O-Koneko-O

It's nearing 22:15, and I'm the only one still in the club room. Kiba-Sempai and Akeno-Sempai are off on a contract and general upkeep tasks, respectively. Rias-Buchou is off somewhere doing some reading. She'd usually do that in the club room, but I guess she wanted a change in scenery. Either that or whatever she's doing is of a more private nature.

We got back to the club house around 20:00, so I've been here for almost two and a half hours now.

I don't really mind though. It's nice getting to sit in silence on the couch with my snacks. The Occult Research Club, or ORC as we tend to shorten it for convenience, is housed in Kuoh's old school building. We've let the outside appearance of the building go over the last few years. There are vines covering most of the siding, and it could really use a fresh coat of paint. Not so for the interior though. I doubt Buchou's family would let us get any less high class in here, and we're already teetering on the edge of gaudy.

The walls are pristinely wood paneled, and there are two Victorian style couches in the center of the room, each seating three, four if you really squeezed in. The couches face a coffee table, off which I pick up another sweet to chew on. Brownies today. They could really do with a bit more moisture. Buchou's desk is separated a bit from the seating area, but it does face in towards the center of the room. She also insisted on installing a shower in the club room itself. She's a bit of a pervert like that. She is my king, though, and she did save me from… from…

The lighting in the room is provided by the tall windows when it's sunny and the curtains are open, and candles lining the walls and sat on the tables when we need privacy, or the sun is down. Can't ever go wrong with an open flame in a carpeted room full of paperwork and paneled in wood. Magic really is useful like that.

Looking at the clock, it's getting pretty late, so I should start thinking about getting my schoolwork done. We do have appearances to keep up after all. The pop culture image of 'summoning a devil' is a 02:00 rendezvous in a cloudy room with everyone present hooded, but really that couldn't be much farther from the truth. The people who summon us are human. Regular, flesh and blood bodies regulated by a little thing called a circadian rhythm. Put simply, they need their sleep, and 02:00 meetings with the unholy don't really facilitate that. Except for insomniacs. We do get some of them calling in at strange hours.

Most of the time though, 'simple' human biology dictates that the vast majority of our contracts are carried out between 20:00 and 22:30. It's still late in the day, late enough that no one's going to come over for a surprise visit, but it's still early enough to not be too disruptive to daily life. We're reaching the tail end of that range right now, so I decide to get up and get on with other things. I probably won't be disturbed, but I can still respond if someone does call for a contract.

I stand and stretch, and suddenly, there it is. The tugging sensation associated with being summoned. Huh. Guess I was wrong about the whole 'probably won't be disturbed' thing. Examining the sensation, it's no one I've ever been summoned by before, so it's a new client. It's also a bit weaker than usual, but that probably just means the guy, and it usually is a guy. We get some women but only about ten percent of the time, has a bit less latent magic than a normal human.

Well, no use dawdling here. Focusing on the summoning again, I cast the Gremory magic circle, teleporting myself to… an empty bedroom? That doesn't make sense. To work, the contract needs the summoner to be right next to it, feeding their latent magic to power the summoning. So, being in an empty room right now really should be impossible.

It's… well organized? Someone certainly lives here, I can smell their scent on things lying around with my enhanced Nekoshou senses, but it's… sterile for lack of a better word. There is nothing on the walls. Everything is in its place. The bedspread and curtains are both grey, and the desk is spotless save the perfectly stacked books.

"Toujou-San?"

Starting at the sudden presence in the room with me, I jump into a combat stance ready to take off the head of whoever managed to ambush me like this. It will be a swift death for them, my enhanced rook strength letting me take a normal human's head off clean in one strike, but it won't be a pretty picture for the other two humans still in the house… asleep…

Why would someone give up the element of surprise to ambush me in a house with two sleeping humans so close by? Calm down Shir-Koneko, calm down. Getting out of my combat stance, but still a bit weary of the strange boy in front of me, who I now notice is slightly above average height but lankier than anything, with brown hair and brown eyes I decide it's best to figure out first and foremost how this guy knows me.

"We've never met. How do you know my name?" It really is rather important that I figure this out before going on. Stalkers really suck, and I don't want to deal with one right now. Not with what Buchou already has to deal with.

"Ah, no we've never spoken, but we both go to Kuoh, and I've seen you around the halls. I'm Hyoudou Issei, Nice to meet you."

