Yikes. So, I know I said I'd be updating more this summer, but as it turns out, I've been working waaay more than I planned. The place I'm working is really short staffed, so I get scheduled way more than normal...not a lot of time to write. No worries, I'm still doing what I can when I can.
This chapter is really short, just me trying to get situated again. Don't worry, I think I'm good now. Should be a little bit better on updating now, at least...hopefully.
But, putting all that junk aside, I'd like to ask you, the readers, for a favor. But, I'll do that at the bottom, so just stay tuned. Enjoy the chapter!
Raynare rubbed her head, taking in all the information Issei had given her.
"It almost feels like this whole thing with Freed barely happened." She said, thoughtfully furrowing her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
She and Issei were in their bed, several minutes after she'd woken up from being unconscious. She was wearing her normal black silken pj's, and Issei was already dressed; he was in the standard Kuoh uniform, minus the blazer.
"I dunno, it's like...I almost expected more of a lasting impact? I'm not really sure how to put it."
"Like you were worried it would be something more than scratches and emotional damage, and now that that's all we got you're wary to relax?" Issei said, eloquently voicing everything he'd been feeling for the past two days while Raynare slept.
Raynare nodded, impressed at both how much Issei's communication skills had improved since they met, and at how correct he was. "Exactly."
"Well, I feel one hundred percent the same way, but whether that was Freed's whole plan or not, he's dead now. I, uh...I tore out his heart." Issei said quietly, almost expecting to be berated by Raynare.
"Ha, nice! That's definitely one way to do it." Raynare nodded and hummed approvingly, and Issei realized he forgot that she'd been a millennia old assassin. "With your bare hand, or the gauntlet?"
Even with her interesting moral compass and indeterminate status as a Risen Angel, Raynare absolutely enjoyed combat, and to hear about how her fiance had savagely ripped out a priest's heart in defense of her set her heart aflutter.
"Well, I didn't really have a bare hand at the time. Oh, right! That reminds me!" Issei got up from the bed, standing excitedly off to the side while Raynare watched with a questioning look. "Balance Breaker!"
[Scale Mail!]
Ddraig wreathed Issei in his draconic armor, but withheld the massive wave of power that normally accompanied such a transformation. He understood perfectly well that Issei just wanted to show off to his mate.
"Issei, that's incredible! I hate what caused you to unleash it, but...it's still pretty badass." Raynare was in awe at the raw and savage plate armor wrapped around Issei. He radiated heat, and looked ready to kill. "...And kinda hot."
If it was possible for Issei to blush through his helmet, he would've. Instead, he dispersed the armor and got back into bed, sitting on top of the covers and moving close to Raynare.
"So, fill me in on the rest of everything else."
"Well, I passed out before you, I think, but then woke up only a little bit after. Ddraig said something about Balance Breaker kicking my healing into overdrive, so I was pretty much fine after just a few minutes. I was up just in time to watch Kiba unleash his Balance Breaked against the big bad."
"Kiba unlocked his Balance Breaker too? What did he get? Like...even more swords?"
"From what I understand, which isn't saying much, he somehow was able to produce a mixed Holy and Demonic sword. The bad guy was spouting stuff about how that meant God was dead, but since we know that's not true, I really have just no idea what's going on behind the scenes anymore. Anyway, Valper or whatever his name was revealed that the previous God had died, which was apparently a huge secret because everyone on Rias's team was freaking out, but nobody there knew there's actually another God already so I just kept quiet about that. Kiba killed Valper, the excaliburs were returned to the church, and Irina left."
"Just Irina? What happened to Xenovia?"
"She joined Rias' peerage, actually. Totally surprised me."
"Yeah, what? Xenovia, as in the one who threatened to kill Asia for being a devil? Yikes, you think you know a gal…"
"Tell me about it. After all that stuff was over with, I brought you back here and contacted Ziz- I mean Azazel, sorry- and asked him to check you over. He gave me the all clear for both you and the baby, said you just needed rest to recover from the mental and physical strain caused by Excalibur Nightmare. So...here we are, I guess. Oh, and he also said the upcoming faction summit has been accelerated. Both of us have been requested, and by that I mean I was and I refused to go unless I could have you as my plus one."
"I'm honored, truly."
"Yeah, I'm not eager either, but there's gonna be a bunch of important people there, so says Azazel. He said even the new God should be present, which is almost the entire reason for the meeting."
"T-the new God? Really? Azazel said that specifically?"
Raynare blanched, visibly terrified at the prospect of meeting God again. Even if he or she had deemed her worthy of being 'risen' and turned her into a silver winged angel again, she wasn't excited to be reacquainted with the one who'd cast her down in the first place. Different God or not, they sat atop the throne of heaven, and "complicated" couldn't begin to describe how she felt on the matter.
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, we'll be facing them together. God or not, if whoever it is hurts you, I'll make them kneel before the Red Dragon."
Issei's eyes flared with a menacing crimson glow, and the temperature of his skin climbed to almost uncomfortably hot.
Raynare's heart shot into her throat, both touched and horrified by the sentiment that Issei'd be willing to fight God himself if it meant protecting her.
"You just never stop, do you? What happened to the shy guy I meant all that time ago, huh? You went from not making eye contact with anybody to threatening God. It's really cute~." Raynare cooed, stroking Issei's cheek. His fiery demeanor cooled in an instant, and he melted like butter into Raynare's embrace.
