AN: Ok so since it hasnt been mentioned since chapter one, outfits in brief:

Lupa, think Halibel from bleach, and some heeled roman sandles

Asta and Sassa, white armor top is similar to Lulu's fur dress from FFX

Nox, think black haird advent children version Cloud Strife but with furred collar and sleeve cuffs

Walther, same, no sleeves, chest plate, white

Akane, think bloodmoon/foxfire Vi from LoL

Mother,  Check out Lukkage from gargantia,  swap to red hair and a red with gold trim color palette

locations, i said it uses earth to an extent (mostly slam the americas back into europe and africa) so, for reference, the den is in slovakia,

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Ch3 Mouth full of feathers

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We headed north east, it’s still early morning, not that the giant dark pines make it easy to tell.

It’s warm, no wind can penetrate these woods, hardly anything at ground level besides dirt, mossy roots, and the occasional bush. Above us however, the occasional crow would caw.

Wooden creaking can be heard, strange, given the previously mentioned lack of any wind. The shadows of the trees seem to shift a little in the corners of my vision as I try to stay vigilant. The scene is so hauntingly familiar to me yet this is truly my first time out of the walls.

The girls honestly seem to be handling this better than me. Lupa looks simply bored, Akane is keeping watch but I'm not sure she's actually paying attention. She is still slightly to my rear and keeps casting annoyed looks to Lupa beside me.

Talking over my shoulder, “I’ll be troubled sister, if you do not get whatever is bothering you off your chest, or I fear they’ll never grow.”

Lupa snorts in laughter, Akane tears up. I grab my sister by the shoulder and pull her forward even with me as we walk, still trying to be watchful of our surroundings.

Something really bothers me about these woods.

“Speak your mind sister, mother would say the same.” Actually she would already know what to say, the issue is painfully obvious.

She angrily crosses her arms while continuing to walk, “Why do you spend all your time with this brown tailed mutt? Meanwhile I am always stuck with those silly fox girls who simply nod at everything I say while their creepy brother hides nearby.”

Lupa takes this in stride, “Please don’t compare me to the idiots chasing their own tail in your class. The mutt comment I cannot excuse, I am from a pure and tribe, same as your mother. I’m not like you, little half-blood, tit-less highness.”

“They’ll still grow ya damn cow” please tell me tit-less wasn’t all you registered sister.

Lupa stopped to look Akane in the eye, “I’d appreciate you state your problem with me, or is it simply jealousy over your brother?”

Akane was visibly pissed for a moment, but she is not stupid. She considered Lupa’s words. I'm sure she never thought she could be called out for such a thing as blood purity.

Sadly the stubbornness of my sister should not be underestimated, “Then why is it you dote on Nox so much, he’s no different than I.”

“I am not the one who brought up issue with lineage, you did. He is still an alpha,a rare bloodline, and a champion.”

My ear twitched at all this bickering, a red glow tinged in my tail for half a second. Akane noticed the dim red flash; it was in her hand after all.

“My apologies, Brother. Miss Lupa, I am sorry I called you a mutt and I am admittedly bitter that both my brothers spend all their time apart from me.” She makes a small bow in Lupa’s direction.

I tell Akane, “Well you’re with me now. Let’s get to finding a camp spot soon I hate these woods.”

Turning to ask Lupa, “Do you hear adults mention mixed tribes often?”

She shrugs, “No, Mother mutters things once and a while but she always says to show your family as much respect as possible.”

A bit later we finally came across something, a doe. While the size of a horse, it didn’t have the deadly antlers.

We split up to surround it. In hindsight we should have discussed the plan a little better. Either way I'm the only one with an offensive weapon. I’ll try to stun it with a shock so I can make a clean stab at the neck.

I slowly begin to close the distance, trying to get a feel for the static charging within me.

Suddenly Akane comes flying down from a branch above, wait, can she climb a tree? Don’t tell me she simply jumped that high?!

Her gauntlets light up with flames roaring from the red plates along her arms.  

She slams down into the ground creating a small shock wave of fire scorching all the surrounding tree roots.

Unfortunately the deer still had plenty of time to react, it got away with only a slightly singed tail from the heat wave.

Lupa walks up, “your brain must be in your tits.”

