NMHA Ch 12 - The Lion's Den
After the blur returned to clarity, Lunarunn found herself sitting at a table, holding a cup of warm cider in her hands while Serafall took a seat across from the brunette.
Luna was feeling surprisingly better after the twin-tailed Devil drew that breakdown out of her. Catharsis, she supposed.
Still, she was a little embarrassed at how easily the Maou Shoujo managed to get her to crack. Moreso at how long she imagined she ended up crying for. And on one of the heads of the Underworld too. How mortifying, if it were to get out.
"Thanks." The cup rose to her lips, and Luna took a slow drink of the rich Bael apple cider, something she'd come to quite enjoy in her past years after reincarnating. "I... didn't even realize that I was bottling that up. Sorry for snapping at you, too. So. Thanks for not getting mad about that."
"I'm just glad Luna-tan is feeling better," the Maou replied, inclining her head with a faint smile. "It's not easy, coming face-to-face with death like that, especially for a civvie. Best to get the breakdown out of the way, before it turns into something icky."
Right, survivor of two wars. "I take it you're speaking from experience?"
"Mmn." Serafall nodded again, taking the chance to sip from her own drink. "It's easy to think you're ready to put your life on the line, but it's another entirely to experience it. Just like it's easy to know, but harder to understand something so... final, as mortality."
The pigtailed woman breathed out a sigh, setting her own cider back down. "I didn't have the chance to let it all out myself while the war was going on, so I internalized the stress. It got to a point that, for a while, I... definitely became something I don't like. Fixing myself took the help of my friends and an awful lot of time. It's not something I would want others to go through. So helping you..."
She shrugged, but Lunarunn got the point. Understanding came from many paths, but none were quite as effective as firsthand experience. No wonder Serafall was so empathetic toward Luna's own breakdown.
Thank goodness Serafall's personal sin wasn't Invidia, otherwise she might have tried to exacerbate the issue. And considering how unmolded Luna still was regarding that particular sort of stress, that could have turned out really bad.
"I thought I heard something about stress being like a glass of water, with a person's tolerance for it being the capacity of the glass. Once you get to a certain point it either starts pouring out or the host of it all cracks."
"Really? Can't say I've heard that analogy myself. It's pretty fitting though; I hope you don't mind if Levi-tan takes it for a while!"
"Help yourself." Luna smiled, and though it was still a weak one it was a genuine smile nonetheless. She closed her eyes and took another sip of cider, letting herself get lost in the flavor before speaking again. "It wasn't just Sirzechs who convinced you to drop by, was it? Did Ajuka have something to do with it too?"
"It was a joint decision between the three of us," the Leviathan Satan confirmed. "Grayfia-tan was busy, but she would have agreed to have me come visit you. Out of the three of us, I'm the most equipped to deal with the feelings of another woman."
She gave an impish smirk. "In more ways than one, of course."
"I suppose you aren't wrong, there." Once again, Luna looked away with her cheeks lighting up slightly at the reminder. "Also, Sirzechs and Ajuka are guys. They probably aren't as comfortable dealing with emotions as you. Especially Ajuka."
"I know, right!?" Serafall leaned back, hanging her head over the back of the chair as she let out a groan. "As good as they can be they can also just be so... awkward about feelings! Like, they're there for a reason, even the bad ones, y'know?"
The brunette was feeling a little impish now, or perhaps inclined to turn the tables on her tutor, so when the Maou Shoujo started to drink again Luna added: "They also probably don't look up psychology and pseudoscience of the same ilk in whatever spare time they aren't using binge-watching magical girl anime."
"Erk-!" That got her attention, even more than what Lunarunn was expecting. Interesting. "I-it's just a hobby of mine! The mind's a really fascinating thing when you think about it, can you blame me for being curious?"
"Hmm..." Luna leaned in, staring at Serafall with narrowed eyes as she started sweating profusely, looking away and poking her fingers together. She was getting flustered by the psychology stuff? Interesting, indeed.
"No, I can't say I can. I totally get it. Even if I didn't, I can't really complain. You did end up helping me a lot." The brunette leaned back and took a sip, getting a relieved sigh from the pigtailed woman, even sagging forward as she did so. "You know, you'd probably make a pretty good counselor if you ever decided to take a break from being the PR specialist among the Satans."