"Toujou Koneko. You attend Kuoh? I've never seen you there." That claim is worrying. Very, very worrying. One of my tasks for Buchou is to watch people. I've never missed anyone before, but I've never seen this 'Hyoudou Issei' in my life. On closer inspection though, it does look like he's wearing half a Kuoh uniform, and that is a Kuoh jacket folded up on his bed…

Oh no. Rias is going to be mad at me for missing this guy… she's going to get r-

"I do, yes, I guess I'm pretty easy to miss." Hyoudou is looking a bit uncomfortable at this point. Not entirely uncommon for first time summoners, so between that and needing to report this to Buchou, I should really get moving on this contract.

"If you say so. What is your wish?"

Now he's doing the full-on nervous guy routine. Scratching the back of his head, sweat on his brow, shifty eyes… maybe I was right to be on edge around this guy, he might be getting ready to attack, just like –

"Ah… ah, I was actually hoping I could cancel the contract." Really? Cancellations aren't uncommon, but this whole situation is getting fishier and fishier by the second. Summoned by a human that can seemingly appear out of thin air, only to have them immediately cancel after claiming to attend Kuoh…

"Why." It's less of a question and more an order at this point. I am a devil after all, and I could snap this guy like a toothpick if I were so inclined. I could do so much more than that to people so much more powerful than this human If I just let go…

"Well, what I was planning to ask for would be a bit awkward with someone I'd have to see again", he explains with a bit of a downtrodden expression, "I was expecting to summon someone I'd never interact with again." Ah, so that's it then.

"Pervert", I bite out a bit more harshly than is probably strictly necessary. I don't like perverts. But he is trying to cancel the contract because he knows it's wrong. Does that make him better?

"Yeah, I probably am. Anyway, if it's possible, you should probably go. If not, I could just have you straighten my pens or something." Now he's looking really depressed. That's… hmm…

"Well, at least you admit it. Better. Yes, you can cancel. Are you sure that's what you want?" I'm trying to be as soothing as possible, because… well, I really don't know why. I guess that depressed look doesn't really fit Hyoudou-san. I get the feeling he doesn't show much else though.

With a laid upon sigh, Hyoudou replies with "Yes, I'm sure. I'm sorry for wasting your time tonight Toujou-san. I hope you have more success with your next client." Polite to the end, even when embarrassed and depressed. That's good at least.

"It's alright Hyoudou-san, thank you for summoning me. I'll see you around Kuoh from now on." I'm trying to reassure him that this wasn't really a problem. A small annoyance to be sure, but nothing to be as distraught as he seems to be over it.

As I conjure a magic circle to teleport myself back to the ORC, I could swear I hear him respond "I doubt that." It's quiet, for a human, but a Nekoshou like me could hear it easily.

Stepping back into the club room after that rather bizarre, if not short, summoning, there's only one thing on my mind. "Hyoudou Issei, Hyoudou Issei, Hyoudou Issei. What a strange boy – What are you Hiding?"

O-Issei-O

"Dammit." I let may head fall into my hands. I'm close to crying, but that can wait until I'm in bed. I still need to take a shower after all.

GAHH! Why did I ask her to leave? I had exactly what I wanted right in front of me, and then I asked it to go away. Why couldn't I do it? Well, I wasn't lying when I said I was expecting to summon someone I'd never see again after tonight, if I even summoned anyone at all.

But I got Toujou-San. It just had to be Toujou-san. It really didn't help that I had been thinking of her as cute earlier today at school. And well, seeing her up close certainly didn't change my opinion on that front. She really is beautiful. Not in the same way as some of the other students at Kuoh, with their frankly oversized chests and posteriors, but in her own way. Massive breasts are overrated anyway.

I really would have liked to have held her tonight… "Shit." I know I said she probably wouldn't see me at school, thanks for that witty comment oh great merciful brain, but we will probably end up seeing each other again, at least in passing. And… she thinks I'm some kind of pervert. Or at least that I was going to ask her to do something perverted for me. She's going to think I'm crazy… right? That or she's going to hate me…

It doesn't matter. It's not like there was ever really a chance of us having a meaningful relationship in the first place. Now it's just set in stone. Oh well. Now it really is time for me to get cleaned up.