“SHUT UP COW!” Akane is almost in tears.

Lupa only laughs a little. Personally, this is annoying.

Lupa stops, looks around somewhat frightened, and signals us to follow her to the cover of the closest root. She covers Akane’s mouth before she can ask what’s going on.

I then hear it, a rustle of feathers. It’s close, and too large to be one of the crows I’ve yet to actually see. What feels like an eternity goes by in silence. Then, we hear it again, only slightly closer.

Lupa kneels on the ground as if to pray. I didn’t have her pegged as the spiritual sort.

“My apologies Madam Hoji; I meant no true disrespect towards your chosen one.”

Akane’s eyes go wide in realization that such event may be possible. I can only hope a simple apology would suffice for repeatedly teasing a future queen.

The woods are once more silent, it's a while before we dare move from our hiding place. At the regular sound of distant crows once more, we slightly relax.

We are moving for no more than five minutes before a rather large shift in the shadow of one branch brings me to a pause. Again we wait, again nothing happens.

I stand up, “fuck I hate this place.”

Looking all around us, nothing but these damn trees in any direction.

A loud rustle of feathers, Akane screams.

A large brown bird is swooping down towards Lupa, she only yells, “Nox!”

I desperately dive in front of the creature only to have its talons grab me and carry me into the branches.

Unable reach any thing while it holds me by the arms, the ground is getting farther away.

Figuring anything’s better than becoming bird shit, I blast above me with the strongest shock I can create.

I fall, everything’s a blur, and that’s it. Everything goes dark.

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I open my eyes, I'm still in the woods but I see no sign of the girls. Something’s off, there’s a weird dark mist hugging low to the ground everywhere. There’s a heavy smell of rotting wood. The mist swirls endlessly.

“Hey, Fuzzy!”

I turn on the spot to look behind me, it’s all familiar, especially the enormous wooden throne I'm now facing. Seated on it and flanked by two massive black wolves is a girl who looks slightly older than me. She's gorgeous, that long black hair, piercing lime colored eyes, the one piece black fur lined leather armor, the very long perfect legs, not to mention the fantastic pair of… Wait, she called me fuzzy…ah fuck.

“Freki?”

“Really!? That’s your first thought at our first reunion, Ah Fuck?” shit, she’s a god alright.

Trying to sound respectful, “Why am I here?”

“What, no ‘happy to see me’, no, extensive compliments in fear of having displeased me?”

“You seem rather cheery if you ask me.”

She clicks her tongue and scowls, “boring.”

She waves her hand and the two dogs disappear into black fog. She waves again this time as if beckoning me forward.

I suddenly feel light, less myself and more apart of everything around me. The world is blurry, I have no control, it’s only a fleeting feeling but it’s somehow natural as if I could have done this any time.

But now I'm the one seated on the throne, I can’t see Freki anywhere, shame; she is a feast for my eyes.

“Now that’s what I wanted to hear my darling Fuzzy.” she whispers into my ear.

I feel as though a hand is slowly going down my cheek. Freki forms from the fog onto my lap, straddling my legs, facing me, her appearance seems closer to my own age.

Her hand doesn’t stop however, it moves to my neck and into the opening of my jacket. She shows a single fang as she wickedly grins.

Why do I suddenly feel like a fresh slice of meat in her eyes?

She giggles, “cause perhaps you are?” that smile, “worry not pup.”

Riiiight….

“So what am I doing here, if not just to be teased by you?”

She puffs her cheeks in a pout and leans back against me, stroking my cheek again.

“Is that really not reason enough?” she twists her neck around, granting full view down her front, and lightly bites into my neck.

This is getting difficult, do I dare be so bold with a goddess; I don’t think I even have it in me to chicken out here.

She looks into my eyes, “I dunno, do you?”

Freki takes my hand and places it on her own chest as she moves in and gives me a long wet kiss, to my surprise she slowly parts my lips with her tongue and sucks my own out, it’s a sweet taste, almost like candy.

“Grrrrr!”

The two black wolves are facing me in front of the throne, I'm sure the only reason they haven’t torn me limb from limb is because Freki is between them and me.

Ginning at me, “You’d be right about that,” she frowns at the pair, “spoil sports!”

