Beasts magnificent or woolly are loved truly
"You sure took my suggestion to include other teachers in Thea's training to the heart. Still, seven of them? That is quite a lot, isn't it?" Mephisto arched an eyebrow questioningly at the two teachers who had just arrived in his office to report on the training outcomes. Barely four days had passed for the demon, but in the training area no. 12, his carefully crafted special training environment, it had already been a whole month and the training session ended. "Well, once my colleagues learned that the training was taking place in another dimension, they actually jumped at the opportunity…" Yukio answered, then added carefully. "... also, I could use their expertise and consultancy regarding various exercises." "Gee, why can't you just cut to the case?" Shura rolled her eyes, snorting loudly. "You needed our help, 'cuz that girl's like a friggin' squirrel on caffeine!" she blurted out, gesturing in a most demonstrative way. The young teacher pinned her with an annoyed look and folded his arms. "I thought we were going down with the comparison to a cell phone's battery you are trying to deplete only to realize it has been plugged into a charger all along…"
The principal almost burst out with laughter. "My, my… I tasked Yukio with pushing Thea to her limits, or better, pushing her until he discovered her limits - and yet, having gone through the detailed report, it seems to me more like Thea was the one pushing Yukio's limits. Or rather, the limits of half the teacher staff…" the demon mused with a wide grin on his face, then simply shrugged. "Is that truly so surprising? After all, healing and regeneration are her specialty, are they not?" "Yeah, regeneration my ass! She completely…" the red-haired exorcist burst out but was swiftly interrupted by her young colleague. "What Shura is trying to say so tactfully is - Miss Heilbrunn's durability is truly remarkable." Yukio said in a composed, professional tone. "No matter how hard or long we pushed her, no matter how exhausted she was at the end of the day, she would always be as good as new next morning. Any minor injuries she had happened to suffer, even the fatigue, were just completely gone. That is why we… ah, that's why we ended up taking shifts training her." the teacher admitted a tad reluctantly.
"Well noted, Mr. Okumura." Mephisto nodded and moved on to the next point he planned to address. "Speaking about 'regeneration' - I already know the reason why you took a day off, but why did you need to take a sick day as well, Mrs. Kirigakure?" Shura's cheeks took on a deep red shade, then she eyed her colleague. "Wait, four-eyes took a sick day? I thought you had some important business to take care off when you asked for volunteers to back you up." Yukio's eyebrows twitched in irritation and Mephisto grinned even wider. "I had a… an upset stomach, OK? Nothing serious, so just drop it." the teacher gritted out while silently thundering inside. "As if I could tell in front of that lunatic it was food poisoning from Thea's cooking! I should have known better after that camping incident than to eat anything she prepared… Tsk… The last time I even suggested that her cooking was to blame, he completely disregarded the possibility, claiming that Thea's cooking was 'heavenly delicious'… How can he eat it?! Well, one thing's for sure - her lessons in poisons are covered, she just has to invite all her enemies over and prepare a nice dinner for them…"
"Huh? Upset stomach?" Shura regarded Yukio questioningly, interrupting his thoughts. He just whispered silently. "Thea cooked. Could not say no…" The moment the red-haired teacher heard the self-explanatory reason, she swiftly joined in. "Ah, yeah… I too had an upset stomach. Reeeeally badly. It was the day when Thea cooked for me and let me tell ya' - in the kitchen, that girl's a huuuuge disasteeeeouch!" she hissed when she felt Yukio's foot pressed on hers, a warning look in his eyes. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Mephisto cut in with a smooth but particularly annoyed voice. "In fact, Mr. Okumura, shortly before you left through the portal, Thea had actually gone through the trouble to prepare her special Spaghetti Quattro Stagioni for you. And 'let me tell ya' - they were just delicious." the demon eyed them both with a smile that conveyed a very clear message about his thoughts regarding Thea's cooking genius and anyone who dared to question it. "She made dinner just after I left? What an act of providence! Saved in the last second…" Yukio silently thanked whatever deity was watching over him for sparing him the terrible fate.
"Very well, moving on." Mephisto said almost cheerfully as he moved through some of the pages in the report. "Mr. Okumura, I see you managed to cover the basics of gun handling, correct?" "Yes, I tutored her on handguns and revolvers for short range combat, and Mr. Kaoru was kind enough to cover the two-handed weapons and long-range combat." the teacher confirmed. "Yes, yes. Mr. Kaoru left here a note pointing out that she seems to have talent for those, and so he strongly recommends equipping her with sniper or scout rifles. Why is that I wonder?" "Well, for starters, she has a surprisingly keen sight and firm hands - a perfect combination for both the Doctor and Dragoon mastery. She rarely missed when we practiced at the shooting range and she even managed to shoot down targets which were five, sometimes even six hundred meters far away from her." The headmaster's brows furrowed in thought as he tried to judge the distance. "That still seems like an accomplishable distance to me." "Yeah, 'cuz what Yukio's forgetting to tell ya' is that she shot those damn targets without a scope." Shura cut in and surprisingly, Yukio just nodded enthusiastically, lifted a finger, and started explaining. "Mr. Kaoru was just about to fetch the scope for her, when she said that she could see the target fairly well. And so, we just did a quick calculation and adjusted the iron sights for her. One bullseye after another… it was quite exciting to watch." the young teacher kept rubbing his chin, nodding in appreciation while Mephisto's mind weighed the option of Thea being a skilled sniper-assassin, after all. He swiftly shook off that idea, though. Why would an assassin who specializes in long range kills try to get close to him in the first place? Nonsense.
"Interesting. However, it seems to be in direct contradiction with Mr. Yunokawa's report - he thinks that she could definitely use more practice due to her lack of precision and agility." "Aaah, no, that's actually correct." Shura stepped in. "You see, she did well at the shooting range, handled her guns safely, eagle-eye, bullseye and all that useless Dragoon crap, but as soon as we were out in the field, she was kinda… clumsy. That girl really needs to learn how to multitask. But no worries, I took personal care of that." The red-haired woman cut such a devilish smile that it could almost compete with the headmaster's own. Yukio grimaced, remembering that tad unsettling sight of Shura's 'training methods'. "I am all ears, Mrs. Kirigakure." the demon prompted, leaning forward keenly. "Oooh, you know, I've got my good old and trusty ways… the important thing is that the girl's finally a little more useful on the field." Yukio just sighed and started explaining before the headmaster could ask for more details. "Miss Heilbrunn struggled with shooting the moving targets, and also with shooting while moving around or taking cover. She simply lacked the necessary coordination and dexterity. Nothing a regular training couldn't fix. Mrs. Kirigakure thought it a good idea to let the girl practice by direct confrontation - she kept attacking with the sword while making Miss Heilbrunn dodge and reload her guns or switch her guns in the process. Once Thea seemed to get a grip of it, we set her to shoot at some lesser demons we set to attack her in swarms. Then, we advanced, and had also some harpies attack her" Yukio wrapped up smoothly, only for Shura to completely destroy the impression by blurting out another unnecessary piece of information. "Yeaaaah, she was toootaly wrecked after all of that. Remember?" she poked Yukio into his ribs and laughed, holding her stomach. "You should have seen her, she barely made it to the stairs." Shura kept giggling, then noticed the sour expression on the headmaster's face. "Gee, cool it, OK? You told us to push her limits, so we did just that. But damn, she was as good as new in the morning, remember?"
