Just Like Any Other Day

What was a family?

Intellectually, she knew what the word meant; a group of people related either by consanguinity or affinity. Basically, whether by blood or some other relationship like marriage and the like. Practically anyone, even the illiterate, would know what the hell that is.

There were, of course, other uses of the word. Things like cults and clans like the yakuza tended to use 'family' as well, which was strange in her opinion, but she digressed.

Issei's family, in her opinion, was the perfect embodiment of what would be the ideal family; warm, loving and kind to one another, with the typical shenanigans and the like to spice up the home life… One would be hard-pressed to say, upon one look at how they acted around one another, that they didn't love one another. Love came too easily for them in this family.

Ophis appreciated that. And… truth be told, she envied them somewhat.

Perhaps it didn't mean much to her at the start, considering her detachment to the concept of family—hers, after all, was Great Red, whom she hated to a degree. Beyond that, they had no one else; no blood parents, no progeny, no siblings or anything. Just the two of them and their battle that had gone form millennia.

But with far too long of a time spent living with the Hyoudou's, being able to experience that feeling of homeyness and love alongside them was practically life-changing. The solitude she'd been so used to was no longer meaningful or delightful to her anymore.

This way of life was more than good enough for her. They would get to be Uncle and Aunty and Issei to her, and she would have been content with that. So long as she got to stay with them.

And yet, life decided to take a turn, and she didn't even see it coming.

"Ophis!" The door is thrown wide open—she did not see that one coming too—and a big smile and wild brown hair greet her. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

"Issei! You shouldn't be shouting!"

"Ah, whoops," he didn't look all that apologetic, though he did lower his volume to a bearable degree. "Heya, Ophis. Are you still asleep?"

"Ah… No," she pushed the blanket off of her body, sitting upright and meeting Issei's eyes. The boy seems to reactively smile back, causing her to return the gesture. "I, am awake. Is something the matter?"

"Hmm, nah. Just thought about waking you up for breakfast for once. I've never done it before!" That was true. Usually, Aunty would be the one to wake her up—and with some level of difficulty. But after last night's affairs, sleep hadn't come easily. And for good reason too.

That hadn't been a dream. The fact that her heritage had been revealed to Issei and his family despite her best attempts to hide it (although, she doubted it would have worked forever, considering her carelessness), and yet, rather than be shunned or feared for it, Aunty had made the lightning decision to adopt her.

The butterflies in her stomach from the night before reappear, making her feel tingly and warm. Her smile turns bashful, and she almost wanted to bury her face in her pillow.

Being a daughter… it would be such a change from what she'd been used to. Having a proper family this time would take some getting used to, though she'd be lying if she said she wasn't excited for it.

"But yeah! Now that you're up, let's go get some breakfast!"

"Okay. I'll go bathe first."

That, in itself, was supposed to be a long ordeal. Although, because today felt like a somewhat special occasion, she ended up taking it shorter than always (though, of course, making very sure to wash and shampoo her hair properly) before finally joining Issei downstairs. Aunty was already serving stuff at the table, though Uncle was absent.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Lucy, hello," she greeted back, which had the dog leaping for joy. That's right, Lucy became a part of their family last night too. She'd admit, it was a rather strange name to be giving a dog, though it was certainly more preferable over 'Poochie' or 'Ruffles'. And Lucy seemed to like it. Issei definitely had good naming sense, she supposed. "And good morning, Aunty."

"Ophis! Morning to you too," greeted Aunty, all cheer as always. It definitely didn't feel like some kind of act, because all that pep in her step couldn't be faked no matter how hard she tried. She gestured to the dining table. "Take a seat. We're just about ready in a bit."

"And what of Uncle?"

"Ah, he went out to go buy some food for… Lucy, was it?" The dog barked back. "Goodness, aren't you a sweet one. Well, he'll be back in a few. Until then, we'll just have to wait for him. Is that fine?"

"Of course. What are we having?"

