Chocolate smiled lovingly at her beloved Carrot.  He had been nice to her lately, letting her choose the loose shorts over the speedos and to pick a secluded co-ed spot in the hot springs, yet he kept his distance and shrugged her off when she got too close.  Rather, he would shy away.  Chocolate took this as a good sign.  Usually Darling would act annoyed, but tonight he was definitely different.  Things would go her way for sure.

She looked up at the stars above and then back as Carrot as they walked to the hot springs.  Carrot looked so handsome in the moonlight, so different.  She had noticed how much Carrot changed in one day.  With all the single women around, he hadn't even once hit on someone with two legs and a skirt.  No wolf whistles, no come-ons, no pick-up lines, no obscene sex jokes or remarks.  Nothing at all.

Instead, he'd been seriously hiding from all the females of the Nadesico.  He always seemed to shield his face whenever one would walk by.

Chocolate shrugged all this out of her mind.  Darling's a changed man now.  He claimed it himself.  And the change was definitely for the better.

Time for move #1!

"Isn't it such a beautiful night, Darling?" Chocolate cooed as she wrapped her arms around one of his.  He tensed up underneath her touch.  Good sign, she thought to herself.  At least he didn't tell her to cut it out or something.  Maybe she'll use his shyness later.

Akito sweatdropped out of sheer nervousness.  He didn't remember Carrot mentioning the utter brashness of Chocolate Misu.  In fact, that sneaky little pervert didn't even tell him anything about the Misu girls he hanged out with.  So much for him getting away from love-crazed girls.  He wondered if Tira was normal...

"Darling?"

Akito snapped out of his daze and looked at the love-filled eyes of Chocolate.  "Yes?"

"Don't you think it's a lovely night?"

"Actually," he said as he looked up and around, "yes, it is."

"I thought so," she whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder.  Both were wearing plain cotton kimonos that the hotel supplied for the bathers.  It felt so soft on her cheek.  She wondered how Darling's shoulder would feel without the clothes.

Akito felt incredibly uncomfortable.  He didn't even know Chocolate, and here she was ogling him, petting him, and other such stuff that even Yurika wouldn't dare.  He knew that foolish idea of Carrot's would be bad.  If only he had stood up for himself rather than going along with it.

They finally reached the hot spring pool they would be sharing.

"Well, here we are," Chocolate said, turning to Carrot/Akito.  "Darling?  Would you go into the water and tell me how it feels?"

Akito complied as he stripped off the blue and gray kimono and put it aside before easing into the sulfur-scented waters.  The hot water instantly scolded his skin, but he was already used to near-boiling water, having grown up using such super-hot baths.

"How does it feel, Darling?"

"Good, good."  Akito sank into the hot spring.  This most definitely felt good.

Chocolate stripped off her kimono and Akito's eyes almost popped out.  She wore an extremely small string bikini, its red fabric hiding almost nothing to the imagination.  She slowly, sensuously, dipped herself into the water and made her way to Akito.

Akito turned pretty red, and it wasn't because of the heat of the water.  This girl was seriously making moves on him.  He doesn't even know her!, but he felt extremely turned on by her very presence.

He wrapped his arms around her despite his head screaming out the logic against it.  His libido didn't care.  He wanted her now!

Nagare couldn't help but watch Tira walk.  She moved and swayed her cloak and hair to and fro with each light step.  He really wanted to see just how good she looked without that cloak.

Tira felt distracted.  Here she was with a handsome guy, and all she could think about was her sister and Carrot off on their own.  She did feel jealous, sure, but it didn't really matter.  Carrot's for Chocolate, and that's how it'll be forever.  Tira never really liked that idea.

"What's wrong, Tira dear?"  Nagare cooed softly into her ear as he reached for her hand.

Tira blushed, but didn't stop the motion.  "Nothing."  Maybe, soon, she could head back to the hotel and go to bed.  Carrot and Chocolate together bothered her more than she knew.  She looked up at the stars sadly.

But, then, if she weren't out on a walk with Nagare, what would she be doing that night anyway?  Sit around and watch the fire die itself out?  Eat until she couldn't fit into her fighting attire?  Or, worse yet, spy on Carrot and Chocolate?  She couldn't stoop so low.

Carrot looked at the pair as he hid behind the side of a building.  That Nagare guy was really pissing him off.  He could just tell he was undressing Tira with his eyes.  But he can't stop him though, now can he?

