Chapter 4: A New Home
The sound of rapid footsteps and scuffed shoes echoed throughout the dojo of Kuoh Academy alongside heavy breathing and the occasional *smack* noise of flesh hitting flesh.
Chiaki, Ansel and Morael were watching with wide eyes and bated breath as Bassaym and Ymmeri continued their lethal dance which had been going on for a good half-hour at this point.
Things had started off innocuously enough, with the two combatants swaying around the other and making tentative passes with their hands, getting a feel for the other's style.
And it was quite the eccentric mix, at that.
To their surprise Bassaym had alternated between Muay Thai, Krav Maga and Karate stances at will, coming at their club leader with full-bodied kicks, palm strikes, limb locks and flying elbows, demonstrating a proficiency with each art that-while not true mastery-was plenty enough to stand toe-to-toe with Ymmeri.
The Dragon girl herself was no slouch either, an inexorable and unstoppable tank that had taken far more blows than the Godslayer but kept coming regardless. Jujitsu and Southpaw boxing played to her obvious strengths, if the variety of injuries each was sporting was any indicator.
Bassaym had a bleeding scratch along his neck that had leaked onto his uniform and was sporting the beginnings of a black eye that would no doubt shape up to be a true shiner. Ymmeri had a busted and swollen lip, while a small trickle of blood leaked from her skull, despite the armored horns adorning her head.
...Did they forget to mention that part?
Because Ymmeri had quickly brought out the big guns after just a few minutes…
"So is this the extent of a Dragon's strength, Ymmeri-san? C'mon, I know you have more power than this."
The black-haired beauty scowled and wiped the trickle of blood off her lip, an injury caused by a beautiful crescent kick that had caught her off guard and with her arms lowered.
"You wish to see me fighting at a more dangerous level? Your funeral, Godking."
Deliberately turning her back on Bassaym, Ymmeri swiftly unbuttoned and removed her shirt and bra-causing the 8th Campione to awkwardly cough as he averted his eyes, Chiaki puffing out her cheek from the sidelines-before ominously stating, "Don't blame me if you get burnt, Godslayer."
Clad only in her skirt and leggings jet-black flames suddenly surrounded the girl's body, coalescing into armored scales and horns the color of midnight and darkest purple, her arms and legs turning into taloned appendages while a coiling tail burst from the base of her spine, gracefully swaying through the air as Ymmeri turned around to face her opponent.
While her collarbone, the valley between her breasts and navel were exposed all other portions of her flesh were armored and hardened, sharpened teeth now parting into a feral grin.
"At your leisure, Godking~."
The challenging and mocking tone caused Bassaym to smirk, slowly spreading his legs apart, crouching and bringing his arms up in front of his face, ready to start the fight in earnest.
"Bring it, Senpai."
The ensuing twenty-five minutes had been non-stop brutality, Ymmeri's half-form providing her a significant boost in strength and durability, while Bassaym had seemingly come alive and started fighting in earnest, displaying a level of foresight and reaction speed that had seemed borderline precognicient at times.
Obviously, a Campione's vaunted instincts at work. In fact it was a testament to Ymmeri's skill that she hadn't been overwhelmed, holding her own and even scoring a few clean strikes.
The duo once again closed the distance, feral grins on each of their faces as they exchanged blows once more.
Bassaym threw himself into a flying leap, swinging his right leg forward to strike Ymmeri in the side-
-and contorted his waist midair, leg retracting and instead bringing an elbow downwards in a blow that would connect with the Dragon girl's skull.
Familiar with that kind of feint Ymmeri allowed her right arm to snap upwards and absorb the strike, knees buckling slightly before the Campione landed neatly, the two no more than a meter apart from each other.
Snapping his leg into two swift kicks Bassaym pushed Ymmeri back, the Drake tanking the hits without difficulty but giving ground regardless, subsequently being pushed against the dojo wall where the Godslayer began a ruthless series of elbow and knee strikes, a rotating flurry of attacks that battered and jostled Ymmeri, only her scaled legs and forearms keeping her upright.
For a few seconds the relentless series continued, Ymmeri only watching Bassaym like a hawk-
-when she suddenly snapped her leg forward, colliding with and stalling one of Bassaym's kicks, affording her a break and enough time to lock one of the Godslayer's elbow strikes beneath her arm.
"Got you."
"That's what you think."
