Cross Effects 3.0 - The Third Time's the Charm? The Velvet Room (NSFW version)

[Cherry Lover]

Shirouless Sakura

Sakura let out a pained scream as her captor, irritated with her repeated stopping, tugged the rope upwards sharply, berating her for her disobedience. The rope dug painfully into her folds for a few seconds, forcing her to remain stationary despite his obvious annoyance, before he released his grip and let the rope fall back down again.

Understanding her situation, Sakura began to walk once more, continuing along the rope at a slow but steady pace, shuffling her feet in response to the manacles binding them. The rope continued to chafe on her sensitive folds as she walked, the pain steadily building as the friction from the rough rope began to have an effect. The grimace on Sakura's face worsened as she walked, not daring to stop due to the punishment she knew she would receive if she did, and she began to let out pained hisses as the rope rubbed on her as she moved along it, her torment seemingly continuing endlessly.

[Panda]

Michael

The immortal allowed a moment to appreciate the girl's expression and the little cries of pain, before starting to set up one more. When Sakura finally got across to the other side of the rope, Michael was waiting for her with a pair of curious devices.

"Congratulations," Michael said, taping the leads to the sides of her folds, "Now, I bet that tired you out a little bit, so why don't we get you energized again."

With that, the immortal turned up the dial, sending a painful, though not particularly harmful, current through the leads, setting it to cycle on and off at regular intervals, giving her short breaks between each bout of current.

"Ah, I'm sorry," Michael noted as he watched her reaction, "That's probably not enough."

With that, he fired up the other device, a cattle prod, and pushed it into one of her breasts, then the other, switching between them seemingly at random.

[Elf]

Rin

Rin shrugged and said, "I use to cook as a hobby, and I was pretty good at it, but . . ."

She didn't want to mention that Sakura now outshined her in that as well.   Her face fell as she reached for the scotch bottle again.

[Panda]

Michael and Emily

The immortal winced as Rin's face fell, the girl reaching for the bottle of scotch. Keeping the unamused frown from his face, Michael quickly considered a different way to take things.

"Hmm...well, I suppose you could try to find a new hobby," Michael said, racking his mind for possible suggestions when he noticed the garnet earrings, "Perhaps gemstones?"

Emily gave the immortal a curious look before the glint of the garnets caught her eye, realization coming to the Changeling's face as she took another drink.

[Elf]

Rin

"Hmm...well, I suppose you could try to find a new hobby," Michael said, "Perhaps gemstones?"

Rin blinked at that then smiled.  "They're actually a main component in my magecraft.  Which kind of stinks because they're so expensive. It's one of my fields of study at the Clock Tower; gemology."

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before flicking the earring there.  "These are a last line of defense."

[Panda]

Michael and Emily

The immortal quirked an eyebrow at that. In all fairness, this wasn't the first time he'd heard about gems being used as magical catalysts, but for them to be used up every time...actually sounded pretty annoying.

"So you just fill them up with mana and toss them at things or use them as catalysts?" Michael mused, "Odd. Well, you can always study them outside a magical context. Those gems you're wearing for example...Hmm, let's see if I remember this correctly...Garnets, symbolizing...fire and passion, if I recall correctly."

Emily gave the immortal a strange look, to which Michael gave her a defensive one in return.

"What?" he shot back, "There were no wars going on and that library was practically begging for someone to read it."

[Elf]

Rin

"Pretty much so.  Well, they don't always get blown up.  If I use a healing spell or something, I can recharge and reuse that," Rin said with a shrug.

She then smiled and said, "They're red and not overly expensive too.  So, did you just read an entire library?"

[Panda]

Michael and Emily

"Nah, not by your standards anyway," Michael admitted, "It was just a few centuries ago or something. Don't remember the exact date, but I really had nothing better to do."

Emily's mouth dropped open slightly at the casual mention of centuries before she reminded herself that he did mention somewhat recently that he was immortal.

[Elf]

Rin

"All that experience," Rin said with a sigh then a smile, "If I was immortal I could do so many things.  Ageless and eternally young would be even better."

[Panda]

Michael and Emily

The immortal quirked an eyebrow at Rin.

"Speaking as someone who actually has that, kinda," Michael said, "You...might not want it after a while. Sure, you have all the time in the world to do stuff. But what then? Either you find something that you literally will never run out of new experiences with, or you do something different. If you don't, you end up being bored. And trust me, if you think being bored now is bad, try being bored for a few decades. Or a few centuries."

[Elf]

Rin

"Well, I wouldn't have to worry about old age or having a heir.  I could just work.  I could gain the Second, reach the Root, all of that," Rin said with a sigh. 

[Panda]

Michael and Emily

"Fair enough," the immortal said with a sigh, "But what would you do after that?"

After a few moments, the immortal shook his head, knocking his glass back once more.

"Ah, what am I doing," Michael mused, "Now the mood's all somber again. Though, admittedly, this was a nice talk, I don't think you came out here to discuss your magecraft, no?"

[Elf]

Rin

"I don't know.  I'd hit that when I come to that," Rin said with a shrug, "And I came here to get drunk and find a cute guy."

[Panda]

Michael and Emily

Michael allowed a chuckle at that, giving the raven-haired magus a warm smile.

"Well, I suppose cute will be kinda hard," the immortal mused, "But...Emily?"

"But how about a time that you're not likely to forget any time soon?" the Changeling continued with a smile of her own.

[Elf]

Rin

Heat filled Rin's cheeks at Emily's little smile and her proposal.  She looked down at her glass and then took a hard, long drink.  "What . . . what do you mean?" she asked, her voice squeaking.