Story: Croce di Eros

A Touch of Perversion

Discussing such delicate matters in public was a rather, shall we say, ill advised tactic. People were bound to notice Aisa's strange behaviour, and pick up on the odd things Veritas was talking about with her before they were ready to, ah, see the light. So, after checking their bill - Wait, it was <i>how much for those burgers</i>?! - Veritas grabbed hold of his soon to be first disciple and led her to the stairs at the back of the cafe. What good fortune this was! This building had a karaoke bar on its second floor!

"Two for an hour," he ordered, still holding onto Aisa's hand. She was blushing furiously, her thumb rubbing around the inside of his palm.

"Would you like our free chocolate cake gift for couples?" the receptionist chirped. "All you have to do is sign up for a publicity photoshoot..."

"No," Veritas firmly answered.

"Yes!" Aisa even more firmly answered. What was he saying about good fortune again? Before he knew it he was being forced to take an incriminating photograph next to this greedy girl, hand in hand. It felt like he was taking a mugshot! How on earth was he supposed to avoid the burger bill when they had a picture like this? But, whatever! Short term goals first, the long term goals would come much later on. Maybe later he could ask the cafe for donations to his church once the ball was rolling...?

The room was exactly the sort he'd imagined. Like your typical karaoke bar, soundproofed walls, tables with sofa like seats around them. A large monitor covering one side of the room with big speakers on the walls next to them, a wireless microphone and plenty of space to dance around, should the tune be catchy enough. Veritas ignored this. The only kind of dancing he wanted to see didn't suit the kind of bubblegum pop this place probably used.

Having said that though, the high tech sound system could be useful in other ways.

He turned his attention back to Aisa, who was sitting at the edge of one of the seats, nervously shifting around. She gave off the impression of someone who didn't really know what she was doing here. Maybe it had just dawned on her that to get her free cake, she had to pretend to be a couple with him.

"You seem worried," Veritas said. He dropped to his knees in front of her and grasped her hands reassuringly. "It's alright. You can tell me. Whatever is wrong, I want to help. That's why I brought you up here, so we could talk more privately about whatever is bothering you."

Aisa blushes and looks aside. It's a good look for her. She does the 'shy damsel' routine like a natural. "Ever since we started talking in the hospital a few days ago, I've started feeling strange," she said.

"Strange?" he asked, gently rubbing the backs of her hand. "Strange in what sense?"

The blush deepens. She struggles for the words. Her body language screams discomfort, and she crosses her legs but does not pull her hands away from his. "Good," she concluded. "I feel... Good all over. I have never felt this way before, but it is definitely pleasant."

"Well, good is good isn't it?" Veritas beamed at her. "Your body was in pretty critical condition before, right? Maybe that terrible experience, and our conversations, have made you more aware of your body's wants and needs?" Aisa winces. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive. Please, it would not be healthy to reject these feelings. Repression is unhealthy for the mind, and could have psychosomatic effects on the body, too."

"Psychosomatic ...?" Aisa asked.

"Yes. If you think that feeling this way is wrong, then whenever you feel this way your body could try to reject it, by making you think you feel bad. It's sort of like the placebo effect, in reverse."

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Academy City, the (former) home of the science side, talk to them in terms of science. Though, still...

"Not to mention what my own faith says about how bad this attitude is for the soul."

Oddly, that last side remark he'd thrown out there seemed to be better understood than the rest of it. Strange, he'd been pretty sure that technobabble would be more effective on the residents than a casual remark about faith. Maybe she was more under his thumb than he first believed?

"So, what do you want Aisa?" he asked. "Your body is trying to tell you how you can get it. Don't ignore it. Embrace it. Admit what you want, and then you can move towards getting it."

"What I want..." she whispered. The girl was unable to make eye contact with him at all. When Veritas tried bobbing his head into her line of sight, she immediately looked elsewhere. "I want... That is to say, it's not really any of your business, but..."

