Elizabeth (Patreon)

(Here's a sneaky peak at the newest story I've been cooking up! It's looking to be a big one, lol. I had hoped to get it out in time for P3R's release, but life and a lack of motivation got in the way. I seem to be back on the horse now though, so enjoy this little look at what will be my first of many non-P5 Persona stories!)

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Makoto Yuki stood outside the entrance to the Velvet Room with his hands in his pockets. The blue glow from the room only he and one other could enter shined brightly on the surrounding walls, though only he could see the reflections, of course. To anyone else, this tucked-away little corridor in the Paulownia Mall didn’t seem to serve much purpose, only containing a plant, bench, and a vending machine.

To Yuki, it was one of the most important locations in the entire world.

Whatever this power was that he’d been given–the power of Persona, of the Wildcard–it had originated here one way or another. He could feel it. The Velvet Room was where he birthed new Personas via fusion, where he registered the ones he currently held inside for later use in the compendium… And it was also where a certain white-haired, yellow-eyed weirdo tended to spend her days.

Yeah, today was a day off. No school, no Tartarus. Just a regular, boring old day. The Dark Hour would still occur–as usual–but there wouldn’t be much that the members of SEES could do about that, given that the next layer of Tartarus hadn’t opened up yet. So instead of training as Akihiko would’ve liked, or hanging out at the arcade with Junpei, Yuki decided to be proactive and attend to another important matter. One only he could attend to.

You see, the aforementioned weirdo was a bit of a shut-in. Not her fault–she was practically chained to Igor at the hip before Yuki came along. But now that he had, and Elizabeth’s presence had finally been given purpose, Igor had instructed Yuki to take Elizabeth on outings every now and again. It wasn’t too much of an ask, Yuki supposed, but with how busy his schedule tended to be, he hadn’t had very many opportunities to take Elizabeth out of that stuffy old elevator room. So, really, today was kind of a perfect opportunity.

Not like it was a date or anything either, no. Elizabeth tended to reward Yuki every time they returned from one of these outings, either with a discounted price on summoning registered Personas, or by giving him new fusion recipes. So, really, it was kind of a win-win. He got to spend the day with a cute–if a bit verbosely ignorant–girl, and he got rewarded for it in return. What was there not to like?

Well…

Anyway, Yuki sighed, putting the thoughts of all the potential embarrassing things Elizabeth could drag him into today out of his mind. He stepped forward, turning the knob and entering the Velvet Room.

He blinked, and suddenly he was there. Blue carpet beneath his feet, a giant, ticking clock sitting on a wall that constantly seemed to be passing by floor after floor, as the elevator-like room continued its neverending ascent to who-knows-where. And in the center of it all, the master of the Velvet Room himself.

Igor never seemed like the godly type. Yuki wasn’t even sure the big-nosed gentleman was divine–but then, what other explanation was there for a realm and a power such as the kind that Igor held dominion over? With his receding hairline, bugged eyes, dapper clothes, and–and this could not be understated–MASSIVE nose, Igor looked less like a god, and more like a character out of some forgotten old detective anime. Whatever he was, Igor was one of the kindest, most humble–and most cryptic–people that Yuki had ever met. Whatever he may have been, as long as he was on SEES’ side, Yuki supposed that was all that mattered.

Yuki’s eyes didn't linger on Igor for long. They drifted to his side, where Elizabeth stood as always. Always so proper, with the compendium clutched tightly at her chest, her little bellhop’s hat settled firmly atop her bob of snow-white hair. Her lips curled into a slight smile at the sight of Yuki–perhaps eagerly anticipating the potential outside visit that his stopping-in might lead to–and she dropped one hand to smooth out a section of her dress. The sleeveless, elegant thing hugged her body up top, with a series of large, golden buttons leading downwards from her chest, before opening up into a looser skirt towards the bottom. Beneath it she wore a set of stockings, and a pair of matching blue and black boots. Elizabeth was nothing if not eerily beautiful–in fine contrast to her rather… Homely master.

“Aah!” Igor exclaimed, just as always, his lips moving and teeth staying clenched. “Welcome to the Velvet Room!” Igor swept his long, spindly arm outward in a grand motion as the ever-present piano sonata that served as the room’s theme picked up from far off somewhere. Though not far enough to be unheard. Never that far.