The Maou took the opportunity to get back on the main topic, getting back into her more childlike bubbliness in the process. "Actually, that's another reason why Sirzechs wanted me to visit you. I know my star pupil Luna-tan knows what she need to in order to get by in the spotlight, but Sirzechs invited some super big names so it only makes sense that Levi-tan makes sure Luna-tan is able to get by!"
Wonderful. "So... I presume you're gonna run me ragged through dances, the political clime, and how to navigate the doublespeak that nobles are so fond of?"
"Levi-tan's pupil knows her so well~!" the Maou Shoujo cheered, prompting a sigh from Lunarunn as her fears were confirmed.
"Let me get some dinner first." Wait, that reminded her. "...By the way, where did my parents get off to?"
"Oh, they're on vacation. Levi-tan decided that Luna-tan was going to need to be at the top of her game, so she got Thel-tan and Loe-tan a one-week vay-cay in Tahiti!"
The bodyjumper whistled. "Wow, talk about not holding back. Heh, I'm a little jealous now, lucky them!"
"Aw, don't be sad Luna-tan~!" Wait, when did Serafall get on the table? And why is she so close? Was that her finger against Luna's chin? And why did her position just scream that of a serpent about to devour its prey? "After all, it's just Luna-tan and her tutor now!"
Her voice dropped to a sibylant purr, eyes growing half-lidded even as she gently tilted Luna's chin upward to better lock gazes. "Who knows? Maybe if she does well she'll get a special treat at the end~"
Granted, it wasn't the most subtle of plays, but Luna could feel her face go red and steam start pouring from her ears as her mind screeched to a halt. Or at least it felt like it.
'Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh-'
Luna wasn't sure if it was just Serafall's personality, her form, or Luna's own body reacting to the attentions of a far more powerful individual. It was probably a combination of the three, but regardless there was something about the Maou Shoujo which made it incredibly difficult to push back, much less even want to in the first place.
Serafall pulled back, sitting back down and giggling. "Ah, Luna-tan is so fun to tease! Teacher gives an A-plus for reaction, and extra credit for the steam!"
'Wait, what?' She was literally steaming from the ears? The brunette immediately blamed her psychic abilities and tamped down on them.
She shook her head rapidly, forcing the blush back down and dispersing the steam, and then looked back across the table to a smug-looking Satan.
Right. She couldn't be so easily flustered. Even if this was technically friendly territory, Luna had to know how to stand firm when the need arose. Perhaps this was one of those times?
Putting the situation into those terms helped her clear her thoughts, and focus. Even don a smirk of her own.
"I'm so glad you take such joy out of my expressions, Sera-chan." Luna leaned in with elbows set on the table. Her brow lifted, and her eyes slid half-shut while her head tilted slightly to the side. "It gives me more reason to take that 'treat' once I reach it. Though I do have to wonder..."
"Oh?" Serafall's brows rose, and she lifted a finger to her lower lip. There was a certain level of curiosity there, but otherwise her expression was rather unreadable. "Wonder what?"
"..." The brunette was about to say something, but instead remained quiet, letting the silence speak as she leaned back, head tilting the other way. After a few moments, she spoke again. "I did say I needed to eat. Did you want anything?"
"The cider is all Levi-tan needs for now," the Maou Shoujo chirped, beaming at Luna. "But thanks anyway! Also, wonder what?"
With a nod, the Middle-Class Devil rose to go grab food from the kitchen. It didn't stop her from wondering whether Serafall's own reaction was a good or bad one. It was... different. Curious, perhaps, where Luna was going with her retort?
Agh, it was really hard to wrap her head around the Maou Shoujo's seemingly inane demeanor sometimes.
And where did Luna's own forwardness there even come from?
"Luna-tan, what were you wondering about!? Levi-tan can't handle the suspense!"
A half-hour, a large sandwich, and some more cider later, Lunarunn made her way to the foyer of the house, where she knew Serafall would be waiting.
During that half hour, the brunette had decided that if the Leviathan was going to put her through a crash course to make sure she was ready for her reveal to the upper echelons of the Underworld, she may as well make the most of it.
As much as Luna was no fan of having to go into another dangerous situation so soon, she could at least take solace in that the danger was of a... different sort.
