Ch 6: Sacred Training Regimens
Julian
"Ok, Miss Gasper, here's what we're going to do~!"
The diminutive girl nervously swallows and interrupts me with, "Y-you can just call me Gasper, L-Lord Esperanto!"
"Oh? Well in that case, Gasper...you can just call me Julian."
Unable to resist the allure of a bit of teasing I bend down next to her pointed ear and whisper, "Although feel free to call me Lord Esperanto when we're role-playing..."
To my disappointment she just tilts her head and asks, "Role-playing?"
...Dammit, that expression is way too cute for it's own good. Like a puppy trying to translate what it's master is saying to it.
"Never mind, I can explain later. For now, let me show you what we'll be doing for your Sacred Gear training. Do you know the specifics of what your Gear can do?"
She winces at my question and I belatedly realize she's very much aware of what it is and what it can do.
She did basically come out her mother's womb and promptly devour her.
Good going, idiot.
Thankfully she seems to shake herself out of the brief trip down memory lane and professionally-if a tad reservedly-explains, "Forbidden Balor View can let me stop time in an area around me, which I can then move around in. And there's...something else it can do, but...I-"
"If you're not comfortable talking about it, don't. I think we've got plenty enough on our plate working with the timestop. On that note, follow me, Gasper."
As we walk out to the garden I pause to give the Dhampire a closer look, still making the mental adjustment that this version of Gasper has some noticeable differences from the canon one.
Still shy, sure...but nowhere near the level other Gasper had, not to mention has a brave streak that comes out far more often.
…
That, and some of the more feminine features.
Granted, original Gasper was basically a girl aside from the whole lack of boobs and having a penis...but this Gasper has a small-yet shapely-bust and longer hair, the combination of traits really making her stand out in a crowd.
...The fact that she's wearing another black dress-this one with a far shorter skirt and no back-just makes her an 11/10.
I'm just glad she had the sensibility to wear flats instead of heels or something along those lines, she'll be moving a fair amount this session.
"Alright, here we are."
The tiny Dhampires eyes light up as she notices we're back in the section of the garden that has the Daffodils, the plants a riot of soothing yellows and whites.
I'd remembered her enjoyment of these flowers when she and Valerie arrived yesterday and figured they would be a nice location to practice with her Gear.
"Wait here for a minute, I'll get what we need. Feel free to look around while I do."
A quick jaunt over to one of the storage sheds reveals my main method of getting Gasper to learn the ins-and-outs of her Sacred Gear.
…
A machine most Devils use for parties, of all things.
Grinning like a loon I heft the few hundred pounds of machinery without breaking a sweat and head back towards my Dhampire Pawn, resisting the urge to smile as I find her with her eyes closed, one of the flowers cupped beneath her nose and an expression of utmost contentment on her porcelain features.
...She's far more beautiful than any of these flowers, if one were to ask me.
I lock a regretful sigh behind my teeth and instead continue forward.
There'll be plenty of time to woo the pretty young woman later, for now it's business hours.
"All right, Gasper, here we go!"
I set the thing down with a loud thud, the Dhampire leaving the flower behind and staring at the device with equal parts curiosity and trepidation.
"U-umm...what does it do?"
I give the metal a loud smack, the Dhampire jumping in surprise-coincidentally causing her skirt to flare slightly and afford me a brief glimpse of her midnight panties-as I explain, "This, my dearest Pawn, is what Devil Society affectionately call, React Quick or Get Electric! It's a popular party game where a variety of objects pop up from these various holes, the goal being to successfully grab your given object before time runs out. If you can't, or pick the wrong one, you get shocked by a little jolt of electricity. Makes for a pretty brutal drinking game..."
Gasper swallows nervously at my explanation, prompting me to chuckle and reassure her with, "Relax, you won't be getting shocked. Rather, I have a different purpose for this in mind."
A flick of a switch has the thing come to life, the internal Magic battery going strong.
"I want you to stand around five or so steps away and pick one of the random shapes that you want. Once you see it, use your Gear to stop time long enough to walk over, grab it and then walk back to your starting position. Can you do that?"
The Dhampire swallows nervously but gives a firm nod regardless, announcing more to herself than me, "Y-yes! I can do this! Ok, here we go..."
With different objects popping up every second-and-a-half like a game of whack-a-mole Gasper concentrates, seemingly halting all movement in favor of focusing…
And then my brain hurts.
From what I remember in canon people with a certain level of power (or something along those lines, Issei was unaffected despite supposedly having shit Demonic Power whereas Rias was frozen) can remain safe from the Gears influence.
I must straddle the line because when Forbidden Valor View activates and Gasper goes to retrieve the object she picked...it's like watching a stop-motion video, or a poorly animated skit.
Her body seems to twitch, skipping frames as she moves as I'm repeatedly exposed to her Gear's power, breaking free and then being affected all over again.
Christ it's disorienting!