“No fusion today. I’m here for her, Igor.” Yuki said with a nod towards Elizabeth, never taking his hands out of his pockets. It was a habit he’d picked up long ago. Couldn’t even remember when, truth be told.

“Ah, excellent. My assistant has been clamoring for another taste of the world of man ever since your last outing together.” Igor’s eternal grin seemed to pull a bit wider, somehow. “If there is nothing else, then I suggest the two of you be on your way. I wouldn’t dare make her wait.” Igor flattened his hand atop the table, where a set of tarot cards sat laid out, but otherwise untouched. The Personas held within could wait until another day.

“Yep, that’s all.” Yuki nodded, once to Igor, then again to Elizabeth. “C’mon, let’s get going.” Yuki was never one for many words. Some thought it made him come off as rude, others, intelligent. Some others thought him completely apathetic–like someone with the early stages of Apathy Syndrome. Yuki didn’t really mind what others thought of him, honestly. He knew who he was, and that was all that mattered. Forming bonds with others would only end up depressing him in the long run, so he’d tended to keep his distance in the past.

It wasn’t like Yuki didn’t enjoy spending time with his friends. Kenji was… An interesting person, to say the least. And his talks with Keisuke were always at least enlightening. Not to mention how fun it was hanging around the likes of Yuko and Maiko. Chihiro was cute as a button, and Bebe was always a joy to simply exist in the presence of. But… Yuki couldn’t shake the feeling that, somehow, forming lasting bonds with others would only end up coming back to bite him–one way or another. Or, perhaps he was afraid he'd hurt those he’d bonded with instead…

Still, with the power of Social Links, and the prodding–more like shoving–of a certain redheaded she-devil, that had begun to change ever so slightly. After all, despite what appearances and attitudes might lead some to believe, Makoto Yuki was anything but heartless. It was just… After the accident when he was young, he’d always had a hard time opening up. Maybe that was it. Maybe he just needed a bit of chipping away at the walls around his heart. Ugh, it annoyed him, how good she was at that…

“Oh, I thought you would never ask.~” Elizabeth chirped, slamming the compendium down upon Igor’s table and misplacing a few of the cards. She hurried up to Yuki’s side like an eager puppy, then waited for him to lead the way out of the room–she couldn’t exit on her own, after all. “That is a common expression, correct? It’s not as if I truly never expected you to ask, of course. I believe the compensation I provide is much too tempting for you to neglect our outings.”

Yuki puffed out a chuckle. “Mhm. That sure is something that people say.” She seemed rather excited today. Probably meant she had a plan for what she wanted out of this trip already, which was a departure from the norm for sure.

On one hand that was kind of a drag. Yuki had never liked being led around like a dog on a leash. But on the other, it meant that the chances for humiliating, cringe-inducing moments would be reduced somewhat, due to the random element being removed.

Maybe. Not one-hundred percent on that. You could never be one-hundred percent certain of anything with Elizabeth involved.

Whatever. They weren’t getting anywhere just standing around like this. Yuki took a look back at Elizabeth, only to find her happily bouncing on her heels. This girl really, really needed to get out more… If only Yuki didn’t have to be the poor sap stuck with the responsibility of actually taking her out. He sighed, then he twisted the knob once more, and stepped back out into reality.

• -

Elizabeth always seemed so puzzled by the escalators at Iwatodai Station. Each and every time he’d brought her here, she’d always found some new and exciting way to get the voice on the PA system to start griping at her in regard to her escalator escapades. Today, that involved trying to climb inside a cardboard box, with which she could then fling herself down the “Up” escalator, claiming that this would be a way she could finally “Overcome the machinations of man-made gravity.”

By using a cardboard box to surf down an escalator.

Yuki had been incorrect, apparently. The fact that Elizabeth had a plan for today didn’t mean things would be any less chaotic at all. If anything, he really should’ve expected that. Even if she’d made plans, Elizabeth was still a chaotically curious being at her core; why did he expect that orderly plans made by a disorderly creature would be any less tumultuous than her “Normal” activities?

Having finally given up on her escalator slip-n-slide–only after a security guard had come and physically removed the box from Elizabeth’s vicinity–Elizabeth stood down at the bottom of the stairs that lead away from Iwatodai Station’s train platform. How did she…? When did she manage to slip past Yuki without him noticing?

“Come on, slowpoke!” Elizabeth shouted out, waving for Yuki to come down and meet her. “That is another saying, yes?” She yelled that as well, of course.