"Indeed." Mephisto noted dryly, moving on to the next part. "Trapping, hunting and, oh, diving?" he arched an eyebrow. "Yes Sir, she took to trapping and hunting really well. And as for diving, it was… an improvised lesson. Miss Heilbrunn somehow managed to drop one of my guns into the lake, so we went diving and searching for it. I took it as an opportunity to teach her some survival techniques in the water - what to do when one gets caught in a whirlpool or gets a cramp in the leg and the like…" "That's right." came a nod from Shura, who put an arm around Yukio's neck and grinned like a five-year-old. "We had to dive the whole day, 'cuz the teach' is overprotective of his little gun-babies." "Hey, cut it! I would love to see your reaction if it was your sword which ended up on the bottom of a lake! Besides, that was a Heckler & Koch P30 model in 40 Smith & Wesson calibre with compensator, custom-tuned SA/DA mechanism and Truglo sights I managed to acquire just two months ago." "Yeaaaah, just what I was saying… In any case, the gun was saved, and we had a blast in the water, swimming and fooling around a little. Aaaah, I finally got to use my new swimsuit, too. And, turns out Thea can shoot short-range, after all. At least with a water gun…" the teacher kept laughing, completely unaware of the strange staring contest between her colleague and the demon. Mephisto's eyes kept raining thunderbolts at Yukio, who, once again, saw Thea in bikinis sooner than he, while Yukio kept looking Mephisto right in the eye, hoping that it would somehow convey the honesty behind his intentions and actions. "Well, it's good to have fun once in a while." Mephisto smiled pleasantly. "As long as you remember the rules…" "Perfectly, Sir." Yukio answered, standing as straight and professionally looking as he could.
"Splendid." the headmaster's lips curled up revealing his fangs, then he casually listed through the report again. "Now, it looks like you also turned your focus to potions and poisons. No questions on my side here… However, … Yes, here, day twenty-three - you and Mrs. Yagami tutored her in advanced healing techniques. According to Mrs. Yagami's report, Thea seems to have a talent for healing techniques in general. However, right on the next page, she mentioned that when you moved on to the power waves technique, Thea seemed to really struggle with it. I find that quite confusing, especially because I assumed that healing waves, despite it being the most advanced technique, would be her opportunity to shine… Could you please elaborate?" the headmaster eyed Yukio questioningly, eager to learn more behind the peculiar turn of events. "Certainly, Sir." the young teacher cleared his throat. "First of all, Miss Heilbrunn truly excels at CPR, diagnosing, and at treating wounds and illnesses. However, as you surely know, power waves work on a completely different level - a level of a true prodigy Doctor Meister… Direct usage of the waves - without incantations, potions and poisons or familiars - is a very rare ability. Even now, there is no teacher at our Academy who is actually capable of using those. That is why I and Mrs. Yagami only explained the technique in theory…" Yukio reported, remembering the lesson.
OoO
"The Doctor Meister who wants to learn this technique has to be able to perfectly, precisely, and timely shape, adjust and change the waves he or she is emitting at the moment. So you see, in order to use this technique, there are three important conditions an individual has to meet." Mrs. Yagami lifted a finger, looking at the young blonde meaningfully. "First, the individual needs to wield enough power to even attempt the technique. Since one is not using any incantations, potions or familiars who would provide the power surge, the individual needs to compensate for it with his or her own energy. Second, the individual needs to understand the workings of a body perfectly. I believe that medicine studies should provide a very solid ground for that." the teacher lifted another finger, counting out. "And third, the individual has to be born with the talent to master this technique. Think about it as kind of a qualification, much as when you want to apply for the Tamer mastery - you either can or cannot summon a demon, there is no work-around, no way to learn it." Thea nodded eagerly, suddenly feeling herself really fortunate and grateful for her apparently rare abilities. "All this means that this technique is hard to master and very energy demanding, with even the most accomplished Meisters usually being able to heal only minor injuries or fractures. As for you, well… you might be somewhere in the average at the moment. Mostly though, I would suggest sparing your energy and use it in a different way rather than depleting it by using this technique on some minor treatment on the field." Mrs. Yagami wrapped up, causing Thea's brows furrow in puzzlement. "Minor treatment? So what I did until now… was minor? Only some beginner's level? That does not seem right…" she sulked a little, then tried to redirect her thoughts to a more positive direction. "Still, if this is minor, I could probably learn more and do better with some time and training. Yes, I'll just do my best as always!" Thea smiled inwardly, maintaining a positive attitude.
"I see, thank you for the explanation. So, what exactly will I be able to heal with this technique, then?" the blonde inquired and this time, Yukio took over. "Things like altering the bloodstream flow, contractions of a muscle, neural impulses and many others…" "Hmmm… that seems quite… well, it's not much at all. How about mending fractures or damaged organs?" Thea inquired further and Yukio just chuckled. "Only some particularly skilled Doctor Meisters can accomplish such a feat, Miss Heilbrunn. I and Mrs. Yagami are some of the most skilled Doctors at our Academy, but unfortunately, the only two teachers who could actually teach you this technique are not present here - one is residing in the Vatican base, the other is on a secret mission somewhere." "Indeed." the female teacher confirmed. "The energy and time necessary to perform the operations Mr. Okumura just mentioned are simply too precious to 'waste' on wounds which could be healed just as well and much easier with the usual medical equipment or elixirs" Thea tapped her finger on her lips. The procedures the teachers mentioned did not seem too complicated to her. After all, she worked with those on a daily basis - restoring blood cells or correcting blood pressure of some of the patients… Was she perhaps missing something? She dared a question.
"Well, what about the time I healed Mephisto's burns? That was certainly quicker than applying balms and bandages…" Yukio adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Ah yes, Sir Pheles mentioned that you healed some of his burns." he said thoughtfully, silently imagining some little 'ouchie' on the demon's hand where Thea's aura burnt him - honestly, the headmaster could be such a drama queen sometimes… "Well, you might have managed that, but healing with waves requires too much time and energy. And I assume that you did not heal the burnt skin instantly, and you went straight to bed afterwards…" Yukio arched an eyebrow and Thea thought about the night when Mephisto had surprised her in her own dorm room. Yukio was right, she had not healed all the wounds instantly, she had to check each one of them just in case, which had definitely taken some two or three minutes. "You are right, I didn't do it in an instant." she admitted. "Then… what about the time when I healed Rin's wound after he had been stung during the attack at the Tokyo University hospital?" Thea tried again - surely that had to count. Mrs. Yagami smiled, remembering the reports from the attack. The young Rin Okumura had mentioned that he had been stung by a demon locust and the girl had closed the wound, although she had been unable to heal the venom. And so, Rin had ended up feeling sick and nauseous - much as Miss Izumo Kamiki - until her own team of Doctors applied the necessary antidote. "Yes, yes." she waved her hand dismissively. "Still, a plaster and the right antidote would have been much more useful, especially when you need the time and flexibility, not to mention energy for yourself." Thea blinked in confusion. "But… there was a hole in Rin's chest… And I healed him and… Damn, and there I was so proud of myself, too…" The blonde was so ashamed for thinking herself quite skilled in healing, that after hearing the teachers' words, she didn't even dare ask questions about healing deathly illnesses or neural problems. She simply thanked the teachers for their time and help with the topic and focused on her next exercises.