"It's a boy, isn't it?" Veritas interrupted. Aha, now she was looking sharply at him. "Ah, now. I'm not so arrogant to think it's me. It's obviously someone you know a lot better, and for longer too. So? Why don't you say his name?"

"N-No... Don't make me say his name..." Aisa begged. Through the grip he had of her hands Veritas could feel her heart racing.

"Don't worry. This is just between you and me. I won't tell a soul, I just want to help you become happy with yourself. And that's the truth."

Now she was really squirming around in place! Oh boy, she had it bad! Her breathing was just this shy of hyperventilating. Her palms were soaking with sweat. Heck, on close examination he could even see that her nipples were erect underneath her uniform!

"Your body is telling you something. Listen to it! Say his name!"

"T-Touma!" Aisa blurted out, and the effect was nigh orgasmic. Her entire body tensed up and a blissful expression appeared on her face. He let go of her hands, as she sighed with her entire being, and then placed her hands on her cheeks. "Touma..."

Kamijou Touma. Yes, of course it was. Lucky bastard! Having a girl this cute pining for him so intensely, how completely unfair! This created either a complication or an opportunity depending on how Touma reacted - and really, that was the crux of the matter. That boy had foiled so many mysteries of late that drawing attention to the strange behaviour of people in the city could so easily backfire on him.

Then again, what kind of a man would he be, to be able to concentrate on such a mystery when women of Aisa's level were throwing themselves at him! Not a straight one, that was for certain!

"It's alright, calm down," he suggests, but the girl seems caught in some kind of pleasure cycle. Squirming in place and repeating that boy's name over and over again. Veritas has no choice but to grab hold of her hands again. "Breathe, Aisa! Calm yourself. Understanding your body's desires is only the first step to achieving them, you must relax before you can proceed to the next stage. You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself by reacting this way when you next see his face or hear his voice, would you?"

She shakes her head, no of course not, and begins to calm down her breathing. He helps her along by setting the pace for her. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Perhaps a little calming music would be of use? Veritas grabbed the remote and flicked through the soundtracks on offer. Mostly bubblegum pop, as he was expecting... Aha, there we go! Something a little slower paced. Instrumental only as this was, after all, a karaoke. It only made sense they would also have a few romantically inclined melodies as well.

"Allow me to teach you a simple meditation technique from my religion," Veritas offered. "it encourages concentration. Comprehending your body's needs without being fully overwhelmed by them. Once you have that measure of self control, it will be a lot easier for you to get what you want."

That being a good hard dicking from a rising threat to the magical world.

"What do I need to do?" Aisa asked. "Th-This feeling, it's so overwhelming. How can I possibly control it? I'm not even sure that I want to!"

"Close your eyes," he commanded. "Cross your arms in front of your chest, placing your hands on opposite shoulders. Hold on, let me adjust your positioning a little... There. Now, gently caress your shoulders. Slowly. Breathe in through the nose. Out through the mouth. Do this to beats of three, and you will soon find the right pace."

He smiles at her. "You know, this is another thing that science has already verified in a way. The sense of touch is an odd thing. Do you know why people touch an injured part of their body? Because it helps to dull the pain. This is a similar principle, Aisa. You should do this if you feel yourself being overwhelmed by your body's needs."

Of course, she was totally oblivious to what she was actually doing. Since she was concentrating so much on breathing and rubbing her shoulders, Aisa hadn't noticed that Veritas had adjusted her arms so that their crossed formation had trapped just underneath her breasts. Every time she breathed in and rubbed her shoulders, she was causing her boobs to rise and fall in a steady, rhythmic pattern that would very soon start to feel very, very good. He called it the "phantom grope."

"It's working..." Aisa sighed. "I feel more in control already."

The next step, then! "Repeat after me. It's a simple phrase to help you keep your rhythm."

"Ego sum excitatur."

Or, for those who have no experience in latin, "I am aroused." Combine that phrase with 'phantom groping' and you had a very simple, very basic and fundamental spell that was going to help her further down the path of perversion. It is, in essence, giving permission to the Croce di Eros permission to further change her, that she accepts those changes, that she accepts its will and is content to be its tool.