"A vegetable-themed breakfast," Aunty paused to take in her and Issei's wincing expressions before she broke out laughing. "Kidding, kidding! We're having your typical Japanese breakfast. Nothing too complicated."

The presented meal certainly doesn't seem that way; a bowl of steaming white rice, miso soup, and a serving of pan-grilled salmon. A small plate had nori on it, which certainly looked a little out of place, but not something she would be complaining about. Seaweed made for a surprisingly delectable snack.

"Ooh, nice! Japanese breakfast is the best!" Cheered Issei. "How 'bout you, Ophis? What's your favourite?"

"Ah. I've, never really experienced human cuisine, beyond what Aunty makes us."

"Eh? How come?"

"When I, first came to Earth, I literally teleported to the playground where we met."

"Oh? And where'd you come from?"

"Hell."

The sound of something colliding with the table had them snapping their gazes to Aunty, who grasped a bowl of natto with one hand while her other clutched her hip, where she'd presumably struck it against the table's side, slightly hunched over in pain.

"Ah, Aunty..!"

"I-It's okay, dear! Just… need to come to terms that things like hell and heaven actually exist, you know? Haha, what a strange world we live in indeed…"

Aunty hadn't completely gotten over the fact that she wasn't a human, had she? Ophis didn't blame her. To the normal human, it would have been utterly outrageous, though for the fact that she'd witnessed several non-human entities like herself, Six-eight-two and Lucy all in the same night, she must have been able to tolerate it to an extent because of how non-threatening they'd been.

Well, non-threatening she and Lucy were. Six-eight-two had been absolutely grumpy and non-too-nice the entire night. His mood had lightened somewhat after dinner, though to say that he was fond of them afterwards was too far from the truth. He looked at Issei as if he was looking at the most annoying thing in the world.

Hmph. Rude. She would have him know just how amazing Issei is, and no amount of bad temper on his part would change her mind.

"I understand Hell comes with the connotations of a dreadful place, but, it is not all fire and death. Think of it as a… as another version of Earth, albeit dark. And reddish."

"That's certainly a strange way to describe a realm that a lot of religions acquaint to devils, demons and the place where sinners go to… Honestly, how many things do exist out there?"

"Anything imaginable, I suppose," she shrugged back. "Devils, angels, dragons—"

"Dragons!" Whooped Issei.

"—And many other beings from mythologies and the like. Gods, goddesses, spirits… I cannot exactly list them all out, because, there are many."

"I… see," for some reason, Aunty was giving a very narrow-eyed look at the window. She followed suit. Outside, it was the scene of a beautiful, sunny day, though she had a feeling that Aunty was looking beyond that. "Well… the more you know, I guess. It's certainly not terrifying knowing that there are plenty of beings out there way stronger than us just roaming the world like that."

That was sarcasm. She could tell because Aunty, despite her words, was looking very, very uncomfortable. Maybe it was faux bravery? If there was a proverb to use for her situation, it'd be 'putting on a brave front'.

…Actually, does that actually count as a proverb? Ophis wasn't sure. There were similes, metaphors, proverbs, sayings—just how many terms do humans need to have for just the same thing?

"But, they typically do not disturb humans very often," she said, if only to give Aunty some peace of mind. "For some reason, Earth, is a very precious planet to all races, and they have agreed that it should remain some kind of neutral zone."

"Why is that?" Issei asked.

"It is likely because of Earth's bountiful environment. Compared to many other worlds, Earth is easily the most tolerable and habitable planet, with moderate climates, safe habitats and the like," when Issei and Aunty didn't respond to her words, she simplified: "Basically, Earth is a very nice place to live in."

"Ohh! Well, yeah, I guess it is."

"And plenty of organizations have made this planet their base of operations."

The best example that she could think of was that high school that opened up in Kuoh a few years back. It's a girls-only school, and which she recalled seeing some devils going to, which likely meant that it was owned by the higher-up devils.

