E11: Vargas' Night Out

"Frankly, I think it's idiotic to write a story without a plan," Seika said, her guard feeding her another chocolate-covered strawberry. The group decided the time was nigh for another picnic, this time with a case full of melted chocolate that the Echidna was donated to. "It doesn't matter if it is a serious tale or a manuscript a mortal writes as some sort of outlet. When you read it over, it will simply be terrible!"

"Don't get me started on the empty chapters," Mervana said, taking an orange slice and dipping it into the chocolate. "I don't mind one or two in a long, interesting piece of literature, but when an amateur does it is just such a turnoff."

"Or when someone tries to pass off what is filler has part of the tale," Namaru added. "Do the humans dip oranges in chocolate?"

"Am I human?" Mervana asked, her mouth full of oranges. Nabu chuckled, picking a cabbage from the pile of food. "I don't know sometimes. I find the attempts charming. We don't all start out writing like Ransuer."

"I don't like his work. He is a deity of literature, so of course it must be perfect." Namaru said, rolling her eyes. "I rather read something my slaves have written, and they do not have minds. Pompous bitch."

"I personally like filler," Sana said, tuning her mandolin. "It gives an opportunity for the other, lesser explored characters to be developed, and it's a nice change of pace from seeing the main storyman."

"Of course you would like filler," Namaru said accusingly. "You're a lesser deity."

"What does my status have to do with anything?"

"You bear less power," Seika said, the guards stopping their feeding of fruit. "You're less important Sana, to be blunt. If we were all characters, you would naturally be a side character."

"I am not a side character!" Sana said, angrily standing up. "I'll have you know that I do things daily that are fit for a protagonist!" The group all ooooed, but then laughed in Sana's face. Sana went red in embarrassment, stomping her taloned feet against the ground of the tent. "What's so funny Nabu? Your chapter was nothing but lesbian sex!"

"That was not me, that was my beautiful bird Marsaw," Nabu said, dodging the claim. "And I am a recurring, universally loved guardian figure. I have a purpose in this story. What are you even doing with your chapter's worth of spotlight?"

"Well...I'm…" Sana fiddled with her instrument, trying to figure out what she would do with her five minutes of fame. It's not every day you get a chapter all to yourself, a point of view for the reader to follow whatever you do for the whole day…

"I will figure out something interesting!" Sana claimed. "I just happen to have a clear day today." On that note, one of Seika's guards whispered something to the lamia, getting her to laugh again and respond in her native language. The guards also laughed, leaving the tent clutching their stomachs in joy. "O deus meus! My guards just said 'and a clear week'!" The rest of the tent erupted in laughter, all except Sana.

"Hey..Hey….Hey!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, everyone stopping once more and giving her a weird look. "That is it! I am tired of everyone treating me like a little sister just because I am a lesser deity."

"But...you are," Namaru whined, getting an elbow from Mervana. "O-oh, no talking, sorry."

"That's what I mean! You don't even respect my turn to talk. I feel invisible sometimes….well that stops now!" Sana picked up her mandolin, putting its strap over her shoulder. "I'm going to go out, and I will not come back until I have a cool protagonist-like story!" Namaru laughed one last time, before getting full-on slapped by Mervana's tail. "Ow! Hey!" Namaru said, seeing Mervana innocently taking a smoke from her pipe.

"Are you serious about this Sana?" Nabu asked. "Because I, for one, can't wait to see what you bring back for us to enjoy."

"Thank you, at least one person believes in me, even if it is your job to." With that, Sana took off, leaving the tent far behind as she went in search of something cool that would make her a respectable protagonist.

"Well, now that she is off on her mission," Nabu continued. "I am interested in this conversation about filler chapters."

"Well let me tell you like this," Seika said. "The only thing worse than a filler episode is a tomato."

"Are we still doing that gag…" Namaru said flatly, looking around after there was a bit of silence. "Hey, I feel there should have been someone agreeing with her."

"I agree with her," Mervana said, dipping her tail into the chocolate. She took a couple of licks, before regretting it and rushing outside to spit it out.

"No no," Namaru said while Mervana was gone suffering. "Someone that does it more angrily, and is very vocal about it."

"Now that you mention it," Seika said, looking around the tent. "We are missing a fireball. Where is Anna? And Mizuki for that matter?"

_________________________________________

"So, your newest addition to the portal scroll," Uddona said, writing with her blood on a blank sheet. "What did you say it was again?"

"Portals inflict damage if the performer's elemental type is materialized incorrectly…" Anna said, both her and Mizuki looking burnt to a crisp. Mizuki coughed, but all that came out was a small puff of smoke. "Everything on the inside hurts…" Mizuki said, falling into her mass of tails in pain.

"Mmhmm, mmhmm," Uddona hummed like a physician, writing everything she heard and saw down. "And for accuracy, do you have any effects that are not evident towards the external eye?"

"Pain," they both said, Anna also falling into her tail coils. "Mistress, we should have just walked to the picnic today."

