First Day of School Part 2
As lunch time approached, Akeno and Rias led Elros back to the ORC.
"Where are Issei, Asia, Xenovia, Koneko, and Kiba?" Elros wondered.
"They're in class right now," Akeno answered.
"Ah, got it. It's been so long since I stepped inside a classroom like that, I almost forgot what it felt like," Elros said.
"Did you enjoy class?" Rias asked.
"Probably more than I should've," Elros replied.
"That might have something to do with the fact that so many girls wanted to partner with you for that project," Rias said with a slightly sour smile. As soon as the teacher announced the project, she noted that most of the girls had crowded around Elros, badgering him to join their group - while most of the guys crowded around her and Akeno, badgering them for the same thing. She couldn't deny that she felt jealous when she saw Elros interacting so easily with her classmates, a feeling that was mostly foreign to her.
'Am… I… there's no way, is there? He's been in Kuoh Town for less than 24 hours, for goodness sake! I can't… be… I mean… I…,' she thought, her thought process a mess. The fact that she felt so relieved when he asked Akeno and her to pair up with him added to the confusion.
As they walked, Akeno was feeling much the same way; a strong pang of jealousy when her classmates crowded him, each with varying degrees of lewd intentions.
'He's been here such a short time, but I can't stop thinking about him. Plus, we already slept together the night before… I can't believe I offered him my bed so quickly. But he didn't even try anything, so I guess I shouldn't worry. He seems like a gentleman. Plus, he did ask Rias and I to be his partners… I wonder…,' Akeno thought.
"Hey, you guys alright? You seem like you're spacing out," Elros said, bringing them out of their funks.
"Sorry. Just thinking about that project we got in class," Akeno said.
"Yeah, should be fun," Elros said cheerfully.
"Glad you think so," Rias said with a smile as they finally entered the building. Gasper was excitedly waiting for them on the couch and jumped for joy when he saw Elros. He quickly ran over and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the couch.
"Elros! You're here! Are you ready?!" Gasper asked, his voice laden heavily with excitement.
"You kidding? I was born ready, kid. Let's do this," Elros said with a grin as he sat next to Gasper and watched him as he turned on the N3DS and began playing. The game was Monster Hunter 4, something Elros had never played.
Rias took a seat in her chair while Akeno stood next to her, both of them smiling fondly as they watched the scene unfold. As Gasper handed the game over to Elros, he began explaining to him the mechanics, most of which Rias, Akeno, and Elros didn't understand.
"That's gotta be the cutest thing I've ever seen," Akeno said delightfully as she brought a hand to her own cheek.
"I know. I can't believe that Gaspers took to him so well already," Rias commented.
"Elros certainly makes it easy. He seems so relaxed and happy all the time. It's no wonder Gasper likes him," Akeno said.
"Yeah, but it's the same with Issei as well, isn't it?" Rias asked.
"Mmm… I see what you mean, but I don't think so. Issei is sweet, strong, and he means well, even if he is a huge pervert - and Gasper likes him. But Elros is… I don't know. It might just be me, but I can't help but feel happy when I'm near him. His attitudes infectious, and it looks like Gasper caught the bug," Akeno said.
"I see what you mean. He certainly as an aura about him," Rias said as she observed the two continue to play.
"Everything alright, Elros?" Akeno asked aloud as she heard him groan and whine.
"I'm getting my ass kicked! Gasper, you're gonna have to teach me, I think. I mean you're really good at this," Elros said kindly.
"I've been playing it for a long time! You'll probably catch up to me soon!" Gasper said excitedly as he began his turn again.
"Not any time too soon, I think. You're like Michael Jordan, and I'm on the high school basketball team. I have a long, long way to go before I catch up to your level," Elros said as he ruffled his hair. Gasper turned to look at him with a wide smile.
"Do you want some tips?" he asked.
"Yes, please. Best to learn from the master, after all," Elros said with a smile. Gasper grinned wide at that as he began to show Elros what he knew about the game; from the mechanics, all the way to strategies he implemented. As they continued playing, Xenovia entered the ORC. She went to stand by Rias and Akeno, looking on the scene with a fond look in her eye as well.
"What is it, Xenovia?" Rias asked, noticing the look. Akeno turned to face her as well.
"Nothing… it's just that it seems like he would be a good father," Xenovia said as she watched Elros laugh and play with Gasper. Rias and Akeno blushed at that as well but smiled and nodded in agreement. If this was any indicator, that was likely to be a good prediction.
"You know, I can't disagree with that," Akeno said.
-o-
As lunch ended, Elros waved to Gasper, promising to see him later in the day or the next day at lunch.
"You know, you really should become a Devil! Then we can play even more!" Gasper said excitedly. Elros smiled at that and winked as he left the room with Rias and Akeno, both of whom were happy that Gasper was in such high spirits, something they hadn't seen much before, if at all.
"Elros. Thank you for that," Rias said as she paused to look at him for a moment.
"Hmm? For what?" Elros asked curiously.
"Keeping your promise with Gasper. He has a hard time interacting with people, so it was really nice to see him so happy for once," Akeno answered with a smile of her own.
"Not at all. Kids a wiz at games. I had just as much fun, to be honest," Elros said with a wide grin.
"You're just a big kid, aren't you?" Rias asked teasingly as they continued walking.
"I cannot deny that," Elros said with a laugh. As they walked into the main building, they decided to drop by the classroom that Issei, Asia, and Xenovia were in. The class was just ending and everyone was packing up to leave.
"Hey, Elros. How's it going?" Issei asked, greeting his new friend with a grin.