'Y-yeah. Different. Still need to catch my breath after... all that. Ha... ha.'
Then again, another thought came to mind that caused her to grimace as she descended the staircase, a black-hared woman watching her come down the stairway intently.
"Something on your mind, Luna-tan?"
"Uhm- Ah, yeah. I just realized, I'm going to need a dress for the party." The bodyjumper pulled a face, quickly refocusing back rather than going back down the rabbit hole that was the fragility of mortality. "Not a huge fan of the idea, is all. At least I'll be able to get away with dancing slippers rather than heels."
Serafall nodded slowly, drawing in a breath. "Ohhhhhh yeah, you're a tomboy, can't believe I forgot!"
'Sure, we'll go with that.'
"Right. How long does the party go on for again?"
"You'll be there from four in the afternoon to midnight. Anything less would be rude, you know? Sirzechs went out of his way to invite you, after all!"
Luna suppressed a groan. "Is what the others will believe, you mean."
After all, she was his diversionary tactic, to draw eyes away from his sister. Serafall's too, now that she thought about it.
...Hm. Perhaps that was why the Maou Shoujo was so intent on making sure Luna got things right?
"I thought that was a given, Luna-tan!" Serafall skipped up and gave her a playful bonk on her head. "Now come on, star pupil!"
"Only pupil."
"The dance floor awaits!" The brunette's deadpan went completely ignored as she was pulled by the wrist to the center of the foyer.
Luna stared down at the hand leading her along, frowning thoughtfully before shaking her head. Why was she doing this again?
Right, she was here for a reason. She said to make the most of it, so half-assing it would just be insulting, both to Serafall and herself.
A memory flashed by her eyes. Unlike before, it was a kinder one, of her formative years, in her old life. A time when she found herself in another situation.
Something she wanted to do, something that stood in her way, a happening that kept her from enjoying herself the way she wanted... and despite that, went all in.
("I don't care! I don't care! Ahahahaha!")
What happened to that kid?
She wanted to help Sirzechs and Serafall save their sisters. But, to do so she needed to overcome that party. And unfortunately, going in a tuxedo was out of the question. Nothing to be done about the situation. So... why was she still hesitating?
What was keeping her?
Luna's eyes flicked up to the bright blue ones of the Leviathan Satan, who was peering at her with that same smile, filled with childlike innocence.
She knew that it wasn't wholly true. Serafall lost her innocence long ago.
Serafall wasn't a liar though. Even if her innocence was gone, the intent was still there.
The fact that she could still smile so brightly, to still see the world through such optimism, despite the hell she went through? To still mean it?
It was honestly incredible, and the brunette couldn't help but admire the Maou Shoujo's resilience.
Luna looked down at the hand holding her wrist, then closed her eyes.
'Gah. Fuck it.'
As the two came to a stop, Lunarunn Bael drew herself up and made a curtsy, lips turning upward.
'Can't do anything about my circumstances. So I may as well have as much fun as I can with it, yeah?'
"May I be granted the honor of treating one Serafall Leviathan to be my partner for the dances to come?"
The twin-tailed woman's smile widened, seeing that Lunarunn had come to a resolution.
"I would be delighted."
The first few dances that Serafall led Luna through were rough.
That was to say, Luna's face had gone red out of a combination of frustration and embarrassment as she shook off the rust from the last time they had done dance practice.
The way her feet wouldn't quite land where they were supposed to quickly began to incense her, and after the first couple of dances were over she had half a mind to storm off.
Whether that was from frustration at herself or embarrassment, Luna wasn't quite sure. Her current opinion on the matter said both, though.
She held back though. She buckled down and focused, rolling her bottom lip as the music Serafall used magic to conjure up rolled through the foyer.
Eventually though, she started to find her dancing rhythm again, and with it her footing.
Then, it started to become... enjoyable. Even fun, if someone were to try and pry that admission out of the brunette.
After all, Luna was dancing with a beautiful woman, someone taking time out of her likely busy day to try and help make sure her reveal went right.
That their bodies oft found themselves flush against each other wasn't lost on the bodyjumper either, nor how Serafall smelled faintly of winter mint to Luna's nose.
It was fitting, actually. A peppy, comforting scent for a peppy, comforting Maou Shoujo.