He looked down at Akito's watch that sat on his wrist.  It was already 2055.  If he wanted to meet that dish Meg, he had to stop spying on the pair.  Realizing this, he reluctantly left the two and headed to the Okikimashoo.

Nagare looked at Tira as she continued to look at the stars.

"Aren't they amazing?" Tira whispered.

"No," Nagare said as he lowered her face to meet his, "you are."  He placed his lips on hers softly.  She backed away quickly, her face flustered behind her glasses.  She was never really kissed before, especially not by a guy.  She felt so guilty because... because he was still a stranger to her.  Because they just met.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry..." she flustered.

"Don't worry about it," Nagare said as he wrapped his arms around her.  Getting a sly, romantic look in his eyes, he continued, "Want to try it again?"

Night creeped in as silently as usual, the innkeeper of the Okaido thought to himself as he sipped some green tea at the desk.  The forest was always dark and foreboding, the springs hot and temperamental.  It is said that the waters had powers that tend to be accredited to aphrodisiacs, and even then, the powers the water held was much more than a simple turn-on.  Some said that it was practically a libido-enhancer, something that makes even the shyest of people a complete sex fiend.

Of course, those just tend to be rumors, myths that the founders of the village spread to bring more tourists to the region.  It would be funny to see the consequences if it was true.

Megumi sprayed some flowery perfume on her neck as she nervously waited for Akito to come tonight.  In the middle of the traditional room, room service set up a beautiful dinner of tempura udon, dumplings, and una-jyu, eel over egg and rice.  In a lovely container next to the plates, some sake stayed chilled and ready to be poured in the little bowls next to it.  There were two cushions on the sides of the low table for her and Akito to sit.  The paper lamps lit the room with a soft light.

She had been jittery since she saw Akito last.  Not only did she went out and borrowed a very elegant kimono from the hotel mistress, she also got her hair done up with glass flowers and reeds that matched the kimono perfectly.  She pulled out the fan she tucked into her obi for probably the fifteenth time and fanned herself anxiously.

She practically jumped when she was that it was already 2103 and Akito wasn't there yet.  The food would get cold.  The kimono would stink of her perfume.  He's late?!?

She jumped once more when there was a knock on her hotel door.  The paper screen was pulled and the hotel mistress of the Okikimashoo excused herself.  She sat on the wooden walkway outside of the room, her body partially hidden by the screen.

"Reinard-san, there is a man by the name of Tenkawa Akito that wishes to see you."

"Akito," she practically yells out excitedly as she placed her fan back into her obi and the perfume in the closet.  She stood in front of the mirror for a second to check the hair decorations before closing the closet and taking her place at the table.  Thinking better of the idea, she moves and waits for him seated next to the door.  "Okay, let him in."

"Tenkawa-san," the mistress called, turning her head to address the person behind her.

Carrot entered the room.  "Thank you, madam."  The mistress bowed and walked away as Carrot closed the screen behind him.  His heart fluttered as he caught a sight of Megumi as she sat there, as perfect as a porcelain doll.  From her came the most intoxication scent ever to come from a woman.  He instantly took her hand.

"You look so lovely tonight," he said in a smooth voice.

"I'm glad you came, Akito," Megumi replied and waved him to his seat.  They moved and sat in their places together, a soft, sensual prelude before the real dance began, as Carrot saw it.

Megumi reached for the cover over the tempura udon, her other hand revealing some skin as it pulls away some of the exquisite cloth so that it wouldn't stain.  She lifted the top and released their fragrant odors into the air.

"It smells wonderful," Carrot commented as she took his bowl and carefully filled it with the soup.  She placed the bowl before her darling before reaching for her own.  Carrot lifted his chopsticks and started to eat as Megumi lifted her own.  He knew it paid to be courteous.

They spent much of their meal in lovely, soothing silence.  Megumi ate, thinking of what they would do next: go to the hot springs, take a walk, sex?  Nah, Akito would never what to do that.  He was so shy, so afraid of girls.  In fact, she never could say she saw him naked, seducing her, or any one else for that matter, and having sex.  He just doesn't seem to be that type of guy.  But, then, there's the question of what other kind of guy is there?