"Well on my end, man. Just played around with Gasper and Rias and Akeno are showing me the ropes," Elros replied, slinging his arms around them again and giving them a squeeze. As he finished, a new classmate joined the - Aika Kiryuu, a ginger with twin tails coming down her shoulders and four long strands of hair sticking out from her sides at eye level. She wore purple rimmed glasses over her light green eyes and a constant smirk on her face.
"Hey, Asia, who's your new friend?" Aika asked as she looked at Elros, observing him up and down.
"Oh hello, Aika. This is Elros," Asia said, introducing the two to each other.
"I see. Not bad, new guy. Not bad at all," she said with a smirk as she focused on Elros's crotch.
"I'm sorry?" Elros asked, amused by the behavior.
"She can tell you how big your package is," Issei said with a grim look. Elros laughed out loud as Rias and Akeno looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
"Oh yeah? I gotta hear this. I'll confirm or deny," Elros said with a grin as he looked at Aika. She began to speak but was quickly interrupted by Asia, who was not having any of her perverted shenanigans.
"No, no, no, no, no! Not on my watch!" Asia squealed adorably as she pressed her hands over Aika's mouth.
"Fine, fine! All I'll say is: be careful you don't poke anyone's eye out with that thing," Aika said with a wink and a grin as she walked away.
"Is she a Devil as well?" Elros asked with a grin.
"No. Just a pervert," Issei sighed.
"Takes one to know one," Koneko piped up, appearing out of nowhere. Issei deadpanned at that as he began to sulk out with Asia.
"Koneko, how did you do that?" Elros asked in surprise.
"Do what?" Koneko deadpanned.
"Appear out of nowhere!" Elros asked.
"She's so short, she goes unnoticed," Issei called back, earning a glare from Koneko. That put a little extra pep in his step as he quickly scrambled away, Asia in tow.
"Don't worry. You've got a while to grow. I was pretty short until I hit a growth spurt myself not too long ago," Elros said comfortingly as he patted her on her head. Koneko simply grumbled at that, but didn't move; she actually enjoyed the sensation. When he began to stop, she grabbed his hand and made him continue, earning a giggle from Akeno and Rias and a kind smile from Elros. He obliged and continued to pat her as he spoke to Rias and Akeno.
"So what's next on the tour?" Elros asked as they began walking, him still patting Koneko atop her head as she decided to join them for the short walking to their classroom.
"That's pretty much it. The only thing left are the grounds in the back of the school, but we don't have time to go there right now, so we'll show you that after classes are over. After that, we'll go back to the ORC to begin fulfilling contracts," Rias explained.
"Contracts? What contracts?" Elros asked curiously as he stopped patting Koneko and began to scratch her head gently. Koneko couldn't help but let out a small noise like a cat as she enjoyed the sensation. Akeno giggled as she saw it; Koneko, much like Gasper, had a difficult exterior to break through. Yet it appeared as though Elros did it without any trouble whatsoever. They attracted some odd stares from their classmates but ignored them entirely as they continued on their merry way.
"Now Rias, don't tell me you asked Elros to become a Devil but completely forgot to tell him what it entailed," Akeno said teasingly. Rias blushed at that - she had, in fact, left out quite a bit; the whole of her attention was focused on inducting him into her peerage and getting him started at school.
"Well, I admit that I might've overlooked a few things. In short, there are humans out there that require the help of a Devil with something - it might be matters of loneliness or love, wealth or power, whatever have you. They request a summons from a Devil from a piece of paper that we hand them, which is used as a way to make the initial contact. We meet up with them and help them through their problem. In return, they compensate us commiserate with the service we performed - it could be a pledge to repay a favor in the future, something around their house or something valuable they owned - the more difficult the help they request, the higher the price they have to pay. Contracts are one of the basic tenants of being a Devil as well as one of the way you can improve your ranking to a higher class," Rias explained.
"What are the class levels?" Elros asked in interest.
"At the bottom, you have Low-Class Devils. They're considered to be the weakest class and are usually reincarnated Devils, as well as a part of a High-Class Devils peerage. Depending on their performance, they can raise themselves higher within Devil society. Next is Middle-Class Devils; they're also considered to be new Devils, but ones that have sufficiently risen in the ranks. Above that are High-Class Devils, stronger Devils who have yet to master their power but are on their way. This is also the class where you begin your own peerage. Above that are Ultimate-Class Devils, which is the highest class one can reach in our society. Most are born into their position, but some have earned it through their own power as well,"
"I see. So I'm assuming that if you do high reward level contracts, you can improve your rankings quicker?" Elros asked.
"That's right. Either contracting high rewards or contracting with people in higher positions of power. It's considered to be the slowest method, but every Devil has started here," Rias said, nodding.
"What other ways are there to raise through the ranks?" Elros asked.
"There's really two other methods that are used. The most popular are Rating Games. This is where various peerages contend against each other and earn points, esteem, as well as opinion and favor in official games. It's how most Devils rise through society now and it gives all Devils a chance to show off their power in a non-lethal environment. You raise your reputation through the games, which translates to a raised status in society. We've only participated in one Rating Game so far which we… ummm…," Rias trailed off in embarrassment, remembering the loss from not too long ago. Elros looked at Koneko and Akeno, both of whom seemed dejected by it as well. Finally, Akeno spoke.
"Come on, Rias - cheer up. That one wasn't official, anyways. I'm sure we'll win the next one," she said, cheering up a bit. Rias sighed but nodded and smiled at Akeno, agreeing.
