her.

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The thought of it made her want to tear her hair out. She just wanted to rest. She just wanted it to be over already - at this point, she didn't even know…

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Aisha slammed her fist on the side of the wall-

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"HEY!" The soldier yelled suddenly. "DON'T DO THAT!"

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"...Yeah, what are you going to do?" Aisha mumbled angrily. "Walk over here?"

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"I'll be forced to detain you!" He barked. "Vandalism is forbidden!"

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"Vandablublublu is hmblmbllmbmblm" Aisha mocked. "Kill yourself."

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Aisha picked up a rock and tossed it at the guard's window, the pebble plinking harmlessly off the magic barrier protecting the desk worker.

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"Oh, you're actually going to walk over here." Aisha sighed. "I didn't think you existed from the waist down, really, y-urk!"

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Aisha grunted as the gate guard yanked her up by the wrist, his face now furious.

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"The punishment for the vandalism of the sacred 桜市門 is a permanent demerit on your record!" The soldier snarled. "As well as a 6 month detainment! Do not resist arrest!"

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"Sure." Aisha drawled.

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Aisha rolled her eyes as the soldier put a pair of magi-steel handcuffs on her wrists, feeling the massive ocean of power within herself dim very slightly. The walk through the soldier's little cubby and past the gate was surprisingly long - the winding passages in the wall clearly meant to dissuade people from sneaking in.

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Fortunately, there was a sucker right in front of her, who was leading her past the winding passageways.

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"What was that?" The guard demanded, jolting slightly at the sound of snapping metal behind him. 

He moved his hand to his hip to draw his weapon, but before he could even grasp the grip of his sword, he was suddenly shoved to the ground, landing face first onto the grassy fields of the inside of the walls.

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"Loser!" Aisha shouted behind her.

.

.

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As Aisha took in the sights around her, she couldn't help but let a childish wonder fill herself. Whereas the architecture in Arcadia was all tall, sky-scraping monoliths, the Sakuran buildings were…

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Small. Homey.

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Standing on top of a rooftop, Aisha felt like she could see everything, and yet, she couldn't even begin to take it all in.

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It just felt… welcoming. The air was fresh, there was greenery everywhere… it felt kind of like… home.

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And the people looked… well, not happy, but it certainly helped that Aisha wasn't the only fluffy-eared human walking around.

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Dropping into an alleyway and entering the main streets, Aisha frowned. Looking closer at the people… the atmosphere was definitely different, and this time, not in a particularly good way.

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There was definitely something off. But Aisha couldn't particularly put her finger on it - or rather, there were other things that she had her mind on.

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Namely, her poor, poor, rumbling tummy.

.

.

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"A girl?"

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"A fey girl."

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"She's adorable!"

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"High fey!?"

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"What's she doing here!?"

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The huddle of fox-eared women whispered in an excited murmur in their little corner, skimpy aprons and unwashed silverware left forgotten as they discussed the happy little cutie at the booth, one of two patrons at the restaurant.

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Well, half restaurant, half…

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Uhhh…

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"Go talk to her!" One of the fox girls urged, tails swishing animatedly as she pushed another fox. "Reel her in!"

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"What!?" The targeted girl blushed, shrinking into the corridor hall. "I-I-... I can't do girls! They make me - You go, Aiko!"

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"No, you go!"

"You go!"

"I can't go, I haven't put on perfume yet!"

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"One of you go!" Someone snapped from the kitchen. "It's already been ten minutes and you haven't greeted her in an empty restaurant!"

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"Okaay." The group replied dejectedly, fluffy ears drooping at the reprimand.

"Okay, so who's going to go?"

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"Hey, Miho's going!"

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"Wait, I wanted to go!"

.

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"Irasshaimase~" One of the voluptuous fox girls cooed, clasping her hands together in front of her thighs and pushing her breasts outwards. "I-I'll be your servant today! My n-name is Mi- Michi!"

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Aisha's eyes were instantly drawn to the stacked woman's chest, something that would normally be caught by the fox woman's trained eyes. But unfortunately, she was too nervous at the moment. There was just something about the fey woman, something… alluring… that smoldering gaze, those adorable features… full, soft pink lips…

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"Hi!" Aisha replied cheerfully, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Can I get a menu?"

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"O-Of course!" Miho replied hastily. "I'll be right back!"

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Miho hurried off, face too flushed to notice the way that Aisha's lips pleated into a satisfied grin. 

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"Bitch!"

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"S-shut up!" Miho stammered. "A-at least I had the-"

"You forgot the menu!"

"Well, there's supposed to already be a menu on the table!"

"That doesn't mean-"

"HEY!"