They whine but don’t back down. Freki sighs and waves her hand again.

The wolves disappear, once again the world blurs, I'm pulled forward but it’s not as odd a feeling as the first time. I'm once again standing facing the throne while she is sitting back in her seat, legs crossed and cheerfully bouncing.

I spot a bit of the dark cloud shifting in her oil black hair.

She smiles, “Seems you’re getting the idea of it, and I’ve fulfilled the first of our promised dreams, I can’t wait for you to get older.”

She licks her lips, showing off her fangs. “Now I am your patron, ask away before its time for you to wake up.”

Before I can think, the question burning me for the last week is spat out, “Why am I smaller and weaker than my siblings?”

A giggle, “because you got lazy. You grew quickly when you were younger yes? First to try crawling, first to walk, curious about your sparks, it helps you have a smart soul. What have you done lately? Walty dear is always training, always trying to be faster. Akane has eased back making punching bags of other pups and is seriously trying to master her fire heritage. Meanwhile you barely bother with your little sparks, paying more attention to your playmate’s tits than the stick you wave about. Beast men are part beast, therefore; the stronger you are the faster you grow.”

I suddenly feel like I’ve been smacked in the face with what should have been obvious all along.

“Would it help if I actually smack you?” she has that twisted smile. “You’re almost out of time, last thoughts?”

“Care to show me that tongue thing again?” I am who I am.

The fog is now clear to me as it swirls from her hair and the black fur of her armor. She shifts forward now standing before me.

She places her hand on my cheeks and leans in, “enjoy teaching your girl, and beware the bird.”

Our lips lock, as she twists her tongue around mine my vision fades to black.

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I’m awake, but the heavy scent of blood delays me opening my eyes. My mind flickers to the worst case, did the bird return for the girls?

I steel my nerves and slowly open one eye, if the bird is still around it may be best to play dead. A sharp pain ruins that plan, my right leg has to be broken.

Looking at the leg, yup bone clearly poking out my pants, and not the fun bone.

Looking in front of me, I'm on a mound of sticks?

Looking towards the source of the blood smell, a female figure sprawled near me.

It’s not anyone I know, for starters in between the shredded bits of flesh still oozing blood I can see feathers.

Brilliant shades of blue to white feathers stained with red cover what would have been an absolutely regal beauty. It’s a petite body, wing like arms, no clue how old it was. I think it’s a Harpy, looks like she’s curled up on something.

I don’t hear the telltale sound of wings.

Glancing around as I scoot over to the body, it’s now clear I'm in some sort of nest. In her arms is a pale red egg, as I pick it up there is the sound off twigs breaking to my left.

A woman is resting over the edge of the nest, she's looking at the egg while playing with her short brown locks of hair. Her sharp facial features have a craven look of hunger, danger, pure danger rings in my mind.

She speaks up as I back away, lifting her apparently naked top up slightly… saggy, not cool.

“I do love fresh eggs,” her voice sounds older than she looks, aside from the bags in front. “Won’t you come over here and share, I promise to reward you?”

I look at the red egg, “sorry I think my dear sister will be thrilled with such a prize.”

“You’d put your sister before the offers of an experienced lady? You could experience things you’ve never dreamed of with me.” As she rises a little more I spot a line of feathers previously hidden by those… no I refuse to recognize those sacks as breasts.

“Sorry, but I’ll take small ones over whatever you claim those to be any day.”

She notices the disgust in my eyes and where they’re looking.

In a vehement screech, “You impudent little rat!”

I don’t have time protest being called a rat as the half woman, half owl creature dives for me.

Actually I don’t even think at all as instinct kicks in and I feel myself blurring through the world drifting to the ground below and reforming whilst a tad dizzy, pain shooting up my mangled leg.

The ground is littered with bodies of various colored harpies; the smell of blood is overwhelming.

Again I don’t have the ability to think as the she-owl comes crashing down, swooping through the pine branches.

I take a fog form again.

She lands pissed off and confused, and did I mention pissed. She’s huffing and quickly turning around in the black mist.

Taking in the situation, I'm currently a dark cloud low to the ground, I’ve no weapons, no idea where my trident got to. My leg is useless so I won’t be getting away on foot and no clue how to control this mist form let alone how long I can keep this up.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Suppose I can just keep going on instinct.

