Capítulo 4: First day of school part 2
This place is really nice," Elros said as he took in the sights. His head rapidly turned form side to side; he saw a park of in the distance with children swinging and climbing a rock wall as their parents looked on with smiles; not many cars, but plenty of bikes going up and down the roads; and of course, people hustling and bustling to get where they needed to be - a common sight on planets he visited. They soon veered off the path and went down a row of houses, each with a small gate and garden.
Is this anything like where you're from?" Akeno wondered.
"Nope. This place is nice," Elros said, avoiding the question as best he could. Akeno noted the deflection but decided to drop the matter for the moment.
"The town belongs to my family, so there's a big Devil presence here. We have some Angels and Fallen Angels as well, but they usually stay out of the way. It's a tentative peace, but still peace," Rias said.
"And recently we've been trying to make it work. The leaders of the Three Factions got together to strike a peace and we're trying to keep it going. That means that we have to try an coexist in a town like this. One of the advisors to the ORC - the Occult Research Club - is governor general of the Fallen Angels, Azazel," Akeno explained.
"What's he like?" Elros wondered.
"Don't ask us. We've no idea what goes through that mans head," Rias sighed.
"Sorry if I get you guys into any trouble," Elros sighed.
"Not at all. Let's stop by the ORC first before we had to school. Some of the others should be there," Rias said.
"Sounds good to me," Elros said cheerfully. "So - what's high school like?"
"Hmm… I'm not sure how to describe it, honestly," Rias said. It wasn't something she ever had to think about.
"Classes, clubs, and for us - some other extra stuff. Same as anywhere," Akeno said.
"Guess it might be to late for me to join a club or something," Elros said.
"You could probably get in somewhere if you tried. You're already part of the ORC, at least," Rias said as they finally reached the building.
As they entered, they found Koneko, Gasper, and Asia assembled, sitting comfortably on the couches. Sitting in Rias's usual high-backed chair, however, was a man that Elros didn't recognize. His hair was blond except for the black that topped it; his goatee was sharply cut and he had a grin on his face as the three entered. Wearing a red cloak over a black button down shirt, black pants, and red shoes, Elros couldn't help but smile at the power that radiated off him; he wasn't someone to mess around with.
"Ah! You must be Elros. I heard about your entrance last night from Rias's dad. That was something else," the man said, grinning at Elros.
"Word spreads fast but thank you. I certainly try to be as dramatic as possible," Elros said with a laugh. Rias stepped in front of Elros, a hard look in her eyes as she looked at Azazel.
"To be clear, Azazel, Elros is with me," Rias said in a decisive tone.
"Wow. You sure work fast," Azazel said with a laugh. Rias blushed bright red at that.
"Not like that! You know what I mean!" she said exasperatedly. Azazel winked at Elros who simply smiled in return.
"Don't worry, Rias. I'm not going to make a move on your boyfriend. In fact, I'll even hold off on seeing what his power is until he makes the choice of whether he'll join you guys. I just wanted to see what the next big thing looked like," Azazel said as he got up.
"And what do you think?" Elros asked curiously.
"I'll have to wait until I see what you're all about, my friend. Until then," Azazel said as he left the room.
"That man…," Rias sighed in exasperation. She didn't like dealing with Azazel if she could help it. They didn't notice Gasper come up to Elros, looking up at him.
"Hey, Elros?" Gasper suddenly asked nervously.
"What's up, Gasper?" Elros asked with a kind smile as he squatted down to his height.
"Do you think we could play around later?" Gasper asked.
"Sure. What'd you have in mind?" Elros asked with a grin. Gasper smiled wide at that.
"I have this Nintendo 3DS we can take turns on!" Gasper said excitedly.
"It's been a while since I played any Nintendo. Hell yeah, sounds good to me. I'll come over during lunch, alright?" Elros said as he ruffled his hair. Gasper nodded excitedly as he ran to his room.
-o-
Rias and Akeno led Elros out and towards the main campus building, just a short jaunt away. They couldn't help but smile wide at how Elros interacted with Gasper. Gasper was always extremely shy, even amongst members of the peerage - so to see him interacting so happily and readily with Elros was not just a huge surprise, but something cheerful for them all to witness.