Carrot ate, thinking about how far this girl would go.  Well, she did invite him, er, Akito, to this hotel room.  She's alone.  There's a big meal just for the two of them.  Sex has to be the main thing on her mind.  But does he mind being used for such heinous purposes?  He looks at the lovely Megumi, who returns his gaze with a smile.  Why not?  How can he refuse such beauty?

In time, all the food was gone.  Megumi poured the last of the sake into their cups.  "That was a great meal," Carrot said as he downed the rice wine in one gulp.  "So," he said slyly as he creeped closer to the beautiful Megumi, "what do you want to do now?"

She looked into his eyes.  "Whatever you want, Akito."

Carrot freaked out.  "Really?!?"

Megumi smiled.  "Akito, make love to me."

Nagare rubbed the small welt on his face as he wandered through the town, alone.  He didn't think Tira was so picky over touching her boobs.  Ok, maybe all girls are, but that girl was completely uptight. She didn't have to go and slap him with a brick.  That was too much.

He really doesn't like being told by lovely ladies that he needed to back off, that they didn't what any of his.  It's a complete insult to his status as a great playboy.

He had half a mind to go back, apologize, then go slower when trying to get into her panties when he saw Yurika down the street.  Maybe the night wouldn't be a total disaster after all.

Yurika walked through the town, sad that she hurt Akito with the food.  She didn't know where he was staying tonight, and now she only hoped to bump into him tonight to apologize.  She wondered if he was staying at the Okikimashoo like almost everyone else on the Nadesico, but then she remembered that she wasn't staying at the Okikimashoo.  Maybe Akito was at another hotel, too.

"My, my, my," Nagare said as he walked into Yurika's thoughts and her path.  "Such a lovely face shouldn't hold so much worry."

"Oh, hello Nagare," Yurika said, her voice monotonic.  She had been looking for Akito for almost an hour, but he's nowhere to be found.  She hoped that he wasn't mad at her for leaving him at the restaurant like that.  She didn't mean to, actually.  She just felt really guilty.  Besides, she had to retreat and figure out a new plan.  Every good captain knew when to retreat and when to sink with the ship.  She needed a new mode of getting her Akito.  But, now that he's currently missing, all she can do is bemoan her fate.

"What's wrong, Yurika?" Nagare asked with a soothing voice.

Yurika sighed sadly.

"Is it about Akito?"  Nagare looked into her half-opened eyes and knew that Akito was exactly what's wrong.

"I just can't find him," Yurika admitied softly.  "I don't know where he went off to..."  Her voice trailed off, as if it would suddenly choke up.

Nagare looked at her and lifted her sad face to his.  "Don't worry, Yurika.  I'm here."  he lowered his lips on her and gave her a sweet kiss.

Tira couldn't believe the nerve of that Nagare.  A girl's boobs, er, breasts, are her own business.  He shouldn't have even tried.  As she made her way through the traditional Okaido, she saw a little girl silently typing away on an electronic device, all alone, in the middle of the walkway.

Her emotionless face, framed with hair the shade of the palest blue, gazed at the screen in front of her.  The girl's fingers danced on the keys swiftly, almost gracefully.

Tira watched her motion, engrosed by her speed, yet lack of mobility.  Suddenly, the little girl stopped.  She turned to Tira, saying in a monotonic voice, "Am I in your way?"

"Uh huh," Tira stampered as she sat down next to the girl.  "I was just curious over what you were doing."

The albino child looked at her even more.  "You don't mind if I sit next to you, do you?" Tira asked.  The girl shook her head "no".

Ruri continued to type in the background as Tira began to think and swung her legs over the ledge of the walkway.

Tira really didn't feel like going to her room right now, anyway.  Maybe she is jealous that her sister got Carrot tonight.  That doesn't matter now, does it?  Besides, the night was still so beautiful and cool.  Why go to bed now?  But, what where Carrot and Chocolate doing?

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Ruri's voice pulled Tira back out of her self-reflection.

"Eh?" she asked, confused at what the child said.

"I said," Ruri repeated in her usual deadpan, "did you find what you were looking for?"

Tira looked at the girl, her large glasses hiding the slight hesitation in her voice.  "What?"

"I saw you in town earlier, looking for someone.  I just wondered if you you know where he is right now."

Tira lowered her head and stared at her sandals as they dangled off her feet.  "Oh, he's with my sister right now..."  Her voice trailed off.

"Are you sure?"  The child looked at Tira with her golden eyes.

"Why do you ask?" Tira asked, once again perplexed by the little girl's inquisitive nature.