Unconsciously, I fold up the contract I'm still holding and put it in my breast pocket, before once again starting to undress. Down to my undershirt and pants, I head to the bathroom for a quick shower.

"Huh, there's a bit more flesh on my stomach today", maybe I should eat le-

Nope, I have enough bullshit going on in my life already, I am not adding an eating disorder on top off it. Begone demon. Frankly, I need to eat more. I was in the tenth percentile for BMI last time I went to the doctor's, and I've lost a bit of weight since then. Eating less now certainly wouldn't do me any favors.

That's how most of my showers go. If not forcefully giving myself a positive body image, it'll be some other existential crisis. Come to think of it, I don't know when the last time I had a shower that didn't involve some profound struggle of will was.

Getting out of the shower after a quick but effective wash, I get into a t-shirt and boxers, my usual sleeping wear. Climbing under the covers, I take one of my two pillows and hug it. 'I really should invest in a body pillow at some point. Probably the closest thing to physical intimacy I'll ever get.' With the hope that maybe my dreams will be kinder to me than reality has been today, I cry myself to sleep.

O-Raynare-O

Walking around Kuoh in one of my human disguises, I'm running some errands that need to be done to keep our operations here in Kuoh running. Not everything can be high stakes combat or spying unfortunately. Normally, I'd have one of my lackey's taking care of this, but there are just some things that need to be handled personally.

The old saying 'If you want something done right, do it yourself', while not true in every single case, is true in the vast majority of them. I guess that's what you get when you get the grunts and the cast offs, the lowest of the low to work with.

Today, it was dropping off the report for the higher ups in the secure drop off location. Normally, we would just teleport it straight to them, but with this being devil territory, governed by the Gremory and Sitri heirs no less, any unnecessary use of magic must be eliminated. That leaves good old-fashioned dead drops as the best option.

I'm in Kuoh with three other fallen, Kalawarna, Mittelt, and Dohnaseek along with a handful of stray exorcists usually used for grunt work. We're here to observe the goings on of the Gremory-Sitri territory. At least that is our official mission as far ass the Grigori are concerned. Only us four fallen know that we are really here to look for sacred gears.

We haven't found anything useful yet, those devils really are efficient in scooping them up. Oh well, we have something much bigger than some two-bit twice critical coming down the pipeline anyway.

I'm walking through one of the residential districts now, making sure to take a very convoluted path from the dead drop back to the abandoned church, our base of operations here in Kuoh. Really wouldn't do to be found out because I was being careless after all. I'm passing in front of a run of the mill middle class house when I sense something… strange… to say the least, a devil summoning.

Now, devils being summoned by humans is disgusting and repulsive, but established. It's a thing that happens, whether I want it to or not. What doesn't happen, is a devil being summoned to… nothing? There are humans in the house, but they are not in the same room that the devil was summoned into. I'm stopped on the sidewalk at this point, but I don't really care. Something big is happening here.

Shit, the devil just left… what? Ok, ok, ok. Let's get this in order. A devil is summoned, and it was a summoning, not just the devil teleporting in. I could sense the contract call out to the devil first, and then their appearance, seemingly to an empty room at this completely normal looking house. Then, after much too short at time to negotiate, let alone carry out a contract, the devil leaves again.

What does this mean… well, the devil, almost certainly from either the Gremory or Sitri peerages had to be summoned by someone. That or the contract malfunctioned.

That is impossible. The contracts do not fail. Them doing so would be a black mark on Ajuka Beelzebub himself, and he is never wrong on matters like this. Could it have been the other two humans, somehow setting off the contract remotely? Hmm… I'll need to investigate this, this matter, and this house, extremely thoroughly.

Taking out my note pad, I scratch out some notes on what I know so far and start to head back to base. As big as this is, there are still other things to be done. Nothings going to change in the next few days anyway, so this can wait. Not for too long though. I really have been itching for some action.

O-Koneko-O

Stepping back into the club room, I'm greeted by Buchou opening the club room doors. "Back so soon Koneko-Chan?", she asks with a curious tilt to her head.

"Canceled."