"That was really sweet of you," Akeno said as she brought her hand up to the back of Elros's head, gently stroking his hair.
"What was?" Elros asked as he looked at her, confused.
"Playing with Gasper. He has a hard time connecting with people other than Issei and Koneko. It's nice to have another friend for him to play with. I don't think he's ever warmed up to anyone so quickly," Akeno said with a fond smile.
"He's a good kid. Plus, a fucking Devil-Vampire with the ability to stop time. Come on - that's fucking awesome," Elros said with a massive grin.
Elros surmised that the school had a large campus. They crossed a short bridge that led to the entrance where students had already begun passing through. A dark red brick wall encircled the length of the school, topped with menacing iron spikes. A short circular garden surrounded a beautiful fountain in the middle; it stood in front of the main building.
"So, what do you think?" Akeno asked as they crossed the threshold.
"Oh, this is perfect," Elros said with a grin as he noticed that the male to female ratio skewed in favor of the fairer sex.
"Well, it used to be an all-girl school. We only recently started allowing guys in. After all, you're a bad influence," Akeno said teasingly.
"Well, that might be true if all the other guys are like Issei. However, you will find that I'm a perfect gentleman," Elros said.
"Mhm," Akeno hummed sweetly.
"I'm offended that you don't believe me," Elros said dramatically.
"Weren't you feeling me up just before we left my place?" Akeno wondered.
"That was me being a gentlemen. Are you going to tell me you didn't enjoy it?" Elros wondered as he undid his arm from Akeno's and pulled her in close. She blushed but smiled, eliciting a giggle from Rias.
"Is this being a gentleman?" She asked quietly.
"You tell me," Elros replied, just as quiet. The two looked at each other passionately before Rias cleared her through, snapping them out of their funk.
"You two can flirt later," she said.
"No time better than the present," Elros said.
"Apparently the other girls agree," Akeno giggled as she picked up on a few conversations.
"Who is that?" a beautiful blonde whispered to her friend, looking Elros up and down. Elros noticed and winked in her direction, earning him a smile.
"Dunno. New transfer?" her friend responded as she licked her lips sensually. Elros flashed her a quick smile as well.
"Oh, come on! Rias AND Akeno?" A guy complained as he saw his arms around the two beauties.
"You know him?"
"Like hell I do. Looks new. Schools almost over, anyways. What's the point of transferring in now?"
"Seriously. What is this, a goddamn anime?"
"I really should've changed before coming, I guess. I'm so underdressed and it looks like the rumor mills already started," Elros said.
"I guess not. You're a handsome guy, though. You'll probably get the attention of a few girls here," Akeno said with a giggle.
"Ah well, in that case - the more the merrier, right?" he asked. Rias and Akeno simply turned red at that, deciding not to answer his question. "If you ladies will excuse me, I think I-,"
"Nope. We're getting you a uniform first. You can flirt later," Rias sighed. They led him to a room that served as a large closet. Several uniforms were hung on a wheeled rack that was against the wall. Disentangling his arms from Rias and Akeno for the moment, Elros quickly took his shirt off and tossed it to the side, his jeans and shoes following. Rias and Akeno admired his body yet again before their looks hardened, focused on the tattoo and scar.
"I'm guessing you two have a few questions?" he asked as he flipped through the rack, looking for something in his size.
"We understand if you don't talk to talk about it," Akeno said quickly.
"I don't get asked about it often. But if you want to, ask. I'll answer what I can. Not saying I'll go into everything right now, though," Elros said as he pulled off some slacks.
"The tattoo. Why did you get it?" Rias asked. 'Fortuna Audaces Iuvat' was written in a large, bold typeface across the back, cutting through the 'X' scar; it most certainly came after it. She wondered why he would get it in such a sensitive area.
"Mostly to serve as a reminder. Sometimes, one needs a small nudge in this particular direction to get something done. The tattoo does it for me, I guess," Elros replied.
"Why did you get it after getting that scar? It seems to be a sensitive area," Rias continued.
"I just didn't want it anywhere else," Elros replied sheepishly.
"What about… the scar?" Akeno asked. Elros stopped moving for a moment. Rias and Akeno glanced at each other nervously, waiting for something to break the silence.
"I got it on a mission a while ago," Elros finally replied as he pulled a shirt on.