I feel myself gathering around the bird bitch, enclosing on her upper body.

Eeeew I'm touching those things on her chest!!!!

My head forms and I chomp down on her neck, tearing into her flesh with my unusually long fangs.

She flails, I refuse to let go, it’s not difficult I'm still mostly clouds. This isn’t really working how I’d like.

Trusting instinct I shift back into the fog.

The black cloud, cackling slightly with static encases her head.

I suffocate the bird, burning the air in her lungs as she bleeds out from the neck, desperately grasping at her throat finding nothing to save herself.

I almost feel bad as the whole thing feels slightly out of body to me.

The surrounding feathered petite bodies lying dead in the black pine needles remove any remorse I have for this horrible woman.

She shifts from the young woman look into an old hag as she makes her last gasps. She drops to her knees then collapses, slowly, into the dirt.

I reform, tired as hell, and still clutching the egg.

I'm still stranded where I sit, the lone living soul in this morbid scene…. At least I hope that’s the case. I’m bird food if there are any more of these owl hags around.

A strange west wind picks up, the pines rustle and creek in protest. It's short but calming as I lean myself against a tree facing east, cradling the egg.

Not long later Lupa and Akane come running up, I pass out before they reach me.

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I see the pines I’ve grown up surrounded by, but these aren’t the haunting pillars I know.

Sunlight is peeking through the tree tops creating breath taking pillars of warm light. The pines actually appear a deep shade of green in the soft glow.

Nests are scattered about, a rainbow of young looking bird girls are flitting from one to the next cheerily chatting and enjoying the warm light.

A shadow falls on the scene, the nests are empty. This was an absolute tragedy, a jealous hag’s rampage on a refuge for the innocent young.

An olive skinned man is on his knees down below. My view shifts, he’s holding the cleaned up body of the blue harpy I saw in the nest.

The man is handsome in a white robe; the small girl is far more dazzling than I initially could see. The body scatters into the wind; the man, tears wiped from his eyes, bows his head in gratitude.

I’ve no time to ask who he is. But his intent rushes into my mind like a strong wind.

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Waking up, I feel incredibly sore. I'm in a small shelter of the animal skins we packed.

A small fire crackles just outside the entrance. Lupa is holding my head in her lap. I spot the large red egg resting in my coat in the corner.

“Akane!” Lupa calls, “He’s awake!” Lupa looks to have been crying for hours, I can see she mended my leg.

Akane runs in and grabs my hand, “Stupid brother, since when were you so self-sacrificing to dive in like that?”

Lupa bends down and kisses my forehead. She seems to have no protest to what Akane just said.

“Don’t be like that sister; your precious hug pillow won’t die so easily,” bull shit, that was too close. “Look I brought you a present.”

Pointing point to the egg, “her name will be Iris, and you must swear to treasure the unhatched princess for all her life, her entire tribe was wiped out by that hag.”

I’ve no ability to raise a little girl. Under the care of Akane and therefore the aid and ever watchful gaze of our mother, the harpy princess will grow safe and sound.

Who knows it may level out my brash sister, caring for an adopted child.

Akane looks nervous, but she looks at the egg and nods in determination. She moves towards it and wraps it in her tail before falling asleep on my own.

Lupa smiles, “You’ve been out all day since we found you, thank the gods we caught your scent along with the blood. Akane's been on watch while I worked on you. It’s probably just past midnight. The hag was certainly dead.”

She leans down and this time kisses me on the lips, “thanks for today love, I’ll repay you all my life I swear.”

“Get some sleep, I’ll keep an eye outside, I’ve had plenty of shut eye.” I smile at her.

I stop her before she moves away and show her a little of what I’ve learned as I hold her lips to mine.

She seems to be incredibly flustered; she's cute when she suddenly isn’t in control. She curls up against my chest and once her heartbeat slows, she quickly falls asleep.

Oddly a single word comes to mind, “Worth.”

The night goes on, nothing happens outside. I'm fairly certain the owl hag had killed anything within a few miles.

I can see outside with my propped up head, though my tail and chest are pinned to the ground I give myself a once over.