"And the final way is through military accomplishments. It's the fastest way to rise through the ranks in any case. Those that are exceptionally power or intelligent when it comes to strategizing excel through the ranks by beating leaders of the Angels or Fallen Angels. With how things are now, though, unless there's a massive war in the future - or if there's a fringe faction with strong members - it's going to be difficult to rise through unless some other threat emerges," Rias said.
"I see. This is interesting," Elros said quietly as he continued to scratch Konekos head almost listlessly, as though in a daze. Rias and Akeno looked at him and saw that he was deep in thought, mulling over and digesting the information that Rias had just given him. They noted that they had completely passed by their classroom, but didn't say anything as they continued walking in the now empty halls. It was a few moments before they spoke again.
"So, what do you think?" Rias asked, a nervous tint in her voice.
"I'm not entirely sure, really. It seems like it's an extremely rigid and classist system, something that I can't say I'm fond of. But I'd be remiss if I didn't consider the fact that there seems to be plenty of ways for people to move up through society on their own merit, even if the deck seems to be stacked against them for the most part. I guess it's not too different from human society as a whole," Elros said, slightly bitter.
"I agree with you on both points. Devils often give a great amount of consideration to lineage; just like the monarchies that used to rule the human world centuries ago. I'm honestly not a fan of the current system either. I think that people should have more opportunities to get ahead on their own merit and not be beholden to where they come from, otherwise you end up missing a great deal of talent. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. You should know that if you do become a Devil, there are going to be others that look down on you," Rias said nervously as she looked at him from the corner of her eye. To her surprise, Elros was smiling.
"Peoples hangups are their concern, not mine. I'm sure, that should I choose to become a Devil, I'll be able to handle whatever scorn they through at me. I'm used to it," Elros said.
"What do you mean?" Akeno asked, wondering what the hidden inflection was there.
"The first time a human became a Green Lantern, there was an uproar. Might surprise you, but we're considering to be one of the weakest alien species out there," Elros said with a chuckle.
"Seriously?" Rias asked in shock. Now that she thought about it, did other aliens know that Earth was a thing? What was their opinion of it? Did they visit? Did they like them or hate them or did they just never think about them? How many were there? Were they weaker, or stronger? What were they like? What were their societies, their politics, their cultural systems like? What did they look like? Could she even comprehend that? How far away were they? How technologically advanced? Did they read, or write, or listen to music or watch movies? This and countless other questions raged through her mind, but there was no time to ask or answer all of them, even given her age span as a Devil.
"Oh yeah. Most just ignore us for the most part; we're not worth it and we're pretty out of the way as far as galactic placement, sitting in the Orion Arm, one of the minor arms of the Milky Way. Until extremely recently, they never thought that a human would join up and when one did, they thought it had to be a mistake. It took him years to prove himself to them, and even then they were still hesitant although they began to rely on him more. It wasn't until he chose replacements for himself in his off time that they really began to respect humans. Still, when I joined, the uproar started again," Elros explained.
"Why?" Akeno asked.
"Most of them were really against the idea of someone so young joining their ranks - and I mean really, really young, especially compared to some of the other races that are in the Corps. The guys on Earth were pretty surprised as well, but I think I grew on them. It took a while for me to prove myself to the other members, but I eventually did. Still, they only really took to me maybe four, five years ago. So, like I said, I'm with the other Devils looking down on me," Elros said with a smile.
"I'm hoping to get that changed, eventually. I'd much rather have a society where the lines between reincarnated and Pure-Blooded Devils are nonexistent. It'd just be so much better for everyone involved in Devil Society. It's going to be a long and uphill battle, though," Rias sighed.
"Intentions and actions are important. At least Devils on the lower rungs have someone who cares about their well-being," Elros said as he put an arm around her shoulder and brought her in for a hug. Rias smiled as she leaned in, squeezing him gently in return. As Akeno saw that, she felt another pang of jealousy surge through her, but she surpassed it quickly - now wasn't the time.
"I'm curious, how old were you when you were chosen? You seem to be our age, but you said that other Lanterns only took to you a short while ago," Akeno said. As Elros was about to answer, they passed in front of Koneko's classroom.
"Koneko, you should get to class," Rias said.
"I'd rather stay. This feels too nice," Koneko deadpanned as Elros continued to scratch her. Akeno couldn't help but giggle while Rias sighed. Elros knelt down and smiled at her.
"Still, you should get to class," Rias repeated.
"What about you three?" Koneko asked.
"We… that… is different," Rias replied, stumbling a bit. Elros stepped in to save her the trouble of replying when she obviously had no leg to stand on.
"Your education is important, you know. I'll be around for a while, so we can continue later, alright? I promise," he said kindly as he patted her again. Koneko thought about that for a moment before she smiled at him and nodded. She turned and walked quickly into the class.
"How do you do that?" Rias asked.
"Do what?" Elros asked as he put his arms around the girls again and continued walking.
"Deal with Koneko and Gasper so easily. I love them both so much, but they're hard to get through to sometimes. Gasper and Koneko really talk to each other at length, and Issei can usually get through to Gasper while Asia gets through to Koneko, but they both like you so much already. It's just surprising," Rias said.
"Huh. I haven't given that much thought, really. I suppose just speak to them as you would anyone else, no? They're a bit younger, so you might have to get on their level but that's about it. Of course, as you pointed out earlier, I'm just a big kid so that may have something to do with as well," Elros said with a laugh.
"Back to the question at hand, though," Akeno said with a slight smile, approving of his answer.
"I was around seven years old when I was chosen," Elros replied.
"That young?" Akeno asked in surprise.
"Yup," Elros replied.