Yuki sighed, then hurried his way down the stairs, his hands in his pockets the whole way down. He was tempted to put his earphones in–to hang by and wait until Elizabeth tired herself out a bit. But that meant he’d be less perceptive, and so he’d potentially miss Elizabeth trying to fish some lobster out of a tank or something, and that meant he’d be risking her getting the two of them into more trouble than she usually did. So, instead, he just kept his slender, vial-shaped MP3 player in his pocket, and joined Elizabeth at the bottom of the stairs.

“My apologies if my usage of ‘Slang’ is offensive, or inappropriate. I simply think it pertinent that I attempt to ‘Blend in’ when we are out and about together.” Yuki had to bite his cheek to keep his snide chuckle at the absurd suggestion that Elizabeth was even capable of “Blending in” from slipping out. “I have noticed quite a few people looking our way and keeping their gazes affixed, after all. I assume it must have something to do with my manner of speech.”

“Sure. I’m sure that’s what it is.” Yuki said, plainly, feeling the urge to roll his eyes, but killing it before his body could follow through on the signals from his brain. It never did much good to try and correct Elizabeth. Even if she understood the context behind the correction–which was a rare thing in itself, make no mistake–she’d often try to reconcile the issue in ways that were utterly alien.

Yuki very distinctly remembered one particular time in the past–when the two of them had gone to the movie theater in Paulownia Mall together. Elizabeth, being Elizabeth, decided to start yelling to Yuki during the movie–so that she could be heard over the loud audio of the playing film–not understanding proper etiquette was to wait until the movie was over to begin discussing it. Yuki, getting tired of the glares he was receiving from the disturbed moviegoers, tried his best to inform Elizabeth of the proper etiquette, saying that she was being too loud, and that she should quiet down before the two of them got kicked out of the theater.

Elizabeth, in response, began using sign language for the rest of the film. Despite Yuki not understanding a lick of sign language.

One person who had been in the audience during the film decided to sign something to Elizabeth after the movie, to which Elizabeth happily signed something back, and the moviegoer happily moved along and went about their day.

When Yuki questioned her about it later, Elizabeth claimed to have no knowledge of sign language at all.

“Indeed. And so, I shall see to it that my vernacular includes such common slang phrases as: ‘Homedog,’ ‘Cool,’ and ‘Gag me with a spoon.’”

Yuki nearly choked on his own saliva, but managed to keep himself from going into a full-on coughing fit. Even after all this time, he could still find himself caught off guard by some of the more outlandish things that came out of Elizabeth’s mouth. That would’ve been oddly reassuring, if it weren’t so scary.

“But nonetheless, I’m sure your imagination is simply captivated by the question of what exactly it is we’re doing here today.” Elizabeth adjusted her stance, clasping her hands over her lower stomach. “Please, allow me to relieve your conscience of this heavy burden I’ve so improperly placed upon it.”

Elizabeth began to bow in formal apology, but Yuki placed a hand on her shoulder and prevented her from going through with it.

“I wish to experience human cuisine. If you recall, we had a bit of a sampler once before on a previous occasion,” Calling three dishes each from three different restaurants a “Sampler” was one of the more absurd things Yuki had ever heard in his life, but he didn’t linger on it for long. “But I wish to be a bit more thorough this time around.”

Elizabeth reached behind her back, pulling out the large, handbag-like coin purse that always seemed to appear out of thin air whenever the attendant required it. She then fished around inside of it for a moment–the sound of hundreds upon hundreds of clinking coins filling the air–before retrieving a small, white bottle with a large round cap. Elizabeth struggled with the cap for a moment, then placed a finger at the base of it, and the thing flew off following a little burst of blue and purple energy.

All at once, Elizabeth tipped the bottle back, spilling its entire contents into her mouth. Then she swallowed, and a large bulge passed through her throat, before disappearing as it reached her chest.

Elizabeth took a deep breath afterwards, smiling in satisfaction and loosening her grip on the bottle’s neck. This allowed Yuki to get a better look at what was written on the bottle’s label.

“Appetite stimulants.”

Oh. Oh, that redheaded gremlin would be sorry she was missing this. Elizabeth–who had downed everything without a care in the world last time–taking something to enhance her appetite? The ginger would latch onto the belly Elizabeth grew from that and never let go…

Yuki didn’t really understand the appeal, himself. What was so great about a big, round, full stomach? If anything, he often just ended up feeling sorry for the girls he’d find all bloated in that certain-someone’s wake… Though, she did always tend to their tummy aches afterwards, he supposed. So it wasn’t like she totally shirked responsibility for all the would-be foodbaby mothers she’d created.