OoO
"Considering her Doctor Mastery, she is already more knowledgeable and skilled at healing humans than me, probably thanks to her university studies. She picks up demon anatomy quickly enough, being very familiar with human anatomy. I believe she will be a full-fledged Doctor Meister in a few months. Regarding the healing wave technique, Thea suggested she has a talent and can heal some minor injuries using a wave, as long as she understands it and can heal it as an ordinary doctor. As I myself am a novice in this area at best, we did not pursue that path any further, though." "I see." Mephisto stroked his beard in thought and yet again, couldn't help but feel a little disappointed - he had - for some subconscious reason, really expected more. Then, an idea came to his mind. "And what about the opposite power wave? The maleficent wave? Any luck in that area?" the demon questioned eagerly, and Yukio just shook his head in denial. "We did, of course, explain both aspects of the power waves - the healing one and the maleficent one. We explained that technically, the prodigy Meister Doctor might be able to, say, cause a heart attack just as easily as make the heart beat again after one, as they are in essence the same actions, only reversed. However, Miss Heilbrunn seemed to struggle with that idea morally. I think I understand her reservations… After all, she is an aspiring doctor and joined the Academy in order to master her healing abilities, not to kill the demons around her… And even though she decided for a Dragoon mastery now, it would appear that using a gun against her enemies feels different than turning her own healing powers against them…" "Yeah, in other words, your lil' future doctor is actually a big softie…" Shura grinned, her eyes twinkling. "Thank you both for the explanation. I believe I have covered all points of interest. Is there anything else you would like to point out or discuss in more detail?" the headmaster asked, but received a negative response, so he finally dismissed both teachers.
OoO
"Soooo, an upset stomach, huh?" the red-haired teacher grinned and poked her colleague in the cheek as they were walking through the corridor, leaving the principal's office. "I can't believe you ate her cooking! You are one brave four-eyed chicken!" Yukio just exhaled and pushed Shura away from his private space. "Just drop it, OK? Damn, I seriously need to catch up on some sleep." he added with a yawn, rubbing his eyes and cleaning his glasses with his sleeve. However, Shura couldn't help but tease him. "Do you have some kind of a death wish? Or maybeeee… Ya' have a crush on that girl or somethin'?" she teased him half-seriously, only to find herself pushed to the wall with a Yukio's hand clasped over her mouth. "Sssssh! Shut up, idiot! Do you want that demon to overhear?! Do you not realize how ridiculously overprotective he gets around her? As if this month wasn't enough, dammit…" Yukio exhaled, then slowly put his hand away from Shura's mouth and surprisingly, rested his head on her shoulder instead. "I'm sorry." he said. "It's just that… I feel so exhausted. I had to walk on eggshells around her all this time, so that lunatic couldn't get any weird ideas. I mean, she is a great girl and I consider her a friend, but she is of absolutely no romantic interest to me. Honestly, I don't even have time for such foolishness right now…" Shura's cheeks took on a deep red shade and her heart started beating loudly after hearing those words - he was obviously as honest as he was exhausted. She couldn't help but exhale, too, feeling some imaginary, yet very real weight off her heart.
"Sheeesh, OK, OK, I'll give it a rest." she said, but before she could do anything else, Yukio fixed her with a firm gaze and smirked. "And what about you? I'll give you credit, you played it well in front of the headmaster, but you cannot fool me." "Huh?!" Shura cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Oooh, don't play all innocent with me. I'm certain that you had no food poisoning when you asked for your day off. Well, what happened?" "Tsk… get yer' face off me, will ya'?" she put her hand over the teacher's face and pushed him away, but he seemed really persistent about finding out the real reason for Shura's absence from the training. Maybe she could use this opportunity though… "If you must know, we drank that night." She would have never admitted such a thing, not to mention in front of Yukio of all people. However, she hoped to find out a little more for herself. "Shura, are you serious?! Drinking on a duty?! With a student, nonetheless?!" he instantly scolded. "Oh, please, we are both adults. 'Twas a girl's night - aaaah, you wouldn't get it. We got all cozy in pajamas and sat on her bed in front of the fireplace, we chatted and drank a little… But man, that girl sure can handle her liquor… Seems like it's only me who ended up drunk, hihi. Strange. I just couldn't get her drunk, no matter how much we had of those strange 'cocktails' of hers…" she shook her head. "Strange?! That's all you have to say for yourself? Oh God, I'm just glad that nobody found out…" Yukio shook his head in disapproval, then Shura finally asked.
"Yes, it was strange, considering my proficiency at liquor-handling, shall we say?" Shura's grin was met with Yukio's flat stare, but she just continued. "Sooo, any strange experiences on your side?" the red-haired woman eyed her colleague curiously. Yukio just regarded Shura with a disapproving and also a little confused look. "What do you mean by 'strange experiences'? We've just reported everything back there in the headmaster's office. If you ask me, there's nothing strange about her - except her taste in men perhaps…" he shivered, and the red-haired teacher shrugged innocently. "Hey, I'm just asking…" she threw up her hands defensively and Yukio frowned. "Well, I did not drink with her, nor did I do anything even slightly inappropriate if that's what you ask. Now, can we drop this already? I could really use some sleep right now." "Sure, sure." Shura patted him on the back sympathetically, while her mind kept racing. "This is really bad. A whole month of training and keeping an eye on that girl… and I still haven't uncovered the reason for why the Grigori would be so interested in her… It just doesn't make sense. That does it, I have to do better. I have to learn the truth!" the teacher decided with an adamant resolve. And while she was silently enjoying the time with her uptight, four-eyed, and unfortunately, fun-averse colleague, her mind returned back to the strange 'girl's night'.
OoO
"Iiiiiiiii don't get it…" Shura said with a slightly drunk voice after all the drinks she had already had. They had been sitting in Thea's hut, chatting in front of the warm fireplace while a snowstorm kept raging outside. The training area no. 12 sure was something. It held just about any landscape - from barren lands to snow-covered peaks. Sometimes, the weather changed in a matter of hours. Such a peculiar place, indeed. Warming up in front of crackling fire with some bottles of beer seemed to her like a perfect idea for a nice girl's night. Only, it seemed that drinking beer was not what Thea had in mind, so she had mixed some 'specialties' from the medical supplies and potions, combining them with ice cubes and various juices. Shura had to be careful not to end up wasted before she managed to pry at least some scraps of information from the girl. "Oh, it's easy really, we mix this one with the other med-students aaaaall the time. You just need to add the orange juice and some mint, so the mixture gets a nice fresh taste after you have warmed the liquor. Just do not make it boil or…" Thea continued enthusiastically, only to be interrupted by her already tipsy teacher.
"Nooo, I meant… What's going on between you and that old creep?" "Heeeey, he's not that old! He's creepy, alright, but in a very charming way…" Thea puffed up, then tapped a finger on her lips in thought, considering that she never really thought about his age. "Well, why would I? What difference would it make if he were a hundred or a thousand years old, anyway? Both options are already well past any normal standard…" she shook her head and continued. "Ah, never mind… We are, well, we are dating." "Dating, huh? And you really think it wise to date someone like him?" Shura regarded the blonde flatly while playing with the little glass containing the surprisingly tasty drink. "I… Well…" Thea's cheeks took on a pinkish shade. "...I know it's a little strange - him being my headmaster and all, but surely…" she scratched her head nervously, trying to explain their unlikely relationship, only to be interrupted by her tipsy teacher. "Headmaster?! I'm not talking about that, for God's sake… He's a friggin' demon, woman!" Shura waved with her glass, pointing it meaningfully at Thea. "Oh, that…" Thea giggled, once again surprised by her own reaction - she had truly disregarded the fact of Mephisto being a demon in the first place.