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Aisha raised an eyebrow as a different fox woman sashayed her way over to the booth, tails swishing behind her nervously.

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"H-hi, revered customer…" She said nervously. "I-I… I have your menu… I-I mean - I have - I'm Kaede!"

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And, much to the amusement of Aisha, the fox woman sat across the booth from Aisha, breasts propped up on the table, opening the menu for her and sliding it over. Visible hisses were heard from behind the nearby corner, and while both of the women heard it quite audibly, Aisha pretended to not hear.

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"Aw, thanks, Kaede." Aisha smiled softly. "What should I order? I'm pretty hungry… and I have money."

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"Uu-uh, I-"

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"Hello, customer!" A short-haired fox woman interrupted cheerfully, wrists adorned with various bangles and bracelets, her tail a bushy, fluffy thing, as opposed to Kaede's sleek white appendage. "I can help you with that!"

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And much to the surprise of everyone there, the brown-haired waitress slid smoothly into the booth right next to Aisha, pressing their thighs and shoulders together. Aisha could barely suppress the surprised grin on her face, as the clearly more experienced… 

…

waitress…? Started to take Aisha's hands in her own, pointing to various foods on the menu, the pictures looking like sad, sad crayon drawings, from perhaps an unmotivated child.

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And as Aisha started to let loose her magic a bit, a disgruntled voice filled her head.

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(Having fun?) Aiyu grunted.

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(Hee hee.)

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(Ugh.)

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Aisha rolled her eyes and returned her attention to playing around with the beautiful fox women.

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"So," Aisha drawled, interrupting the brown-haired fox's obviously rehearsed spiel. "How do you girls make any money? Is it just because you're all so pretty?"

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"Oh, you flatterer!" The brown-hair giggled, leaning affectionately into Aisha in much more than just a playful bump.

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"..."

"..."

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Aisha's suspicions were becoming more and more realized by the minute, which made her feel justified releasing a bit of her mana, letting it diffuse into the fox waitress.

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"Even though the pictures aren't that good, I assure… you…"

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The brunette paused as she suddenly felt the urge to discard her ridiculous, skimpy outfit and put on a nice pair of warm, fluffy pajamas. Followed by another urge to kick off her constricting heels, drop the fake act she was putting on, and… relax. Read some comics, or something.

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What was this comfortable fog that came over her? It was an indescribably relaxing feeling, like finishing an extraordinarily long day of work, and coming home to a loving partner…

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It was… bliss…

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"H-hauh?" The fox suddenly blushed. "I… w-where am I?"

"Naomi, are you okay?" The white fox, previously bristling with indignation, said with a new concern for her coworker.

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"I feel great…" Naomi sighed, closing her eyes and leaning into the warmth and softness. Her lips curled into a genuinely happy smile, replacing the fake, slightly seductive pout that she was forced to put on at all times.

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Kaede's eyes bugged out of her head as Naomi, her senior by 40 years, lifted her arms and nuzzled the customer like an affectionate kitten, scooching closer to hug Aisha tightly.

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It was a kind of behavior that she had never seen from the brown-haired woman. And judging by the hushed whisper of the half-dozen girls hiding in the kitchen hallway, neither had they. But the surprise that she felt was quickly quashed by her sense of responsibility- she had a job to do, and she had to milk this customer of all that she was worth.

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"U-um…" Kaede said, her voice coming out a little hoarse. She cleared her throat, pointing with a finger on the page. "As Narumi was saying, these are-"

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"Aww?" Aisha whined smugly. "You're not going to hold my hand too?"

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"Huh? I- YIH!"

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Aisha suddenly snatched the white-haired fox's hand in one of her own, causing a jolt to rush through her body, followed by a dulled ecstasy, like returning home, but to an empty house.

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Her breath started to come out heavy, and her face flushed, heartbeat accelerating.

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Suddenly, the fey woman in front of her wasn't just a stunningly beautiful customer. Suddenly, those intense red eyes turned enrapturing, that smooth, creamy skin turned into a compulsion to… touch.

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"W…wait…" She gasped.

.

.

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When someone finally came to check in on the booth, noting the lack of any order, the cook was baffled to find Aisha covered in women, giggling softly as she reached around and fluffed ears, stroked tails, and carressed faces all around, at least four women on top of her in the small, cramped booth.

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Spotting the short, middle-aged human, Aisha smiled and reached out of the pile, holding a little slip of paper in her hand towards the cook, dropping it on the table.

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"Sorry!" She called, before one of the girls greedily snatched her hand to nuzzle, addicted to the feelings that emit from the fey. "Your girls are so pretty! And cuddly, heehee."

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The cook eyed Aisha suspiciously, but seeing the massive order on the note slip, and more importantly, the gold coin Aisha held out in tip, she happily obliged, her fingers accidentally brushed up against the slender digits.