"Tis was a nice day today…" Mizuki said, struggling with each syllable. "My b-breathing bags…"

"Lungs, Mizuki," Uddona corrected. "Lungs."

_________________________________________

Sana flew to her nice spot on a waterfall, strumming her mandolin while watching the water flow around her rock. "Lucky stream, all you have to do to be interesting is fall down rocks," she said, sighing. "Then you make a crashing sound at the bottom, and spray a nice light mist everywhere….so simple, yet everyone seems to create art in your name."

"It is nice," someone said from the side. She stopped strumming, seeing Vargas join her on the rocks at the edge of the waterfall. "Didn't know someone would be on this rock."

"I did not know anyone knew about these rocks." She scooted aside to make space for him, but he rejected the offer. Instead, he dropped his butt right down in the middle of the water, becoming an object in the rushing water. "The rock can only fit one person. Why don't we sit down here?"

"My feathers would be ruined…"

"Oh right! But, my tails are alright." He wiggled his extra appendages, the fur turning any water that made contact with him into steam. The wall of steam and floof kept the rest of his body from getting wet, diverting the water at angles over the falls. However, Sana's feathers had no such ability. "I'm still fine," she said, going back to strumming her mandolin. "So, are you also trying to figure out how to spend your day?"

"My day?" Vargas asked. As he was reminded of the first half of it, he hunched over, putting his head on balled-up fists. "Oh, right. That's why I came here, actually."

"My day is not doing too well either," Sana started. "Do you think I am a side character?" Vargas looked at Sana, looking her golden feathers against her chestnut skin. "What is a side character?"

"You know, a person with a minor role in a plot," Sana explained. "Everyone and my mother thinks I'm one, but I know I'm destined for more. I'm interesting," she said, trying to convince herself.

"I do not know. None of us are in a plot, really." Vargas said. "At least, mine must differ, since my whole week has been pretty poo."

"But you're Amaterasu's son. Any problem you gave could literally be solved like…" snap "...that."

"Not every problem. Not love problems…"

"Hey…" the gears in Sana's brain started turning, her chord strum getting faster and faster until she jumped up. "That's it! I can help you with your love problem, and you can help me be more interesting!"

"You would help a sad fox man impress his husband?" Vargas asked.

"Of course! No side-character would be that involved in a plotline, of course!" Sana smiled smugly, already thinking of rubbing her adventure in the face of her friends. "Let us go impress your wife!" she posed gallantly, playing one last chord as the water crashed behind her, all epicly.

"Husband." Vargas corrected. "I think you missed that part after you started playing your instrument."

"Oh sorry. Ahem... let us go impress your husband!"

_________________________________________

Vargas and Sana traveled to her home, a hollowed-out tree that was decorated with variously colored ribbons that crisscrossed each other through the branches. She flew up to her door, high up off the ground and a long climb up the bark. She pulled on the knob with her foot, shouting down to Vargas once the door was open. "Come on!"

"Why couldn't the door be...fine." Vargas started climbing up the branches, pulling himself up until he could jump through the door. He jumped onto the main floor of her home, with one hole in the roof and one in the floor to move to a different floor. Lots of guitars were sporadically scattered around, and could be found behind every chair and object in the room. "Quite the musician," Vargas commented, sitting down in a chair, only to find a ukulele already on the seat.

"I am the deity of music after all," she said, sitting down on the ground and placing her mandolin down. "I have no need to organize the instruments, no one important comes here…."

"Ah…" Vargas looked at the hole in the floor, peering into the darkness down there. Sana came quickly and edged him away, covering the hole with her wings. "Ai, you wouldn't want to go there! That's where all the food goes!"

"People give for blessings?" he asked.

"Music turns out to be a powerful thing to humans. Some would give an entire instrument, or neckless just to be able to sing." Sana went inside the storage, coming up wearing a necklace with a diamond charm. "Niiice, niiice," Vargas said. Nodding approvingly. "You look beautiful with the jewelry on."

"Thank you, I actually get all my accessories off what mortals give alone," she said smiling. "I just wish they gave more food, I have no use for anything material."

"Maybe the mortal I'm with would!" Vargas said. "But I already tried giving him a ring…"

"How did it go?"

"It went poorly. He said that it was 'too early. Do you know what too early means?" Vargas asked. Sana shook her head as well, bewildered that someone would reject jewelry. "But rings are the ultimate sign of love."

"That's what Otomi said!" Vargas exclaimed. "So I went and spent a week forging one with the hand of a dragon, and he rejected it!"

"Impossible!" Sana said. "What about publicly asking for marriage?"

"That didn't work either," he said, sighing. "Presents, large extravagant gestures of affection, doing dangerous stunts to show my love and dedication, I tried everything! I just don't understand humans…" He picked up the ukulele, plucking one of the cords. "What if, what if we aren't meant to be?"

Sana, determined to help him, put her wings on her shoulders. "Listen to yourself! You're doubting your abilities and putting yourself down. You are the son of the sun god! If anyone can show a gesture of affection, it is you!"