She'd started smiling at some point shortly after she'd gotten back into the swing of the music, and noted that Serafall seemed to be enjoying herself too.
"Careful Luna-tan, you moved a little too quickly there."
The brunette's face flushed as she realized her pleasant thoughts had distracted her again. Luna wasn't at the point she could do so without having to focus just yet.
But it didn't take long for her to get to that point, so once she realized that she'd gotten over that threshold the Middle-class Devil decided to strike up a conversation.
"You mentioned before," she started, as they swayed to the right before spinning around to sway back in the other direction, "that you find the mind fascinating."
"Mmh." Serafall inclined her head in a nod. "Devils know a lot about how to affect the mind, or the soul, with our abilities and magicks. But despite all that, we know so little about how they actually work. We've eschewed the theory for results, and while I get why that happened it leaves so many questions unanswered. How is it that everyone else is perfectly fine knowing, say, a hypnosis spell puts someone to sleep, without knowing what it does to do just that?"
"You sound like Ajuka," Luna grinned teasingly, leading Serafall through a pirouette. "Must be the Dantalion somewhere in your bloodline talking."
"Ah." Her cheeks turned pink as the two found each other face to face once more. "Is it that obvious?"
"Wait, you really are related to the Dantalions? That was meant as a joke." Luna's eyes widened slightly, blinking rapidly as she took in that fact. It was one thing to refer to Serafall's hidden skill for teaching as a Dantalion thing, but another entirely to actually be related.
"Mother was a Dantalion before she married into the Sitri family," the Maou Shoujo replied simply.
It was explanation enough. "No wonder you're so passionate about this stuff then. Isn't Dantalion all about knowledge and the mind?"
"The original was. Practices of the Demon Duke himself aside, he did pass along a thirst for knowledge and a passion regarding the intellectual arts to his predecessors."
"...Yeah, I can see that." Demons were actually malicious beings by nature, rather than the simply dark-aligned Devils, so given what Luna had read of Dantalion in particular she could definitely see him being one of the more... violating demon lords.
Actually, no, she was getting queasy just thinking about it.
'Ugh. Okay, enough thoughts about mind-rapey demon duke.'
"So I take it the reason you first took an interest in me is because of how my devil magic's changed due to the original Luna's ritual?"
The Maou Shoujo pouted, puffing out her cheeks at Luna, and had they not been in the middle of a dance she probably would have pointed at the brunette. "It's not fair! Luna-tan gets awesome powers that get more varied each time Levi-tan sees Luna-tan, while Levi-tan only gets ice and the usual demon magic? It's so unfair, Levi-tan is so jealous she might just declare war on Heaven for this injustice!"
"Would you prefer that these abilities have never emerged in the first place?" The bodyjumper smiled wryly. "Because I'm pretty sure that means I wouldn't be here either."
Serafall's eyes widened, then they slid half-shut as she glanced away, pursing her lips. "...Heaven gets another day of peace. Phooey."
The brunette started chuckling, a thought coming to mind.
Was Serafall one of those people?
An... exciting idea, admittedly.
As Luna was though, she wasn't exactly in a place to try and take advantage of her suspicions.
But perhaps another time.
"I think I'm starting to understand you better, Serafall Leviathan nee Sitri."
"Hm?" Her eyes shifted back to the bodyjumper. "How so?"
"If I said what, wouldn't that ruin the point of getting to know each other out like we have been?" A wry smile.
Another pout. "Mmmmmn! Luna-tan is a meanie!"
"I gotta show some backbone." Luna stuck a tiny bit of her tongue out. "Despite my interest in a lot of weird stuff, I can't exactly say I'm into being walked on, sorry."
"You sure about that?" Serafall smiled back innocently. "You've been pretty easy to motivate, after all~"
The song was coming to a close, the bodyjumper noted. "In my defense, you're a sex bomb with a personality as overwhelming as a tornado, so it's pretty difficult to stand ground against you when you want things to move."
"I'm flattered, Luna-tan! ...Though you may want to be a little more careful about your language for the party."
"Ah, good point." Her face dropped, suitably chastised, which deepened into solemnity as a memory came to mind.