"And how are Green Lanterns typically chosen? Did you just find the ring or something?" Akeno asked.
"Well, it's the ring that chooses. Typically, when the previous owner dies, the ring begins searching for a new ring bearer. The line is that the ones who are chosen are those that have the ability to overcome great fear. That's what it told me anyway. 'Elros Eärendil, you have the ability to overcome great fear. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps.,'" Elros said, repeating the sentiment that was etched into his mind forever.
"Can you choose to not be a Green Lantern?" Akeno asked.
"You can, but I can't think of anyone in recent memory who has. It's considered to be a great honor by almost every alien society out there," Elros said.
"Do you think you fit the bill?" Akeno asked.
"I certainly hope I do," Elros said with a smile.
"I'm curious, do you have much combat experience?" Rias asked.
"A fair amount. Unfortunately, there are few instances where I've even called out because the guy who assigns the missions thought that I needed a break and sent me to some paradisiacal planet with all the trimmings. Usually, there's some kind of problem. I've had to deal with incursion forces on civilized and peaceful planets; massive asteroids hurtling towards emerging and nascent worlds; extraterrestrial wars on interplanetary or inter-solar scales; stars about to go super or hypernova; and a bunch more things that it'd take to much time to go into detail about. Plus, we have our own enemies spread far and wide throughout the universe, so we have to handle those pricks as well," Elros lamented. Rias and Akeno were quiet as mouses as he gave them a hint of what the duties of the Green Lantern Corps. entailed. They listened intently, trying to believe that it was all true - having a bit of a hard time doing so as it sounded so… alien. Finally, Rias spoke.
"How… exactly… do you stop a star from blowing up?" she, trying to wrap her head around the sheer magnitude of what that would take. The moon is big; the Earth is bigger; stars were incomprehensibly big. Hell, the Sun was incomprehensibly big and even then, it was far too small to go super-or-hypernova. The stars of that magnitude were mind-bogglingly incomprehensible in size.
"In addition to Green Power Rings, there are several others - each representing a color on the RGB spectrum as well as an emotion behind it that helps fuel the power of the ring. Green rings use willpower; the stronger the will of the bearer, the more power the ring has and the more they can do with it. Yellow rings are powered by fear, so the more fear one can instill in another as well as in general, the more powerful it becomes. Blue rings are powered by hope - that of the bearer, but even more powerful - it's powered by the hope of everything around it. Orange is powered by avarice; as such, there's only one Orange Lantern, but that guy is really powerful; Indigo is powered by compassion - like with the others, that of the owner and by others; Violet is powered by love - either for someone they care about or in general. There's one more ring type, Black - which is related to death. It's not really an emotion; more of a state of being, but we roll with it. Now, Blue rings have a particular power attached to them. You might not believe it, but Hope is probably the most powerful emotion that I can think of. Everyone has their own hopes and dreams; whether their human, or Devil, Angel, Fallen Angel, alien, whatever. They can use their rings to do anything from heal injuries to regrow lost limbs; that strengthens the hope of the person they used their power on, which adds to their power even further. Of course, Hope means very little without the Willpower to enact it, so Green Lanterns tag along with Blue Lanterns on some missions because our rings help each others; it allows them to use more of their capabilities while it strengthens our base powers as well as heightens the charge of our ring. One of the Blue Lanterns that I've become friends with is extremely power and skilled at what he does. On the mission we went on, he tapped into the hope of the countless civilizations around the burning star and began to channel it into an energy that he used to reduce the age of the star. Last calculations said that the star has at least another nine billion years left in it before it does anything," Elros said, a wide grin on his face as he remembered the mission; it was one of the most eye-opening missions he went on as well as one of the most rewarding ones.
Rias and Akeno listened wonder etched across their faces, trying to simply wrap their minds around what Elros had told him. They knew there were things in the world that people couldn't understand - them included; they now knew that there were other worlds out there, but the absolute scope of it all was… no. No words existed to describe the scope. It was an impossible task of impossible size; all they needed to know was that, in terms of the universe, they knew nothing.
"There's no way," Akeno finally breathed, struggling to comprehend it. She felt as though her brain was about to explode from what Elros had just described.
"It's an insanely wide universe out there, Rias, Akeno. We haven't even touched the surface, let alone scratched it. I don't think that any race has really touched the surface, except the most ancient ones. Even then, I'm doubtful," Elros said.
"How does someone channel hope like that?" Rias asked weakly.
"He's been giving few a few lessons on that recently, so I'll hopefully have an answer for you soon enough," Elros replied as he thought back to the week he spent on Odym with Saint Walker, pestering him incessantly.
"You can use more than one type of ring?" Akeno asked in interest.
"Honest answer? I have no idea. Not many Lanterns have tried to go outside the ring they're most comfortable with, considering they're already so powerful and versatile. A few can use multiple rings, but again they stick with their own color and only use another one under dire straights. As far as I know, I'm the only one who's actively trying to experiment with it," Elros said.
"This stuff is just so… well, suffice it to say that if it wasn't for the fact that we know that Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, and Gods exist, we probably wouldn't believe you," Akeno said with a sigh. She and Rias decided to stop asking questions for now if only to digest what they had already learned.
"That probably means that you have your head on straight," Elros replied as he gave her a gentle squeeze. Finally, they had ended up back in front of their classroom where the class had already commenced.
"Alright, classtime. Although we've missed most of it I think," Rias said as they entered and took their seats. Rias and Akeno tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying, but it was to no avail. They simply couldn't get Elros out of their heads; he was just too intriguing. Meanwhile, Elros was facing the same problem - his thoughts taken over by Rias, Akeno, as well as what transpired over the last few days.