Both combatant glared at one another for a moment-
-and two of the more hurtful blows of the entire fight were swiftly exchanged.
Bassaym thrust his open palm forward, striking Ymmeri directly in the center of her chest with a noticeable *THUMP* and causing the Drake to wheeze in surprise.
She responded in kind, her free arm snapping forward and impacting on the Campione's side with a sharp *CRACK* and forcing the young man to grunt and step backwards.
Both began to gasp for breath, Bassaym lightly touching his side and grinning.
"Heh, it's a good thing my bones are harder to break than most...otherwise I'd be breathing blood..."
Ymmeri finally managed a mangled breath, fixing the Godslayer with an angry glare.
"You're holding back."
Instead of being affronted at her accusatory tone Bassaym merely chuckled-wincing as he did so-before replying, "Yeah, well, so are you. Or is that the extent of a Black Dragon's power?"
A soft growl escaped Ymmeri's lips, eyes dangerously narrowing as the three observers fully expected the fight to resume-
-and with a quiet sigh the girl dropped her stance, midnight flames once more ensconcing her body and causing her Dragon features to dissipate, the young woman swiftly adorning her shirt and bra before anyone could get a clear look.
"We will have to pursue this matter at a later date, Devil King. Preferably in an environment that can withstand us using the full extent of our strength."
"Now that is a plan I can get behind! What times do we meet, Ymmeri-senpai?"
The young woman snorted at the title but made no move to correct him, merely responding, "Twice a week, I have yet to devise a proper schedule. I expect you to attend all of them, Campione-san."
Bassaym rolled his eyes at her similar use of a title he wasn't a fan of, nonetheless holding out his hand.
"Deal. Shake on it?"
A shark's grin from Ymmeri.
"Deal. Don't you come to regret it now…"
They shook, Bassaym noting how her skin was surprisingly soft, with only a few hard callouses to break up the svelte flesh.
…Both didn't display the ache and weariness that shaking caused.
Apparently judging the moment over Ymmeri turned to the wide-eyed trio watching them, dismissing Bassaym from her mind as she announced, "Well? It's your two's turn now. Don't think that you get a free pass merely because I had a slight workout. I-"
"Oh, there you are. Where did you disappear to?"
Ymmeri scowled at the sudden interruption, turning to Bassaym with the intention of chewing him out for cutting her off…and raised an eyebrow as he was speaking to someone behind her.
Growling, the dark-haired girl turned around-
"EEP!"
-and shocked all present as a high-pitched, terrified, girly and just all around pathetic yelp of fright left the Dragon at the sight before her, sprinting in an undignified manner behind Bassaym before using him as a Human shield, trembling and wide-eyed.
"S-s-s-s-s-s-skeleton!"
The Campione blinked as Bennia floated in the middle of the dojo, skull-like mask adorning her face…and desperate trembles wracking her frame as she tried to hold in her laughter.
Everyone else could only stare in disbelief at the shivering young woman who-just a few minutes ago-had gone toe-to-toe against a Godslayer.
"What the Hell is it called in Japanese slang again? Gap Moe?"
Bassaym's words seemed to act like a switch, Ymmeri snapping out her terror and blinking a few times, as if just waking up.
…And then a low, violent growl issued from her throat, black flames dancing in her palms and eyes.
"BEN-NI-A!"
The Grim Reaper's cackles quickly stopped, a nervous gulp sounding out as she shakily spoke up with, "H-hey, Ymmeri-chan…long time no see?"
The taller girl's uniform burned to ashes, affording all present a brief look at her naked body before scales sprung up in place, a sadistic smile on her features.
Bassaym was a little too terrified to appreciate the brief glimpse of nudity.
The Reaper quickly divested herself of her mask, panic upon her face as she more frantically said, "I-it was just a joke, right? See? No mask anymore! S-so can you stop looking at me like I'm…lunch…"
Ymmeri stopped before Bennia, staring down at her while the Reaper stared back…and made a break for it.
She didn't make it more than a meter before Ymmeri's tail snaked outwards and wrapped around her legs, causing the girl to faceplant with a squawk of surprise, Ymmeri reeling her in with a triumphant grin.
"You've been a bad girl, Bennia-chan…and bad girls-especially repeat offenders-need to be PUNISHED!"
Completely lost as to what he was supposed to do in a situation like this Bassaym could only watch as the pissed Dragon bent Bennia over her knee, raised a taloned hand into the air-
*SMACK*!