"But, what could I do?" Vargas said. "Nothing as worked…." Sana put a wing to her chin, getting one crazy idea. "I have something. It is a long shot, an unorthodox in our time, but it could work…"

_________________________________________

"So you're saying that Di gave you infinite bullets and coffee?" Virto said, going through the bag of Lao's ammo to organize all the bullets. Melisa sat in the corner of the room, polishing her rapier. Lao played around with Virto's watch, seeing if it had any streaming for him to watch. "Mmhmm. Did she give you anything?"

"No! All she gave me was a crazy clone that became a lilim and a metaphorical collar," he said. "Your journey sounds cooler than mine. And more utilitarian, can you tell me what these color are?"

"It's really simple to be honest," Lao said. "Yellow-bands are orderite rounds; basically purification. "Red-bands are demon rounds, so the opposite and lust. "White-bands are explosive rounds, my personal addition." Lao said, picking up one. "One shot of this bad boy can blow up a small car."

"So no-bands are just regular rounds?"

"Yep," Lao said, putting one regular bullet in his revolver. "Just a normal, iron bullet. Doesn't do anything but cause a lot of pain and blood."

"Woooow…." The door on Lao's room knocked. Melisa got up and putting on her cape, tossing her rapier back and forth in her hand.

"Melisa, that could just be Add at the door."

"Even more of a reason to strike through the wood." Melisa went up to the door, sniffing it before unlocking the lock. "It's not Add, it smells too much like dragonborn."

"Is she really going to stab a dragon?" Virto whispered into Lao's ear. "Don't worry, it won't hurt him," he whispered back, turning to watch. "Does your watch have a record function?"

"Of course, I'm not a hack." They both started at Melisa, watching the Dhampir get into a striking pose as she reared the blade back. Swiftly, she stabbed through the door, the pointy weapon sliding through it like butter. Unlike the usual sound of silver/metal against scale, she head a groan, and the rapier piercing through supple skin. "Uh oh," Melisa said, slowly pulling back her sword. "....Laaaaaooo."

"You idiot, you hit a maid!" Lao and Virto came to the door, opening it to see who was bleeding. They saw a male kitsune on the floor, being comforted by an extravagant-looking harpy. "Vargas! Don't leave me Vargas!" Sana said shaking him around.

"Never mind, it is worse than a maid," Lao said.

"Hubby!" Virto fell to the ground and rolled him on his back, grabbing his hand. "Vargas are you alright?" He nodded, lifting his hand to show a bloody hole. "It, It will heal in a few minutes…I didn't know Geo's security would be this intense…"

"Rrrright, security." the glass shattered behind the group, with one half-vampire missing. Lao ran to the window, seeing Melisa freerunning down to the ground to make a run for it. "Aw geez…" he turned back to Virto rubbing his back. "I have to….I'll go get her," he said, tossing Virto's watch onto the bed, then grabbing his revolver and shoes in his hand before leaping out after her. Virto turned back to Vargas, unbuttoning his kimono to see if his wound was starting to heal. "I feel so bad now, this wouldn't have happened if I wasn't here…" Virto said, breathing a sigh of relief as the hole was closing up before his eyes.

"Don't be," Vargas said, sitting up as Virto helped him scoot into the hallway wall. "I'll take thousands of swords if it mean I can be with you."

"I don't want you to let yourself get stabbed….but it is a bit romantic I guess," Virto admitted. "How's the wound?"

"I think what you call "blood-clotting" has finished happening," Vargas said. "It doesn't hurt as much now, just soreness and a bit of blood staining."

"So he will be fine?" Sana asked Virto. Virto nodded but tilted his head at the harpy before him. "Vargas, if you don't mind introducing her…"

"Oh right. Sana, this is Virto. Virto, Sana." Vargas absent-mindedly used his bloody hand to join their arms in a handshake, only noticing after Sana's wings had gotten a bit dirty. "Oh, I guess you could say you're joined by blood now."

"A real blood bond I guess," Virto said, giggling as he shook Sana's hand. "Hey."

"Hi, but, I'm only here as support. If Vargas has healed enough to do the thing…" Sana said, winking at Vargas.

"The thing?" Virto asked. "Oh dear, it isn't another ring, is it?"

"No no, I understand now that tradition isn't your thing," Vargas said. "Sana said that the best way for me to treat you, is to ask you what you want to do."

"....wait really?" Virto asked. He looked at Sana, who gave two thumbs up and a toothy smile. He turned back to Vargas, getting a blush on his cheeks. "Oh, wow, um...You really put me on the spot here!"

"It does make sense now that I think about it. It's no surprise, but if I know what you like, I can get you a better gift. Huh, why didn't I think about that before…" Vargas stood up, stretching himself now that he was fully healed. "What do you like dearest?" Virto stood up, going inside to get his watch before coming back. "I have been short on metal for a while. But, to ask you to just get me a bunch of metal sheets, it's not romantic."