-o-
As class ended, the three made their way over to the ORC, where the others were already gathered and patiently waiting for their President.
"Hello, Elros," Kiba said with a smile as he greeted him.
"How's it going Kiba, everyone?" Elros asked the others.
"I'm doing well, thank you for asking. How was your first day at school?" Asia asked kindly.
"Loved it, actually. Who knew high school was so fun?" Elros replied cheerfully.
"What did you think of the student body?" Issei asked, turning red as he grinned wide.
"What did I think of the student body or what did I think of the students bodies?" Elros asked with a grin of his own as he had Issei clarify for him.
"Both!" Issei answered as Elros winked in response.
"You seem to be quite popular amongst the female population at the school already," Xenovia commented.
"Ah well, what can I say. I'm a virile male and exude as such," Elros answered cheerfully.
"Yes, that much I've gathered," Xenovia said, earning her a grin from Elros and a look of surprise from Akeno and Rias. Xenovia wasn't one to comment on the sexuality of others.
"So what are you guys all doing here? Is this where you get your contracts?" Elros asked.
"That's right. Does everyone have theirs?" Rias asked aloud, to affirmatives from the others. One by one, they all began to open magic circles and started to transport to where they were needed - all of them except Issei, who ran out the front door and got on his back which was right outside. Quickly, he began to pedal like there was no tomorrow.
"Issei… needs a bike?" Elros asked, obviously amused by the sight. Rias and Akeno giggled as they watched him ride off into the night, which Issei obviously heard as he called back to them.
"HEY, DON'T LAUGH!" he yelled, his voice deadpan.
"Akeno, don't you have a contract as well?" Rias asked, noticing Akeno was still there.
"Mmm. Yeah, yes. Sorry, Rias. I'll see you two later, then" Akeno said with a smile as she opened up a magic circle and stepped into it.
"Do you take on contracts as well?" Elros asked Rias as they stepped back inside. Rias retook her seat and focused on a notebook open in front of her.
"Not often anymore. The last contract I did was helping Issei with one of his. Unfortunately, I have a lot of other things to keep me busy. I'm next in line as the head of the Gremory Household, so I spend most of my time learning how to best handle that - the business ventures, the political side, and everything around and in-between," Rias said with a sigh. She brought the pen she held in her fingers to her lips and bit it gently, lost in thought.
"You seem troubled," Elros said with a wry smile. He moved a bit closer and gently brushed some loose strands of hairs behind her ear. Rias looked down as he did so, trying to conceal her blush.
"Not troubled, it's just… I don't know. I told you that Devils place a lot on lineage. Part of that is marrying within different prominent Devil families to keep a pure blooded line continuing. Birth rates amongst Pure-Blooded Devils are down dramatically because there are so few of us left. My father had chosen a husband for me against my wishes, but that engagement was broken off after I refused to marry him and the others helped me. I know he meant well, and he was actually happy about the way things turned out - I don't think he particularly liked the other guy either, but like I said, they're a prominent family. I don't know if my dad will try again; there are some weird things about Devil culture. It's not always as simple or easy as saying no because that always leads to someone getting their honor or their ego hurt - and so it usually devolves into a fight. If they get another offer, they'll have to consider it. But beyond that, I'm a bit worried about the repercussions it had throughout the Devil world," Rias said with a sigh as she dropped her pen and hung her head in her hands. It was a stressful ordeal, and one she didn't want to go through gain. She didn't particularly care much about the power and egocentric plights of Pure-Blooded Devils; but it certainly made things a bit harder for her, her family, and her peerage. Suddenly, she felt Elros put his hands on either shoulder, leading gently against her chair. He began to massage them gently, a feeling that Rias enjoyed very much. She bit her lip lightly at the sensation and brought a hand to his, touching it gently. She looked up slightly and saw him giving her a warm smile that she couldn't help but return.
"I'm a believer of the greater good, but even beyond that - no certainly more important than that - freedom is paramount. I'm sure arranged marriages might work for some and that's fine. But there are even more for whom they won't work. Now, I'm not up to date on the politics, cultural standpoint, or other proclivities of Devil-kind, but I think you might be overestimating the impact of your refusal to marry the guy. Besides, in the end, there's always shifts of power. They'd come whether or not you decided to go ahead with the nuptials. One consistent thing that I've found in my travels is that everything is always in a flow and that flow is the unstoppable force. Nothing you can do about that. Besides, I get the feeling this guy was a real asshole," Elros said.
"Yeah, he was a pretty big jerk. Thought of me more as a prize than anything else," Rias said sadly. She felt his grip on her shoulders tighten slightly. Rias looked at him, worry in her eye. After a second, Elros relaxed his grip and looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I just can't stand people like that," Elros said.
"Nor can I," Rias said. Finally, she closed the book in front of her and began to get up. She turned to face him, a smile on her face.
"I'm going to go take a quick nap. Care to join?" Rias asked.
"I'm down. Do you guys have beds here as well?" Elros asked, looking around the ORC.
"No, I usually just go to the nurses. Come on," Rias said as she led him through the school and to the nurses room where a row of beds with curtains was set up. The windows and the drapes were open, allowing a nice crisp breeze to flow into the empty room, cooling it slightly. Elros grinned as he picked out a decent sized bed. Rias followed him inside, closing the curtains.
Elros took his blazer and shirt off, putting them neatly to the sides as he began to get situated on the bed. As he did so, however, he heard the distinct sound of clothes falling to the floor. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Rias who turned to face him. As she did so, Elros felt his breath catch and his heart skip a beat.