"Don't ya' 'oh that' me. Seriously, are you some kind of a masochist or just crazy?" Shura poked Thea in the ribs. "Well, I might be a liiiitle crazy - about him, that is." the blonde giggled, then blushed furiously at her bluntness - the alcohol sure made her talkative. "Riiiight." the teacher eyed her sideways, then asked. "Listen, has he cast a spell on you or something?" Shura shook her head and leaned on one hand. Surprisingly, the blonde chuckled at that. "That's ex-act-ly what he asked me. Pfff… could you believe it?" "No kiddin'." the red-haired teacher gaped, then tried again. "Sooo, is he threatening you, then?" she arched an eyebrow and Thea's eyes widened. "What? No! Of course not. He did no such thing… He's treating me reeeeally well, better than my previous dates, in fact. And they were human. At least I think they were… I could have sworn that Gato might have actually been a troll or something…" Thea thought aloud, causing Shura to burst out with laughter. "Oh girl, you must have had some baaaad luck if that demon is actually your best experience so far…" Thea blushed nervously, then shrugged. "Say what you want, but he's… different. He's attentive, funny, and gallant. He's interesting to talk to. And I just… I really like to spend time with him." the blonde kept staring into the crackling fire while shades of orange and red played on her face.
"Is that why yer' with him?" the teacher took a drink and cast a curious eye on the girl. "Well, yeah. I mean, what other reason do you need?" Shura just shrugged at the question. "Dunno… there are many other, more plausible reasons." "Such aaaaas?" "Weeeell, ya' know, he's the super-rich headmaster of high social standing." "Oooh, come on, Shura! I'm better than that." Thea bumped into Shura's shoulder. "I've got some dignity, you know? Besides, I have my own plans and dreams, which also include a decent, well-paid job." "I know, I know, sorry. I was just curious. I actually thought that you might be trying to get some interesting deal out of him." the red-haired woman gulped down the shot and poured herself some more. "A deal you say… Well, I have already made some deals with him, but I never wanted to take advantage of him, if that's what concerns you." Thea said silently, then felt Shura's hand on her shoulder. "You made a deal with him already?!" "Well, yes. The first time we met, I asked him to spare my life in exchange for healing him. However, it seems that he never thought of harming me in the first place. On the contrary, as a thanks for my help, he offered his help to me, should I ever need it. And he actually kept his word and even saved my life." the blonde smiled warmly, wrapping her hands around her knees, then giggled. "The other deal cost me a cake. But that's cool, after all, I had baked it for him in the first place."
The teacher just stared in disbelief, then shook her head and laughed. "You are one strange girl, ya' know that?" Thea's face took on a flustered expression, then she pinned her teacher with an amused look and folded her hands in a feigned displeasure. "Well you are the one to talk. How come you are suddenly so interested in Mephisto's love life, hmm? I thought it was Yukio you were after." she said, then instantly exploded with laughter when she saw Shura's abashed face. "What the… What are you babbling about?! Gee, I really must have pushed you today, when you are sprouting such nonsense. That four-eyed chicken? Pffff… please…" "Hihihi, you should have seen your face! Seriously though, do you think I'm blind or something?" Thea pushed, fully enjoying the reversed situation where she was the one asking questions for a change. "Oh, come ooon. I totally get you, you know? He's super smart, and guns can probably add to a man's sexappeal a bit, riiiight?" "Yeeeeah, and he can entertain a lady by quoting rules from the Academy's Code of Conduct from A to Z and back…" Shura cut in sourly. "So what? He's already a teacher, so it's not like you would end up dating your student. If you ask me, I think you would make a very nice couple…" "Y-you do?" Shura's eyes widened, then she swiftly collected herself. "I mean, cut the sugar-fluff!" she mumbled, and Thea grinned even more widely. "Yeah, I can toootally picture you two." the blonde started giggling, then Shura fixed her with a doom-promising stare. "Listen, if you ever speak about this to a living soul, not even that stupid demon of yours is gonna help ya', understood?!" "Well, my mouth is sealed… But just in case - we can have a few more drinks and then I doubt either of us will remember much of the conversation… Sooo, want some?" Thea grinned mischievously and picked up a bottle of sake, causing Shura's lips to curl up. "Thaaaat's my girl. Suuuuure."
OoO
The Lord of Time leaned into the chair, massaging his tired eyes. "Tell me you've got something more for me, Gin." he eyed the secretary, who had been quietly listening to the headmaster's conversation with the teachers. "I do…" the spy nodded. "...but I'm not sure you are going to like it. Hell, if I only knew what to make of it myself…" he thought with unease and a hint of amusement, too - it's been some time since he had run such a troublesome investigation without any results to show. "What your staff reported corresponds with my findings, except for a few observations I would like to point out." "Well then, I am all ears." the headmaster intertwined his fingers in anticipation. "First of all, the statement that your charming little lady is like 'a friggin' squirrel on caffeine' would be an underestimation." the secretary quoted Shura with a smirk while Mephisto's eyebrows rose in surprise. "The teachers really did push her hard. Some days they exhausted her so much she could hardly walk without shaking."
"However, Mr. Okumura was right, Sir - she would always be just as new the next morning. My scarabaei kept monitoring her nighttime routines to find out the reason behind that peculiar occurrence and I was surprised to discover that after the whole day of training, she did not even sleep through the whole night. All in all, she slept somewhere between three to five hours." "What did she do for the rest of the time, then?" Mephisto questioned, his suspicion rising, his mind already spinning possible scenarios. He did not like any of them. Not at all. "Well, Miss Heilbrunn usually slept for two hours, then woke up for her regular night ride on the fridge - a habit you two apparently share." Gin grinned, noticing the slight blush on his master's face. "She ate and studied for her final exams, then took another nap and woke up only to eat again, then practiced some of the new techniques she had learnt that day. How she had any energy left for the training after all of that, I cannot phantom. Don't humans need about seven or eight hours of sound, undisturbed sleep?" Mephisto nodded slowly in thought. "They do… Perhaps her regenerative abilities compensate for it. Did you see her use any peculiar ability or means to restore herself?" "No, whenever she was injured or hurt, she always used incantations, potions or techniques the teachers had shown her. I've got the feeling that she was mostly doing it out of curiosity rather than necessity." "I see. She must have wanted to try the new techniques, to learn to use them right away." the demon lord smiled in amusement - Thea was such a hard-worker. Gin frowned - he had already learnt to recognize that slightly dreamy, fond expression of his master. And so, he had to play the unpleasant, nagging voice of reason again. "Or she did her best not to use her real powers." the secretary pointed out, which earned him a particularly sour look from Mephisto. "Point taken." the lord exhaled and waved at the spy to continue his report.
"Honestly, Samael, something very strange is going on. This was supposed to be a special training to wear the girl down, to push her to the limits. From what I learnt from the reports, the students who had the chance to actually go through the exercises in area no. 12, they all took vacation to recover their strength right after that. Miss Heilbrunn stepped out looking energized, empowered and completely fresh while half of your staff ended up on sick leave or vacation. They pushed her hard but after a few days of tutoring her, they couldn't keep up with the pace, so they took turns. That's why I took the liberty of testing her myself." The headmaster lifted his head and held his breath. "And?" "I had my scarabaei attack her at night in her sleep, when she would have assumed that nobody was looking too closely. The moment she woke up, her aura spiked, and a powerful surge of brilliant light surrounded her and some of my familiars vanished within it." "Yes, a scorching light, wasn't it? Her aura alone can be quite… devastating." Mephisto filled in. "Indeed. They were gone in an instant." Gin nodded. "What about the rest of the attack? How did she fight? Did she cast her favorite binding circle? Any other techniques?" Surprisingly, the spy just folded his hands and looked out of the window, deep in thought. "There was no other attack, Samael. The rest of the scarabaei retreated the moment they felt her powers. Apparently, they did not dare to launch any further attacks…" he answered, a combination of displeasure and puzzlement visible on his face. "I see…" the headmaster stood up smoothly, joining Gin at the tall windows, then clapped his secretary on his shoulder sympathetically. "Well, if the surge was as strong as the night when I had been trapped in her binding circle, then I am not surprised at all. Not to retreat would have been a suicide… hard to push your familiars to that." "That's not all, I am afraid." the spy continued in a troubled voice. "I am unable to summon my familiars - the ones she managed to get rid of. I tried yesterday and again today. Nothing. They should have been awoken by now, but they do not respond to my summons…" Mephisto's brows furrowed, then he quickly collected himself. "Fascinating. Keep trying and keep me posted about this, Gin. This might well be another clue, another piece of this puzzle." his eyes took on that familiar focused, predatory gleam.