-and landed an almighty spank right across Bennia's rear, the smaller girl letting out a pained yelp while all present winced.
"Is spanking a sort of universal punishment among Supernatural? Because the Devils were talking about that earlier…can't decide if that's more bizarre or more kinky. Or both."
The impromptu retribution session continued for a good few minutes.
"Ymmeri-chan can be…*sniff*…such a Bitch sometimes…*sniff*"
Bennia was painfully floating alongside Bassaym and Chiaki as they left the campus, tiny hands cautiously exploring her ass after the brutal abuse it had suffered no more than a few minutes ago, tears swimming in her eyes.
"Be fair, Bennia-chan...you've played that particular joke on her so many times it was inevitable that she would eventually snap."
"Yeah, but...did she need to be so forceful?! I'm not going to be able to sit down for a week!"
Bassaym gingerly rubbed his side where one of the Drake's blows had caught him extra hard, muttering, "She does have quite the arm on her..."
Turning her attention away from the grumbling Bennia, Chiaki worriedly gazed at Bassaym and hesitantly asked, "Umm, Bassaym-kun? Are you going to be ok? You, well...look a bit under the weather."
In the Kitsune's opinion that was an understatement.
His eye was beginning to swell, ragged holes that were slightly crusted over with blood dotted his uniform and his breathing was kept shallow, as if fully inhaling caused him pain.
"Under the weather...ugh, why couldn't I just come outright and say he looks like he got pummeled into the ground?!"
In an action that was becoming increasingly familiar to the girl Bassaym merely smiled, chuckling before replying, "Ahh this is nothing. You should see the other gal!"
"We did. And she looked better than you."
Bennia's blunt statement seemed to cause the Campione to deflate a little, his tone wry as he admitted, "Ok, fair enough. But us Campione heal quick, come tomorrow I'll be moving fine and by the day after that I'll be right as rain. So no big deal."
Chiaki resigned herself to the fact that her newest friend was going to be obstinate about this, sighing as her phone suddenly began to ring. She read the contents, looked at the time...and realized it was almost seven in the evening.
Well past the time she had told Kunou and Lilith she would meet them back in their apartment so they could talk to their parents and inform them how their first day had gone.
"O-oh no! My apologies, Bennia-chan, Bassaym-kun! But I need to get home as soon as possible!"
While obviously startled at the sudden exclamation Bassaym nonetheless easily shrugged, replying, "No worries, Chiaki-chan. Will I see you tomorrow?"
Inwardly doing a dance of happiness at the fact that he was the one asking to meet with her again Chiaki happily retorted, "Of course! Then I'll see you tomorrow, be safe! And don't get into any fights!"
Indignant at her last sentence, Bassaym shouted back, "You've only known me for a few hours and you're already dictating how to live my life?! You're a bold one, Chiaki-chan!"
Recognizing the playful banter for what it was-and feeling all the more giddy by it-Chiaki giggled and waved as she ran off, Bassaym shaking his head before turning to Bennia, raising an eyebrow as he did.
"I'm surprised you let her break up with you. She seems like the earnest and dependable type."
The Reaper merely chuckled, fondly replying, "Yeah, well, that earnestness deserves an equally earnest kinda affection, you know? She was going through kinda a rough patch at the time-responsibilities, puberty, all that junk-and it was less that she was into girls than it was she was just looking for someone who could listen and understand. She's a nice girl, Campione-sama...don't go messing with her, yeah?"
Unable to stop himself from smiling at the only somewhat joking tone Bennia had adopted the Godslayer stated, "You have my word, Bennia-san. Else I offer my-maybe-immortal soul to your scythe."
The blue-haired girl snickered at his words, stretching her back and happily stating, "Well then, I wish you luck! Just an early bedroom tip with Chiaki-chan, she's got a very sensitive spot just above tails~!"
While he wasn't what anyone would call shy, Bassaym couldn't help the slight tint of red that came to his cheeks at that thought, because, well...he did think Chiaki was pretty damn cute.
"While that's an optimistic mindset to have, I can't help but label that as premature shipping, Bennia-chan."
"Bah. Says you."
"Anyway, I should be getting to my new home. I haven't gotten a good look at it yet-just flew in last night and booked a hotel-so this is where we part ways. Oh, and the next time you want to prank Ymmeri-san? Let me in on it and we'll work out something truly beautiful."