“I would like to consume one of everything from all the eateries in this area, so that my palate and understanding of human cuisine may be expanded.” Elizabeth said, not knowing that those words would be enough to send the girl on Yuki’s mind into a frenzy. And that, very likely, Elizabeth’s palate wouldn't be the only thing “Expanding” on this particular day…

“We could've done this on our prior expedition, but unfortunately, it seems I lack the sensation that humans refer to as ‘Hunger.’ I was encouraged by the taste and texture, but as there was a distinct lack of the urge to sate the gnawing void within, it was more of a recreation than an actual enlightening experience. I had curiosity, but I lacked drive.” Elizabeth returned the bottle to her purse, then returned the purse to… Wherever it came from. “It is my hope that these ‘Stimulants’ will provide a much needed push, so that my motivation to consume will remain all throughout the day. This way, I may finally understand what it is like to fully sate oneself.”

“Sate herself…” With one of everything. From six restaurants. In one day.

Yuki didn’t understand how this woman’s anatomy functioned, and quite honestly, he would’ve been afraid to find out. But the fact that she paid no mind whatsoever to how full eating all of that would make her… That the idea hadn’t even entered her mind, it seemed… Let alone how she was planning on eating all of that–surely more than any human could rationally eat without their stomach bursting…

Somehow, he found himself believing that she could do it. After all, she hadn’t seemed the least bit full after their last restaurant romp. What would more than tripling the amount she’d eaten then be?

… Why was he kind of excited to find out?

GGgrrrrRooOoouuuunnn…~

Elizabeth’s stomach growled for the first time. The attendant’s hands flew to the flat surface just as a surprised “Oh!” flew from her lips, and she hopped in awe.

“Oh my… I see… Yes, I believe this will do…” Elizabeth whispered, running a single hand up and down the length of her abdomen. “It feels… Just awful.~” The joyous, almost excited tone she spoke with would’ve been odd if it had come from anyone else, but Yuki thought it fit Elizabeth quite well.

“Come,” Elizabeth stepped forward, wrapping her hand around Yuki’s and pulling him along. He blushed at the boldness of the gesture, but it soon passed after he reminded himself of Elizabeth’s innocence when it came to romance and sexuality. Or was it ignorance? Eh, both applied. “Let us get going before my stomach decides to eat itself. Oh yes, I was rather shocked when I learned of that particular factoid. To become so hungry that the stomach decides to turn on itself…? My, human anatomy is truly a boundless mystery…~”

• -

After a bit of being tugged along at speeds so high he could barely keep his footing, then around fifteen minutes of waiting for an open table–during which Elizabeth had been uncharacteristically normal, sitting prim and properly with her hands atop her crossed thighs as her stomach growled vigorously to itself–Yuki had finally settled into his seat at Hagakure Restaurant. Elizabeth had chosen to sit right across from him, her lips curled into that slight, devious smile, as they always seemed to be.

“Well now, isn’t this place fancy.” Elizabeth said, despite the pin-up poster of a girl in a bikini hanging on the wall behind her. She hadn’t broken eye contact with Yuki ever since the two had taken their seats. Kind of gave him the willies… “So formal… Yet, I see many teens in their student uniforms all over the shop. Quite the dichotomy… How interesting.~” Elizabeth placed her elbow atop the table in front of her, resting her chin on her palm as her eyes finally broke from Yuki’s, scanning her surroundings carefully.

“Elizabeth,” Yuki said, sort of slurring the foreign name as it slid out of his mouth. “We came here before. Don’t you remember? I explained how despite the decoration being all traditional, the food is cheap for its quality, and so tons of people my age stop here after school, or on days off.” Elizabeth wasn’t usually the forgetful type… Yuki squinted his eyes. Something strange was afoot…

Elizabeth didn’t respond right away. Instead, she stared off for a moment, her eyes almost looking glazed over as she stared off in the direction of the kitchen. Finally she seemed to snap out of it, her back straightening, her hand slipping beneath the table following a rather sharp growl that came from down there as well.