"Nonsense! As long as you love it, then it's totally romantic." Vargas booped Virto's nose and picked him up. "First, we and bathe, then, we go eat dinner! Then, once the moon is high, we will go mining for your minerals."

"That sounds private and intimate~" Virto booped his lover back. "I like private and intimate~"

"I like it when you like it~" Vargas said, starting a kiss Virto. Virto smooched back, holding his hands around her neck and bringing his head closer to Vargas. Like that, they slowly made their way into Lao's room, whispering and giggling until Vargas finally feel completely onto his bed, bringing Virto with him.

Sana, feeling she was no longer needed, started shuffling away. "Glad I could help!" She called to them, closing the door behind her while working her way out of the castle. When she got halfway down the hallway, Vargas' head came through the door, calling out to Sana. "Wait! I still need your help!" he said, Sana turning around and hurrying back to him. "Really?"

"Sssssh, while Virto is changing in the powder room," Vargas said, sneaking out of the hallway. His kimono was halfway on, only wrapped around his waist as his chiseled torso and arms were exposed to the air. Virto had already seemed to get to them, with lip marks all over his pecs and abs. "I have another idea," Vargas said, the thought of it making his blushing face turn redder. "I want to have music at our dinner, but Virto would probably hate me bringing an orchestra…"

"But, I'm no symphony," Sana said.

"Exactly! A small, cute Gandharva playing your song...she would love it."

"I thought she didn't like surprises."

"She will like this one!" They both heard the toilet be flushed, Sana hiding behind the wall while Vargas blocked the entrance with his body. "Sorry I took too long," Virto said, coming out wearing a latex bunny suit. It had a deep V opening in the front, and semi-stiff "I couldn't pee in the suit."

"You too just long enough~," Vargas said, patting his head and running his hand through Virto's green hair. "But where did you get such cute clothing from?"

"I keep all my clothes in my watch," Virto said.

"Awww, I thought you wore it all under your lab coat~"

"Do you want me to?" Virto looked up at Vargas smugly, holding his finger over his watch. "I can have that arranged~"

"If only you knew everything I had arranged for you~"

"As long as it's not big and flamboyant." Virto jumped up to kiss him on his cheek, drawing a purr out of Vargas before pushing him onto the bed. Vargas only had a moment before getting a face full of latex, Virto butt-smothering Vargas's face while he undid the rest of his kimono. "Except for one hot exception, of course, ~"

((Author's note: I've been staring at this for two hours now trying to figure out if I should turn this into full-on Yaoi. Honestly….fuck it why not. Please skip ahead if not want, continuation should be noted by double parentheses))

Virto grabbed his husband's limp dick, licking his lips while he felt Vargas' mouth buzz against his ass. "You probably aren't even listening. Then again, your ears are a bit stuck, aren't they?~" Vargas couldn't nodded or reply or anything. He had other pressing matters at hand. He grabbed Virto's ass, fondling it through his latex. Virto turned away from the cock in front of him, seeing his husband's fingers press into his butt. It wasn't sign language, but that's probably a 'Yes', Virto thought as he went back to his thing.

He gave the cock as many licks as it took to make its outside moist and slippery. It sometimes bobbed away from him when his kitsune thrusted up, but a quick snag and it was stuck in his mouth, enraptured in his warm and salivating mouth while his ass was kneaded like dough. It turned into a contest of who could get the other to take them in a bout of lust, Vargas looking like the one to lose in the end. His hands couldn't keep up with Virto's mouth, his orgasm rising up and faltering each time the bunny boy let his cock feel the cold air of the bedroom.

Gritting his teeth, he pressed his face into his ass, consciously having to refrain himself from sinking his entire length in Virto's mouth while he bit down on the latex. One head pull later and he tore a hole right over Virto's ass, getting a muffled moan out of him when he blew on his pucker.

"Mmmph" Virto blushed, feeling his ass start to get teased and tongued by his mate. With both organs out it was an equal field, and Vargas intended to abuse both as much as he could. Smirking in his head. He suddenly thrusted into Virto's mouth while at the same time spreading his boy pussy with his tongue. Virto grabbed onto Vargas' hips for leverage, but he was quickly getting overpowered on both sides, Vargas isn't even winning! Virto cried in his head, feeling the throbs in his penis each time Vargas paused balls deep down his throat. The thing was, he wasn't far behind, his own member frotting against the latex clothing while his prostate got pressed and pushed like a red staples button.

Virto finally caved, upping the suction inside his mouth as he creamed his clothing. Feeling His asshole spasm around his tongue, Vargas finally let go of his orgasm, his grunts muffled as he came down Virto's mouth. Virto's hands grabbed Vargas's behind, squeezing his tensing asscheeks to milk more cum into his waiting mouth. Neither of them let a drop spill, Vargas's hips and Virto's mouth dragging every inch down his throat and keeping it stuck there until the last bit of semen was deposited inside his stomach. His throat was coated in pre and jizz, but from the clean and shiny dick that was pulled out of him, you would have never suspected a thing.

