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Chapter 313 - Chapter 82.7 – Expedition, The Fox-kin, Part 2

Teyla cuts Mizuki a sidelong glance, her crimson eyes invaded by a mischievous glint, thick with anticipation. He notices her gaze, and she gives him a playful smile. She slides her hand up her other arm to rest on her chin, finger tracing her jaw slowly. She studies him, biting her lip as she hums thoughtfully, her voice distinctly teasing. 

"Hmm...my second question. I want to know...how attractive you find me." (Teyla)

Mizuki's stoic gaze falters. He blinks repeatedly, his voice cracking as he responds. 

"W-..what?" (Mizuki)

Teyla feels a rush of childish satisfaction, reveling in his flustered response. But...she's a petty woman, and she's not even remotely done screwing with him. 

She raises her eyebrows, and allows her hand to fall to her chest in faux-surprise. She walks towards him slowly, her fingers tracing under her collar, and she tilts her head as she gives him a teasing smile. She speaks, her voice thick with blatantly phony confusion. 

"You don't understand? Invasive thoughts about what my body looks like under these clothes. Wondering how soft my lips are. Little flutters in your chest when I talk to or look at you the right way. You know...attraction. I'm asking, how much of it do you have for me?" (Teyla)

She stops just in front of him, rubbing her lip thoughtfully as her eyes study his coyly. Mizuki remains still, his eyes locking onto hers without flinching...but too still, his eyes too fixed on hers. It's the look of a someone trying with everything he has to only look her in the eye. 

And gods...if it isn't satisfying for her to finally see the fucker squirming. 

Mizuki speaks, his voice suspiciously even, his words measured. 

"Yes, you're attractive." (Mizuki)

Teyla grins, shaking her head disapprovingly. 

"Tsk, tsk, tsk...no, that answer simply won't do. Don't you remember what you said, Mizuki? You'd answer honestly and thoroughly. Just calling me attractive isn't very thorough now, is it? Tell me...how attractive am I, and what about me do you find attractive? I'm a detail-oriented girl, so be descriptive." (Teyla)

She sees his jaw tighten, his discomfort even more evident now. She spots a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, and sadistic glee blossoms in her chest. Before she knows it, she's not satisfied...she wants to see him break even further.

Slowly, she begins lifting herself on her toes, closing the distance between them until he can see the curve of her lashes, and feel her warm breath on his chin. She pauses, hovering like that in front of him as she studies his face with a seductive smirk, her eyes mocking him to meet her challenge. Yet, it only takes a moment for her to realize that she can also feel his breath on her cheek, see the flecks of gold in his irises.

In an instant, those sensations shatter her smug elation, sending her heart into overdrive. Her gaze strays from his wavering eyes to his lips, just a few centimeters from hers, and heat rushes through her body. Then...

She feels something soft press against her lips, immediately sending a shudder through her body, and her gaze snaps to Mizuki.

He's covering her mouth with his thumb, blocking her from moving any closer. His lips are twisted into a smirk, but his eyes are distinctly annoyed...blatantly so, locked onto hers without a trace of amusement. He speaks, his voice disdainful. 

"I'm not a fan of being manipulated for your amusement, but I keep my promises. You asked how attractive? To be specific, you are one of the five most beautiful women I've ever met. Physically, I think your eyes are captivating...I've never seen anything like them. You're also clever...one of my favorite traits in a person. I think the cutest thing about you, though, is that surprised Pikachu {English, Japanese} face you make when someone undermines your expectations. You know...the face you're making right now." (Mizuki)

As soon as he finishes speaking, Mizuki releases her and steps back. She rocks onto the heels of her feet, her legs buckling slightly from some sudden and inexplicable weakness. 

BA-DUM, BA-DUM, BA-DUM, BA-DUM! 

Her heart's erratic pounding echoes in her ears, air to her lungs coming in rapid, shaky breaths. She can feel heat coursing through her body, a mixture of fear, excitement, and bewilderment at her own actions and emotions. Her mind is racing, digesting the past few moments in fragmented bursts of conflicting emotions. His breath tickling her face, that cold look in his eyes. The feeling of his fingers on her lips, the chilling disdain in his voice. The unapologetic way he sang her praises, his dismissive commentary on how she tried to toy with him. As she grapples with getting herself under control, her mind is snapped into focus by the sound of Mizuki's voice. 