“Oh? Oh.” Elizabeth’s gaze returned to him, as her expression rapidly changed from questioning, to realization. “Oh!” To… Shock? “Yes, yes, of course I remember. I simply… Didn’t recall the food… Having such an irresistible aroma.~ Mhh… The smell of frying sea creatures… Of boiling pig and disassembled plants…” A pause broke out as Elizabeth took a deep breath. Then released it, looking sort of puzzled. “Oh my. I fear this ‘Hunger’ may be affecting my sensibilities more than I anticipated…”

“You took enough stimulants to make a bear go wild. Of course you’d get distracted by-”

“Hey hey!” A distinctly cheerful voice called out from not-too-far off, and Yuki’s head spun in its direction before he’d even realized it. Wearing an apron, uniform button-up, and work pants, was Junpei Iori. And he was headed right their way. “Yo, leader! If I’d known you’d be popping in today, I would’ve asked for the day off!” Junpei nudged Yuki in the shoulder, and Yuki gripped the corner of the table to keep himself from tumbling out of his chair.

“Good god, Junpei. Have you been training with Akihiko behind my back again?” Yuki flicked his head, getting the hair out of his eyes as he settled properly back into his seat. He didn’t even know Junpei had a part time job here. He might’ve suggested they go elsewhere first, if he had… Elizabeth and Junpei together seemed like the sort of concoction that could burn a building down.

“Heh heh, guilty as charged! Not only does it make the Tartarus runs easier, but every self-respecting man knows that the chicks drop dead for a guy with a set of washboard abs.” Junpei flexed all of a sudden, and Yuki thought he saw the tiniest bit of additional muscle that hadn’t been there before… Maybe.

“‘Washboard abs…’ Say, does such a thing truly exist? I have been trying to clean a rather stubborn stain out of one of my uniforms for a millenia now, and I feel that the solution to my problems may have just appeared right before my very eyes…” Elizabeth stared right at Junpei’s abdomen as she spoke, her eyes glimmering and full of hope.

Junpei leaned in close, whispering in Yuki’s ear.

“Yo… Is this chick for real?”

“Ah! Pardon me, Stupei.” Elizabeth began to stand from her seat, but another angry growl from underneath her garments made her wince and rethink the gesture halfway through. Instead, she simply nodded her head in a bow from a seated position. “Yuki-kun has told me many entertaining tales involving you. It is good to finally make your acquaintance.”

“Yeah, and apparently, he’s had some pretty nice things to say about me, eh Senpai?” Junpei gave Yuki a quick glare, gently kicking the side of his foot. “Really? Yuka-tan's stupid nickname? Whatever. I guess I should be glad you mentioned me at all…” Oh, good. Now Junpei was pouting. How could this day get any better…?

“Oh, yes, pardon me once again. I didn’t intend to keep you waiting, Stupei.” Elizabeth bowed in apology yet again–twice in a row this time–thinking she was the reason Junpei had kicked him. Well, she kind of was, but still. “I’ll just give you my order, and let you be on your way. I’ll have everything, please.” Elizabeth sat upright in her seat, her hands politely clasped together atop the table, looking all innocent as her belly growled a silent murmur once more, betraying her true intentions…

“Ok, I’ll have that right out- Wait a minute.” Junpei had begun to jot down Elizabeth’s order, but stopped himself when he realized just what he’d heard. “Everything? You mean everything, everything? The whole shebang? You know this is a ramen shop, right? You’ll have to slurp down, like, two gallons of soup if you wanna eat everything on the menu!”

“Yes. One of everything that your establishment furnishes its menu with.”

Junpei took a moment… Looked at Yuki… Then back to Elizabeth.

Then he slammed his hands down upon the tabletop, sending eyes from all over the restaurant looking their way. Yuki recoiled in response. Elizabeth did not.

“Listen lady, I dunno who you are, but… Even if you are really hot, you’re not gonna just dine-n-dash my buddy like that, y’hear? And for the love of- would you please quit callin’ me ‘Stupei?’”

“Iori! What the blazes is goin’ on out there?!” A gruff, mean-sounding voice called from the kitchen, and Junpei regained his former posture in an instant.

“N-Nothing, bossman! It’s all good!” Junpei shouted back, then waited a few seconds. When no further comment came, he sighed–looking like a deflated balloon as the wind left his lungs–and turned back to Yuki. “Alright. Pal, look, if you know what you’re getting into, I won’t get in the way. But watch yourself, alright?”