"Were you successful?" Akeno asked uncertainly.
"No, I wasn't," Elros replied simply.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean too bring up any bad memories," Akeno said worriedly.
"No, it's fine. Like I said, go ahead and ask," Elros said, turning and smiling at them. Rias and Akeno smiled back, but they noticed something in his smile; unlike the cheerful one he had had since he woke up the night before, this one was much sadder - as though he was forcing it.
"You have a lot of smaller scars. Where did you get them?" Akeno asked.
"Torture," Elros replied nonchalantly as he picked out a black tie and tied it carefully around his neck. As he answered, Rias and Akeno exchanged another nervous glance; his tone of voice in responding was unnerving.
"They're really small. What I mean to ask is…," Rias trailed off, wondering how best to approach the subject.
"How long ago did I get them?" Elros asked for her.
"Yeah," Rias responded.
"Hmm… probably when I was four or five years old, I think," Elros replied.
"What?" Rias asked in shock.
"Who'd torture a child?!" Akeno asked, her anger flaring. Rias looked at her own friend in worry; she knew about her troubled past. Gently, Rias rested a hand on her shoulder. Akeno looked at Rias and nodded, calming down although she was still silently seething. Elros noted as well and turned out, worry evident in his eye.
"Are you alright?" he asked, the infection evident in his voice as well.
"Yeah. Sorry. It just… surprised me," Akeno said. Elros could tell she wasn't telling him the whole truth but nodded nonetheless; now wasn't the time to prod.
"But Akeno is right… who'd torture you at such a young age?" Rias asked.
"That I'd rather not answer just yet if it's all the same to you two," Elros replied.
"Of course," Rias said quickly. She hoped that they would have plenty of time later to learn more about him.
"I think that's enough for now," Akeno said, looking at Rias who nodded.
"You sure?" Elros asked, surprised the questioning ended so quickly.
"Yeah. I hope we'll have more time to talk about those things later," Rias said. The hint didn't go unnoticed by Elros, who smiled as he turned to face them. They smiled appreciatively as they went over and gave him another once over, much like they did while he was wearing his Green Lantern uniform.
"What do you think? You like?" he asked as he pulled his blazer slightly forward and stretched out a bit, getting comfortable in his new clothes.
"Definitely handsome," Akeno said, taking his arm again. Rias nodded in agreement as she took the other. The three walked out and began to head in the direction of their classroom. As they did so, they attracted more stares in the hallways, mostly from girls who were looking at the new kid. It wasn't long before two approached them - however, they spoke to Rias first.
"Hello, Rias," the woman greeted. Elros deduced that she and Rias were friends, judging from how happy they looked to see each other. The woman had soft, beautiful features, Elros thought - with black hair falling gently around her face in a bob cut, down to her shoulders. She had striking violet eyes, covered with purple-rimmed glasses. She was accompanied by another gorgeous woman - also bespectacled, with aquamarine rimmed glasses covering her heterochromatic eyes - a violet left eye and light brown right eye. Her hair was as long as Akenos, falling all the way down her back, just slightly past her calves. Both ladies looked at Elros for a moment, neither smiling nor frowning - merely in interest. Elros, however, grinned wide at both of them.
"Hello, Sona. How are you?" Rias asked.
"Well. I wanted to speak to you about something in private. Do you have a moment?" Sona asked.
"Certainly. Let's speak in here," Rias said, leading Sona into an empty adjacent room. Akeno and Elros meanwhile were left with the other woman.
"How are you, Tsubaki?" Akeno asked pleasantly.
"I'm well, Akeno. Yourself?" Tsubaki responded.
"Just as well. Showing our newest transfer around," Akeno said as she hugged Elros's arm a bit closer to hers.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss. Elros Eärendil," Elros said as he extended a hand to her.
"The pleasure is mine. Tsubaki Shinra," she responded, finally giving him a small smile.
"So what did Sona want to see Rias about? Do you know?" Akeno asked.
"I do," Tsubaki said as she looked sideways at Elros who simply smiled in response; he had a feeling he knew.
The three stood in silence as they waited for Rias and Sona to emerge, which they finally did after several minutes.
"So you must be Elros. My name is Sona Sitri," Sona said, smiling lightly at him as she held out a hand.