"Your client canceled? Oh well. Good job Koneko-Chan." You won't be thinking that in a bit…

Now I just need to tell Buchou about… about… What was his name? Ryudoji? Ryoudou? Ryoudou Issei? No, it was Hyoudou, Hyoudou Issei, the boy that managed to slip by me…

"Buchou." This is how most of my conversations with Rias go. One word from me, many from her. I don't particularly like it, but it is how it is, and Buchou seems to like it, so I'll leave it be, so she doesn't get angry.

"Yes Koneko-Chan?" she gently coaxes, "Is something the matter?" I really hope she isn't too mad at me, that she doesn't get rid of me.

"Is there a… Hyoudou Issei", GAH, why is his name so hard to remember? "attending Kuoh?" I inquire timidly. Even if I missed him, Buchou may have still known about him, and if she does….

"I don't know anyone by that name, why? She looks a bit confused now. I let out a sigh of relief. I'm not the only one that missed him then, and it doesn't look like she's angry with me, at least not yet.

"Contractor". Now she's looking even more puzzled than before. She's biting her lip and wringing her hands in concentration.

"Your summoner said his name was Hyoudou Issei?

"Yes, and he claimed to be a student at Kuoh. He knew my name before I gave it him, and he was wearing the uniform." I recount the rest of my experience being summoned by the boy as well. Better to just get it all out in the open now than to try and hide anything.

"Really? He managed to hide from your senses, of all things?" Rias exclaims in shock once I'm done giving my report. Here it is. Here comes the anger. 'You did good in bringing this to my attention Koneko." With that, she starts patting me on the head in appreciation, right between my ears would be If I let them out. "Something strange is going on here. Neither of us knew about this Hyoudou Issei, yet he is apparently within our territory, practically our home. He clearly has some sort of abilities if he was able to avoid you of all people. Good job. I'm going to bring this to Sona tomorrow and see if she knows anything that we don't." Pausing in her ministrations for a second, I can see her make a note in her agenda to talk to Sona about 'Koneko's summoner, [Hyoudou Issei]'.

Here I am expecting Buchou to be upset with me… and instead she pats me on the head while congratulating me… I really am a bad girl…

With another round of head pats and a hug, Buchou gently gives me her next order, "Koneko, you should probably get to bed soon, we have another long day ahead of us tomorrow." After what I had been expecting today, I don't think there could be anything I want to do more right now than obey.

"Thank you Buchou, good night"

I hear Buchou wish me a "good night" of her own as I exit the room and head up to my own. I already cleaned up earlier, but I usually take a shower right before bed regardless. After the way I was expecting Buchou to treat me, I feel like I need to clean myself anyway.

Looking at my body in the mirror, I sigh in dejection. I'm not as beautiful as Buchou or Akeno-Sempai. It would be generous to call my breasts budding, and well, the less said about my rear the better. Nobody is attracted to someone like me except for maybe pedophiles. Well, I'll show them if they try anything. It's not like complaining will change anything though. This is what I'm stuck with, for now at least.

Pulling on my normal sleepwear, underwear and some simple pajamas, after drying off, I head back to my room and climb under the covers. Today was weird, but I was blowing it out of proportion. Tomorrow will be better. Definitely.

O-AN-O

I had a few more scenes planned out for this chapter, but the first few ended up being way longer than I expected. I'm aiming for each chapter to be somewhere around 3000 (not counting the AN) words right now and going on from here would have pushed it well above that. Besides, the end of the day seemed like a good place to do a chapter break.

On to this chapter. Tried out some different POV's this time around, with the majority focusing on Koneko this time. Like I've said, I am not an experienced writer, so If there's anything I could do better on that front, please feel free to let me know.

Unfortunately, the plot is going to follow canon a little closer than I would like for a bit, at least in terms of introducing Issei to, well, the plot. The Raynare section is there to facilitate that. If I come up with some super genius way to avoid that, I'll go with it, but as of now that's not looking likely.

I wasn't really expecting to update this again so soon, but I had a day off today (3/25) and didn't have anything better to do than work on this. Rain. Boo. That being said, don't get your hopes too high for consistent updates. This was probably a one-time thing, updating so soon after the last.

Again, feel free to provide any constructive criticism of my writing. I'm never expecting to be a professional writer, or really anything close, but having more skills has never hurt anyone. No flames though please.

Also, Holy hell, positive reviews are like crack. Give them to me. FEED MEEE!

Seriously though, I've seen writers say positive reviews are what keeps them going, but I never understood it until I experienced it myself.