Yuki–who had adopted a slight smirk some time ago, though the ongoing antics around him had entirely distracted him from that fact–simply nodded.

“It'll be fine, Junpei. There's no need to worry. Your leader can take care of himself.” Yuki nodded, and gave Junpei a pat on the back to send him off.

As he watched Junpei walk away–his buddy looking over his shoulder at him a time or two before disappearing behind the counter–two things ran through Yuki's mind.

The first was that, after today, SEES would have to go on a funds-finding expedition through Tartarus, just so Yuki could refill his wallet enough to afford Elizabeth's compendium summons. God, this woman had a stranglehold on his poor coffers…

The second… Was that Junpei had been correct. Yuki had no idea what he was getting into. He never did, with Elizabeth.

And that's what made it so fun.

… Plus, hey, if he could finally understand the weirdo kink that redheaded goblin had, maybe he could relate to her a little better. Maybe he could get a good grasp on just what she liked about it. What it was that appealed to her about a big, fat gut. Well, no, not fat. For some reason, she’d made it abundantly clear that her kink only applied to stomachs that were filled to the limit with food or drink. Or, oddly… Air. Blegh, Yuki would never forget that evening he walked in on her with the… Bike pump…

Ugh, gross, whatever. Yuki quickly put that image out of his mind–hopefully forever–and instead decided to focus on trying to sus out the ginger’s likes when it came to the tummy field. It’d certainly be nice to get to reach that common ground on anything with her. And if that common ground just needed to be the weird fetish she never shut up about, then so be it. Yuki would suffer through for the sake of bonding.

Especially considering that, despite how hard she pushed him to understand and bond with others, Yuki had never really understood her.

• -

Some time had passed, and Elizabeth had eaten her way through an entire bowl of edamame which was intended to be shared between them. Yuki hadn’t wanted any, but he hadn’t exactly expected her to eat the hulls along with the beans. Though, perhaps he should’ve, given how rigorously her stomach had been voicing its complaints.

Soon after the final pod had been sent down Elizabeth’s throat, the first bowl of Hagakure’s famous ramen had arrived–this time brought by another server, not ol’ Ace Defective Stupei.

Elizabeth made sure to get a good noseful of the heaps of steam rising from the bowl of savory delight. If Yuki didn’t know better, he would’ve assumed this was the first time Elizabeth had ever experienced the overwhelming umami that came with the territory of eating at this particular establishment. But no, he did know. He knew perfectly well how, on their last visit, Elizabeth had drained three entire bowls of soup, then hopped right up out of her seat, ready to move onto the next eatery. As if the nearly two liters of soup, noodles, and meat had no impact on her whatsoever. It certainly hadn’t impacted her waistline, at least…

But that was then. Today was different. Today, Elizabeth planned to “Sample” everything, from every restaurant in the area. On top of that, she’d taken something to give her normally non-existent appetite a buff. If that mix didn’t result in a food baby–or food triplets, more like–hanging off of Elizabeth by the end of the day, then nothing would.

… Yuki found himself oddly disappointed at the thought of her walking out of here without a tummy, as she had before. Jeez… Maybe he wouldn’t have to try as hard to relate to that ginger as he thought, if he was getting his hopes up over seeing Elizabeth bloat up.

He didn’t linger on the thought though, and just told himself that he was simply eager to try and understand such a foreign idea as getting turned on by a grossly distended gut. Instead of simmering on it, he just studied Elizabeth as the Velvet Attendant scanned her surroundings once more, then returned her gaze to him with that same smirk as always.

“You know, I may have… Overplayed the efficacy of those occult hunger-enhancing tablets I took earlier.” Elizabeth pawed at her belly below the table. “The sensation was intense while it lasted, but it seems to have subsided rather quickly…” Yuki thought it made sense. What good would human medicine be on an otherworldly being? “Oh well. My first dish has arrived nonetheless, and I still fully intend to send it right where it belongs.~” Elizabeth gave a chipper “Hm!” as she snapped her chopsticks and dove right into the soup.

Yuki remembered back during the first trip to the restaurants of Iwatodai Strip Mall. Back when he’d had to inform Elizabeth that you did not, in fact, use one chopstick to wrap the noodles around the other, then shove the resulting bundle of tied-up noodle into your gob all at once. He swore, for how proper her outward presentation was, Elizabeth could be downright childish at times. Oh well, being cooped up in a room with a weird guy with a huge nose for who-knew how long would do that to anyone, he supposed.