"You find that fascinating? Well then, you are up for a surprise, my lord because I was not done yet." "Oh? Anything else my teachers overlooked?" Mephisto stroked his beard, trying to suppress the rising curiosity. He couldn't remember the last time he had to rack his brain over one person so much. Even the Son of Satan suddenly seemed like a very straightforward matter to deal with in comparison. "You know that during one of her last exercises, the young Miss fought and killed an Oni-demon, right?" The Lord of Time nodded with a smirk, his fangs flashing. "Indeed. And I must say, I was quite impressed, considering their brutish strength and agility. She played it clever though - made a trap and fought from a distance, shooting down the creature." he rubbed his chin, pleased with the results. "And that's where the teachers were wrong. Miss Heilbrunn shot the Oni-demon perfectly from afar, true, but she hit only one of his hearts." "...But that would mean that he survived." A nod came together with a most unnerving answer. "Yes. I am not sure how far she was in demon anatomy that time, so it is possible that she was unaware of the three remaining hearts. That particular demon was extremely smart for one of their kind, though. He played her. He fell to the ground, feigning defeat, so when Thea came to collect the object she was supposed to retrieve - the wristband he wore - he attacked. You know from the reports that she is not very skilled in short-ranged combat with pistols, not to mention hand-to-hand combat." The Lord of Time gulped, the thought of his charming little lady trying to fight the terrible, brutish creature in a hand-to-hand combat sending shivers down his spine. Had he perhaps pushed her too hard, put her to unnecessarily big danger? "How did she fare?" the demon lord asked carefully. "She showered him with bullets but missed vital spots entirely. She even managed to drop her gun on tactical reload and nearly tripped over it… In one moment, he lifted her up at her throat and the situation seemed quite dire. Then, the Oni fell to the ground, dead - for real." "How?" "She touched him. Three times. At the places where the rest of his hearts would be."
Samael's eyes widened, but before he could inquire any further, the office room began to tremble with his own demonic energy unleashed - only he was not unleashing any. And yet, there was no mistake, the energy was his own. The headmaster could suddenly hear his own voice. It sounded very foreign to him - baffled and enraged as never before. Two words sounded loudly: "THEA WHAT?!" Gin gasped and had to lean on the windows to keep himself from falling from the sheer pressure of his master's overwhelming aura suddenly emerging all around the room. The whole event passed before they even realized it started. "Sire… What just…" "A time disruption. An echo." The Lord of Time answered, his eyes closed in concentration, trying to get the feel of the remnants of the strange time paradox he had yet to cause… apparently, in the future. "It would appear that I will, for some reason, briefly but completely lose concentration and… drop the barrier I keep about my person. ...resulting in release of energy without direction. And… Thea seems to be involved." The secretary quickly collected himself - it's been some time since he had the opportunity to witness his master's raw power. "Well, what a surprise." he grinned, his words heavy with irony. The demon lord clasped his hands. "There is nothing I can do about it at the moment… It is a matter of the future. Gin. Rare and interesting as it may be, let us not dwell on it, it will do no good."
"...Did she truly not shoot any of his four hearts, but one?" Mephisto returned back to their original conversation, his expression troubled. "I wish she had, Sire. She used it. The maleficent wave." "That could have been a coincidence. Pure luck. She had just learnt about the technique, so she might have simply taken a shot." The secretary just shook his head and approached his lord with a skeptical look on his face. "True, it does not require much energy to stop a heart, but that is not the problem here. It is an extremely advanced technique - to use a wave in combat successfully requires absolute mastery of waves, perfect timing, and knowledge about the target. Also, three times, Samael?! A coincidence? I don't think so. She either mastered that technique on the spot or she had clearly been a master already. And there are maybe five people I am aware of who could have done that." The spy said intensely, getting quite irritated inside. "Why is he being so stubborn about this?! Since when does the Lord of Time refuse to see the most logical explanation?" "Don't you think that such an important piece of information would have appeared in the reports? My teachers were clearly instructed in overseeing her every exercise and training activity." Gin sighed, then finally said. "They were present, my lord. Mr. Kaoru oversaw this particular fight. However, the girl fought in the barren land that time, just when a sandstorm was picking up. Spirals of sand and dirt obscured the view. It was the perfect environment for my scarabaei, but definitely not for humans. The moment the teacher realized he couldn't get a proper look at the fight, he tried to close in on her, but before he found a better position, the fight was already over. The teacher found the girl lying on the ground, a little roughed-up and semi-conscious, the dead Oni-demon with a lot of misplaced bullet holes right next to her." he finished with a frown.
After a silent and strangely intense moment, the Lord of Time grinned widely, then addressed his spy with a most amused voice. "Why the long face, Gin?" "Do you want the examples chronologically or alphabetically?" the secretary gaped in disbelief, then ran his fingers through his hair in frustration while his master's grin widened even more - clearly, that was still possible. "Seriously… I should be interrogating her right now…" he thought as his frustration kept rising. "Oh, come now. Where is your sense of adventure? If you ask me - my charming lady has just become even more interesting." "The word you are looking for is 'dangerous'. And if not my report, then your own voice from that time anomaly should be your wake-up call, Sir." the spy intoned meaningfully. "Ah, yes! Enticingly dangerous, indeed." Gin just rolled his eyes. "Wonderful… Just wonderful…" "And so wonderfully unpredictable, too." the demon lord entwined his fingers, his eyes practically burning with excitement. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm not making this better…" Gin clasped his hands and inhaled. "Sire, she could be a spy, an assassin, a demon hunter. Satan's Flames, Samael, I have so little intel on her I cannot even say she is a human for sure." came an exclamation. "All that is very well possible." his master nodded calmly. "However, even if that hypothesis proves to be true and she does mean me harm, I still have some time to win her over." his lips curved up revealing his fangs, the trademark hat casting particularly unnerving shadows on his face, obscuring everything except the gleaming forest-green eyes. "He means it. He truly… Oh, by my Demon's Heart! He would probably try to bring her to our side even if she put a knife to his throat… There is no helping it, then. Once his mind is set, nothing will change…" Gin chuckled, then started laughing out loud. "Very well, Sir. I must admit that I myself am pretty curious about how all of this turns out. You can count on me, Samael. As always. You know I hate sending out resumes…" "Splendid. Now then, is there anything else you would like to report?"