"You cheater…" Virto panted, his grip slipping as Vargas lifted him up from his body. He wiped his mouth clean, getting a bird's eye view of the rapidly re-hardening member. "Tearing my clothes like that~"

"If it means I lose, then I should give you a prize right?~" Vargas dropped Virto into his lap, Virto's cheeks under the torn latex sitting right over his cock. It drooled more and more pre onto the bed below them, letting off a horny scent that wafted up to both their noses. "I would do it regardless, for your body gives me, and my cock life~"

"Just stick it inside before the smell gets stuck on Lao's bed~," Virto said, stealing a kiss on his hubby's silver tongue while Vargas grabbed his member. They moaned into each other's mouths, cock going inside backdoor, the warm innards of Virto rubbing off the hot rod piercing into his body. Vargas started thrusting, his hips rolling up into Virto's toned derrière. Virto could feel him in his core, his heart fluttering and his member shooting pre-up his clothing with each bounce. Their love held for 5 minutes, maybe more, keeping themselves in an embrace seemed to last forever. They reached their peaks together, Virto hugging the kitsune while his insides were painted white. Vargas bit down gently on his ear, holding him tight so he wouldn't slip away. Their mouths parted, a string of saliva dangling from their lips as they came down from their heights.

"I love you so much~"

"I love you, and your body so much~" Virto scooted closer to him to press his body against him, making a weird sound when he pressed his torso against him. His mouth started trembling uncomfortably, him pulling away rather quickly and scooting beside Vargas on the bed. "Is something wrong?" Vargas asked him, one ear down and another one up to symbolize his sudden confusion.

"The cum...it's still under my suit...and it cooled off…" Vargas chuckled after realizing what he meant, standing up and holding his hand to help Virto off the bed. "I suppose we really need that shower now."

"Yes please," he said, walking like a penguin alongside his husband as they went back to Vargas' house.

((Alright, if you skipped here, it's back to normal story. Yaoi itch scratched))

_________________________________________

After a long and hot shower, they both went back to his bedroom, Virto changing into one of Vargas' kimonos for the special occasion. "We could always have one tailored for you," Vargas offered, seeing how his husband's arms didn't even go the full way through the sleeves. "It is fine," Virto said, brushing aside the issue. "Who's going to see us enjoying each other anyways? It's just going to be a nice, intimate dinner between you and me, right?"

"Well, at a restaurant. I booked us a reservation."

"All the better than," Virto said, taking Vargas beside a stool and stepping up with a comb. "I heard you also requested special entertainment?"

"Nothing too large, as you like," Vargas said, watching water droplets get flung while Virto brushed his hair straight. "I could just burn the water away, you know."

"Convenient, but it's easier to style hair when it's wet," Virto said, putting down the comb. "Per se, it's easier to get kinks out and hurts less. Lao complains about his hair all the time. "So, the entertainment."

"Only one of the best musicians I know," Vargas said, feeling his tails getting picked up. "A work friend as well."

"I wonder where they are now," Virto said, dropping all the tails on his lap to brush straight. "Probably also getting presentable as well…"

_________________________________________

Indeed, Sana had gone and obtained a satin red dress, One that stopped above her knees so her claws wouldn't accidentally step on it and tear it. Her choice of an instrument; a large group of parts of a piano to put together once she got there. She flew through the dark, carrying the large assortment inside a nice burlap sack. "Vargas told me to look for a bunch of candles along a river…" Sana said, turning her head to look at the passing treeline. She saw a bunch of flame lights and dove down, slowing down so she didn't scratch herself as she went through the trees. She dropped through the trees and landed on the ground, spitting out leaves and plucking them out of her wing. She looked around and saw a bunch of couples talking to each other, being waited on by elementals at their white-clothed tables. They didn't seem to notice her, but Vargas saw her from across the dining place and called her over.

She went around the group of tables, excusing herself each time she bumped into a waitress that was going the other way. She and her bag made their way beside Vargas and Virto, Sana waving as she finally let go of the burlap sack. "I can see why there were no instructions now," Sana commented. "You can't exactly say a location for this…"

"I figured you would find it eventually," Vargas said. Virto looked up from his menu, nodding and putting his head back into the brochure. "Hey Virto," He called to him, Virto looking back up at Vargas. "I was picking our food. Do foxes mind anything vegetarian?"

"The food can wait. I want to show you the surprise I was talking to you about." Vargas plucked the menu out of Virto's hands, motioning towards Sana. "Hi!" Sana said, waving and holding a piano key in hand.

"I thought really hard, and I finally figured out something you may like," Vargas said, pointing to the sack at Sana's feet. "Sana is an artistic deity, and a musical savant."

"A musical savant…" Virto looked at the bag, a bit confused about its contents. "There isn't a dead body in there right?"

"No, but I am going to bring this piano to life," She said, giving it a good old car salesman slap on the bag. "This baby could be in a million pieces, and I could still put it in working order. Just important protagonist things, amirite?" She winked to Vargas, who winked back and stifled a chuckle.