The first bite met Elizabeth’s lips, and the attendant slurped up every last bit that her chopsticks had grabbed. Even though it was red hot–having just come from one of the large, boiling pots behind the counter–Elizabeth didn’t seem to mind. She just gobbled it up, chewed, then swallowed the gob down.

“Ooh…” Elizabeth cooed, her smile getting an inch wider as her eyes narrowed at the bowl before her. “I believe I may have been mistaken. It isn’t so much that the effect has worn off… More like it has simply settled in, and made itself comfortable within the depths of my digestive system. I do believe this is what proper hunger feels like.” She nodded as her belly softly growled, politely asking for more now that it was finished with its tantrum. Yuki supposed it only made sense. He wouldn’t have been starving anymore if he’d eaten, like, sixty bean pods either. “And it does indeed seem to have an effect on the food’s flavor… A quite positive effect, I might add.~” She went right in for another bite, this time plucking up an entire slice of chashu pork and slurping it up as she had the noodles before it.

Then, she picked up the entire bowl, put it to her lips, and tipped the thing back.

Not even ten whole seconds later, the soup was gone, and Elizabeth elegantly sat the bowl back onto the table, as if she hadn’t just chugged the entire thing like a maniac.

Yuki just sat in silence the entire time, wondering how it was possible for Elizabeth to still find new ways to shock him. And wishing that he’d brought along a camcorder or something. That move she just pulled would be enough to kill that certain someone. Well, maybe if she’d burped afterwards, it would have.

“Mmh… Just as I remember, Hagakure’s ramen ‘Hits the spot.’ If I were a Shadow, Stupei and you would certainly be able to launch an All-out Attack on me at the moment, as my weakness has been thoroughly targeted.~” Was that… Flirting? It was hard to tell why Elizabeth said the things she did sometimes, and she did make comments that could come off as suggestive pretty often. The way she laced her fingers, rested her chin on them, and batted her eyes at him, seemed to say that her intentions were indeed meant to be taken as seductive.

… But, then again, Elizabeth had rather large gaps in how humans were supposed to behave in society. She could’ve just as easily thought that she was simply being polite by doing the things she was doing, rather than viewing them as a way to get to Yuki’s heart.

Regardless of her intent, it still brought the slightest of blushes to Yuki’s face. No matter the rough exterior he kept up at all times, Yuki couldn’t deny the power that feminine charms had on him. Deep down, despite all the ice, he was still a teenage boy.

… Even if he and–save for Ken, Koromaru, and technically Aigis–nearly everyone else in SEES were eighteen. Still counted as a teenager, he could still blame the dings in his armor on the hormones. S-Shut up.

While Yuki was still lost in his thoughts, and Elizabeth was rolling her chin against her fingers in a delightfully feminine way, the next bowl of ramen arrived. This time with a little platter of gyoza to keep it company.

This was a vegetable ramen, as could be told from its smell alone. The pork ramen had been rich, its delightfully savory aroma was easily picked up well before the bowl ever hit the table. Meanwhile the vegetable ramen was more light, with the bamboo shoots inside giving it a more hint of a more earthy, nutty smell. Yuki could see the steam wafting off of both the soup, and the little dumplings sitting beside it. Speaking of which, those smelled pretty delightful too. Sort of like the pork ramen had, but somehow more intense–as if they were more concentrated due to the fact that they hadn’t simmered in broth for a long while before being delivered. There was also an undeniable hint of ginger coming from them, which sort of reminded Yuki of the pickled ginger used to cleanse the palate at a sushi place. Kind of like the sort they’d encounter later at Wakatsu Restaurant.

After Elizabeth finished gulping down, like, three gallons of ramen.

Elizabeth cared about none of this, of course. She simply nodded to her server in an appreciative way, then grabbed two gyoza between the knuckles of her index, middle, and ring fingers, and plopped both onto her tongue at once.

“Mmh!” She squealed with delight. “Delightful! They’re so hot that my tongue is stinging, and the roof of my mouth is in a great deal of pain as well! My, I’ve always wanted to try spicy food…”

Yuki opened his mouth to inform her that temperature did not factor into how spicy a food was, but decided against it as Elizabeth suddenly shoved the remaining three dumplings into her mouth at once, then dabbed her lips with a handkerchief she pulled out of seemingly nowhere. She then decided that it would be a good idea to chase the gyoza with the small saucer of soy sauce she’d been provided for them, after not dipping a single one into the umami sauce. She just brought it to her mouth and took it like a shot.