My leg does seem to be back in one piece. I doubt that was easy, just the other day Lupa was freaking out over a comparatively simple dislocation.

Singe marks are scattered along the ground, no doubt it was one hell of a light show without me awake to control it.  

My weapon is in the corner, at least it wasn’t lost, all the good it did having dropped it.

Figuring I should try some more of what Freki showed me/

I look at my hand, normal looking compared to the claws females grow. As I think that, a slight black fog forms over my fingers and I now have a sharp set of claws. Well that’s useful.

That explains the fangs earlier; I try to change my hand further but nothing more than a bit of black fur forms. Looking away is all it takes for the shift to release itself, this will take some practice.

Well, it’s a long night anyway.

Once morning comes the girls are wondering what to do about the hunt. I'm injured and it will take all day for me to hobble back to the den.

Taking the lead, “Grab the old bird bitch, if I can’t bring back food ill bring back a damned good excuse.”

The body was right where I’d left her. It is interesting to see the scorched teeth marks on her neck where my lightning had exited her wounds. I also notice all the harpy bodies had disappeared.

Lupa helps me walk as Akane had made a small sled to haul the hag with our supplies and her egg.

Her strength is no joke; she hardly breaks a sweat as she even manages to shoot off a small  ball of flame at a couple rabbits we came across.

It was evening when we finally reached the den, I used my trident for a crutch. Home sweet home. I'm going straight to the bath with my Lupa.

Mother and Walther are waiting outside the gate; I see Ptah and the grey twins in the guard tower.

Walther walks up and takes my shoulder, refusing to listen to my protest, “Come on, my pride man.”

He looks at the sled, than at me, “you got taller brother.”

I do notice I’ve caught up a little. I’m a half head shorter still, quite the spike. There may be hope for me yet.

“Just get me upstairs Walt. I'm ready for a bath and bed.”

As we headed inside, the gates closed, the twins joined us, and Akane left the sled by the barn.

She handed mother the egg as she spotted the fox sisters kneeling in the courtyard and ran over. Apparently the shy brother met his end to a moose.

Mother, Akane, and the foxes join Lupa and me in the large bath.

Akane attends the sisters, mother is cleaning the egg, Lupa is attending and, or cleaning me.

Sadly necessary and not for funsies, I’m down a leg for the next few days it seems.

Although currently Lupa is torturing me as she slowly washes every inch of me.

Mother pays no mind and walks over, pulling up a stool next to me she sizes me up. I'm her height now.

“So, taller overnight, you may yet reach your father’s height. Did you realize you’re an idiot?” I notice mother has two tails at the moment and is keeping them close together to hide it from the fox girls.

“I hate that trick mother, you might be pleased to know the goddess Freki thinks very highly of you and yes she slapped me upside the head for you.”

I wince, Lupa squeezed my leg. I hadn’t mentioned any of this to her yet.

“Don’t keep secrets son, anyway that is actually rather reassuring. I’d love to see what you’ve learned…”

I interrupt her by letting the black fog fall from my tail a second before I disappear into it.  I reform in the tub holding Akane.

She's stunned a second, “that’s a cheat move brother.”

“Tell that to mother and her…tail.” I shift back to my seat in Lupa’s lap.

I’ve just confirmed I'm still shorter than Akane but taller than Lupa.

Mother is still examining me, “you’ve met another god as well, haven’t you?”

“Hrm, I think so, the man took away the bodies of the harpies and told me the name for that egg, then sent a breeze for Akane and Lupa to find me.”

“Hrm I can see, seems like a wind god… ah Zephyr. Then that was the nesting grounds for the matriarch flock of the bird clan. An empty throne never bodes well.” She takes a fresh look at the egg in her hands and begins to gently polish it with a cloth.

Mother gazes at me once more. All seven of her tails are out and tucked from view of the fox girls.

“Zephyr is the god of the west wind and …well, polygamy.”

“Although you’ve left this egg in mine and your sister’s care it is clearly your responsibility, a god has entrusted you with his daughter in the physical world.” Mother gets a wicked grin, “don’t worry I’ll raise your second wife to your liking.”

Lupa drops her washcloth.

Suck it Walt …I mean, shit. Uh, what the hell do I do here?