Gin grinned inwardly at that question and started in a serious tone. "In fact, there is. Thank you for reminding me, Sir. I think you might be very interested in these two late-night activities of your charming lady." he held the headmaster's eyes knowingly. "You see, right on the first night, Miss Heilbrunn 'borrowed' poor tired Mr. Okumura's key and snuck out of the training area no. 12. I followed her, of course, only to discover that she wanted to spend her night with a certain Mr. Lee Wu." The spy made a pause, his sensitive ears picking up the sound of gritting teeth and of something popping - Samael has cracked his fingers. Gin couldn't ask for more. "And? Has she spent the night?" the demon lord gritted out and for a moment there, the spy almost couldn't keep his poker face on. "Satan's Flames, I'm winning myself a one-way ticket to Alaska for sure now… but it's sooooo worth it!" "She has. In fact, they spent every night together." "Impossible." Mephisto hissed and stood up in a swift motion. "His profile, Gin. Who is that man?" The demon lord fixed the secretary, who couldn't help but gulp audibly as he saw Mephisto struggle with keeping his barrier in place. "According to my investigation, he has dark black eyes, curly hair and quite pleasant features. A little too bulky, perhaps, but…" "Gin." "Right, to the point. He is very popular with Miss Heilbrunn's friends and, oh, he seems to be working in a special night security service." the spy wrapped up, silently studying the headmaster's twitching eye and hands forming into fists.
"So, Mr. Lee Wu, is it? Lee Wu… Lee Wu… Wu Lee… Wu…" The Lord of Time suddenly stopped in his trails, his brows furrowed in intense thought. "Wait a moment… Not Mr. Wu Lee… Mr. Woolly! Giiin…" the lord swiftly closed the distance between him and his secretary, his eyes raining thunders on the poor spy, ten he said menacingly. "Are you, per any chance, describing Mr. Woolly? That fluffy creature, Thea's plush sheep companion?" "Ah, my bad. The pronunciation and rules of this language are still a little tricky for me." Gin grinned sheepishly, then burst out with laughter. Mephisto closed his eyes and let out a silent sigh, still quite befuddled by his own infuriation. Then, a devilish grin spread on his face. "My, my. That's interesting." he produced a piece of paper with a snap of his fingers. "A serious disturbance has just been reported in Anchorage, Alaska. I need to send an investigation team right away. Hope you are packed." Shivers ran down Gin's spine and he was honestly unsure whether it was due to his master's calm and cold smile, or simply the prospect of spending his mission in that earthly frozen version of hell. "Let us not be too hasty about that…" the secretary smiled and did his best to subdue his outburst, then fished out a piece of paper, handing it to the demon lord. "Here. A little something for your collection. You can add it to the photos from the camping night or your 'investigation' folder..." Mephisto regarded it curiously - the piece of paper was structured as one of Gin's usual personal profiles and included a detailed description of Mr. Woolly, including an attachment with photos of him and his sleeping lady. The demon covered his face with his hand, secretly melting inside. "Unbelievable… Just how is she so cute?" he looked up at the secretary with a smirk. "Well, what do you know. The mission in Alaska has just been postponed." "Now that's an unexpectedly fortunate turn of events." The spy cleared his throat, relieved, and amused by his master's fond expression. "She literally left the training area on the first night before dawn, only to sneak into her dorm, get her sheep toy and take it to the hut with her, where she kept it on her bed. She did not leave afterwards, nor was she disturbed by a third party apart from… the other incident…" Gin trailed off secretively.
"The other incident? You mean the second interesting night activity you mentioned?" the demon inquired, then added swiftly. "I am warning you Gin - don't you start with another Mr. Woolly, Mr. Fluffy or anything similarly ridiculous." Mephisto said with an air which left no room for any further foolishness. Biting his lip, the secretary answered. "You can rest assured then, since my next report is actually about a beast." The Lord of Time perked up, his eyebrows rising. "A beast, you say?" "Indeed, Sir. To use Miss Heilbrunn's own words - a 'magnificent beast'." Despite Gin's excellent reflexes, he simply failed to avoid the stapler which came flying at him, hitting his head. And yet, he just stood there, holding his stomach from all the laughter while rubbing his head with the other hand. As he rubbed the bump on his head, though, he could feel a piece of paper sticking out of it, so he pulled it out with a hiss. "Why, look at that. Your workplace has just been changed. Please report to your new headquarters in Longyearbyen, Norway." the headmaster's lips curled up.
"Oh, come now, Samael…" Gin said, trying to wriggle the staple out while Mephisto noted with irritation in his voice. "Honestly… spying on such intimate moments… do you have no sense of privacy?" the lord kept shaking his head, an annoyed expression plastered on his face. "Prai-wa-see?" Gin rubbed his chin in feigned thought. "I speak forty-three languages, but I am unfamiliar with this specific term." "No need to worry, my friend. You will have plenty of time to go through the dictionary in your new quarters." The secretary's spirits were rarely so high, and despite his master's threats, the whole situation was simply too hilarious. "Seriously, though. What did he expect? Of course I would have his back even during their sweet time together. After all, it wouldn't be the first time someone rammed a dagger into his back during mating…" the spy mused, then finally said. "Sir, please. I knew what was about to happen… It was your third date, after all. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't be your last one, too." To Gin's surprise, his master blinked and fixed him with a confused look. "Wait. You knew about this… tradition?" "But of course. I like to keep my knowledge in this particular area up-to-date." the spy answered with an air of pride. "You don't even date anymore… Even I was not aware of such human custom." A flat stare was all Gin had to offer to his surprisingly dense master. "Maybe because the last time you made it to the third date was technically in the last millennium…" Mephisto's mouth dropped, but unfortunately, he couldn't argue about facts. "See? You actually learnt a lot from all of this." the secretary encouraged.
"Indeed. I learnt that she is even more interesting than I have originally thought, and that there are no moral boundaries whatsoever when it comes to your spying occupation…" the demon lord replied flatly, then exhaled. "...and that I… I might just have really fallen in love with her." he added inwardly, completely shocked by that realization. Gin's voice suddenly interrupted the demon's surprising train of thoughts. "And, as a spy, I have only respect for your… deep… undercover… infiltration techniques. Not to mention you stepping in for Mr. Okumura and giving the young lady a special lesson in demon anatomy." Mephisto's eye twitched as he casted warning glances at the secretary, who was apparently eager to learn just how much he could push his luck that night. "Giiin." "Samael, I was merely doing my job. Trust me, I took no pleasure in it - unlike you." Gin added, unable to stop himself for sprouting further suggestive nonsense. "Aaaand out!" The Lord of Time ordered, red and trembling with suppressed giggles. "By your leave, your beastly magnificence…" Gin bowed mockingly, then rushed off, covering behind the door from whatever office equipment went flying after him. In the meantime, the headmaster just massaged his temples, then leaned on the tall windows of his office with a fond smile, his mind drifting back to the incredible night…
OoO
Yukio was lying on the bed in the hut they had been staying at during the intensive training. He was sweating profoundly, the cramps in his stomach absolutely unbearable. "How the hell… I watched her every move! I saw every ingredient she used… And yet… she somehow managed to prepare… that! God, if my antidote doesn't take effect soon, this is gonna be my last meal, I just know it… It's even worse than the wild boar she caught three days ago during our lesson on traps… At least she said it was a boar…" the teacher sulked but couldn't bring himself to tell Thea the reason behind his sudden fatigue. "Well, hello Mr. Okumura!" a sonorous voice sounded in the small room as the principal suddenly appeared in the magical portal-door in a puff of pink smoke. "How is the training…" the demon trailed off at the sight of the teacher lying on his bed in pain. "...Mr. Okumura, what is the matter?" Mephisto approached the bed in a few swift steps. "I made a mistake…" came a laborious reply. "Thea... I shouldn't have let Thea…" the teacher continued in a dizzy voice while a serious, almost alert expression settled on the headmaster's face. "What happened? Where is she?" "It's my fault… I should, uhn… I should have known better than to eat the… stuff she cooks. Oh God…" the young man shot up from the bed and ran towards the bathroom to vomit. When the torture was finally over, Yukio stepped out as white as a sheet, the dark circles under his eyes surpassing even the ones of his headmaster. "Don't. Eat. Her. Cooking… Ever…" he emphasized, pointing meaningfully at Mephisto while holding his stomach in half-delirium.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Okumura." the demon regarded him with an honestly puzzled expression on his face, which was soon replaced by an uncharacteristically fond one. "For your information, Thea's cooking is… heavenly delicious. In any case, considering your current state, I suggest you take a day off." "N-no, that won't be necessary. Besides, we still have a lot to cover and…" a hand landed firmly on his shoulder and he almost puked again because a sweet scent of chocolate Mephisto was carrying hit his nose. He couldn't even look at food, let alone smell it. However, the headmaster obviously found it a good idea to wave the bonbons right under his nose, causing another wave of nausea to hit him. "That is out of question. I cannot have you teach in your state, Mr. Okumura. You will take a day off. You can send a backup to substitute for you until you feel better. Now then, off you go." the demon said, ushering the teacher through the magical door back to his own dimension. Yukio did not even have the power to protest anymore, so he just obediently let himself be half-dragged and half-supported to the portal. "Maybe it's for the best… God… A week of training with her… I'm worn out. I'd better send someone else… just for a while…" hazy thoughts kept rushing through the teacher's mind as he left.