"I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, miss," Elros said as he bowed slightly to her, brushing his lips against her hand. Sona was obviously caught off guard by his approach, evident from her blushing a deep red. She apparently wasn't accustomed to such treatment from strangers. The others were no less caught off guard; Tsubaki, Akeno, and Rias all turned a different shade of red; Elros for his part just smiled on.
"My apologies. I didn't think that would be so offensive. Obviously, I misjudged," he said cheerfully as he looked around, not apologetic at all.
"You don't sound particularly apologetic," Tsubaki said after a short pause. He simply shrugged in response.
"Moving on! Rias has just informed me of what happened last night," Sona said, still blushing as she flustered to move on to her point.
"Yeah, I surmised as much. I take it you have questions as well, Miss Sitri?" Elros asked.
"Please, just call me Sona. And yes, I do. However, Rias has asked me to hold off on any until you've made your decision as to whether or not you will join her peerage. So until then, I've nothing to ask," Sona said.
"That works with me. So I take it that you two are Devils as well?" Elros asked, looking between her and Tsubaki.
"Indeed. I'm from the Sitri Clan and Tsubaki here is a part of my peerage; my Queen, in fact. The rest of my peerage also consists of some other students here," Sona said.
"Are there many Devils in the school?" Elros asked.
"A fair few. Most of the students are human, however; and ignorant of our existence. We'd prefer to keep it that way. It does get a bit difficult when a large green glow is cast over the entire town, though," Sona said, looking over her glasses with a critical eye.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Elros said sheepishly.
"It's fine. Just make sure it doesn't become a regular sighting. That's all I wanted to say for now. Until you make a decision, Elros," Sona said before she walked off with Tsubaki. Elros watched them go, a small smile on his face before he continued walking with Rias and Akeno.
"I never knew that Sona could blush like that," Akeno giggled as she remembered him kissing her hand.
"Neither did I. It seems like you had an effect on her," Rias said to Elros.
"I tend to have that effect on women. Don't think I didn't notice both of you blushing as well," Elros said with a chuckle as he unraveled his arm from theirs and put it around their shoulders, bringing them in. Rias and Akeno whined slightly as they gently punched him.
"So, what do you think so far?" Rias wondered.
"This school is pretty nice," Elros said as he looked around the cavernous main hall as they walked to their classroom.
"It's state of the art, except the pool. That needs some work," Rias said with a sigh.
"We should probably clean it out. With the help that Sona and the others gave us with Kokabiel, it's the least we can do," Akeno said.
"Agreed," Rias said, nodding.
"Kokabiel?" Elros asked in interest.
"A Fallen Angel. We had a fight with him recently. We won, but needed help from Vali Lucifer, another Devil - and an extremely strong one at that. That reminds me, when Vali hears about you…," Rias said with a sigh as she rubbed her temples. Elros comfortingly rubbed her back. Rias felt a shiver go down her back. She enjoyed the touch and motion very much.
"Yeah, Vali's obsessed with fighting strong people. He wields Albion, the Vanishing Dragon - the counterpart and rival to Ddraig, which is Issei's dragon. He'll probably end up trying to challenge you when he finds out," Akeno said. Elros sighed deeply at that.
"As much as fighting is a part of the job description, I think I'd prefer to avoid them wherever possible. I'd much prefer a peaceful solution. It's usually always better for everyone involved," Elros said.
"We all would," Rias agreed.
Finally, he and Akeno led Elros to their classroom, where much of the class was already assembled. As they entered, the teacher greeted them happily - particularly Elros - and asked him to give the class a short introduction.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Elros Eärendil. I'm a new transfer here, from California. I hope to get to know you all very well over the year. Or… well, what's left of it," Elros said as he grinned at his new classmates. He weaved through the desks, shaking hands here and there. He took a seat near the window in the far back right corner, next to Rias and behind Akeno, who turned to look at him with a smile on her face.
"You said you're from California, right?" Akeno asked.
"Yup. Beautiful, sunny California," Elros said with a smile.
"Whereabouts in particular?" Akeno wondered.
"A few miles southeast of a small city called Crater," Elros responded.
"Crater? That's an unusual name," Rias said, wracking her brains. She had never heard of a city called Crater - but considering she never went to California, it probably wasn't all that surprising.