The Grim Reaper gained a very death-like smirk.
"Bassaym-kun? I think we're going to get along just fine~!"
The two shared a radical fist bump and went their separate ways.
…
Bassaym stopped dead after a minute of walking, slamming his palm against his skull.
"Dammit! I forgot to ask them for their numbers!"
The walk to his new abode would have been a confusing one, were it not for a Campione's inherent ability to instinctively comprehend languages, directions from passerby and residents alike steering Bassaym ever closer.
Surprise surprise, his phone had been low on battery after a few hectic days in which he had failed to sufficiently charge it, so the e-maps had been a no go.
"Ah well, at least I'm getting a feel for the land."
...Although he was getting pretty hungry, it had been a busy day and his lunch had mostly just consisted of some kind of rice wafer he'd had on hand...not exactly the lunch of champions.
"Guess it'll be convenience store meals for the foreseeable future, at least until I get a chance to do some real shopping...provided this room big brother provided isn't some dump. I honestly wouldn't put it past him, considering how annoyed he was with me..."
"Terrance-san?"
Shocked at hearing a familiar voice so far off the-relatively-beaten path, Bassaym turned around and raised and eyebrow.
"Ephemera-sensei?"
Standing no more than a few meters away from him was the beautiful teacher, her head slightly cocked in a rather adorable gesture of surprise.
"Do you just so happen to live in this area, Terrance-san? What a coincidence, so do...I..."
The Angel's turquoise eyes widened in shock, tone aghast as she exclaimed, "Terrance-san, what happened to you?! Were you attacked by one of the students?"
Before Bassaym could explain what happened the woman had his head in her hands, tilting his face side-to-side in a quick inspection, all the while saying, "Goodness, the boldness of some students! To attack you so openly just because of a little misunderstanding! You would think they have more sense than to assault a Campione!"
"Um, Ephemera-sensei? I-"
"It seems I owe you an apology, Terrance-san, for Kuoh's dismal behavioral standards...and also a heartfelt thanks, for not retaliating harshly! No students were admitted to the infirmary and the academy is still standing, so you obviously restrained yourself-"
"Ephemera-sensei! It's fine, I got this in a sanctioned spar with Ymmeri-san. I didn't get assaulted, or at least not with malicious intent."
He paused.
"...Ok, so maybe there was a lot of malicious intent, but it was the good kind?"
The woman blinked once surprise, her tone changing to one of wry amusement as she asked, "You elected to battle Ymmeri the Protective in a normal fight?"
Bassaym tilted his head, asking, "Yeah. Why, is that a bad idea? And where did she get the name of 'Protective'?"
The Angel shook her head in exasperation, explaining, "Ymmeri has been hailed as a once in a generation genius, already rumored to be a likely candidate for the title of Dragon King. She has accomplished this in less than two decades and has-quite convincingly-beaten down any naysayers to her ascension. Her title stems from both how possessive she is of her title and pride...as well as those that follow her. She is the archetypal Dragon."
Her flawless lips pulled themselves into a deep frown as she took stock of Bassaym's condition.
"And she seems to have taken it out on you...no doubt she saw a Campione as a potential competitor to her station...what drew her ire, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Oh, there wasn't any hard feelings involved-at least not that I could tell-we just ended up having a pretty intense sparring match when I was club hunting that lead to us calling it off until a later date. Neither of us really won, although I think it's fair to say I came out slightly worse overall..."
A surprised blink.
"You fought her to a standstill?"
"In a manner of speaking. You sound surprised, Ephmera-sensei."
Quickly shaking her head the woman replied, "Ah, no offense meant, Terrance-san...but without using your Authorities I never would have expected you to be able to engage Ymmeri-san on even footing. Especially if she was making use of her Dragon side, as those markings and slashes on your body imply. Godly instincts or not, Ymmeri-san is no easy target..."
Bassaym openly chuckled, musing, "No, that she certainly isn't...provided there's no bony surprises in store~."
Ephemera giggled, slyly asking, "Ahh, so you discovered her weakness?"
"Sure did. I told Bennia-chan to let me in on her next prank, I'm sure we can make something...memorable."
The Angel's eyes sparkled mischievously as she advised, "Very well, but take care not to be caught, else I will have to exercise my responsibility as a teacher to punish wrongdoers."
"Duly noted, Ephemera-sensei."