"You happened. I'll be anyone you want, now and forever."
Now it was Raynare's turn to melt, but she didn't skip a beat.
"You're exactly who I want. No one else, ever."
Raynare's wings leapt from her back, cloaking them in a sphere of silver plumage. Issei was on all fours now, looking down on her.
"Issei, your eyes changed color. They're green now, with slit pupils. A dragon's eyes." Raynare rubbed Issei's cheek, looking up into his eyes.
"Ddraig says my whole body is more Dragon than human now, after achieving Balance Breaker. I guess that includes my eyes."
His face was less than six inches from hers.
Raynare hummed, reminded of the immense power he wielded under his soft exterior. At this point, he was likely stronger than her.
Not that she was complaining, of course. The heat and power coming off him was setting her senses on fire.
"Really? Your whole body? Hmmm~, I wonder what else has changed…" Raynare's hands trailed down his chest, and Issei began to blush. But, before anything could happen, Issei sighed and moved backwards, leaving the shroud of Raynare's wings.
The Angel looked quizzically at her fiance. He hadn't ever refused her advances after their first time. Issei backed off of their bed entirely, confusing her even more.
"I, um...Azazel said...uh...no sex." Issei stammered, looking away.
"Whaat?! Seriously?! That dick!" Raynare yelled, cursing Azazel. Honestly, she'd figured it probably wasn't a good idea to begin with, but she'd been perfectly okay with doing it anyway.
"I'm sorry! He said it'd be a good idea to just let you rest, at least for today." Issei looked both ridiculously embarrassed and tragically apologetic, and it made Raynare laugh.
"Oh well, I'm sure he knows what he's talking about. Damn, I got so close, too...oh well. Alright, I'm gonna go take a shower. What time is it?"
Issei sighed in relief, happy the topic was brushed under the rug so fast. "About seven in the morning. I was just about to leave for school. You probably should stay home. I can stay with you, if you want-"
"No, you go ahead. I'm sure you've already skipped the past couple days on my account, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then you go to school. I'll be here with Kalawarner. And, I promise I won't open up the door for strangers anymore. Probably."
Issei's worries were assuaged by his fiance's nonchalant dismissal, and he smiled. "Thanks. I'll be home as fast as possible."
"Sure. Bye." Issei closed the gap between them, sharing a parting kiss with his wife-to-be before leaving the room.
Raynare left the bed, moving into their large bathroom and shutting their door behind her. Two days in bed will make anyone feel gross, and angels were no exception. She started the shower, and began to strip down before looking at her abdomen in the mirror.
It had been nearly two months since she'd gotten pregnant, and while she knew she'd start showing about four months into the pregnancy, she couldn't help but check for the baby bump every day in the mirror. The whole thing was still just so unbelievable to her.
She hadn't told Issei, but the chances of conception between members of two different supernatural species, such as Fallen and demi-dragons, were exceptionally low. Even just two of the same species was extremely low, and most Fallen could live lives full of rampant debauchery without ever having to worry about a pregnancy. She had never expected to become pregnant on their first night together.
But, regardless of the circumstances, Raynare couldn't wait to become a mother. She'd been alive for thousands of years and the thought had almost never even crossed her mind, but now the thought of raising a child with Issei set her heart ablaze. It made the previously stone-cold Fallen Assassin giddy just imagining it, and when Issei had broken her out of Nightmare's effects with a baby name of all things- it only made her maternal drive stronger.
"Tenshi…"
Raynare lightly brushed her abdomen, where her child was growing. She wondered if it would be a boy or girl, and the words of Issei's late mother echoed in her mind.
"...I like Tenshi."
Maybe Issei wasn't so bad at names after all.
Okay! Hope you liked it, I know it wasn't much. Expect next chapter and the ones after to be far meatier, this was just exposition for the freed arc and some setup for stuff after, but I'm sure you figured that out.
So like I said at the top, I'd like to ask you all for a favor/contest/poll.
I want ideas, for three things specifically.
1. Chapter ideas for this fic. Arc ideas or just one-shot fluff ideas, one or both. I'm good with any type of chapter suggestion (not story suggestion, write your own Great Red Issei power fantasy) so show me what you've got. I'll without a doubt be writing the best ones, so don't be afraid to tell me what you want!
2. Wedding ideas! Your two favorite characters are getting married, so it's only fitting that they should have a great wedding. As for the minister, I've already got an idea in mind, but everything else is fair game. Let me have it, no holds barred!
3. ...Baby names! Tenshi is great (in my humble opinion) but I know some of you have definitely got some ideas, and I'd love to hear them. And, if it's not too much trouble, how about some baby ideas other than a name? Like "momma's boy, brown hair and violet eyes, takes after mother's personality. Name- Bartholomew." (side note- if the baby is ever named Bartholomew, please know that I've died and been replaced by a pod person. I would never name any living creature something so horrid.) But yeah, baby ideas. Let 'em rip.
Send your suggestions in review, PM, smoke signal, morse code, I don't really care, just send 'em. Send your suggestion for #1, send all three, I don't care. But ideas are something I'm desperately short of these days, and I know you guys have a lot of stuff you want to happen, and I'm definitely all for making it so. Just let me pick your brains!
Anyway, I think that's about it. See you next mission!