(The exorcist rolled his jaw within his mouth as he chewed on that information, coming to a conclusion after another handful of seconds in silence. "You're lonely."
The brunette suddenly seemed rather self-conscious of the physical contact they bore to try and lure out Uvarys, pulling that hand away to stare at it. Her face turned a little sad.
There were depressingly few people she could consider herself close enough with to call friends... and admittedly, a lot of it was her own fault for being so driven to excel in this world.
"I... I guess I am.")
"I hope I can get a pass since I'm talking to a friend, though?"
The Maou Shoujo peered up at Luna's lightly smiling, melancholic, almost hopeful expression, before breathing out a sigh and returning the brunette's smile with one of her own. "I suppose I can let it slide this time. Let's take a few minutes to get refreshments and go over more etiquette before coming back."
That wasn't one of her usual beams either. The fact it was a mirror image of Luna's own smile sent a thrill down her spine. Both at the fact that Serafall had accepted that hand of friendship, and the other implication to it.
Was Serafall lonely too?
"Fine by me." Luna's smile widened, and the two set off to gather some much-needed drink after their dancing lesson.
The next few days went by surprisingly quickly for the brunette bodyjumper, touching up on her previous teachings with the twin-tailed Maou Shoujo. What surprised her the most was just how she lost track of time.
Normally that only really happened when Luna got really into something, and while she quite enjoyed the dancing (for obvious reasons considering, well, Devils) and learning about the modern political climate of the Underworld, learning about the families themselves...
"Luna-taaaaaaan! Wake up! If you go to sleep then Levi-tan is gonna wanna sleep too and that's baaaaaaad, we're only twenty minutes into family history!"
...Families with no direct connection to her were another story entirely. When did Luna end up sprawled out? She'd been sitting on the lab table last she knew while Serafall was pointing at the whiteboard going on about the Ipos family! All she did was close her eyes for a couple seconds!
"Wha happ'n-?" she slurred, rising back into a sitting position on the table and rubbing her head. At least she hadn't fallen off entirely. "I just closed my eyes for a moment, I swear."
"Luna-tan's ability to fall asleep on the spot reminds me of Falbium-san," Serafall bore down on the sitting Devil, arms crossed and a disproving look on her face that was somewhat ruined by the puffed-out cheeks.
Yeah, learning about the families themselves made Luna bored as fuck.
Bored enough to do something dangerous.
Bored enough to do something drastic, even.
So she reached up, arm rising into the air between her and the twintailed Leviathan, and poked her in one of those puffed cheeks.
"Boop."
Her arm dropped, staring groggily back up at the now-stunned Maou Shoujo.
One could practically see the time stop between the two of them, their expressions and positions remaining exactly the same for several seconds before Serafall responded.
"Did... did Luna-tan just poke my cheek?"
"Yep. I'm bored." The brunette added a pop to the end of the 'p'. "Don't care what they did. Just what they do now."
Serafall puffed her cheeks out again and stomped the floor. "Luna-taaaaaan! History is important!"
"Well yeah. I'm not saying it's not, but I don't need to know which trade deals ended up going through and which ones fell flat." She poked Serafall's cheek again, quicker this time to prevent Serafall's swipe at Luna's hand. It was rather cute. "I ain't got a brain that can learn anything at light speed like Ajuka, and we're on a clock. Do you think you can just give me the cliff notes version with information more... immediately relevant?"
"MMmmmmmmmmm." The pigtailed woman pouted at her again. "But that stuff is booooring!"
"And knowing whose great-great-great-grandfather fucked whose great-great-great-grandmother isn't?" The bodyjumped tilted her head from side to side. "Seems like age-old gossip to me more than anything."
"The nerve!" The Leviathan Maou pulled back, eyes wide with a gasp, before leaning back in with and serious eyes none the narrower. When did the air get so chilly, though? "Is that what Luna-tan thinks? That gossip is just a hindrance? That Levi-tan's history lessons aren't any good?"
Luna leaned back a bit. Serafall had a rather malevolent aura about her at the moment after all. The brunette's voice remained steady, regardless.
Best not show weakness in front of this particular snake, nor recklessness. A fine line to walk, but something she was getting increasingly skilled at.