"Now then, let's see how my lady is doing." Mephisto thought, silently hoping that Thea would be in much better state than the teacher, but before he could even set off towards her own little hut, loud knocks interrupted his actions. "Teacher? Teacher, can you hear me? May I come in?" The demon stood motionless after hearing those words, a strange mix of most irritating emotions boiling inside of him. "Why would she be here? This late in the night?" When no response came, the blonde kept knocking on the door more persistently. "Teacher?! Yukio!" Thea cried out while Mephisto couldn't help but ponder about the fact that young Okumura and his lady were apparently on the first-name-basis. "Oh God, I knew I should have…" the doorknob started to wiggle, then the door flew open with a loud crack and fell slightly to the side, hanging only on the bottom hinges. The headmaster found himself standing completely dumbstruck in front of the panting blonde. "Mephisto! You are here! Oh, good…" Thea exhaled with a smile, washing away all of his unpleasant thoughts.
"My, my… I didn't think you were the type who would sneak into a man's room at night, let alone break into it. Are you cheating on me, dear?" a smug grin appeared on his face, contrasting with Thea's confused one. "Wait, what?" she blinked, then chuckled as the realization dawned on her. "Oh, seriously… And how come you are here, hmm? Aren't you too sneaking into the teacher's room this late at night with a… is that… is that a box of chocolate?" Thea arched her eyebrow questioningly, then giggled. "I didn't think you swing that way. Should I be worried?" The Lord of Time approached his lady, taking her hands into his. "My dear, you are the only one I am interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with. With Yukio… Well, that is not why he calls me headmaster. Aaaand it would not feel right when I pay his wages…" he winked at her, noticing that her cheeks just flushed bright red and her mouth fell open in disbelief. "You… You are impossible, you know it? You… You!" Thea puffed up, then reached for his hat, pulling it down his face so it completely obscured his view. Low chuckles came as the headmaster peaked from under the hat. "I know, I know… head-idiot-master-demon, was it?" he grinned, bringing the girl to giggles, then he suddenly found himself in a warm embrace. "I'm glad that you are here." she mumbled. "I thought that something bad happened to the teacher…" "Is that why you rushed in?" "Uhm. He seemed really tired these last two days. Today, I made him rice porridge so he would feel a little better, but I think he's gotten worse. And he just wouldn't let me check on him, claiming that he just needed some sleep. So I let him rest and went to cook some dinner. Then, I suddenly felt his aura disappear…" "I see." the demon nodded in understanding and stroked her hair. "Well, he will be fine once he rests a little. I will stay until his backup arrives." "You will?" the girl beamed. "That's great! Then… what about dinner? I already made a portion for two." "It would be my pleasure." he said, offering Thea his arm.
Soon, they were both enjoying their warm meal and a wonderful conversation in Thea's hut, while the fire kept crackling in the fireplace, casting pleasant orange hues around the room. The demon leaned on his hand, feeling strangely excited and at peace at the same time. "How was the meal called, again?" "Spaghetti Quattro Stagioni." the blonde swelled with pride at her creation, unable to hide just how happy she was that Mephisto liked her cooking. "The first quarter was with poppy, the second with cocoa and chocolate, the third one had blueberries in it and the last one had tomatoes." she counted out while the demon kept nodding enthusiastically. "I was wondering what combination could create such a harmonic taste…" "Well, thank you. I almost gave up on the recipe because Ayami kept saying that tomatoes have no place in that mixture…" the blonde shook her head. Mephisto blinked in confusion. "I wonder why. Tomatoes are fruits, it is only natural to mix them with something sweet." Thea beamed and exclaimed cheerfully. "I know, right?" Her cheeks started hurting slightly from all the smiling - the surprise visit was just so pleasant, and she intended to enjoy every second of it to the fullest.
A while later, Mephisto found himself sitting with Thea in front of the fireplace, a warm blanket over their shoulders, mint tea with honey in their hands. His lady leaned gently on his shoulder and exhaled. "If I knew the check-in would turn out into such a delicious meal and a date, I would have cancelled that business in Sweden tomorrow, so I could come here again. This is… absolutely incredible. We are still together… I can't even remember the last time I had more than one or two dates with the same person…" he mused with a hint of amusement and befuddlement - it usually took only one rendezvous to find himself facing eager demands for a special deal, for riches or power. That was, if his dates weren't attempting to poison, stab or otherwise get rid of him at the moment. A soft, pleasant voice interrupted his train of thoughts. "Are you alright, Mephisto?" the blonde eyed him curiously. "You seem a little… troubled?" The Lord of Time was quite grateful for the color-play provided by the fireplace, it served well to mask his blush. "Seeing right through me again…" he shook his head and pulled the blonde a little closer, then answered. "Not at all, my dear. I was just thinking… if I'm not mistaken, this is actually our third date and…" he stopped himself. "No. Stop right there. This is ridiculous - I can't possibly tell her how glad I am that it's another date and no dagger is sticking out of my back… At least not yet… Verdammt, focus! Way to ruin the romance…" before he could find the right words to somehow express his thoughts though, Thea put her hand to her cheek, her eyes wide. "Oh, you are right. This would be the third one, right? I see…" she smiled knowingly.
The demon cocked his head in puzzlement. "You see what, dear?" "I meant, I see what you mean…" she answered with a bright blush on her face. "You do?" the demon blinked, once again considering the possibility of Thea having some mind-reading technique up her sleeve. "Well, yeah… I mean… I did not really see that coming but… but if you want to…" she shuffled nervously, biting her lip, her face already beetroot-red while Mephisto's brows furrowed as he was trying to decipher the sudden tension in her. A gloved hand cupped her cheek gently. "Thea, dear. What is it?" "Well, you are the one who brought that up… since, uhm, since it's kind of a tradition for a couple to get intimate on their third date and…" she covered her face with one hand as a wave of embarrassment hit her. Mephisto felt as if his brain froze for a moment and his mouth fell open. "It is?" he blinked, dumbstruck. "It is. Isn't that why you mentioned it in the first place?" she brushed her hair away from her face, daring to look in his eyes, then froze as well. "Wait a moment… y-you didn't know about this tradition?" "What can I say, I am usually the one breaking the traditions." the demon chuckled, then leaned in closer. "Although, some of them might be well worth keeping alive…" he held her gaze while placing a kiss on her hand. "...especially if you so desire." Silence. An almost tangible tension. The demon gulped - has he just pushed his luck? Then, Thea's beautiful smile tore through all his doubts, as she put a gentle kiss on his lips. "I think… I do." she said, her lips barely parted from his. Mephisto instantly pulled her closer, burying his hand into her golden locks, kissing her passionately, the tantalizing scent of honey and cinnamon driving his rising desire.