"Where are you two from?" Elros asked, noting that he hadn't asked anyone that.
"Well, I was born in the Underworld, but everyone thinks that I'm from Europe," Rias answered quietly, leaning in to answer.
"And I was born and raised here in Japan," Akeno answered.
"Seems like Devils really do come from all walks of life," Elros said as he leaned back with a smile and looked out the window to his right, looking at the mountains. Finally, the teacher began to talk and they all settled in for the hours ahead.
-o-
"So what do you think?" Rias wondered as they left class.
"So far so good. Was only kind of boring," Elros said cheerfully.
"Everything must be when you're used to flying around space," Akeno said with a smile.
"Not at all. Last night was pretty exciting," he said happily, putting his arm around her. Akeno giggled and leaned in, as Rias did on the other side.
"Where are Issei, Asia, Xenovia, Koneko, and Kiba?" Elros wondered.
"They're in class right now," Akeno answered.
"Did you enjoy class overall, though?" Rias asked.
"Probably more than I should've, honestly," Elros replied, the boredom notwithstanding.
"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…' she thought, her mind 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, that should be fun," Elros said cheerfully.
"Glad you think so," Rias said with a smile as they finally entered the ORC. 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 dick 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," 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 walk 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'm going to stick around here for a while, so we can continue later, alright? I promise," he said kindly as he continued patting her head. Koneko thought on that for a moment before she smiled and nodded before heading into her room.
"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 five 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 most people choose to. I can only think of one person that chose not to be a Lantern," Elros said.
"Why didn't they?" Akeno wondered.
"He had stuff to take care of on his world. Otherwise, though, it's an honor," 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. Red rings are powered by rage; all of the wielders have had... pretty terrible lives or they've somehow tapped into the rage they always people; they're all pretty pissed off at moments of time, although some have short moments of clarity. 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 with 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.
"Got it. I'm gonna take the long way, though. Don't wait up, alright?" Elros said.
"Mmkay. If you get lost, just call, ok?" Akeno said.
"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Rias asked nervously.
"I'll be fine," Elros said, gently patting her shoulders. "Just going to grab something to eat and do a bit of sightseeing. Already have Akeno's place in my ring."
"Alright. Have fun," she said. Elros bowed dramatically before taking his leave.
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 soon," Rias sighed.
"Yeah. So… have you heard from her yet?" Akeno asked, frowning.
"No," Rias said, rubbing her brows. Raynare and her friends had so far eluded capture.
"Do you think they might go after Issei again?" Akeno asked.
"I don't think so. They're not that stupid," Rias said.
"Do you think Azazel's protecting them?" Akeno wondered.
"I had thought about it, but I don't think so. I think he's more concerned about finding peace than anything else. He wouldn't do anything to mess that up. I think they're just laying low for now," Rias said.
"What do you want to do after we find her?" Akeno asked.
"What do you mean?" Rias wondered.
"Do you just want to get rid of her? Or do you think Issei should do it?" Akeno asked.
"Why would Issei want to do it?" Rias asked, frowning.
"You remember what she did to him. He des-," Akeno began before stopping, looking down at her hands. She felt a sudden surge of anger but quickly suppressed it. "He deserves closure."
"I know what you're saying, Akeno," Rias said gently. "I'll think about it. You might be right. But get some rest for now, alright? We'll talk more about it later."
Akeno nodded. Giving Rias a hug, she quickly left through a portal.
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 pleasurable motions.
-o-
"Are you alright? You look lost."
Elros turned and felt his breath catch. A beautiful sharp eyed, black aired beauty wearing a stunning black dress looked at him with violet eyes, her lips curved into a smile.
"I think I just might be. Kind of embarrassing considering I told my friends I'd be alright," Elros said. She giggled before joining him at his side.
"Need help?"
"I wouldn't want to keep you," Elros said.
"Not at all. I just got stood up so I don't really have anything else to do," she sighed.
"Who's stupid enough to do that?" Elros wondered.
"I'm not sure whose the stupid one in this case," she sighed. "What do you say?"
"Happily, if you're willing," Elros said, smiling. "I'm Elros, by the way."
"Rayne," she replied, offering her hand. Elros kissed it, eliciting a charming smile from her.
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