"Not at all. Gossip's just another way to say offhand information, and it can be incredibly useful when taken with a healthy amount of salt. And you know just as well as I do how good your lessons in the inter-family politics are. I just think you need to reprioritize for the new generation. Can you imagine how bored Sona might get if she had to sit through a discussion on the ancient history of certain families?"
Okay, that was kind of a low blow bringing Serafall's baby sister into the mix, but if anything would get the Maou Shoujo to back off, it was that, especially when Luna knew that she was talking sense.
Serafall gave Luna a glare, pursing her lips. "But Sona-tan's gonna be super into learning things too. My adorable sister would eat these lessons up like candy."
'...Shit, that's right. Dantalions are notoriously avid knowledge-hoarders. Okay, what about this?'
"Maybe she will, but not everyone's able to retain knowledge and dispense it like your mother's family can." Luna shrugged off the glare, smoothly sliding into her next argument just like she'd learned how to over the past years of learning. "I know that Sona will absolutely adore your lessons regardless of their personal relevancy, but for someone who's got lower average brainpower than the direct bloodline of a demon specializing in the mind, could you maybe keep your lessons toward what will actually help me out in three and a half days?"
...Play to her pride and that toward her sister?
"Ah." Serafall looked down and pursed her lips, hemming and hawing for several moments before the woman exhaled. "Okaaaaay, Luna-tan. Levi-tan is sorry for getting too excited over all this!"
Oh thank goodness.
"It's fine, it's fine." The brunette smiled, waving Serafall down. "It makes me happy to see you so passionate about something like this, even if I can't handle this kind of history nearly as much as you can."
She did much prefer learning about political games over historic events.
"Good! Because Magical Girl Levi-tan still has to punish her insolent pupil for bringing her dearest Sona-tan into the discussion!"
Wait, when did all those magic circles appear?
'Ohhhhh fuck.'
"...IIIIIII should probably be running now, shouldn't I?"
Serafall's response was a barrage of gaudy, overly-colorful spellfire.
The resulting mayhem as Luna tore through the house like she had the hounds of hell after her meant that by the time their chase finally died down, a large part of the building was covered in some combination of soot, glitter, sequins, permanent marker ink, whipped cream, readied mousetraps, pencil shavings, and packing peanuts.
...Maybe that was why Serafall bribed her parents away with a vacation to a tropical island?
Still, even after gratuitously tipping the housekeepers the next day as they came in and helping them out when she wasn't being dragged away by the magical girl, Luna ended up receiving a number of dirty, amused, and just plain confused looks from them.
But she'd noticed Serafall laughing, especially when Luna made particularly unorthodox maneuvers to evade the garishly colored attacks that pursued her.
Serafall had a nice laugh, she decided, and even if the Maou Shoujo was beaming and smiling most of the time Luna hadn't heard her laugh so gaily before.
So the brunette decided to accept her licks and call it a win.
"Well!" The Leviathan Maou chirped, spinning around in place to face Lunarunn, hands coming to rest on her hips within the foyer.
"Well?" Luna echoed, lifting a brow querulously as she slid her hands behind her back. "You had something to say?"
Serafall pursed her lips. "No? That was my assessment of your progress these past six days."
A smile rose to the brunette's face, followed by a brief chuckle. "Ah. 'Well', with nothing preceding or following the statement? That's a rather odd way of putting it, then."
"Not so!"
"Eh?"
The older Devil in body if not in heart stepped forward, poking Luna in the chest repeatedly, each time she used an adjective. "You did well. Like, really well! Really, really well! Aside from the whole family history mess, you practically soaked everything Levi-tan was teaching you up like a sponge. You have a talent for this stuff. Levi-tan'll give you your treat after you nail that party. You deserve it!"
The bodyjumper's cheeks turned pink. "Sheesh, when you put it like that... thanks. Also, stop touching my boob."
"I thought you liked it when Levi-tan touched your boobs."
Of course she'd bring that up. Fine, might as well play along.
A tick mark formed on her head, even as the brunette did so.
"I'd like it if Levi-tan groped my boobs. Right now you're using just one of them like a big bouncy button, and not even in the right spot for me to enjoy it."
"So forward, what would your parents think about you making such a ribald statement?"
"What would your parents think about you sexually harassing your student?"
"Is it harassment if you enjoy it, though?"