She was a sight to behold in all her glory. Her porcelain white skin was slightly illuminated by the strands of light that shone through the curtain, dancing on her skin as they lit her up. If Elros didn't know that she was a Devil, he would've sworn that an angel from on high had come to him. She had a gentle blush across her cheeks as her deep blue-green eyes looked at him with an unknown emotion - was it affection? Love? Lust? He couldn't discern, but there was certainly something there, he thought. Her beautiful crimson hair fell wildly around her, a veritable cape as it cascaded like a red waterfall down her back. There were some loose strands that fell in front around her - dare he say - perfect body. His eyes scanned down from her beautiful face to her slender neck and down to her chest. Her breasts were absolutely magnificent - perfectly shaped and symmetrical. The distance between them was just right. He noticed that her nipples were slightly erect, perhaps due to the temperature of the room or perhaps she was just nervous being there in such an open state with him. Her stomach was flat, taut, and toned - no doubt the result of her keeping a close eye on her figure. As her hands hung at her side, he was able to see that she was perfectly shaved - although he had no doubt that were she not, the carpet would no doubt match the drapes. He decided not to linger too heavily or long there, despite the fact that he certainly wanted to. His eyes continued to travel down her long, slender legs - one of the most perfect pairs that he had ever seen, with just the right amount of muscle. From her long legs to her luscious thighs to the slightest glisten on her womanhood to her flat stomach to her perfect breasts, to her beautiful face and finally to her wild hair, Rias was as close to perfection as anyone could possibly be. It was amazing, Elros thought, that someone so beautiful could exist, let alone be in all her glory in front of him after hardly knowing each other. As he met her gaze again, he noted that her stunning eyes were looking at him apprehensively, trying to discern his thoughts. Finally, Elros snapped out of his funk.
"Wow. Sorry for staring at you like that. It's just… you're… well… I'm not gonna mince words. You're perfect," Elros said sheepishly. Rias blushed brightly at that and looked away for a little while before finally turning to face him again.
"Thanks. Sorry… It's just that I can't sleep unless I'm naked," Rias said quietly with a smile. Elros chuckled at that as he moved slightly to make room for her to join him, composing himself rather quickly. Rias slowly got on the bed and rested her head on the pillow as she snuggled closer to him. As she did so, Elros couldn't help but grin at the motion and turned to face her. She had her hands clasped together in front of her chest as if she was praying. She looked into his eyes as saw that he was looking at her with his usual warm gaze. She decided to scoot a bit closer and soon, her head was gently resting against his chest. As she made contact, she let out a deep exhale of happiness. Elros reached out and put an arm at her back and brought her in even closer, surprising Rias a bit. She went with the motion leaned in even more until her breasts were pushing gently against his. As their bodies made further contact, Rias felt steam begin to come out of her ears. She buried her head a bit deeper into his chest, hoping to avoid any embarrassment. She felt him take a finger and trace it up her spine and back down; as he did so, a pleasurable sensation went down her back, making her shiver slightly.
"If you get uncomfortable, let me know and I can move," Elros whispered to her.
"I'm fine… Actually, this is really nice. How about you?" Rias asked, still looking at his chest. Her eyes flitted to his right pectoral where she saw the brand again. It certainly resembled a bird, she thought, with a fire like plumage.
"A beautiful woman is in bed with me; if I didn't know you were Devils, I'd say I was most certainly in Heaven," Elros said with a laugh. Rias smiled at that. She took her arm and put it around Elros as well, hugging him close to her just as much as he was hugging her to him. With one more comfortable sigh, Rias closed her eyes gently and drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Elros soon followed, allowing the darkness to take hold of him once more.
-o-
Elros's eyes shot open with a start, widening as he felt a cold sweat on his body. As he got his bearings, he remembered where he as: napping comfortably with the beautiful Rias Gremory sleeping nude next to him. He sat up ever so gently, being sure not to disturb Rias in her slumber. Rubbing his face, he tried to remember what he had just dreamed of.
Moments before waking up, Elros remembered seeing a blinding flash of yellow light.
"Yellow… Fear," he whispered to himself as he ran his hands over his face, wiping away some sweat. He tried to connect the dots of what led to his fall to Earth the day before. He knew that he was missing a few days from his memory, which meant he likely wasn't anywhere close to the Earth when it happened - but most likely on the correct trajectory. As he thought long and hard, he began to recall something - one thing, really - a flash of blinding yellow light. That's the last thing he remembered before he had lost consciousness and began his descent to his home planet. As he wracked his brains a bit further, nothing more came to him for the time being.
'It's a start,' he thought to himself as he looked behind him. As he saw Rias sleeping peacefully, he couldn't help but smile. He gently laid back down. As he did so, Rias unconsciously shifted in her sleep. She brought her head up and put it on his chest, grumbling and shifting a bit as she found a more comfortable position. He chortled as he heard her smack her lips slightly as she rested a hand on his chest as well, her wild red hair now flowing over him. Elros brought a hand to her head and gently began weaving it through her hair as he fell asleep again to the symphony of her gentle and peaceful breathing.