The woman amicably smiled at his accepting tone as she asked, "So where exactly do you live, Terrance-san?"
Wordlessly handing the Angel his written address her eyes widened, clapping her hands joyously as she stated, "How fortuitous! I am housed quite close to you, only one home away, actually!"
Bassaym raised an eyebrow, surprised but pleased at the turn of events as he asked, "So how is this home of mine, Ephemera-sensei? Grand? Crappy? Something in between?"
"Hmm...I think I'll let you find out for yourself, Terrance-san~!"
The Godslayer just rolled his eyes but humored the Angel regardless, walking beside her as he asked, "So how was the first day of school for you, Ephemera-sensei? We've established how crazy it was for me, how about things on your end?"
"Please, outside of school feel free to drop the 'sensei' part," The Angel stated with a friendly wink, "And it was quite busy, Terrance-san. Ensuring that things go smoothly when so many different Supernatural students attend the same campus is quite a challenge. Thankfully Rossweisse-san is quite adept and makes my job easier...but today also had the unexpected hiccup of a Godking attending so suddenly, so we had to stay later than normal..."
Bassaym awkwardly coughed, sheepishly replying, "Err...my apologies, Ephemera-san."
The Angel neutrally stared at the Campione for a second...before bursting into giggles, cheerily stating, "I'm just teasing you, silly~! And why 'san'? You're still so formal!"
Briefly unsure of what to say to the woman's words Bassaym was saved the necessity of replying as the blonde-woman abruptly said, "Well, we're here!"
The house in front of Bassaym was modern, modest and spacious. Two floors of neutral grey walls and tinted windows, a small lawn in front of the main door while what looked to be a larger backyard was surrounded by a freshly erected fence.
"Huh. That's nicer than what I was expecting."
Ephemera gave Bassaym a curious look, asking, "You expected worse?"
"Well, suffice to say my older brother might have been a little peeved with my actions over the past years."
Bassaym walked to the front door, punching in the security code while Ephemera curiously followed, still explaining, "Seeing as how I'm reliant upon his patronage for the moment, it would have been pretty easy for him...to..."
The Angel curiously glanced over the Campione's shoulder, eyes widening as she saw the same thing Bassaym did.
Or rather, she didn't see much of anything.
"Well shit."
The house was bare. No furniture, no decorations...the kitchen, the bathrooms, the bedrooms...all completely blank.
Heaving an enormous sigh Bassaym strolled further into the house, picking up a scrap of paper that had been left on the floor.
"Well played, brother...well played."
At Ephemera's questioning glance Bassaym wordlessly handed over the note, which read,
"Take good care of the house, Bassaym.
Also, I didn't put any furniture inside because I figured you would like to decorate it yourself. Enjoy.
Sincerely,
Godou Kusanagi."
"Looks like I'm sleeping on the floor..."
Ephemera raised a finger to her lip, deep in thought before she asked, "Terrance-san, would you like to spend the night at my home? At least until you have some place to sleep other than floorboards."
Bassaym blinked, 100% caught off guard by the sudden offer.
"...At your home?"
"Of course!"
Another series of blinks.
"...Is that even allowed? Like, back home spending time in your teacher's residence while still in school was frowned upon. Regardless of the reason. Especially if they're of the opposite sex."
The Angel gasped, hugging herself with her arms, a horrified expression on her face.
"Why, Terrance-san! Are you implying you would assault an innocent creature such as myself? How bold~!"
The Campione facepalmed, the slightest of blushes adorning his cheeks as he dryly replied, "Hah hah. But seriously though, isn't that...a little awkward for you?"
Ephemera was wearing a grin that could only be described as Cheshire.
"Awkward? To share a room with a vigorous young man such as yourself? Why, Terrance-san, are you implying something?"
Fighting down his flush-with limited success-Bassaym raised an eyebrow, asking, "I read that Angels are supposed to be creatures of purity and innocence. So why do I get the impression that you're deliberately teasing me with fairly raunchy humor?"
Looking supremely delighted with herself Ephemera clasped her hands behind her back-conveniently pushing her chest out and forcing Bassaym to keep his eyes where they belonged-and happily explained, "It's true we used to be very 'rigid' and 'stiff' in terms of the extent of our sexual allowances-"
"Nice phrasing."