The tick mark grew as the brunette crossed her arms together beneath her bust, putting on a pout. "For fuck's sake Serafall, stop poking me in the tit and do something else with them if you're so fixated on the matter!"
She pulled her hand back, giggling at the reaction she'd provoked. "So harsh, Luna-tan? What has Levi-tan done to deserve such cruel treatment?"
Lunarunn breathed out a sigh, uncrossing her arms and setting a hand on her hip. Her head turned to the side, staring out toward the fields in that direction. "...Regardless... kind of hard to believe it's already been six days. How did you manage to get enough time off to focus on me specifically and still be able to dote on your baby sister?"
Serafall smirked victoriously, tilting her head up and crossing her arms, legs squared with her shoulders as eyes slid shut. "Hmhm, magical girl's secret!"
The bodyjumper's head shifted back to the twin-tailed demon lord.
"...You went AWOL didn't you?"
A bead of sweat formed on the Maou Shoujo's head, promping Luna to continue with a flat expression.
"Did you even warn your second in command that you were taking time off?"
The bead of sweat multiplied, forming across the head of the Leviathan, whose smile was now shaking a little.
"And you've already spent all your earned vacation days on your newborn sibling too before I got back, huh?"
Now she was practically sweating bullets, streaming down the sides of her face as that smile grew wobbly.
"Sheesh, how scatterbrained of you. Just what would Sona think about her sister being such a ditz?"
That was the straw that broke the camel's back, causing Serafall to leap at the brunette with arms outstretched and big, watery eyes streaming tears of panic.
"WAAAAAAH, HELP ME LUNA-TAAAAAAN!"
"Wha- Serafall, get off me! You're getting my clothes wet! Fuck, my blouse! How'd it get so soaked so fast?! Serafall!"
'Honestly. She can be such a child. Hard to believe this is the same person who got me up to snuff on the high-class society here.'
It didn't stop the mirth that seemed to coalesce in her chest and bubble upward, forcing her face into a grin.
The next day saw Luna looking into the mirror, looking at the outfit that she'd gathered together... then regathered after Serafall decided that she needed something else.
But admittedly, she could see why.
What looked back from the mirror was a young lady, bicep-length white gloves held behind her back. That same reflection looked back, admiring the way that the sky-blue sleeveless dress wrapped snugly around her upper body, with a cultured touch of cleavage, while flowing into a long skirt, which then tapered off into the folds of a flounce at the top of the ankles downward, to keep her from tripping over the fabric.
As she would be dancing, Luna wore slippers for the occasion, as she'd mentioned previously to Serafall.
She only the slightest touches of makeup as well, a personal request that practically had the Maou Shoujo glowing with approval.
Whether that was the acceptance that a little would make her appear to be taking the party seriously, or the fact that she was confident that she could get by just fine without, Luna neither knew nor cared for; either was good after all.
All in all, the outfit Luna wore was simple, bright, and implied she had nothing to hide but everything to show if given the opportunity.
In a sense, perfect for Lunarunn's reveal. It all but said she was going into this with little to her name but her own accomplishments. Which, while were few in the immediate moment, were no less impressive. Accelerating the progress of Evil Piece refinement and research of the physiological difference between pure and Reincarnated Devils by centuries, capturing a Stray which had evaded capture for similar centuries, representing a new era and a new generation of Devils by her very existence... and that was it.
She frowned, pulling slightly on the long ponytail that held her just-shy-of-straight brown locks. Even if those achievements were significant, they were rather few, and she held no illusion that there wouldn't be Devils that would antagonize her for it.
"Well, that's what Serafall's lessons were for," the brunette breathed out silently, shaking her head and clapping her cheeks lightly, careful not to accidentally damage what little makeup she did wear.
"You look beautiful, dear."
"Thanks, Mom." Luna smiled at Thelastia, the woman who'd helped her into the dress in the first place. She probably could have gotten it on herself, but after her parents got back from their vacation the morning of the big day, the older woman had decided to get involved.
Chances were she probably wouldn't be around for much longer anyway, so the bodyjumper decided to indulge her blood mother.
Right. That.
"Mom, I..."