OoO
"Ayamiiiii!" Thea called out, then hugged her roommate tightly as she arrived back at the dorms. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you. It's been so long…" Her surprised friend returned the hug, patting the blonde at the back. "Gee, OK, calm down, you are crushing me. What's with the hype? It's been just four days." Ayami chuckled, then helped Thea carry her bags inside. "Oh… well, a lot has happened… I guess it just felt longer than that." Thea giggled. The raven-haired girl eyed her suspiciously. She was used to Thea's optimistic moods and a smile which seemed to never leave her face, but she felt somehow… different - livelier, energized and practically beaming. She had to fight the urge to put a hand in front of her face, much as one would cover from the sun. "That's strange. Hmmm… Her face of a job-well-done looks a little different. It's not her 'day-off' face, either. Nor is it the pure joy of finding out that her favorite sweets are fifty percent off on sale…" Thea's musical voice interrupted her train of thoughts. "Is there something on my face?" the blonde chuckled, and Ayami tapped a finger on her lips. "Actually… there is. You look somehow… I think that the word 'happy' does not quite do your expression justice." A blush of deep-red color appeared on Thea's face and suddenly, it all fell together in Ayami's mind. "Oh. My. God. You had sex!" she blurted out in excitement, and in an instant, there was a hand plastered over her mouth. "Shush! Are you crazy? Don't shout such things out loud, for God's sake! At least wait until I close the door…" Thea urged pleadingly, her face becoming positively redder. Once they were safely inside their little apartment, the blonde let go of her friend, then covered her ears from the incoming 'Aaaaaaaaaa! I knew it, I knew it! Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh. My. God! I want every detail!
"Alright, alright, just stop shaking me already." Thea cried, but couldn't keep the excitement bottled up any longer. And so, she told Ayami about Mephisto's unexpected visit during her language school trip, about how they enjoyed a nice dinner and tea in front of the fireplace. She especially kept boasting about how he liked her cooking. "Sweet Jesus… he ate her cooking. Willingly! And somehow mustered the energy to praise it, too. A true love, indeed." Ayami thought, subconsciously holding her stomach as she listened to Thea's descriptions. "Fine, I get it, I get it. He liked your cooking. So, what about the rest of the night? How was he?" she asked suggestively, her lips almost completely torn from all the nervous biting she had put them through. She knew that she would not get too many details out of her friend, as Thea was quite shy when it came to intimacy. And so, it did not surprise her that the blonde just buried her face into Mr. Woolly - her most treasured sheep-companion - and let herself fall on her bed. Surprisingly though, she could see Thea rising two of her fingers. "Peace?" Ayami's eyebrows rose, but Thea just shook her head, still holding onto her dear plush toy. "Twice." she mumbled, and Ayami's hands suddenly seemed too slow to keep up with the intensity of waving she needed to reach to calm herself down. "Aaaaa! Well, look at that! He really made sure you had a great time. See? He's totally into you! I told you. Didn't I tell you?" "Uhm." the blonde kept nodding, still too embarrassed to look at her excited roommate properly.
"I wanna details! Oh please, please!" Ayami shook her friend again. "Come ooon. I too told you about me and Toshiro." "Yeah, perhaps a little too much." Thea started laughing, then finally left her small sheep-sanctuary. "Excuse me? A little too much?" Ayami fixed her with hands folded in front of her chest. "I know about his favorite position, for God's sake!" "So? It's not that intimate. Intimate would be if you knew that he…" "Nooo!" Thea's desperation rose to dangerous levels, so she flung one of the sheep from the flock on her bed at Ayami. But not Mr. Woolly - he was too precious to be used as a projectile. "OK, OK. I'm not gonna talk about it. But speaking of positions, what is Mephisto's…" "Oh my God, noooooo! Absolutely not!" another sheep landed right on Ayami's face. "Geee, fine. Just tell me anything you feel comfortable sharing, then." "Why, thank you." the blonde exhaled, completely flustered. "It was just… magnificent. He was gentle and also passionate… just in the right moments. It felt like his hands were everywhere and…" Thea closed her eyes, remembering his piercing forest-green eyes, heated kisses, gentle caresses, his well-toned body pressed tightly to hers, his tail wrapped firmly around her waist… Even the memory made her blush all over again, so she swiftly snapped her eyes open again. "And?" Ayami waited impatiently. "And… his tail, I mean, tattoo! Tattoo! He had an interesting tattoo down on his back…" she said swiftly, trying to save the unfortunate slip. To her relief, Ayami bought it and just grinned widely. "Well, that's the most information I have been able to get out of you on this topic since like… ever! Aaah, now I can die in peace…" she started laughing and Thea soon joined her. "So, did you learn anything else?" The blonde thought for a while. "Well… I learnt that he's a real beast in bed…" she grinned, enjoying her secret little wordplay. "...and that I… I might just have really fallen in love with him." Before Thea could ponder about that surprising realization any further, her best friend hugged her tightly, then suggested catching up on the rest of the events over a cup of hot cocoa.
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"Your report, Zahar." a commanding voice echoed through the audience room as the demoness clad in dark cloak with a nightshade embroidered on its back approached her new master. "My lord, everything is ready. Our ally at the Academy is ready to let the armies in at your command." she bowed low but dared to take a swift peek at Abaddon's face, noticing the vicious wide grin which had just spread on his face. "Excellent. Leraje." The Lord of the Abyss addressed the demon standing next to Zahar. "At your service, my lord." the demonic marquise with a bow on his back, silken eyepatch covering his left eye, clad in green and golden light armor saluted. "You will lead the forces." The freshly elevated general went to one knee and put a hand to his chest. "I am honored, your majesty. I will not let you down." "Good, good." Abaddon nodded, then motioned Leraje to rise. "You will attack tomorrow at dawn. Samael's barrier will be down, but there is a significant number of wards guarding the place, as well as security and teachers to deal with, so proceed cautiously. As promised, you are free to kill as you please and any riches you find are yours but mind the objective first." Leraje's golden eyes shone in excitement, then he bowed again and set off to organize the forces.
"You remember your job, don't you, poison-maker?" The Lord of the Abyss eyed Zahar meaningfully. "I do, my lord. While Leraje's forces draw Samael's attention, my team shall kidnap the girl." the demoness summed up. "Samael might have his own guards set on her, so you need to make sure that she leaves the dorms quietly and willingly." "I know, my lord. That has been already taken care of. We will proceed with the plan once your forces strike at the Academy." Suddenly, she could feel her chin being lifted, as Abaddon bent down ever so slightly, moderating his voice to a whisper. "Good. Do your job and the revenge will be yours, Zahar of the Alsumu." the demon said with an air of threat hidden behind the sweet promise of vengeance.
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Disclaimer: Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.
Author's note: Hello everyone! :) The next chapter of my FF-story is here! I am so happy I managed to finish it before Christmas, as I know you guys have been looking forward to it. As always, any feedback is much appreciated, be it a review or a message. I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it ^^ Happy holiday everyone and stay tuned for the next chapter!