Regardless of my headache or not Gasper seems ecstatic, holding up her prize-a plastic circle-while panting and eagerly shows me the results of her efforts.
"L-look, Julian! I did it, and on my first try!"
Unable to help myself I pick up the little Dhampire in my arms and squeeze, her svelte form crushed up against my own as I congratulate her with, "Excellent! I didn't expect you to do so well so quickly! I think we can just go ahead and up the difficulty now, as a matter of fact."
The slip of a girl noticeably stiffens in my arms.
"T-there's more?"
"Of course! That was the slowest interval you could key into the machine, there's 12 other speed settings that I want you to master~!"
Her already white skin pales.
"H-huh?! Twelve?!"
I can't resist rubbing my cheek against hers, practically purring at her adorableness as she blushes.
"Relax, you already did excellently, no pressure! Practice makes perfect."
I regretfully set her down before glancing at the rest of the gardens, curiously asking, "Hey, Gasper, where's Valerie?"
"U-um...s-she's still, er...asleep."
I raise an eyebrow and look at the Dhampire who has a near panic attack.
"I-I'm sorry, I tried to wake her up and I thought she did but I guess she went back to sleep so-"
My raised hand cuts her off as I reassuringly smile, amicably replying, "Easy does it, Gasper. I'll just go wake her up myself while you practice here. I'll check back in a few hours, feel free to head inside if you need anything, the appliances can show you around if you ask them."
"O-okay!"
She turns her attention back to the machine as I head inside, already pleased with the results of my unconventional training methods.
In canon I remember them throwing balls at Gasper in an attempt to get him to learn better control, not an entirely bad idea.
But I like my own better.
With this she'll also have to work on varying levels of reaction speed and activation of her Sacred Gear, not to mention having to become comfortable moving with it active.
We can focus on area-of-effect training later, it's all about the baby steps…
…
And speaking of 'training later' I think it's time I visit a rather sleepy Bishop of mine.
"Rise and shine, Miss Valerie! It's a bright day out and we've got stuff to do!"
I yank open the shuttered blinds and let the bright blue sky-sans sun-stream in through the window, prompting the bundled sack of sleepy Dhampire to whine and retreat further into the covers.
Like a worm in an apple, really.
"C'mon now, you got all of yesterday night and a fair portion of this morning to rest! Tell you what, we've got a nice breakfast spread downstairs, doesn't that sound awesome?"
More sleepy whimpers of displeasure.
I shake my head in amusement, walking over and ripping the covers off of her-
-and feel my eyes bulge alongside something else.
Clad only in a crimson, see-through gown and curled in on herself the image before me is...exciting.
The red perfectly compliments gold-blonde hair, the curves of her body are...soft, for lack of a better term.
Her rear naturally draws my eye. Not overly big or small, not taut or flabby...just a sexy ass that looks like it would be real fun to lightly fondle-
-whoa slow down there, Julian. You have weeks and months and years ahead of you to indulge in sexy time, you can hold off for today.
Putting aside my instinctive lust I gently shake the Dhampire's shoulder, the young woman grumbling out, "Vampires are nocturnal..."
"Sorry, but you're a Dhampire, that excuse doesn't fly. I'll get an ice cube if I have to."
At that particular warning she adorably growls and slowly sits up, knuckling her eyes and blearily glancing towards me.
...And providing me a front-and-center view of her shapely tits, perky globes that straddle the line between B and C-cups, the crimson material of her gown giving them an extra dosing of 'erotic'.
Now she can't just go showing me that and expect me not to do anything!
…
But since 'nothing' is what I already told myself I'm going to do, I guess I'm something of a liar.
I regretfully drag myself out of my fantasies-
-and find Valerie now staring at me with something approaching comprehension, a blush gradually coloring her cheeks as she slowly pulls the blankets up around her perfect figure.
"Uhm...my apologies about showing you such an unseemly sight, Lord Esperanto..."
"Believe you me, there was nothing 'unseemly' about that image."
She flushes at my compliment, shifting from where she's kneeling on the bed and cutely replying, "O-oh! That's, umm...very kind you to say, Lord Esperanto."
"You don't have to be so formal, calling me Julian is perfectly fine. In return can I call you Valerie?"
She considerably brightens at my abandonment of formality, happily replying, "Of course, I'd like that very much, Julian!"
...Ok, I can't entirely hold myself back any longer.
I lean forward, gently cupping her chin as I whisper, "Once we're more...familiarwith each other you can call me Lord Esperanto..."
The combination of my Draconic Aura, influence of Outlier Piece and just the general fact that she's a little groggy from waking up leaves her squirming in delight, cupping her cheeks and giggling.
"Now now, Julian, you can't just go telling a young lady things like that, they might get the wrong idea about what you mean~!"
I honestly smile at her reply. As much fun as Vallian's Tsundere Lite and Gasper's evident shyness is...it's also nice to see how playful and flighty Valerie acts when I lay on the charm.