"It is true, I don't think any non-important character could assemble a piano without some help. I even know where to start." Virto said, catching Sana's eyes glowering as he spoke. "Wait, is this my present honey?"

"Oh, Virto I would never do-"

"Because if so….this is the best present you've given me!"

"It is?" Sana and Vargas said simultaneously.

"Of course! I absolutely love tinkering and puzzles. Almost as much as you~" Virto said, poking Vargas's chest. Vargas blushed and adjusted his kimono, getting a giddy feeling in his chest. "You know I try my best…"

"Indeed, although I don't know why you brought us to a restaurant to do this," Virto said, looking out towards everyone. All the other monster men and women seemed of high class, wearing jewelry and suits and fancy dress. Even Vargas had gotten a slightly nicer kimono for the occasion, and Sana looked like she was about to go onto Dancing of the Stars. He felt out of place with black dress pants and a white dress shirt, like he should have chosen a more formal attire. "So many bureaucratic eyes…" he said, feeling the gazes of others on the only human there.

"Don't worry, there isn't anyone paying attention," Vargas said, covering Virto's eyes with his tail. "Does that help?"

"But now I can't see…" he said, pushing down the tail slightly. "Maybe if I start the piano the fear will fade."

"That sounds like a great idea dear." Vargas kissed him on the forehead and lifted him out of the chair, Virto going to the bag to remove some items.

_________________________________________

"Virto, your paccheri is going to get cold," Vargas told him, watching as the two slowly put together the piano. They had finished the frame and were arranging the strings for each key that Virto insisted be orderly before putting them on. "I have done this before, trust me!" Sana said, sighing as Virto slowly laid out every small piece. "But it would be so much faster if we order it first!"

"Virtooooo," Vargas said again, getting off the chair and lifting him up. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"But you spent so much time giving me a present…"

"The food will get cold," Vargas exclaimed. An Ignis waitress appeared beside the two, wearing a bonnet and holding a fire-retardant cloth on her arm. "Does anyone need a reheating?"

"See? Hot forever," Virto said, the Ignis moving past them. She picked up the plate with her hand, her hot body serving as a stove to reheat the food. Vargas nodded and let him go, Virto kneeling back down to arrange the pieces (much to Sana's dismay and apprehension). "I think she likes the present a bit too much," Vargas said, seeing someone sit down in front of him. It was a nureonago; a blue slime that had the ability to form clothes on their body with their body. This one had thick, study pads of samurai slime armor that covered everywhere but where her joints and heck were. She had no headpiece, showing her neck-length plain straight hair and her dark blue irises looking at Vargas with the sweetness of a honeybun.

"That tends to happen when you give humans a new toy to play with," she said, turning her chair around and sitting down in it backward. "Their short attention spans can't handle it."

"You sound like my father," Vargas said, taking another bite out of his plate. "So what brings you to a quaint and fancy place with armor on?"

"Trust me, It is a bit...necessary. It is also my style," she said. "Now, I was on the search for a fine establishment, and a fine man to dine with."

"You might have to keep searching then, but this is a nice restaurant," Vargas said. She was walking her hand too close to him, using his fork to gently push it back to her side of the table. "The bubbling sprite is especially good. And soon, there would be some musical entertainment."

"How classy! I suppose there is...no way I can enjoy it with you, is there? Yokai to Yokai~"

"Unfortunately not, I already have my own mate," Vargas said, looking at his man wind the strings inside the piano. "Just look at him. He has this adorable look when his eyebrows are furrowed in concentration.~"

"I suppose he is a nice pet," The Nureonago commented on.

"E-excuse me?"

"He is a nice pet! That's your pet human right? A side piece, to be crude." She tapped the table, looking bored just by watching him.

"That's my husband," Vargas corrected.

"He doesn't seem like husband material to me. Or wife material, does he even satisfy you in bed?" Not wanting to hear it, Vargas started to get up before she could egg him on anymore. Her hand grabbed his, keeping him within arms reach before he could move away from the table. "Wait! I misspoke…"

"I think I heard you pretty clearly," Vargas said, irritated and wanting to leave. Not even his body got anything good from her, just a subtle but annoying draining feeling the longer her fingers were on his wrist...

"No, you don't understand," she began. "I didn't mean to be offensive. I just thought that you could...do better. The son of the sun god deserves better than a mere mortal. Someone that knows how to be a soulmate to a yokai." He started pulling away, but was surprised and caught off guard when he couldn't break out of her grip. She only tightened it, a harder draw feeling coming from him. He fell to his knees, his vision faltering and blurring. "What are you…"

"Fufufu~" She kneeled down with him, putting her mouth next to her ear while she kept her grip. "What I mean is, you need someone you can properly...be the new child of God herself." A shing went between the two, just barely missing Vargas as it drove in and through the nureonago's arm. She screamed and staggered back, holding her dis-handed arm while cursing in pain. The hand fell off Vargas in a mushy clump of slime, the kitsune starting to fall onto the ground. Sana was behind him before his head could hit the ground, catching him in a feather embrace. Virto had come to his aid, standing between him and the writhing slime with a sword pointed outward. He was silently crying, tears going down his face while he stared down at her.