-o-
A long while later, Rias woke up. She noted that her position had shifted - from sleeping next to Elros, she was now sleeping almost atop him. She moved her hand gently across his stomach and chest, getting her bearings straight and blushed madly as she remembered where she was. Much like Akeno before, she took a moment to admire her position. As her hands flitted across his torso, she saw closely how well-defined he was. Across his stomach, his abdominal muscles were easily identifiable. Her fingers traced the grooves around each before they went back up to his chest. She frowned a bit as she saw the massive scar that ranged his front - easily more defining than anything else, it seemed. She traced the jagged edges of it, confident now that it was made by a sword. The skin felt rougher than the rest of his body, and it haunted her to think of how someone got a scar this large yet lived to tell about it - but that was a story for another day. She flitted her fingers across the brand as well, which felt like an embossing on his skin. She wondered why someone would do that to him - and why this brand in particular? There were so many questions on her mind; she hoped that she had the time to ask them all. Making sure not to make any sudden movements, she gently lifted herself off of him and stretched quietly. To her surprise, though, he was already awake, greeting her with a smile.
"Sleep well?" he asked quietly.
"I did, thank you. Yourself?" Rias asked as she rested her weight on her arm, smiling back at him.
"Kidding me? Slept like the dead. We should do this more often," Elros said as he walked a couple of fingers up her arm.
"We'll see," Rias said as she finally stood up and began to put her clothes on. Elros followed her lead. They soon left the nurses room and headed back to the ORC in silence, both of thinking over what had happened - Elros about the yellow light, and Rias about Elros. As they stepped into the building, they noted that only Akeno was there.
"Where are the others?" Rias asked as she looked around.
"They already headed back home for the night; the completed contracts are on your desk. Did you two have fun?" Akeno asked as she smiled sweetly at them, knowing where they had been. She couldn't help but feel a sense of jealousy as she figured what had gone on from the slight bit of dirt on Rias's clothes. Elros simply winked in reply while Rias smiled.
"So, Elros - how was your first day here?" Rias asked as she went over to stand by Akeno. His first day at Kuoh Academy was over and she would have an answer to her question by tomorrow; she was counting the very seconds.
"A hell of a day, that's for sure. Thanks for making it so great, you two. Like I said, I'll have an answer for you tomorrow by noon," Elros replied.
"Wonderful. Will you head back to Akeno's for the night?" Rias asked.
"As long as it's ok with her," Elros said, looking at Akeno.
"It's fine with me. You go on ahead, for now. I need to talk to Rias about something," Akeno said. Elros nodded and took his leave.
As he closed the door, Akeno turned to talk to Rias, but both suddenly saw a green light in their periphery. Glancing at each other, they both rushed out quickly to see what it was. As they opened the door, they saw Elros take flight. Like a speeding bullet, he shot into the air with extreme speed, leaving a strong impression on the ground below. He shot over like a green streak of lightning in the direction of Akeno's apartment, leaving her and Rias breathless at the sight.
"Wow," Akeno breathed as she saw the light dim.
"That's one way to put it. He's certainly something, isn't he?" Rias whispered. They looked at each other and smiled as they headed back into the ORC. As Rias took her seat, Akeno began speaking.
"So, sleeping with him already? So quick of you, Rias," she teased.
"You know it's not like that. I can't sleep unless I'm naked," Rias sighed, although she couldn't deny how wonderful it felt. She felt a blush creep on her as she remembered her breasts gently pushing against him.
"What about Issei?" Akeno asked. She knew how Issei felt about the girls in the group, but not all of them returned his feelings.
"He's more like a little brother than anything else. Like Gasper and Kiba. Besides, I think Asia is showing a heavy interest in him," Rias replied, smiling.
"And Elros?" Akeno asked. Rias didn't reply, deciding to deflect instead.
"Do you think he'll join?" Rias asked.
"I'm not sure, honestly. I can't comment on how powerful he is, considering we haven't seen any feats - but from surviving that fall to what he says his job entails, I think it's safe to assume that he packs a punch. More important than that, though, he seems like a really sweet guy as well. His heart seems to be in right place as far as I can tell, after seeing how he was with Gasper and Koneko. At the least, they seem to love him already," Akeno said with a smile.
"I agree. His power might be a concern to the other factions if he joins us. I don't think any of them have someone with his abilities. In fact, I don't ever recall hearing of someone with his abilities on Earth at all. There's some weird stuff we've heard about, but nothing about weird green glows. We'll have to do a bit more research on it, I think - but I think it's a safe bet that he's one of a kind. I hope none of the factions try anything, though. If he's as strong as I think he might be, they'll want a piece of him for themselves," Rias said with a sigh.
"We can deal with should it ever come down to it," Akeno said.
"Agreed. Now… do you trust him?" Rias asked, looking Akeno square in the eyes. The question had been on her mind since she asked Elros to join; she wondered if she might be moving too fast and doing the proper due diligence. She weighed that against the chances of someone like him existing and decided to play the odds nonetheless. She hoped dearly she was right in assessing his character.
"I do. I don't know why; I mean, we don't know him all that well and he introduced himself to us by destroying the farmhouse. But there's something that makes me trust him… a lot," Akeno said, blushing. Rias nodded; she felt the same sensation.
"Well, I suppose in any case, we'll have an answer by tomorrow. You should go get some rest as well," Rias said. Akeno nodded and took her leave.