In that sense he was truly envious of her. Right now, within her subconscious, Aisa was having a conversation with a pseudo-divine entity that was telling her how to lure the guy she liked into bed. Not that Eros existed in the first place, of course. All she was really listening to was a carefully pre-prepared script instructing her on the importance of embracing one's own sexuality.

"What do you like about Touma"? he asked after about a minute of letting her repeat the phrase while 'phantom groping' herself.

"He's brave. He is kind," she answered. "He puts himself in harm's way to protect anyone, for no reason beyond that they need protecting. Ego sum excitatur."

Very good. She's completely under and answering his questions honestly. Her mind was too involved with the spell to think clearly, making her rather suggestible. Now, some might think this would be where he would give her instructions but hypnosis didn't work that way. Not unless you went in for some rather potent magic, which he knew would draw just so much attention right now. The best he could hope for was some honest answers to simple questions. No need to plant suggestions anyway. It'll be much more fun to see what her conscious mind comes up with on its own once she truly accepted Eros into her life.

"What else do you like about him?" he asked.

"Ego sum excitatur. He tries his best to protect everyone. Even people who have wronged him."

"What else?"

"He's... Handsome! And strong! So strong! Ego sum... excitatur! Ego sum excitatur. <b>Ego sum excitatur!</B>"

Ooh, this girl has it really bad, doesn't she?

"So you lust after him? You desire him physically?"

"Yessss! I do! Ego sum excitatur. What's. Happening. To. Me?"

"It's alright Aisa!" he reassured. "All animals are afraid of the unknown! What makes humans superior to the rest of them, is that we have conquered this fear! Embrace your feelings, become one with them without becoming overwhelmed by them! This is all completely natural and nothing to be afraid of!"

"Nnngya!" Aisa screamed so loud that he feared the soundproof walls would not be enough. Her eyes shot open, her tongue rolled out of her mouth and she collapsed backwards, still holding onto her shoulders and breathing so very, very heavily.

Veritas gently reached behind her head and pulled her into a sitting position on the couch, letting her back rest against the wall. She was absolutely beetroot at this point, but still had not let go of her shoulders, still rubbing them unconsciously.

"You don't think you could win his attention, do you?" Veritas asked, discretely taking a peek down her uniform. Call that a reward for a servant of god for good service, and what a fine reward it was. She shook her head to his question, oblivious to his leering. "Why not?"

"He - he's surrounded by much more interesting and attention grabbing girls than me." Now, that seemed impossible. "They're a lot cuter and stand out a lot more."

"Does he say they're a lot cuter? Or is that your opinion?" Veritas asked. "Put it this way: If you were in Touma's shoes, would you find them appealing?"

"Definitely," Aisa answered without a moment's hesitation. Aha, to that Veritas had to resist the urge to fist pump the air in triumph. He'd just made her admit to an attraction towards girls. That was a pretty significant step forward, though she wasn't quite fully embracing the faith yet. "Th-this religion of yours is something else."

"It is," Veritas agreed. "It uses a fair amount of scientific principles about the human body to help people accomplish real happiness and contentment, but there is still a strong undercurrent of faith. You could say, it's the religion that's the most compatible with science. Although, I have to say that I was lucky."

"Lucky?"

"To meet a nonbeliever in this city of science who did not dismiss the faith out of hand." Veritas patted her on the shoulder. Ah, this seemed to make her realise she was still rubbing herself and got her to finally let go. "Though I do have to admit that we basically already have a real presence in this city. You'll be hearing a lot more about us in the near future...But until then it might be best if you didn't tell anyone about it. You wouldn't want to risk those other girls interested in Touma learning the things I'll be teaching you, right?"

No. Of course she wouldn't. In the game of 'love', the rules are even more severe than the rules in the game of 'war'. Aisa could no more countenance her romantic rivals learning the things she was learning as much as she could cut off her own limbs. Of course, once things had progressed a little bit further she could be the one to teach them herself.