"It's alright, Luna." Thelastia smiled, inclining her head in a nod. "...Loedrick and I had been talking, and we've figured out your been preparing to take your own steps in this world would eventually lead you out of this household. As much as my husband would like things to remain the same, it's been... hard on him, to see his little moon turning so independent so quickly."
"...Is that why he's been so harsh with me?" Her eyes shifted over to the dresser she'd ruined in a fit of rage. Admittedly, she definitely deserved punishment for that, but even then her father seemed to use the opportunity to take her to task as much as possible for it.
"Loedrick always spoiled our daughter," she sighed, holding a hand to her cheek and tilting her head into it. "Always wanting to be a part of her life, like he's wanted to be part of mine. But part of parenting is knowing when to let their children be the people they want to be, letting them fly from the nest. I just hope you can forgive him for not taking this part of it well."
"You're making it sound like I'm getting married," Lunarunn joked. "The gloves may fit the part, but I'm pretty sure brides go in white dresses."
She may have tried to make Thelastia laugh, but the smile was a sad one. "You were already married to your goal of making it to the top of Devil society. Is it wrong to feel like this is just formalizing it?"
The dressed-up brunette looked at the ground, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious at how seriously Thelastia had treated her joke. "...I know. You're right. Sorry."
"Honestly, little moon, I'm glad that you're taking steps to carve your own niche into the world." Her mother walked up and pulled her into a hug, one that Luna returned. "It truly makes me happy to see that you're reaching so far, and growing so quickly. As much as I would like for you to simply be our daughter... that you're making your mark, befriending even the best and brightest of us, and growing into a position where you might one day be counted alongside them, it makes me prouder than anything."
While her words made Luna tear up slightly, the bodyjumper forced them back down. "I... never said anything about becoming a Satan."
"Maybe not," Thelastia agreed. "But a mother can dream about the heights her daughter will go, can't she?"
Lunarunn couldn't argue with that. "...Maybe one day. But for now, I should focus on the present, yeah?"
"Mhm." The older Devil's grip tightened, before pulling away with a solemn expression. "I know you'll still be here until you can find your own housing, but you're more distant every day. One day, I know you'll be gone. But since I have you here now... just know that you will always, always, be welcome here."
The emotion, the raw affection in Thelastia's voice all but forced Luna to look away, cheeks burning. She felt conflicted now, ashamed that she hadn't given these two parents she ended up with the time they deserved, but glad at the same time that at least her mother understood and was willing to go along with her rapid ascension.
"Thank you." Her words came out as a whisper, but those two words carried a bevy of meaning behind them, and the bodyjumper, the person who'd in effect became their daughter, found she couldn't say anything else.
Perhaps it was a mother's intuition. Perhaps it was something else. But the smile that Lunarunn received in turn told her that Thelastia understood it all.
The daughter's eyes flicked up, and widened briefly, making for the door, Thelastia smoothly stepping aside so she could. "Shit, I need to get going."
It didn't keep her mother from making one last comment though. "Be sure to kick ass, take names, and make that party count."
Lunarunn stopped at the threshold, looking back at the woman who'd given her a home, a family, and a foundation from which she could build her new life.
A confident smile broke across her face. "Damn straight."
Then, she turned back around, and hurried off.
And so she was ready to dive into the lion's den.
A/N:
So, I did get a review based on last chapter, and... it's completely valid. I definitely could have done the breakdown scene a bit more justice with foreshadowing. Still, it's a little disappointing that it didn't have enough buildup to have the impact I was looking for. I thought I was missing something in the chapter, but I wasn't quite sure what. Now I know, and I'm rather mortified I didn't really think to add more rising tension, haha. And this is after adding the dream sequence, so... perhaps it's not a matter of missing it, but rather just not going far enough?
I already went back to add some better foreshadowing for it, so thanks for the input XDSnowy! I get the result is underwhelming for most of those that already read it, but to those who hadn't read it between the next chapter and that one, it'll be a good way for me to give a little more oomph to what should be a fairly important moment. Like I said before, those who know, know, and those who didn't, well. Now you do know.
Anyway, a little later than is probably good, but I hope y'all enjoy this chapter! And again, let me know if you think I can do something better. Different people bring different views after all, and there may be a spot where I could add more detail.
Again, I will admit to being rather new to story-making like this, so for those of you bearing with me, thank you all!
Tempura Wizard out.