"-but in the past year many of the extremes of Heaven's rules have been relaxed. We Fall far less often and can safely pursue relationships...even ones based off of sexual love. It takes a fair amount of malicious intent when partaking of excess before we run the risk of turning our wings black."
Bassaym dully stared at the cheerful Angel before sighing, lips wryly curving upwards.
"Well, I'm not one to turn down a soft bed-or couch-as opposed to hardwood or sparse carpeting. I'll be in your care, Ephemera-sensei."
A pointed look from the beautiful woman.
"...Ephemera-san."
The blonde was once again all smiles.
"Then follow me, Terrance-san!"
The 8th Campione wasn't sure what to expect when he walked into his teacher's single-story home...but it definitely wasn't the sight before him.
There was a small shrine dedicated to symbols of the various facets of Christianity, containing a Bible, Crucifex and a strange box that was matte black and tightly locked with some odd enchantments...but the rest of the home was just a mess of movie posters, novels and record albums.
"...You seem to have quite the, uhh...varied tastes?"
The young woman positively beamed at Bassaym's words, eagerly replying, "Why thank you! Human culture has created so many inspired works over the years that I can't help but want to own them all! Ooh! Would you like to perhaps watch a movie with me?! I haven't had a chance to share for months and I would enjoy that very much!"
Glancing around at the media that displayed everything from Citizen Kane to The Avengers Bassaym shrugged, replying, "Sure, I wouldn't mind. You'll have to give me some time to go and get some dinner though, I haven't had anything to eat in hours."
Ephemera clapped her hands, excitedly offering, "Oh, can you cook, Terrance-san?"
"A little. I'm not bad at barbequing and can make some decent grilled veggies, is that what you have in mind?"
"Of course! I can prepare some fresh produce for us!"
Bassaym smiled and cracked his neck, rolling his shoulder-
-and promptly gave a small wince, the action aggravating his side.
Ephemera was instantly at his side, asking, "Does it still hurt, Terrance-san? Goodness, you should have said something!"
"It's not that bad, come tomorrow-"
Completely ignoring the Campione's protests Ephemera hurried to a cabinet and retrieved a first-aid kit, bustling back and authoritatively ordering, "Please remove your shirt, Terrance-san. It's my understanding that a Campione's body is resistant to Magic, but basic medicinal care should still be effective, correct?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Excellent! And I can remake your clothing while you are at it, so you needn't worry about getting a replacement uniform. Your shirt, Terrance-san."
Resigned to the fact that he wasn't getting out of this-not that he was overly against it, mind you...Ephemera was an incredibly beautiful woman-Bassaym slowly unbuttoned and handed over his uniform's top, Ephemera doing her best not to ogle his body as he did so.
He wasn't laden with much in the way of muscle mass...but he was highly defined, like a martial artist that devoted much of their life to their craft, sculpted curves and edges alongside somewhat pale skin dotted with an odd collection of curved scars alongside his left side.
Her eyes were nonetheless drawn to the bruised and clotted mess that was the Campione's neck and side, the Angel quickly dabbing a cotton ball with cleaning alcohol and efficiently-but gently-cleaning the injuries.
While she was intensely curious about some of the older injuries-especially as it was rumored that Campione's were gifted perfect bodies upon their ascension-Ephemera nonetheless held her tongue and instead suggested, "If you want, Terrance-san, you may begin dinner while I clean and repair your uniform. Would you prefer that?"
Completely focused on not letting his bodies natural reaction to Ephemera's ministrations come to fore the 8th Campione idly nodded, replying, "Sure, that'll be fine."
"Very well! I'll be back in a few minutes then. The grill is in the backyard while some of the meat is in the freezer. Take your pick, Terrance-san~!"
The turquoise-eyed woman left the room, leaving a very bemused Campione standing in the middle of the room.
"...Well, this night took an interesting turn."
Shaking his head Bassaym rooted through the freezer and fridge, grabbing a packet of chicken and a pair of bell peppers he found.
"First day of school and I'm already shacking it up with my super hot teacher. Must be a Campione's natural luck at play here. Godou would be proud."
…
"Actually he would just shake his head and make some comment about endless trouble's headed my way."
"Oh my, this is quite delicious, Terrance-san!"
"Well, it's the fruits of our labor so I can't exactly claim solo credit."
The woman giggled, happily chewing a mouthful of seasoned and crunchy pepper, remarking, "A modest Godslayer? Not something most might have been able to claim having seen. I'll consider myself lucky~!"