Rias got up and went over to the couch as Akeno left and laid down on it, looking at the ceiling. Although she didn't show it, the recent event was heavy on her mind. She was surprised at herself for trusting Elros so readily. With everyone else she had brought on board, she had done copious amounts of research before they even knew of her presence; she knew what she was getting into. Elros, however, was an enigma to her - one that presented a fairly up front face about himself, though. He seemed as though he wore his heart on his sleeve, reacting on instinct as opposed to thinking things through before talking - that much was evident as she remembered how excited he got when Gasper told him that he was a Devil-Vampire who could stop time. Still, there was another side to him - one that was sweet and genteel, evidenced by how lax he was around everyone. His persona seemed to easily pierce through Koneko and Gaspers shells and they obviously liked him a great deal already. Even when she slept with him, he was a perfect gentleman - not trying anything while they slept, unlike Issei who likely would've tried to grope her. She closed her eyes and remembered taking off her clothes in front of him, letting him gaze at her; she remembered clambering into bed with him, pushing her naked body against his and letting his warmth engulf her. She felt another chill go down her spine as she recalled his finger moving up and down. As she recalled all that, she felt her own fingers trail down her body, from her lips to over her breasts, down her stomach and stopping as they reached the hem of her skirt. She hiked it up, revealing what she wore underneath. Her other hand went to her breast, squeezing it. With a gentle bite of her lip and Elros weighing heavily on her mind, she began going through the motions.
-o-
As Akeno entered her room, she saw that there was some tea set out for her on the counter, courtesy of Elros. She smiled and took a sip. As she did so, she was surprised that her tongue didn't shrivel up on the spot; it certainly had a… unique flavor to it. Nonetheless, she smiled at the gesture and took it into her bedroom, where Elros was already laying down, the sheer curtain pulled around him. As he heard the door close, he sat straight up and greeted her with his exuberant smile.
"Hey. Hope you're enjoying the tea. It's my first time preparing it," Elros said.
"It's… wonderful," Akeno lied as she took another sip with great trepidation and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling the curtain apart for a moment. Elros deadpanned as he saw that her eye twitched a bit at the taste, but didn't say anything; he obviously had a ways to go before he should try serving anyone else some tea again, he thought. Putting the tea on the nightstand, Akeno looked intently at him, searching his face. Elros returned the favor, a light smile on his lips as though he was treating it as a game. Finally, after several minutes, Akeno broached the silence.
"So, how was your day?" she asked, leaning a bit forward as she rested an elbow on her thigh and her face in an open hand, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Very enjoyable," he responded.
"I bet. Rias is really popular," Akeno said.
"As are you. I picked up on quite a bit of what the guys were saying when we got assigned the project. I think you two might have a religious following or something," Elros said with a chuckle.
"Boys will be boys," Akeno said with a sigh.
"Hey, who're you calling boy? I'm a man, damn it!" Elros said in mock frustration.
"Mhm, that you are," Akeno said with a giggle as she stood up again. Like Rias before, Akeno began to gently take off her clothes in front of Elros. He couldn't help but offer her an appreciative style as she uncovered for him. Much like Rias, Akeno was the absolute definition of perfection. There was a slight blush playing across her cheeks, the reddish tint a far cry from her striking violet eyes. As the school uniform fell away, more and more was revealed of what lay underneath. Like Rias before, her nipples were erect, although this time Elros was sure it had to do with his presence. Her breasts were a bit larger than Rias's but no less perfect in their shape and size. Like her best friend, her stomach was flat and tight; no doubt she kept herself fit. She too was perfectly groomed, with no hair to speak of out of place. She had slightly wide hips, enough to add all the right curves in all the right places. From her thighs down to her feet was a distance that any man would gladly give his life to cross. Elros felt as though his eyes had already traveled the length of the of the Milky Way before they finally ended on the floor. As they went back up, Akeno gave him a slight twirl. Much like with Rias before, Elros felt his heart skip a beat (maybe more) as he took it all in; the blemish-free back, with muscles that weren't too big or small; to one of the nicest, shapeliest asses that he had seen in his life. As she faced him again, he gazed once more upon her face, slightly illuminated by the moonlight. While she was as beautiful and stunning as Rias, there was a different quality to Akeno. Perhaps it was the fact that she seemed to be a bit more seductive that Rias? Or it might have been that she seemed a bit more mature? Elros couldn't identify it immediately, nor did he concern himself with it much for the moment; for in his presence was another angel, smiling on him from high. In fact, much like him, she seemed to always be smiling - but Elros noted that there was something behind the smile; what was it, though? He wondered until he looked deeply into her violet eyes, lost as she began to serenade him with her siren's voice.
"I can't let Rias have all the fun," she whispered to him as she clambered on the bed and crawled over him on to the other side. Elros laid back on the pillow while Akeno rested her head gently on his chest as she had done the night before. As their bodies touched, she felt a chill go through her. Slowly, he began to weave his hand through her hair gently.
'My goodness, he's so warm,' Akeno thought, the temperature more pronounced as she was now naked as well. She smiled as she felt her breasts push gently against him, wondering what emotion was going through his mind. She looked down to his jeans, wondering if she had drawn a reaction but the fabric made it to hard to tell. For now, she'd have to simply assume she did - after all, how could she not?
"You are absolutely stunning," was all Elros said as his eyes were fixated on the top of her head.
"Thanks," Akeno said as she blushed and smiled. Slowly, she began to close her eyes - she had to admit that she was more comfortable like this than she had been the night before - more comfortable like this than she could remember being in a long, long time. The way his fingers weaved through her hair and the way they unconsciously trailed her spine… it was an amazing sensation. She got slightly nervous, however, when they went down - always wondering how far he would risk them going. But, true to his word, Elros was a gentleman. He always caught them at exactly the right point before moving them up again. As they reached the upper-middle back on one of their sojourns, though, Akeno felt another sensation - this one not of pleasure, but of a slight fear. She quickly pushed the thought from her mind as she brought her attention back to where she was - feeling protected in the arms of someone she barely knew.
"Sweet dreams," she whispered as she soon fell asleep, Elros flying across and through her dreams.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone