Ordinary Life
By: Aviantei
Chapter Fifteen
On most days, Whiskey was the first one up in the dorm room, sneaking in some early morning studying (if she was feeling ambitious) or a few anime episodes that had aired far too late to watch life (which tended to be more often the case). But on the morning following the Naeberius attack, Mocha awoke first to the sunlight streaming in through the windows. Beside her on their combined futons, Whiskey was still dead asleep, while Ruma was snoring, sprawled out in all directions with an arm and leg both intruding on Whiskey's territory. Mocha kept her giggle quiet as she eased out of her blankets.
Whiskey-chan's probably tired from fighting that demon last night, and it's near impossible to wake Ruma-chan up when she doesn't have to. Since Okumura-sensei needed to tend to Paku's injuries, he'd canceled their early morning quiz review. Deciding it would be best to let her roommates rest, Mocha gathered up her toiletries so she could wash up her face in the hall.
"Oh, Shiemi-chan!" The girl in question turned around, a toothbrush already in her mouth as she stood at the communal sink. Unable to really speak, Shiemi tossed up a wave, and Mocha fell into place beside her. "Did you manage to sleep okay?"
Shimei took a moment longer to wash the toothpaste from her mouth before spitting into the sink. "Yes, I did. What about you, Mocha-chan?"
"Yup, I slept a lot!" Mostly because Whiskey and Ruma had been close enough to reassure her, but she felt rested after waking up, so that was all that mattered. The splash of cold water as she washed her face chased away whatever traces of sleepiness were still around. "You mentioned being excited about being able to stay over somewhere before. Are you enjoying yourself then?"
"I am!" Like a flower bursting into bloom, a wide grin stretched across Shiemi's face. "Like I told you and Izona-san before, I've never had a sleepover or anything. Though it would have been nice if we didn't have that demon attack. Oh, and it would've been fun to have all us in a big room together. I don't want to cause any trouble, but maybe we can bring it up next time."
Mocha hummed, stuffing her toothbrush into her mouth to have a convenient excuse not to answer in full. There was a reason they hadn't stuffed all the girls in one room together, but, as nice as Shiemi was, Mocha didn't feel ready to bring it up just yet. In time, yes, but not right away. Not when there were other concerns, like demons running around on the loose. Sure, the incident hadn't gone too far, and Paku was fine, but Mocha couldn't shake the faint feeling of dread that had settled into the pit of her stomach.
She tried anyway, spitting out her mix of toothpaste and water with way more force than necessary before toweling off her face. "Well Okumura-sensei took care of things last night, so we shouldn't have anything else to worry about aside from making sure we're taking care of classes." Ah, forget it, I think I'd rather fight a demon than deal with any more quizzes. Sighing, Mocha wondered if she would even have any time to pester Yukio into being her friend if he was tending to Paku on top of everything else.
"Well, I'm glad that we have Yuki-chan to take care of things," Shimei said, gathering up her things into a small flower patterned bag. "I was really worried that what I did for Paku-san wouldn't be enough, but Yuki-chan was amazing and he took care of her injuries just like that!" Stars sparkled in Shiemi's eyes, and Mocha giggled.
And she also got an idea.
"Hey, Shiemi-chan, you mentioned to us before that you've known Okumura-sensei for a while, right?" Still smiling, Shiemi nodded, and her pale complexion made it easy to tell that she was blushing. "Well I've been thinking about getting to know him better, because he totally looks like he could use some more friends, but he's always so busy. Do you think you could help me out?"
"Oh! Of course, I can. You've been so nice to me, Mocha-chan. I'm sure Yuki-chan would get along with you well. We'll have to do something once we finish up with our training camp." Mocha beamed, plans already starting to formulate in her mind. With Shiemi on her side, there was no way that Yukio could give Mocha the cold shoulder—and from there, she just had to work her usual charms, and they'd be friends in no time! Seeming to realize how long she'd been standing around, Shiemi gasped. "Sorry, Mocha-chan! I decided to take care of the laundry, and I need to hang it up before we need to head to class."
"Hey, I could help you out with that. As thanks for helping with Sensei."
"That'd be great! Just let me drop my stuff in my room, and I'll meet you on the roof."
"Kay!"
Mocha waved as Shiemi dashed back into the dorm halls, then got to work on packing up her things. It was looking like it would be a busy day ahead. But now that I have an in, Sensei doesn't stand a chance. I befriended Whiskey-chan and Ruma-chan. I can totally handle this!
Feeling enthusiastic for what was the come, Mocha skipped back to her own room, ready to go hang some laundry.
Whiskey normally considered herself a good student who would pay attention in class, but she was having trouble concentrating. It wasn't because of most of things that had been worrying her before—her conversation with Yukio the previous night had helped boost her mood considerably. Instead, it was the smell that was bothering her, the one that she noticed once she had sat down for Magic Circles and Seals.
The smell of kin of rot.
It made sense. She knew it made sense. He'd demonstrated how to summon a demon familiar not even the last week. He had a contract with kin of rot, and some of that scent stuck to him, no matter if he had a familiar summoned or not. And while that fact tended to distract her on most days they had class with Neuhaus, it was particularly bad that day.
Naeberius aren't that uncommon kin of rot, and it's not like they're an exclusive contract, either. But when one happens to show up at school where I know Vati has barriers up, then I'm gonna call foul.
"Oi, Whiskey, come on."
Blinking, Whiskey leaned back to see Ruma about to poke her with a pencil. Mocha was standing nearby, and it seemed that Moriyama was with them. They'd been dismissed for their lunch break, and she hadn't even noticed. "Did Whiskey-chan actually space out in class?" Mocha asked with a mock gasp. "Kamiki was out of it, too. It's the end of the world!"
"Oh, hush." Trying to ignore the blank places in her notes where she'd meant to fill in answers to some of her questions, Whiskey worked on packing up her things. Neuhaus had already left the room, but the memory of the smell still stuck with her. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, but I think that's too much of a coincidence. If I had a way to check it, though—Ah. "Hey, Ruma, do you mind if I check something with your familiar while we're eating?"
"Hm?" Ruma raised an eyebrow. "You know that I don't mind, but you're gonna have to be a bit more specific than that before we get started. I'm pretty sure Satis won't appreciate me calling her up just to do whatever."
Whiskey nodded, swinging her freshly packed bag over her shoulder. "I'll explain after we get some food in us." She looked over Mocha and Ruma, and then Moriyama alongside them. Well, better late than never. "Moriyama-san, do you want to come with us?" Whiskey owed it to the girl to at least get to know her better, plus it was the preferable alternative to leaving her to try and follow along with Kamiki.
Moriyama's face exploded in such a genuine smile that Whiskey had to question why she'd ever even had a negative thought about the girl. "Of course, I'd like that a lot! Oh, if you want to check whatever it is with Nii-chan, too, I'm sure that he doesn't mind!" At the sound of its name, the tiny greenman poked its head out of Moriyama's hair.
"Ni!"
"That'd be great if you don't mind," Whiskey said. The more opportunities she had to test out the connection between familiars and her Submission, the more grounds she'd have before she went out and made any accusations. After that, the only problem is figuring out what to do if I'm right.
Whiskey ignored the question in favor of following Ruma's insistence that they go and get some lunch.
Yeah, this was a stupid plan. I'm way out of my league.
After explaining that she wanted to check if it was possible the naeberius from the previous night's attack might have been from a summon (as well as a brief explanation to Moriyama about how the relevant bits of her Submission worked), Whiskey had full permission to run a few checks on her friends' familiars. She'd eaten faster than the others, who were watching from their perches on the cram school courtyard fountain, and mentally steeled herself for intentionally dragging something back into her Submission again. The edges had stopped burning within the past week, so that wasn't an issue.
I just kind of forgot how high ranking Satis is…
It wasn't a difficult feat, but the antelope easily reached a height taller than Whiskey's even without accounting for her antlers. Size didn't have much to do with Whiskey's problem, though—Satis was a powerful demon, enough so that her kin of earth designation didn't rely as much on the power of that grouping's King as others of its kind would. It was a miracle that a beginner Tamer like Ruma had managed to summon Satis on her first time, and it would be a bigger miracle if Whiskey could get such an old being inside her Submission without a fuss.
Satis let out a huff of air that Whiskey heard as the chuckle the antelope demon had intended it to be. "You are right, Kin of Time and Space. Even a direct descendant like you is a fledgling in power compared to me." Whiskey swallowed, but the lump in her throat didn't disappear. Her lineage was apparently that obvious, but Satis showed no signs of quailing at the gap in hierarchy, instead letting out another melodious chuckle. "There is no reason to fret, though. Ruma thinks highly of you, and I understand that you want to learn something to protect those dear to you, is that right?"
Glad for an amicable conversation, Whiskey nodded and remembered the negotiation lessons that Vati had put her through. "I think that we've been attacked by a demon on a Tamer's orders, but I don't have any proof. However, if I can confirm whether or not one of my abilities works on familiars or not, I'll have at least a starting point to further consider."
"Is Faust-san talking to your familiar, Izona-san?" Moriyama asked, her whispered voice not quiet enough for Whiskey to miss it. Satis's long ears also twitched.
Ruma nodded, her mouth half full with some mishmash or another of her lunch. "Yeah. She can talk to them pretty easy. Super useful."
A fresh lump formed in Whiskey's throat—but Moriyama had a look of vapid interest on her face. "That's amazing! I wonder if I could talk to Nii-chan like that someday!"
"Nii?"
A disproportionate amount of worry evaporated from Whiskey's mind at Moriyama's positive reaction, and she didn't miss the almost interrogative look in Satis's round and deep brown eyes. "You have much to learn about your standing, fledgling Kin of Space and Time," the antelope said. Whiskey didn't bother to deny the sentiment, seeing as it was right. "But I'm intrigued by this ability of yours. What kind of powers have you inherited?"
Feeling distinctly glad that the others couldn't hear Satis's half of the conversation, Whiskey cleared her throat before releasing a few of the stray coal tars still floating around in her Submission. The too-familiar purple haze seeped into the air, letting the demons float free before taking them back in. "With your permission, I'd like to see if it's your familiar bond with Ruma-chan that will prevent you from heading inside. Normally, I would need to overpower you to bring you in, but I know I'm not that powerful. If I do succeed, it'll debunk my theory, and I'll release you immediately."
Ruma tried to say something that was lost in the mouthful of food she had at the moment. Mocha raised her hand and offered a translation: "Ruma-chan says you can trust Whiskey-chan, Satis-sama!"
Satis's silky laugher had an undeniable hint of amusement. "You are wise to know you wouldn't be able to contain me with your own capability—even if you could bring me in, I would have no trouble freeing myself." Whiskey repressed the shudder at the idea of a higher level demon ripping its way from her soul, but a phantom pain from her release in the rainforest almost tore across her heart. "But if this is for the sake of keeping my new Tamer safe, I won't complain. It's been some time since someone has been able to summon me to Assiah, and I'd rather not waste the opportunity."
While Vati would have pressed forward without pause, Whiskey knew that, even as his daughter, she didn't have the status to back up that sort of attitude—and even if she did, Satis was due her thanks for helping. Whiskey dipped her head in a short bow. "Thank you for helping me keep my friends safe."
"It is so interesting to see one of your kind humbling yourself. No matter, do as you intended."
Focusing on the task at hand, Whiskey sucked in a breath and stepped forward, a hand extended. Satis stepped closer as well, sharp hoofbeats against the cobblestones, and tucked her soft muzzle into Whiskey's palm. Unable to take Satis's watchful gaze, Whiskey shut her eyes and focused, easing open the doors enough to guide the antelope in without letting any of the stray minor demons inside of her out.
Submit.
There was a pulse of her power, but a faint resistance resounded, though Whiskey was inviting Satis in and not forcing the connection at all. Satis wasn't fighting it, either, and Whiskey pushed a bit harder, just to see what would happen, and she got the tug of her Submission snapping back to like a rubber band, and she grimaced.
Haven't felt that in a while.
Giving it up for broke, Whiskey pulled her hand away, letting her powers settle. "No good," she said, reporting to her watching friends. Ruma, Mocha, and Shiemi all looked thoughtful, and Whiskey dipped her head again to Satis. "Sorry for dragging you out here for an experiment."
"No need to apologize. I'll find my own reward." And with that proclamation, Satis trotted back to Ruma's side and dipped her noise towards her Tamer's bento. Whiskey allowed herself a smile. "Moriyama-san, would you mind if I borrowed Nii-chan for a moment? I'd rather have another result to compare it to."
"Oh, yes, that's fine! Go ahead, Nii-chan. Pheles-san is nice; you can trust her."
Whiskey decided not to mention that she'd thrown an emotional fit over Moriyama not even a few weeks ago and opened up her palm for the baby greenman to land in it. Not even seven centimeters tall, the demon's body felt like soft moss, along with flowers sprouting for eyes and a curled leaf for a hat—there wasn't anything overtly intimidating about the familiar. While Whiskey knew better than to underestimate Nii's potential, she also knew that it wasn't anywhere near as powerful as Satis was. She'd pulled larger greenmen into her submission before, and she could do it again.
"Alright, here we go." Feeling much more confident than her last attempt, Whiskey pulled open the doors of Submission and tugged. The violet aura seeped out of her palm, snaking its way around Nii—and then melted away, leaving its intended target before. Her little demonstration with the coal tar earlier proved that it wasn't an issue with her abilities. "Ah, dammit."
"You okay, Whiskey-chan?" Mocha asked, her chopsticks extended out to Satis in a small offering.
"I just don't like the implications of this at all." Whiskey walked back to the fountain, offering Nii back to Moriyama, and the greenman leapt back towards his Tamer. Whiskey ran a hand through her bangs. "I'm willing to bet that naeberius had a Tamer."
Moriyama gasped, covering her mouth, while Mocha's eyes went wide. Ruma, on the other hand, went straight for a scowl, leaning forward in her seat. "You mean an exorcist did this?" she asked, sounding more pissed off than scared, though Whiskey knew both emotions were present.
"Yes, more than likely." And I can't tell you who I think it is, because I don't have any proof. Ruma and Mocha had gone through enough already, and Moriyama, while the daughter of a shopkeeper that tended to exorcists, was so very new to their world. None of them understood the things that could happen, even among the Knights of the True Cross, and Whiskey planned to keep things that way. "If that's what happened, Vati can take care of things." She dug her cell phone from her pocket, showing it in an indication that she was going to step away. "I'm going to report this to him. He'll sort out everything without a hitch."
Whiskey felt grateful that no one questioned why she was going to her father rather than directly to a teacher. Feeling exhausted already, Whiskey stepped to an empty space of the courtyard and dialed her father's number.
His voicemail message greeted her, and she swallowed down the sense of unease in her stomach. It was important. Vati wouldn't just let it go; he probably was just caught up in some paperwork or even a game or something. She just had to be patient. Keeping her voice calm, Whiskey recounted what she'd experienced last night, the results of her experiment, and her suspicions.
It still didn't feel like enough.
[Author's Notes]
Hey there, folks! Can you believe it's already the end of 2019? Take another chapter of OL to celebrate!
Once again, we continue my bad(?) habit with this story of expanding canon events with additional moments. Considering Whiskey's power set, it makes sense for her to at least suspect Neuhaus. Now it's just a matter of whether or not those suspicions will make any real difference or not.
Next time, the Exwire examination begins! Please look forward to it in 2020!
-Avi
[12.31.2019]