"But… what about that thing from yesterday?" Aunty asked next. "The one you killed…"

"A stray devil. They, are devils who have defied the orders of their masters and have completely lost their minds, often seeking humans and others to either kill or consume," she then frowned. "There really shouldn't be that many. Last night was a very unfortunate occurrence."

"And let's hope that it stays that was; a one-time thing," huffed Aunty. "Honestly, I'd prefer feeling safe living in my own home."

Ophis stood a little straighter, shooting her a determined look. "It's okay, Aunty. Both Lucy and I will protect you, Issei and Uncle. Right, Lucy?"

"Worf!"

"Well… The idea of you protecting me is sweet, though it certainly holds true considering that you're some powerful dragon from who-knows-where, so I suppose that's just how it's meant to be," she sighed. "In any case, I should have thanked you for yesterday. I suppose with all the chaotic discoveries, there certainly hadn't been time to recognise that. So… thank you, Ophis."

"It's fine, Aunty. As long as everyone is okay, that's enough for me—" A body stuck to her side, and it took her a few seconds to realize Issei was hugging her. "Issei?"

"Well, if Mom said it, then I have to, too!" He laughed. "Thanks for saving us, Ophis! You're the best sister I could ask for!"

Just as Aunty needed time to properly realize that the world was far bigger than they ever knew, Ophis had only came to her own realization that she needed time to accept that she was now Issei's little sister. The thought had her blushing somewhat, and she did not miss the amused look on Aunty's face.

"O-Of course…"

"Heeey! I'm home! How's things?"

"Going just splendidly, dear."

"Nice. Well, Lucy, I bought you some food. I don't exactly know which one you like, so I just bought a couple.

"Woof! Woof!"

The little house is filled with noise as the family of five settle at the dining table. Lucy yipping happily as she trotted around the house, following after Aunty who's happy setting up the table. Uncle fills up a bowl with newly-bought dog food before taking his seat with a newspaper in his hands. And Issei, as ever, excitedly pulls her to her chair beside his, chatting away with nary a care.

Somehow, the absolute juxtaposition from the insanity of yesterday, replaced with complete normalcy in this morning, is enough to completely tear all her anxieties apart. It's a day like every other since she'd joined this family, with nothing but absolutely nothing out-of-the-world to look forward to.

The thought leaves her smiling, simply enjoying this moment. Another brand new day begins in the Hyoudou household.

And Her Name will be…

"Ophis doesn't have parents, eh..? Well, that's gonna' be a little complicated."

"More complicated than the fact that we're adopting a dragon, dear?"

"Ehh. So-so."

Miki rolled her eyes at her husbands' answer, though she'd admit that she wanted to know why he'd called Ophis' situation complicated. And, judging by the children's expressions, they were too. "And? Why is that?"

"It's because, in the case of most adoptions, you'd usually get the consent from the birth parents. Basically, they need to say 'Yeah, she's not my kid anymore' and 'I'm willing to give her away'."

"Wow. Sounds irresponsible."

"I-I mean, that's just what the adoption process is. I didn't mean to make it sound like that," he sweat-dropped at Issei's blunt response. "I'm pretty sure everyone's a lot more professional and respectful during the process than I made it sound."

"But aren't there plenty of people who just adopt from orphanages? Ophis, in a sense, would count as an orphan too, since she's already disconnected from her parents."

"Which I don't have."

"Which she doesn't have," nodded Miki.

"Hmm, I suppose when you put it like that, it's not all that dissimilar… Going back to what I was trying to say; when accepting a child from his or her birth parents, you typically do it through either international, domestic or foster adoption. In Ophis's case, she would be considered under foster adoption, even though she's technically had no carers before this."

"Okaaay… And what makes it difficult?"

"Basically, she has no identity, which is going to be pretty difficult to explain to the police and several departments…"

"Can't we, like, let her join the family without going through all that stuff, Dad?"

Gorou shook his head at the question. "Dangerous prospect, kiddo. Imagine this; if she's not properly registered as an individual, there's basically no information about her background. There's the risk of people thinking she's an illegal immigrant—someone who came from another country—so there'll be no peace for her."