"Ruri-chan!" Yurika cried as she jogged slightly to the silver-haired child.  She needed to find Akito.  That Nagare made her so mad when he tried to get his sweaty hands on her.  When she finds that Akito, she would be finally able to continue with her plan of seducing him in the hot springs, but first, she needed to find him.  "Ruri-chan, have you seen Akito?"

"Ah," Tira axclaimed as Yurika approached.  "I know you!"

"You're that girl I bumped into earlier!" they both exclaimed.

"Did you find who you were looking for?" Yurika asked.  She remembered how the redhead was finding someone before.  It's only polite to ask if she found him.

"Yes, but..." Tira began, turning to Ruri in hopes of explaining how the girl had been questioning whether or not she really had or not when Ruri spoke.

"She didn't find him."

Tira panicked.  "What?!?"

"She found Tenkawa Akito instead."

Yurika freaked out.  "What?!?  Akito?!?"  Both Tira and Yurika kneeled to the sides of the stoic Ruri as she closed her laptop slowly.

"Well?" Yurika asked.

"What do you mean?" Tira chimed in.

Ruri sighed softly.  So many idiots.  "Akito and a young man with a sword at his side met this afternoon and switched places."

"A sword...?" Tira softly repeated.

"Akito because he didn't want girls chasing him, and the young man because he wants the girls, period."

"Akito wasn't Akito...?" Yurika whispered to herself.

"Now the young man and Akito are walking around as each other," Ruri continued, unfazed by the other two girls.  "The young man in the yellow cook's jacket, and Akito with the sword by his side."

Tira thought for a second, certain that the young man with the sword was a certain letcher she knew.  "So that's why Carrot was acting strangely at dinner."

"You know, Akito was acting really wierd at dinner, too," Yurika added.

"Is your guy really shy?"

Is yours completely romantic?"

"Only when he thinks he's going to get some.  Ooooh..." Tira sounded out in anger.  "That Carrot is going to pay for this little prank, big time."  She turned to Ruri.  "Do you know where he is?"

"No," Ruri said, unphased by Tira's high emotional levels.  "I do know, however," she said as she reopened her laptop, "that Akito and your sister are at the hot springs right now."

"And he'll probably know where Carrot is," Tira said darkly.

"Akito is with who, where!?!" Yurika hyperventilated.  "How dare he take any other girl besides me!!!"

"He didn't take her," Tira said, trying to calm down the other jilted lady.  "Chocolate took him.  And don't worry, we're going to fix all this right NOW!"

Tira and Yurika stormed out of the hotel and toward the hot springs, two ladies in love, sort of, ready to dish out some pain to those two fools.

Ruri typed away.  "So many idiots..."

Chocolate felt so good as her darling continued to kiss and bite his way on her neck.  She never knew how good it would feel being in his arms.  She didn't even know the hot springs around here has such a strong ability as an aphrodisiac.  She didn't mind, though.  This is just what she wanted.  Carrot under her, kissing her everywhere, like he was born to do.

Akito continued devouring Chocolate to the best of his ability.  He didn't mind now that this girl is practically a stranger to him.  She was definitely turning him on by just being there.  He reached down to her inner thighs.  She let out a gasp as he stroked her pink areas and slip her hand into his shorts.  God, that felt so good.

Tira stomped down the walkways to where the innkeeper said Chocolate and that Carrot-imposter would be.  She needed to know where Carrot is, now.  She definitely has it in for him tonight.

Yurika half-ran behind the really-fast Tira Misu, following to where Akito and her sister is.  How could her darling do that to her!  Maybe Tira's right.  Maybe her sister gets everything her way.  But how could Akito let her!?!  They needed to get there - fast.

Tira screamed when she finally found the secluded hot spring Akito and Chocolate were.  "Oneesama!"

Chocolate moaned, oblivious to her little sister's call.

"Akito!!!" Yurika exclaimed, shocked as she watched Akito suck on the neck of the redhead with him in the spring.

Together, Tira and Yurika ran to the side of the hot spring and began to try to pull apart the half-naked Akito and Chocolate from each other.  Both girls pulled out their associate from the water.

"What are you doing, Tira!" Chocolate screamed at her sister.  "Didn't you see me and Darling are busy!"  To think, her own sister trying to end all the fun she was having.

"That's not Carrot, Chocolate," Tira said softly.