Bassaym awkwardly chuckled, still ill-at-ease with how familiar and friendly his supposed figure of authority was being.
"And on that note..."
"Ephemera-san?"
"Yes?"
"Why were you selected to be a teacher at such a self-evidently important school? I'm not questioning your competency, just curious."
The Angel beamed, replying, "I'd be more than happy to explain, Terrance-san! You see, with so many Supernatural attending Kuoh from so many walks of life, an even hand was needed to run the entire operation. I have a bit of a...unique condition, you see. I'm an instinctive empath and can sense a person's emotions unless I actively suppress my ability. Quickly identifying and neutralizing a person's source of anger or discontent would be a crucial ability to have, amidst such a melting pot."
Her cheer faded somewhat.
"...It can be a frustrating and invasive ability, granted...I have to focus on keeping it in check or I'm bombarded with a person's feelings and trials, which I consider something of an invasion of privacy, no matter how well I mean."
Bassaym held his silence, Ephemera promptly cheering up once more.
"That is why you are so fascinating, Terrance-san! You're thoughts and emotions are practically completely hidden from me, your natural resistances as a Campione blocking my abilities. Talking to you is so refreshing~!"
Bassaym nodded, a small smile crawling onto his lips as he replied, "Well, hopefully I'm enough of a good conversationalist that you won't tire of me too quickly, Ephemera-san. And thank you once again for allowing me to crash here, I'll have to go furniture shopping after school tomorrow..."
The Angel gave a pensive 'hmm' before gathering the dishes, ignoring Bassaym's protests with a smile on her face.
"As a guest in your home, shouldn't I be doing stuff like that?"
"It's only some dishes! You need to relax, Terrance-san~!"
Bassaym found himself doing the opposite of relaxing as Ephemera began humming to herself as she washed the plates, gently swaying her body back-and-forth to a tune he didn't recognize.
...Reason being that the stunning woman before him had switched out of her dress into a white long-sleeve shirt and yoga pants, which highlighted her curves...generously.
The Angel had that mesmerizing mix of generous body proportions without crossing over into the realm of heavyset or cumbersome, with perfectly rounded hips and enticing legs, large breasts ever so slightly bouncing in time with the woman's gyrations.
"Thank Christ I'm not Japanese, otherwise blood would be pouring out my nostrils right now..."
"Terrance-san?"
"Y-yes?!"
Panicked that his staring had been noticed the Campione jumped in his chair, breathing a silent sigh of relief that his teacher was still focused on the sink.
"Would you care to watch Airplane with me tonight? I'm on a bit of a parody film craze right now..."
"I'm in. You sure you don't need help with anything?"
"Quite positive, Terrance-san. There, all done!"
Swiftly putting the dishes back to where they belonged the Angel dragged a bewildered Bassaym to the couch where she sat him down and proceeded to pop in a DVD from what looked to be quite the horde.
"Do I even want to ask how much all of this cost?"
Suddenly appearing sheepish the blonde-woman stuck out her tongue and explained, "Well, my teaching salary has to go somewhere..."
Shrugging to himself Bassaym settled in to watch the movie-
-and nearly had a heart attack as the Angel leapt onto the couch beside him, wrapping her arms around his chest while carefully avoiding his injuries.
"E-Ephemera-san?!"
Staring up at the Godslayer with what could only be described as puppy eyes the turquoise-eyed woman innocently asked, "Yes, Terrance-san?"
Face red with embarrassment-the woman hugging him smelled intoxicating, hints of vanilla and lavender suffusing his nostrils-the Godslayer swiftly asked, "Do...do you have to be so close to me?"
Th Angel's eyes began to water with a swiftness that could only have arisen from incredibly traumatic events, her voice quavering as she asked, "I...I can't use you as a pillow?"
"...Yeah, like I'm going to be able to say no to a face like that..."
Bassaym heaved a sigh, turning back to the opening credits in a clear display of defeat, Ephemera eagerly resuming her hug attack and resting her head against the Campione's shoulder.
…
Eventually-after swallowing his nervousness-Bassaym carefully put an arm around the young woman's shoulders, pulling her closer.
Rather than be embarrassed or affronted, Ephemera merely giggled and snuggled deeper into the Godslayer's side.
"...Breaking SO many rules of teacher-student conduct here. Campione luck at it's finest..."