There were a lot more issues whenever a person didn't have their identities registered in the official database. Security, privacy and safety were chief among them, coupled with the loss of rights to inheritance, banking services and much more, making this a very serious issue.

He realized that it was a tedious process, and likely a suspicious one in Ophis' case, to register her from the ground-up. Forgery was out of the question (there was no way they were going to go down that road), and he didn't exactly have any friends or contacts who worked in this field.

Also, Ophis was a dragon. That's… well, perhaps humans wouldn't notice, though he wasn't sure if the supernatural people would be the same.

Ophis had mentioned before that she was apparently a big deal. Something about being so dangerous that the supernatural world would have a keen interest in monitoring. He wasn't sure if he'd appreciate the lack of privacy there, but he felt like that was something that they'd deal with in the future.

"So is there some way to get Ophis registered?"

"Oh, there are certainly ways, though I suppose it'll take some time, plus trying to explain who she is, where she came from… I'm not fully aware of all the details, but you two don't need to worry about that," he said to the children, offering them a confident smile. "Leave all that hubbub to us adults."

The family of five got on with breakfast, Issei being very expressive about how delicious his mother's cooking was while Ophis made her appreciation clear by taking extra portions. Growing children do tend to eat a lot, he realized, and with just how much energy they'd be spending every day—running 'round, playing and whatnot—they'd certainly need all the more food.

Guess it wouldn't really be the same for Ophis, but eh. Still a little girl in his eyes.

Chancing a glance past his leg, Lucy happily snacked away on her bowl, proving his decision to follow his intuition right. He'd been unsure of what exactly to get Lucy, but he'd been of the idea that it wouldn't really matter since she was apparently an alien dog, so she should technically be able to eat anything.

…Alien dog. And a dragon. In their house. Sheesh, this was not how he'd expected things to go.

'Still,' he shrugged. 'It's not the worst thing in the world.'

Though he'd been the face of calm last night, he would've been lying if he said he hadn't been panicking on the inside. He'd only done his best to mask it in front of the others so that Miki could calm down as well. And somehow, he'd actually managed to just shrug it off. Fake it 'til you make it, he supposed.

Then again, there was barely any difference in the situation. Just as Miki saw a beautiful young girl whom their son was fond of, so did he. Ophis was harmless. She was family now. And so was Lucy.

Gorou paused. Family. Ophis was their daughter now. Well, would be once they manage to register her and adopt her. And family tended to share the same surname, which meant she would be called…

"Ophis Hyoudou."

Uttering that single line was like flipping a switch. Immediately, all activity at the table ceased, everyone's chopsticks frozen in mid-air as they slowly turned to stare at him. Ophis, for all the lack of emotion she typically displayed, looked the most shocked in that situation, lips barely agape. Issei's chopsticks slipped from his hands and onto the floor—

Oh, Lucy caught it. Fortunately with her teeth, and not with some kind of tentacle. Good girl.

"P-Pardon?"

"Ophis Hyoudou," he repeated. "That would be your name."

"…That is true, isn't it?" Miki blinked. "I mean, people of the same family need to have the same surname. That's just how it works."

"Exactly. I never considered it before, but I just realized that that would be your new name. Ophis Hyoudou."

"It's got a nice ring to it," hummed Miki, grinning. "Ophis Hyoudou… I like it!"

"Right? I mean, Ophis doesn't really sound Japanese—heck, I wouldn't even know what part of the world to say it sounds like, but it fits really well."

"T-That's…" The girl seemed to look away, playing with a lock of hair. Aww. "I… suppose that is true, is it not?"

"And that means you have to call them Mom and Dad too," Issei blurted out, making the dragoness (and him and Miki. Oh God, Ophis actually calling them Mom and Dad?) freeze.

"W-What? I can't possibly—"

"Nuh-uh, you have to. That's how it works!" He grinned wildly, with hints of teasing in his expression that Gorou felt so proud of and that which made him want to laugh. "In fact, it's better you try and say it out loud!"