I can probably be a bit more frisky with her, then.
Sitting on the edge of the bed and picking her up in my arms I set the Dhampire on my lap, her gown only coming to her thighs and letting her bare legs softly wrap around my waist, the girl flushing quite a bit even as she shifts to get more comfortable.
...Gods the insides of her thighs are warm…
"I know precisely what I mean, Valerie. And just in case you didn't notice, I think you are extraordinarily beautiful. Add in your natural charm and humor and I think I could come to be...infatuated with you..."
She shivers before carefully asking, "That sounds...nice. But what of Lady Lucifer? Is she not-"
"Oh, she would love to bend you over and make love to you, Valerie. Just as much as I would, matter of fact..."
Her already red skin gains an extra shade of crimson or three.
"S-she would?! And, I mean...you would also?"
What with the Outlier Pieces slowly molding my companions personalities in subtle ways, of exposing them to the idea of loving myself as well as each other?
Well, with the unexpectedly fast work the Pieces seem to be doing, Vallian and the rest might be all over each other as soon as a month or two…
"Of course we would, Gasper as well. We're all going to be spending who knows how long with each other, why not enjoy every possible facet of such a relationship?"
Valerie nervously swallows, leaning into my embrace as she whispers, "That...that sounds nice, very nice...but..."
"But?"
"I-it's just so sudden. Not a day ago me and Gasper were treated like slaves, baggage that nobody wanted...and now you're telling me that we could live as long as we want among people that will actually love us? It's...it's like a dream."
I can only nod in sympathy, understanding where she's coming from.
Lord only knows I'd been waiting for the other shoe to drop when I first came to the world of DxD, to wake up and find it was all a wild mental adventure brought on by a sugar coma…
I lean forward and softly kiss Valerie's cheek, telling her, "Then take as much time as you need to adjust to the fact that this is no dream. In the interim, it's high time we got to practicing with your Sacred Gear, young lady. I'm beginning to think you're just keeping me here for your own amusement..."
Responding in kind the Dhampire pouts, crossing her arms under her bust-wow that is hot-and whines, "Aww, you found out!"
We chuckle as I regretfully set her aside, stating, "I'll be outside in the courtyard, we can begin practice there."
"Ok, I'll be there before you can blink!"
Shaking my head I exit the room...and make a quick stop at the bathroom in order to douse myself in cold water.
"So how familiar are you with your Sacred Gear?"
Now changed into a flattering-yet modest-outfit of tight jeans and purple blouse Valerie gives a slightly bitter smile, quietly replying, "Very familiar, unfortunately. My family-when they weren't pretending I didn't exist-seemed all too happy to find out if Sephiroth Graal could be used to benefit them in some manner...it was not the greatest of introductions to a power one is born with."
I nod, making a mental note to schedule a raid on the Tepes stronghold and murder a few select individuals before grabbing my instruction aids.
"We'll start off slow and steady then. What sort of changes can you affect using your Gear?"
Valerie gives the bowl of fish, potted plant and bag of rocks a curious glance.
"Not much, honestly. I can 'sense' objects, for lack of a better term...but actually changing things about them is currently beyond my reach. I never attempted to practice lest my 'family' try to force me to do something I didn't wish to."
"Completely understandable. Let's start off easy then, for now I want you just try changing the color of the fish and plants, if that works maybe give them something simple, like a tail or different shaped petal."
Valerie nods, looking far more confidant at my simple instructions before curiously squinting at the rocks.
"What are those for?"
I smile, proud of this particular train of thought.
"I'm curious just how far your ability to 'communicate and alter' life extends. All things in the world are made from similar building blocks, after all. Or does something need to have a certain level of thought process before it can be affected by your Gear? See if you can change something about the rocks, or even just 'talk' to them if you can."
Valerie seems far more contemplative now, obviously just as intrigued as I am by that possibility.
"Very well, Julian, I will start right away! We're still going to see these 'movies' tonight, correct?"
That last bit is asked with such a puppy-like expression that I'm glad that was indeed the plan, otherwise I would have caved immediately.
"We sure are. I'll check back in a few hours, see you then."
She idly waves before focusing on the fish, evidently lost in her own little world.
…
I can't wait to see if she can actually affect things like stone or metal.
I mean, imagine the possibilities!
Yumi's swords being further enhanced is an obvious example...but what if she can alter Vallian and Isanna's Sacred Gears?
HOLY SHIT.
If she ends up being able to do that it could become the most broken thing this universe has ever seen, what with the various 'weaknesses' each Gear has being removed or outright negated?
Heh heh heh...I love this new life.
…
Speaking of my Queen, I wonder how her training is coming along...best be paying her a visit next.
Such a warm and fuzzy chapter...like typing out the qualities of a kitten's belly fur~!
...
All manner of injury is acceptable as long as you get to pet a kitten's tummy, that softness is worth whatever potential mauling your hand goes through.