"Ahh!!!" Akito screamed as he opened his eyes to find the upset Yurika looking down at him.

"What?" Chocolate asked, clearly confused.

"Akito, why are wearing another guy's clothes," Yurika asked, tears forming in her eyes, "and making out with some girl you don't know?"

"Some girl!" Chocolate cried out, obviously insulted by the words.

"Please, oneesama, listen," Tira said trying to calm down her sister.  "Carrot switched places with that guy so.."

"He can hit on girls in peace?"

Tira nodded.  "Akito over there has a lot of girls following him, and because they all adore him..."

"He thought he could get away with some girl without us knowing?  Ooooh, Darling is going to pay.  Big time."  She turned to Tira.  "Where is he?"  The Misu girls turned to Akito, who's trying to recuperate from his overactivated libido.

"Uh," Akito sweatdropped.  "I think he's at the Okikimashoo with Megumi Reinhard."

"Why is he with Meg, Akito?" Yurika asked.

Akito shrugged, hoping that Yurika wouldn't hurt him for accepting Meg's invitation earlier.

"Come on, Tira.  We have a letcher to collect."

"Right, oneesama."  The two girls, determined and ready to dish out pain, walked to the Okikimashoo.

"Oh, Akito," Yurika cried out happily as she wrapped her arms around him, "I was so worried about you."  Akito sweatdropped.  "Want to go into the springs with me?"

Carrot took his time and slowly peeled away at all the beautiful layers that Megumi was wrapped in.  He had all the time in the world.  Tira and Chocolate don't know where he was, or even who he was.  No one and nothing can stop him from getting some tonight.

Megumi giggled in glee as Akito untied and unwrapped his way to her skin.  She never thought he'd act this way.  How incredibly titilating, erotic.  If only he would hurry up a bit.

"No, no," he cooed as he saw her squirm in anticipation.  "Everything at its on pace, Meg.  Everything as its own pace."

He reached for her socked feet and slowly massaged them as he unbuttoned them.  He slid them off slowly, letting the cloth slide on her skin with such a nerve-racking speed she squirmed a little once more.

"Patience, Meg," he said as he stroked her toes.

"Carrot."

Carrot sweatdropped, a panicky look frozen on his face.

"What's wrong, Akito?" Megumi asked.

"His name is not Akito," said one of the two young ladies standing at the doorway, the screen pulled out all the way.

"You've been very naughty today, Carrot," said the other one as their slim figures were touched slightly by the light of the moon.  "Now it's time for us to teach you some manners."

Suddenly, a bull whip came from one of the two women and began whipping at Carrot, making him squirm and run out of the room and into the courtyard.  Tira and Chocolate, who transformed into their S&M fighting attire, continued to whip at the pervert, laughing with each crack of the whip, with every whimper from Carrot.

"What was all that about?" Megumi asked as she watched the threesome and held the almost-undone kimono around her.

"Captain," Hoshino Ruri said as she sat at her desk on the bridge.  The talks, fortunately, were finished in one day and the crew of the Nadesico can be on their way the very day after they arrived.  "The Nadesico is ready for launch."

"Ok," Yurika said, a satisfied look on her face.  Those springs sure were the stuff that miracles are made of, but she was too good of a girl to say of which kind.

Akito laid down in his room on board.  That was a weird day indeed.  After apologizing to Chocolate this morning, he stopped by to check up on Carrot.  Carrot looked ok, but he seemed just a tad sad to see all the ladies go.

Megumi looked at her screen sadly.  She really thought Akito felt the way that guy in her room last night felt.  She really thought Akito loved her.  She sighed.  If only that guy was Akito, then she would have felt a bit better.

Nagare sat in the kitchen, nursing a glass of sake.  He must be losing his touch with the ladies.  Two beautiful, suggestible women turned him down flat.  He needed to practice, but first, the drink.

The hunters took one last look at the town before they went on their way to an assignment.

"I hope you learned your lesson, niisan," Marron said solemnly.

"Yes, actually, I have," Carrot responded.

"What?" Tira exclaimed, shocked.

"You learned something, Darling?" Chocolate chimed in.

"Yes.  Next time, I won't take my time undressing the girl.  Life's too short to waste!"

Tira and Chocolate simultaniously whacked the pervert to the ground.

"So much for hentai-boy to learn anything," Gateau mused as they went on their way.

The End...

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