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Aisha enjoyed the way that the woman's face reddened. She probably wouldn't be considered as beautiful as the waitresses, her skin not quite as milky, and her figure a little on the plumper side, but Aisha would have preferred if she had come and joined the cuddle pile. She just gave off more of a… homely, genuine vibe, compared to the dolled-up, makeup laden waitresses.

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"So what is this place really?" Aisha drawled, placing a hand on a fox cheek and stroking.

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"A… um…" The girl blushed.

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"Be a good girl for me." Aisha purred.

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The silver fox squirmed sheepishly. "A brothel…"

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"Oh."

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Aisha kind of suspected the immoral nature of the place, but she hadn't expected quite the extent of the shady establishment. She looked around at the now-empty 'restaurant,' the one other person now gone without a trace.

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Her brows furrowed, and the sleepy, cuddly aura began to fade, the fox girls suddenly blinking as if they were woken up from a pleasant dream. Suddenly, it was like they were made aware of the absolutely embarrassing positions they were in, along with the blatant, open-mouthed stares of the waitresses behind them.

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"Alright girls, the food is coming." Aisha chided, plastering on the same smile that the waitresses had worn earlier. "Let me be."

.

.

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Aisha sighed as she held up the radish in her chopsticks, holding it up to the light like she was trying to look for hidden gold. But despite how long she looked at it, it was still just a radish. No sauce, no oil… just a radish.

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She put it down and slid it to the side of her plate.

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It just wasn't the same - normally, what Aisha craved were greasy, messy, fattening foods, the kind that would give her a heart attack, if not for her enhanced constitution. Rice and pork, cake… cheeseburgers…

.

[ "You really like these messy foods, huh?" Mistress giggled- ]

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The memory stung like a bullet wound, and all of a sudden, Aisha felt a sinking in her stomach.

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But she kept eating anyway, popping a gyoza into her mouth. Her ears twitched as she tuned into the conversation that the waitresses were having in their little corner.

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"Go do the flirting thing!" Naomi urged her coworker, face still incredibly flushed from her earlier experience. "Go!"

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"No! I-I-I… She's your table! You do it!"

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"I'm not going to do it!" Naomi shrieked. "I'm your senior! I'm telling you to do it!"

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The shorter, younger girl grimaced as her stomach sank. She saw what the mysterious outsider did to her coworkers. A large part of her was curious. Tempted, even. But the thought of being seen… so vulnerable and cuddly, in front of all of her coworkers…

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"You have to." One of the other girls whispered. "S-she's… you know what happens if you disobey…"

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The young demi-hume grit her teeth and was silent. But before the taller woman could ask again, a retort slipped out of her lips.

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"Yes ma'am." She said, gritting her teeth.

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The anger helped a bit, quelling her nervousness. Her footsteps as she walked to the table were harder than usual, her heels clacking noisily against the wooden flooring as she feigned walking past the mysterious outsider's table, looking past Aisha at the front door.

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And right as Aisha let go of her chopsticks, a dumpling halfway in her mouth, the waitress struck, leaning downwards lightning fast and grasping the other half of the dumpling in her own teeth.

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A centimeter closer and they would have kissed, but the waitress was skilled, and very clearly trained in the art of seduction. She gave the girl just enough time to look her in the eyes, and just like that, she pulled her head back, taking the dumpling with her.

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Except… her head didn't move an inch. Her neck strained as she attempted to pull her head back, but a firm pressure on the back of her head kept her in place, forcing her to brace herself on the table with her arms.

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Eyes darting back and forth in a panic, the waitress, all of a sudden, was the one forced to look Aisha in those enrapturing red eyes, full of amusement and mischievousness.

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Aisha moved her own head forward, capturing the majority stake in the dumpling, and without breaking eye contact, took it into her own mouth, chewing for a bit and then swallowing. She paid no mind to the shocked expression in the fox woman's expression and flushed cheeks.

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"That's mine." She said softly.

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"I… I… uuu… bwuh?"

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The fox landed on her ass in a heap, breaths and heartbeat matching the pumping of an engine. A few girls rushed over to help her, but before she could even return to her feet, she was once more startled into sitting by a massive crash, the front door of the establishment splintering into pieces as it was blown away by a spell.

.

A scream was heard from the kitchen, followed by the rhythmic bootfalls of easily a half-dozen soldiers. Guards spilled into the establishment like a crashing wave, and it wasn't long before they spotted their target - the short little fey girl sitting in her booth, frowning as she crammed another gyoza into her mouth.

.

"Put that down!" A guard shouted. "You are under arrest for the crime of trespassing into our city!"