"Oh the agony!" She cried, is slowly turning to one-armed slime. "My hand, my beautiful hand! If only there was a way to get it back…oh, wait~" Instantly, slime sprung out from her arm, quickly taking the shape of a new arm, with her sleeves forming over it. "There is!"

"Step away," Virto said, backing up to leave no distance between Vargas. Unbenounced to her, or benounced, he had been listening the entire time, keeping his head buried down in the piano.

"Or what? What could you do against a Yokai?" She asked, getting into a rushing stance. "I don't even need to use my abilities to beat you. I can just pummel you into submission!"

Virto's eye twitched once, then twice before the sword parted back into tiny nanites that went under his clothes. He got into a low stance as well, holding his hand against the side of his pants. "Ah, what technique is that human? I might have to seek it myself~"

"Why don't you come and find out…" Virto muttered, the last part becoming too quiet to be heard. She took him up on that gambit, rushing Virto ready to swipe his head off his body. He waited until she closed half the distance, and then revealed the new weapon he was growing in his pocket; A semi-automatic handgun with a stream of nanobots flowing in from his arm. He started emptying the cartilage into the rapidly approaching slime, the nanites constantly flying in to constantly form new bullets and reload the gun. The blasts drove everyone else to dive for cover, Sana dragging Vargas behind their piano.

The nureonago didn't think much of it; she was semi-fluid after all. The first bullet looked poised to just pass through her, but a sharp burning sensation stalled her confidence in her tracks. She dove away, disappearing into the trees under constant fire. "Come back and face me like a woman!" Virto finally yelled firing 2 more shots before lowering his gun. Everyone rose from behind their cover, with most of the patrons making like an omelet and scrambling away. "Vargas!" Virto yelled, finally turning away from his attack to rush back behind the piano. Vargas was laying on Sana, his eyes narrowed and closing often.

"Virto…" He said, his words coming out slurred like he just woke up early in the morning. "I..feel empty…"

"Don't die on me again," he said, choking up as he took the job of holding up from Sana. Vargas clenched his teeth and eyes, holding his hand over his stomach while Virto sat him upright. "I'm not dying, this doesn't feel like usual…" he said. He unsteadily pointed Virto to his tails, doing his best to light them on fire. The flames barely reached their normal intensity, the fire barely rising above the fur of his tail. "My mana is gone Virto, I can't, nnnn, get it any higher…"

"Stolen?" Virto helped him up to his feet, looking back at the forest while sliding his husband's weight to his back. Aside from probably the elementals, the place looked completely evacuated, barren with just the three of them left. That slimeball could be anywhere at this point, Virto thought, spinning around to defend himself from any oncoming attacks.

"But you can't steal mana!" Sana said, popping up with the piano packed up into the sack behind her. "Mervana tried it on Namaru and nothing happened!"

"Well, unless his mom is here, it had to be her," Virto muttered. His neurons were firing, trying to figure out any other plausible theory that could explain why Vargas couldn't even stand. He barely even noticed the flame reflecting off the lens and frame of his glasses, turning around to see a growing blast of fire flying towards Sana.

"Sana Jump!" Virto yelled, Sana turning around and screaming when she saw the inferno fill her vision. She flew up, the table she was hiding behind being obliterated into dust. Virto freed one hand and shot his pistol towards where the blast came from, nothing coming to stop the bullet from flying into the darkness.

"Vargas, does any fire-affiliated yokai happen to live here?" Virto said, watching as the nureonago from earlier came out, her slimy, supposedly-watery hand casually covered in a glove made from fire. She caught the bullet in between to fingers, pinching it until it melted away to a gooey metal paste.

"I suppose not," Vargas said, clenching his muscles hard while he tried to muster any mana. His flames were still leagues below its power, even when he drew from the environment.

"I guess that you weaklings are wondering why I haven't melted from behind around the fire of a yokai~" She said, her other hand growing a similar glove. "I do too, but you two will be dead loooong before I can realize an answer~"

"You're putting a target on your back, you realize that, no?" Vargas said, sliding off of Virto once he could stand on his feet. "Before you know it, you would be killed for laying a finger on me."

"I intend to draw the attention~" She said, before raising her hands up to the moon. "For I was given the power to conquer all!"

"Don't forget about me!" Sana yelled, the nureonago turning around to meet a piano-sized sack being driven into her face. Her flames couldn't melt through the sack fast enough, the pile of half-burnt piano parts, hitting her dead on. The sound of wood cracking can be heard as it struck against her, the slime shrugging it off to the side and turning her sights up towards Sana. "Insolent bird! Agh!~" A bullet hit her on her shoulder, Virto shooting away from her behind. She stuck out a hand and shot fire at him, Virto just side-stepping while keeping his finger down on the trigger. She tried bringing her other hand into the attack to wall him in with fire, but more rocks and large tree branches would rain down as Sana yanked them off the forestry to hurl from the air. At one point, she clawed a quarter of a tree off and dropped it down onto the slime like a bomber.