“Haha, don’t worry son, it’s not as if you have a choice at this point,” mother throws me a life rope? “For the purpose of maintaining the peace you would have probably ended up married to this chick anyway, sorry Lupa, that is how the world and politics spins.”

I don’t know if she's telling the truth but I seem to have dodged an arrow here.

Mother gives me a wink, “Any way finish up, Akane send for someone to clean once we’re done, and then everyone get some rest. Chiyo, Kana we’ll hold the vigil in the morning. Afterword, Akane and Nox are to meet me in the dining hall, goodnight.”

Ah!, “Hey Mother, what was that hag anyway?”

She raises an eyebrow, “That was a sirin. Usually they are further to the northeast; they’re never seen except for when they attack messengers for the bear clan. You would know if you payed attention in class.”

With that she whips a bit of water from her single tail as she leaves with the egg.

Hmm, there’s not a true reason I can’t learn that tail thing, right?

Akane will spend the night with the foxes, I have the room to myself and Lupa though I'm in no condition to play.

“You just lay there and let me enjoy you to myself while I can.” She grins as she tries to see just how much skin contact she can get with me.

I’d call it a good night, I got to practice some ideas Freki gave me.

Next Day

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The service was simple, the boy was burned in funeral pyre, mother offered a prayer to his patron Zenko, and his ashes were buried in the garden.

I talked with Walt for a moment while I waited for Mother and Akane.

“So what did you bring back from the hunt Lil Brother? Nice fur by the way.” He was growing in a stunning shade of silver at the tip of his tail and ears.

The trademark nod at the compliment, “Bears.”

I cough, “as in more than one?”

Bears in these parts are taller than the villa walls.

He nods and points past the barn ….11 …. “Hey Walt, you know anything about keeping balance in the food chain?”

Walther shrugs and looks for Asta and Sassa, leaving with a nod.

I wait in the dining room; I grabbed a tin platter from the back room and am playing with the black fog in my hair, changing my hair, messing with my ears, adding small horns. Everything is black still and I can’t do anything too major.

Akane and Mother arrive, it’s just us in here so I don’t bother stopping just yet. I lengthen my hair a little bit and leave it spikey yet slicked back down my neck, I think I like this. As I'm playing with my fangs mother speaks up.

“Ho, that looks fun.” She separates her tail and a red smoke envelops her.

Mother looks no older than twenty now, not that she looked very old before but damn…those sacred mounds. She changed her outfit to an extremely revealing robe. A minimal red vest, a single cloth between the legs, a flowing shawl with sleeves trimmed with gold fur.

Akane carefully puts down the egg and gets those familiar stars in her eyes then screws her eyes shut….honestly she looks like she's trying to force a fart.

Mother can’t hold it in, “bahahah try again in a few years dear with your brothers and my help.”

I ask what I thought last night, “Mother can I split my tail?”

“Hrmm, Walty shouldn’t be able to but you might manage. Give it up for now though dear, you’re quite literally 100 years too early to bother trying, same for you Akane.” Akane looks heart broken.

Wait, no way, then... I'm stopped before it comes out.

“Don’t be rude Fuzzy,” mother smiles. “The kitsune foxes live to nearly 400 years; I'm still in my prime. You have been blessed by Freki with some vein of warg lineage. I did mention the wargs held the white wolves as slaves, and all that entails. They were thought near immortal as far as life span goes. Who knows what you may grow up into?”

Mother waves her hand and the furniture all moves out of the way.

“Now Nox, I want you to practice channeling your shocks into single bolts and send them at your sister, try to make her actually feel it. Meanwhile Akane dear, Focus on forming your fox fire while he’s at it, I want three spinning clockwise and three counter clockwise before people show up for lunch.”

Akane looks nervous, but readies herself after handing mother the egg.

I charge up my tail and start sending unstable bolts of white lightning at my sister, as usual she can’t feel it at all.

Regardless I keep at it as instructed, alternating wavelengths and pulses surely something will work…I'm not gonna get my hopes up.

Akane has two small black flame balls rotating around her, mother seems displeased but isn’t saying anything. Maybe it's cause she's trying not to laugh as Akane is making that fart face again.

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