She sighs a bit, reaching back and scratching the back of her head. "Eh... yeah. It was nothing, nothing!" She laughs and chuckles, waving it off.

She was watching him with some curiosity as she followed him, feeling tension in her back begin to fade as she resolved to let this carry through. Whatever was going on here... she heaved a sigh, suddenly feeling butterflies in her stomach. Great.

"Y'know, I generally appreciate directness instead of tiptoeing around some things..." She starts, watching him with a closer look now.

Ichigo stopped, and turned to Karen again. His eyes locked with the girl's, and after a moment, it was obvious how bad a liar he was.

He closed his eyes, obviously agitated now. Antipode noted, from "afar" so to speak, what was happening. His new creation, Ichigo, seemed not to know how to deal with such a direct question. And Karen obviously knew what was up, it was clear on her face. Or at least, that's what Ichigo's sensations were telling the monster.

Ichigo took a deep breath, and opened his eyes again. Well. Honesty time, right? She'd find out sooner or later anyway, wouldn't she?

Yeah. It's exactly what you think it is. My master took your request literally, and so, here we are.

She puts a hand over her eyes, groaning. She was right... regretfully, she was right. "...well... um... I see. While I appreciate the effort... it's not really necessarily." She sighs tiredly. "A lie is a lie, right?" She grimaces slowly, crossing her arms.

Ichigo nodded. With a frown, he leaned against a light post, and watched her silently for awhile. Well, that was over. Damn.

Forgive me. I guess the plan was to have me date you, go out with you over several months, and then, at the end, have you wake back up where you were before. Want to get back to that now, or... would you prefer to be here awhile longer? He paused, before continuing. Oh, and everything else aside, I'm not a lie. I'm as real now as you. I wish I had gotten to be here longer... I was beginning to like your hometown.

She grunts, slowly wrapping her min around what he was saying. "Months? Just how long were you... um, wait, you are 'real'? How does that even work?"

She grimaces and puts a hand to her head, then sighs. "So you just die at the end of this, or what?" No, maybe she was getting too bogged down with the details.

"Listen..." She says tiredly. "I appreciate what you are trying to do, but you got me... drawing it out like this won't make me feel any better about it, I don't think. Better I face this straight... alright?"

Ichigo looked a little saddened at that. But he nodded.

I won't die. You might even see me in the real world sometime. I guess Antipode's purpose here was to make things better for you, in the way you asked for. I probably would have been the vehicle to...

He suddenly blushed. A lot. Then turned away. Crap. Clinical thought didn't do justice to the real thing.

I guess we can bring you back to where you were... if that's what you want now. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you or anything at least, okay...?

She flushes briefly and nods, closing her eyes. "Ok..." She said quietly, mustering what courage she could. This was... going to be... difficult, for her to face. But better than being fooled by something not quite 'there', she thought. Somehow, she still felt bad for the strange... human, in her mind. All this was too damn complicated for her to understand; she could only just grit her teeth and go straight in...

(Alright, though lately my time has been more limited, I am here now, so... yes. ^_^; it shall continue!)

Go straight in she would. The world around her, the world of her home, where she'd finally returned to in all senses, slowly faded... it grew gray, then black, the sounds became muffled, then nonexistent. Smells, the feeling of the sun and wind... it was all gone, in a flash.

She'd wake up where she'd been before. Maybe not wake up, so much as return... it was a very strange feeling, as if she'd shifted from one place to another.

She was held, comfortably, inside of the monster. It was dark, pitch black, of course. And damp, moist, warmer than it was outside. It had only been a few moments but she had no way to know that. And, of course, she was held, tentacles wrapped around her limbs, holding her fast. Just as they'd been before.

She blinks, raising her head a little. She moved a little, finding herself restrained, and shook her head. Where was she? What... what exactly, was going to happen next? She didn't do anything, just waiting a few moments to see what was going to happen next...

Don't be afraid. It was the voice of that man... not the monster, not Antipode, but that "fake" human who'd been with her before. She wouldn't see that, or anything at all, really, as tendrils moved back to that still oversensitive body of hers.

Oddly enough, it really was a few seconds, and her body was still undergoing the exhaustion from the teasing Antipode had given earlier. And feeling that thin tendril move to her sensitive clit again, she'd realize the full extent of how short the time had been.

She gasps a bit softly, squirming and breathing in sharply. She was still hot from before, and her toes began to curl. She struggled a little, but not desperately, just shivering as she felt it begin gently as before... she was afraid, a little. But that was inevitable given... well, this.