… The thought of a drunk Elizabeth entered Yuki’s mind at that moment, and he didn’t know if he’d ever felt such dread in all his life. He didn’t even know if Velvet Room inhabitants could get drunk, but he never wanted to find out either. It sent shivers down his spine to think of all the mishaps a drunk Elizabeth could get herself into, considering what she was like sober.

“Hm… Not terrible, but I believe I would’ve preferred something to dilute it. Perhaps it would’ve been better used as an additive to something greater, rather than a dish all its own?” She cocked her head, intensely studying the saucer as she thought out loud.

“You don’t say?” Yuki said, thinking out loud as well, though he knew Elizabeth wouldn’t pick up on the annoyingly sarcastic tone he had delivered it with.

“But I just did?” Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, but simply placed the saucer back onto the table and gripped the bowl of ramen with both hands, now that everything else had been dealt with.

“Wait, you’re not seriously-” Yuki began, but cut himself off as Elizabeth suddenly raised the bowl to her lips and began drinking. And not just the soup. As the bowl was tilted further and further back, Yuki took note of some rather large bulges sliding down Elizabeth’s throat.

Yes. Yes, she was seriously drinking the whole thing at once.

Not even large clumps of noodles, nor entire bean sprouts, mushrooms, or bamboo shoots could stop her. Elizabeth didn’t chew once during the entire time the rim of the bowl was placed against her plump lips.

After a few seconds of watching the scene in stunned silence, Yuki finally began breathing again as Elizabeth returned the bowl back to the table. Though, something had changed…

Beyond the bowl, barely visible below the table, Yuki spotted a slight curve sitting just below the larger curve of Elizabeth’s breasts. The meals were starting to show themselves on Elizabeth’s figure–no matter how slightly–and they weren’t even a quarter of the way to the finish line… After they’d not been apparent even after double this amount last time. Was Elizabeth intending to grow a food baby this time around? Yuki had been feeling some kind of ulterior motive in the air for a while now… If that was the case, and Elizabeth really did want to get all big and round, then that redhead would really be kicking herself over missing this…~

Elizabeth sighed after gulping down the last mouthful–which packed her cheeks to the point that she resembled a chipmunk storing food for later–settling back in her seat and allowing the smirk to come back to her face. She seemed to have noticed the tiny tummy she was now sporting, as she laid a hand against it and gave it a quick, gentle pat.

“Ooh. I say, that was just as delicious as the first, but I feel… Something…” She scrunched her eyebrows, allowing her hand to roam over the little bump. Then it happened.

BWRAAP!

“Oh! Oh, my, w-was that a belch? I didn’t even know I was capable of that…” Elizabeth’s free hand raised up to her mouth, her index knuckle pressed against her lips while her fingertips lightly pressed into her concealed tummy. “... However, it wasn’t exactly a displeasing experience either.~ Perhaps I should try and let those happen more often.” She looked up from her belly for the first time in a while, and Yuki subtly cleared his throat and adopted a straighter posture… Though the lingering blush on his cheeks betrayed the exterior.

“F-For experimentation, of course.” Elizabeth clarified with a smirk. “It’s good to know what you enjoy, after all. Perhaps it was a novelty–a one time enjoyment. The next one may disgust me, or it may feel just as… Delightful.~” Her eyes narrowed to a squint, as a pregnant pause broke out. “... And by that, I mean that it was… Delightfully relieving. To expel that gas. Yes.”

Finally, Elizabeth regained her usually proper posture, and adjusted her hat atop her head to ensure that it hadn’t been displaced in all the ruckus. Actually, now that Yuki thought about it… How hadn’t it fallen off as she chugged those bowls of soup?

It didn’t matter. The next bowl was here already, and Elizabeth had already gripped its bottom as she had the last. As she brought it to her mouth, only one thing was on Elizabeth’s mind. Well, two, technically–but they were both on the same subject.

The first was that he could see Elizabeth’s stomach rounding, little by little, gulp by gulp, becoming more and more spherical as it forced her dress to drape around it.

The second… Was that he was keenly aware of how much he enjoyed seeing that. Perhaps he’d be doing more than just understanding that ginger’s kink, by the time all was said and done…