"Enough!" The nureonago quickly got enraged, constantly being flanked and forced to divide her power between two moving targets. She completely disregarded Sana and made a mad dash for Virto, leaving a path of fire in the grass as she rushed towards him. "I'll kill you both, starting with you!" Virto stopped shooting and moving, watching her rapidly close the distance once more.

"You finally started using your brain hmm, shame I will have to cut it off!" She said, swiping for the killing blow at Virto's neck. A wall of fire appeared before her, causing her to stop to a halt before out of surprise. "W-what? I didn't…" Just as quickly as the wall appeared, it disappeared into the night, leaving one, angry and tired mouse standing in front of Virto.

"Of course you didn't, I did," Ganan said flatly, a vein popping out in her forehead as she stared at the Slime. Above her was a portal made up of a ring of fire, one that Vargas jumped through soon after. "Careful," Virto whispered, helping him land on the ground without falling too hard.

"But, your power!" the nureonago exclaimed. "How!?"

"To think you could sap my Master's son's mana and I wouldn't hear of it?" Ganan said, her tone akin to a fuse that's about to end. "I could have been training right now, but then Master forces me to come here!"

"So what you are implying is, you are of equal strength~" nureonago licked her lips, forming gloves of fire around her wrists once more. "What a lovely gift~"

"Lesser deity!" Ganan shouted to Sana flying above. "Leave this place, this no longer concerns you!" Sana, who had already witnessed so much today, squeaked and flew off instantly. Seeing her opening to attack, the slime rushed for Ganan's wrist, only for her own wrist to be grabbed pre-emptively. It was squeezed to oblivion, the slime wincing in pain and liquifying her arm just so she could jump back.

"As I thought," Ganan said, having not even turned her head back to the slime to catch such a blur. Virto just watched, sitting on the ground with Vargas while the hinezumi took over. "Someone of your caliber couldn't have taken on Master's son head-on. You snuck an attack," Ganan accused, staring at her with cold disgust. "Such trickery won't work on me."

"So you're quick, I still have fire!" The nureonago claimed.

"Then use it. I'll show you the difference in power." She happily obliged, raising both her hands to prepare a blast of fire. Before a finger could be lifted though, Ganan wasted no time getting to her side and putting a front kick right into where her liver would be. The slime was promptly launched away, her crash into the woods only visually noticeable by the way a family of birds scattered up into the moonlight. The thuds echoed back, Virto almost for certain that whoever had attacked them was now dead or close to dying, even as a slime.

"Jesus…ow!" Virto got grabbed by the ear by Ganan, getting snapped out of the power display as now the pain in his ear took priority. Vargas also suffered, the kitsune clutching his poor fox auditory peepers as they were dragged back through the portal, shouting in pain all the way.

_________________________________________

The two sat outside the Amaterasu's private room, both having steaming burn marks of Ganan's hand on their cheek. They could hear her demanding for them to be punished, over the sun god's soft tone to try to calm the mouse down.

"While, we're here..." Virto started, gripping his dress pants. "I...I'm sorry." Vargas turned to Virto, not having a hint of anything that he did wrong. "What do you mean?"

"What else could I mean? I should have intervened way before, but…I froze." He hit the wall behind him in frustration. "I froze, all because my stupid feelings wouldn't get out of the way…"

"Oh honey-"

"Am, am I just a fun pet to you?" Virto asked, wiping the corner of his eye with his collar. "I feel stupid, dumb even but...need to hear it from you, please."

"W-wa...of course not!" Vargas said, picking him up by the hips. "Why I go all this trouble just to have sexual intercourse with you?"

"True...unless you just really care about sparing my feelings…" Virto felt Vargas wrap around him, pressing his face against his chest once more.

"It would be a lot easier to marry you if I wanted to spare feelings. The way you lumbered around with me on your back, even though my feet dragged along the ground...that only made me more sure of what was in here." Vargas bapped the area heart twice, before curling a bit over Virto. "Tsss, ahh, still aches a bit..."

"If it's fatigue, then best option would be a nice rest. Some medicine to block a thoracic root or two can help too, or just something hot held against the region..."

"Like a kiss~" Vargas offered. Although, the door flung open before any lips to chest action could start. Ganan looked at the two before her and turned away, holding her head high as she marched down the hall. "Looks like you two owe me an explanation," Amaterasu said, coming through the door and looking down at them. She still had her sleeping blindfold on, and her hair bundled up in a wrap on top of her head. "Especially you, Vargas. You know some people could be hunting you! Do you know how much a Yokai bounty can go for, especially on your head?"

"It was only going to be a quick di-"

"Ah, what was that?" Vargas's ears dropped, his body shuffling an inch or two back. "Yes, mother…"

"Mmhmm. Now come inside, we need you two to help us find her since my pupil decided to kick her through an entire forest…"