"With that, I have answered both of your questions...thoroughly. Now it's my turn. And remember not to lie, because your life depends on it." (Mizuki)

The words are like cold water, instantly sharpening her mind and quelling her body. She straightens her back, forcing every confusing thought and feeling out of her head by sheer will. She turns her gaze to Mizuki, refusing the shudder that wants to run through her body after that last encounter.

She nods at him, finally regaining her outward composure. 

"I remember, and I don't intend to die. Ask..." (Teyla)

As her internal composure finally starts to mirror what's external, she feels a rising curiosity about what Mizuki's question will be. She's not worried about dying...she's already decided that there's nothing he could possibly ask that's problematic enough to risk deception. Plus, she hasn't changed her mind about wanting to form a positive relationship with these two. Though...she's a little concerned about how that stunt of hers just now might have compromised things. 

Mizuki nods at her, then looks away, pursing his lips thoughtfully. After a moment, he begins pacing absentmindedly as he speaks, his voice like someone recounting an interesting story. 

"It's an interesting question, you see...one that's been causing me a lot of grief today. At first, I wasn't sure that the question was worth asking...if the underlying assumption was true or not. But after spending today in your beautiful city, indulging my own little investigation...I'm sure now. Sure that the fox-kin have someone powerful supporting them." (Mizuki)

He pauses, glancing at her expectantly. She stares back at him, silent and composed. But on the inside, she's shaken.

'There's no way he could know...most of the fox-kin don't even know. Only those in the Sanctum, and they'd never talk. He's testing me...probing. He hasn't even asked a question yet...'

She raises an eyebrow nonchalantly. 

"Well...yes? Several actually...I'm considered one." (Teyla)

Mizuki smirks knowingly, continuing his pacing. 

"I mean powerful...enough to singlehandedly destroy you and every other person you're probably implying. Someone whose existence you – as the leader of the fox-kin's most powerful city – are almost certainly involved in keeping secret. Someone who has supported the fox-kin in ways that the other races couldn't even dream of. I'm sure this is ringing some bells now..." (Mizuki)

Again, he pauses to glance at her, but she doesn't trust herself to speak...and she still hasn't heard a question. He shrugs, continuing. 

"If not, allow me to be more specific. You have this person to thank for that armor that your Daima wear, and those katanas you carry around. They taught you how to build these amazing, modern structures. And..." (Mizuki)

He pivots mid-speech, walking towards her. Their eyes meet in that instant, the cold certainty in his causing her to pale. 

'He knows...he really knows. How can he know!? How is that possible!?' 

His voice changes, transitioning to jarringly different phonetics. 

"This person even taught you their language...your Sacred Tongue. {Sacred Tongue}" (Mizuki)

The weight of his statement crashes into her like a physical wave, causing her legs to tremble, disorienting her. As her awareness of the world around her seems to fade, her shell-shocked mind pieces together facts that have been staring her in the face all day. Facts that form a truth threatening to shake her to her core. Threatening to push her already strained mind to the point of shutting off. 

'He knows the Sacred Tongue, he has inexplicable magical abilities, and those eyes...green eyes...inhuman eyes. He's...he's a...'

As her mind finishes piecing together its truth, one she never even considered was possible, one she's still struggling with the profundity of, Mizuki arrives in front of her. He leans over until their faces are centimeters apart, his eyes piercing into hers...intense, expectant. He speaks, his voice laced with a cold edge. 

"So my question, Teyla, is this. Where can I find this person I'm describing...right now? Because they have some serious explaining to do." (Mizuki)

Teyla vision is narrowed, her entire perception filled by a pair of green eyes, unsettling...alien. She stutters, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"You...you're...an Otherworlder..." (Teyla)

She sees a flicker of satisfaction flash across Mizuki's expression. He smirks, opening his mouth to speak. 

Then, the entire Sanctum begins to shake. Teyla's expression warps into one of shock, realization settling on her. 

'Fuck...not now...'

Mizuki's expression turns serious, his gaze moving to the horizon, where the sun is just starting to set. His eyes narrow, his voice solemn. 

"Never mind...I guess they're coming to me after all." (Mizuki)

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