Alas, his phone chose that moment to ring, and that got him worried. To date there were but a few people who knew his phone number. The school had it for emergency reasons, and Aisa had it too... But aside from them the only people who knew this number were his contacts from outside the city. For them to call him like this at an unscheduled time...

"Pardon me," he said to Aisa. "I have to take this. Hello?"

<i>"Kamijou Touma has been declared an enemy of God by the Vatican."</i>

Well. If that doesn't make someone's asshole pucker up, then not much will. Aisa must have noticed his change in posture, it was impossible for him to keep his emotions entirely hidden after hearing that kind of news.

"Have they already sent someone?"

<i>"We believe so. Not sure who, but probably someone very powerful."</i>

'Probably' meant effectively nothing. There were a lot of very dangerous people that the Vatican could send after someone like Kamijou Touma, and given his track record to date they weren't going to pull their punches. They never did against an 'enemy of God'. That was the trouble of course: It was almost certainly someone he'd never heard of, which made planning next to impossible.

"Is something wrong?" Aisa asked. Of course this did raise another issue. Touma may be the biggest immediate threat to his plans, but he was also the only means Veritas had to protect his new perverted paradise from the major religions further on down the line. On that basis...

"Yeah, something is wrong," Veritas admitted. "Tell me. Do you know where Kamijou Touma lives?"

<hr>
The assassin in question was a rather easy woman to despise. Imagine, if you would, a nun whose face was covered in piercings that made a face that would otherwise be quite pretty into something almost grotesque. That is not to say that piercings in and of themselves are disgusting, but rather the positioning, the placement of these piercings were designed specifically for that effect.

Well then, allow me to introduce you to Vento of the Front. A member of the esteemed Right Seat of God, the four most dangerous members of one of the most populated religions in the world's history. These four were second in authority to only the pope, but in terms of firepower it became quite a bit questionable who had superior access. These four were men and women to be feared for their abilities, but possibly more so for their total devotion to their faith. For those who are so devoted to any belief system are those the most willing and able to do absolutely anything to those it deemed its enemy.

With her, Vento held a cadre of magicians who would cast a very basic spell once they were within the city, which should not be necessary until she had spent an hour inside. Technically she would be capable of fulfilling this mission all by herself, but why leave anything to chance? They were a good two hours away at this point, and so she made ready to cast her spell, Divine Retri-

But then something pinged her supernatural senses. "What's that?" she asked aloud, more of amusement than curiosity. "That is... a very large spell over Academy City!"

She sticks out her tongue, and another piercing falls out. This one, a chain with a cross at the end of it. Vento licks her lips and peers outside of her jet plane at this strange aura completely covering the city, and a little ways outside of it. There was something familiar about it, and yet at the same time totally alien.

"Was there a third party involved?" She cackled, twirling the chain on her tongue around in a rather grotesque manner. "Has someone else beaten us to the punch? Not that I care too much so long as science is defeated, but I would rather have finished it off with my own hands!"

"Should we hold off on the attack, ma'am? It's possible this is some kind of defense spell! Until we know more about it -"

Whichever magician-priest had asked the question earned himself a stiff kick to the head. "Hold off on the attack?" she retorted. "That borders on blasphemy at this point! When there's an enemy of God within that city? Do you honestly have that little faith in the Right Seat of God?!"

Interesting. Very interesting! She was already having fun but now there was a mystery to solve on top of everything else! It was a rare thing indeed, having this fine opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, when she had only just learned of the second bird's existence.

1. Elsewhere in the city, Hyouka manifests and notices people behaving... Off.
2. Misaka and Fukiyose chat briefly.
3. Index wanders the streets in search of emergency snacks!
4. Veritas looks for Touma, finds his apartment empty, but runs into someone else.
5. Kuroko waits patiently for her opportunity to slip away from work and steal Misaka's boy shorts. Curse this paperwork!
6. Something else