"Right now?"

"Duh! Come ooon, you can do this!"

Issei began the process of cheering her on, as any good friend would do. And Ophis, on the other hand, definitely could not do it, as evidenced by the fact that she began stuttering, colour slowly filling her entire face as she switched between looking at him and Miki. It was such a rare and adorable sight that he thought his heart had stopped beating.

Thankfully, it didn't. He was not going to die, so he would be able to appreciate this moment a little longer, which was the best thing he could ever ask for.

"T-That is too hard!" Ophis had also never raised her voice before, consciously or otherwise. But now that she did, her voice had turned into a bit of a squeak, making his heart melt all the faster. "It would be strange now!"

"But you can't call them Uncle and Aunty anymore."

"I, I understand, but still…"

Well, he could understand from Ophis' perspective. From the very beginning, they'd been nothing more than a family and their son's friend. Not a stranger, though. They've lived together for so long now that it was hard to consider of the sort.

They were now moving from that phase to being an actual family; as a father, a mother, and their son and daughter. It was a complete shift in paradigm, though the most that would ever change was the titles they'd be calling each other. Ophis really would have to call them Mom and Dad, and gods above, did that tickle his heart. She'd truly be their little girl!

Although, calling her 'little', while physically accurate, wasn't completely right either. After all, she's apparently lived for millennia, so even though she looks extremely young, she's technically older than all of them combined.

…Nope. Nah, he's just going to ignore that fact. Nothing was going to change the fact that she was their little girl, no matter what.

Shaking away that thought, he smiled at their soon-to-be daughter, chin on steepled hands. "It's alright, Ophis. You can just take your time," she met his eyes, and he nodded back, his facial expression softening. "It's a pretty big thing, so you don't have to rush into it. That moment will come someday, but we're willing to wait as long as necessary. Until then, just call us anything you'd like."

"Mmhm! Aunty and Uncle are just fine, but when you're ready, we'll be ready to hear you call us Mom and Dad… Or anything of a similar vein."

"But you have to call us that, okay?"

Stammering, she averted her gaze from them for a solid minute. Slowly, however, she met their gaze with a side glance, and gave a tiny nod.

And then, Gorou and Miki died from blood loss caused by cuteness overload.

…That was a joke. They just doted on Ophis a lot more, leaving her a red, embarrassed mess by the end of breakfast. Life went on.

Everyone (Almost) Forgets that Lucy is an Alien

The Hyoudou household had very little rules. Most times, everyone would collectively decide on how to settle an issue when it shows up, and usually, it'd be fine. There wasn't much fuss and the like, so it was relatively carefree.

There were a few though. Most of them practically unimportant, and that which they tended to ignore and accept.

Pets in the house, though? Big no-no.

Miki had nothing against animals. She loved them. Hell, growing up, her family had seven cats. Seven! All of them loved their cats, and they'd raised them up healthy and happy for the many years. Miki herself was utterly attached to their first; Dewey, whose name was supposedly based off of a library cat. Her father had been the one to give that name.

Eventually, however, they'd been forced to give away all of them, barring Dewey, to neighbours and friends alike. Partly because her youngest brother was allergic to cats (they'd had to keep the cats in an entirely separate room, repurposed as their home), and partly because they just didn't have the time for it.

The older siblings had work to do, those still in school couldn't juggle their time between studying and taking care of the cats, and their parents were just two people. Better to give them away than to burden themselves and not give their pets the happiness they deserve.

It was the same with Gorou, it seemed, as he had a dog growing up, though they too had to hand him off to an uncle because they couldn't keep up with the task. So then, the both of them agreed not to have a pet when they have a family together.

But alas, Issei wanted a pet very badly. And though they'd done their best to dissuade him from the idea, they eventually caved when it came to Lucy.

One, because Gorou really wanted a house pet for a long time too, though he'd refrained from saying it out loud, wanting to stick to the decision he and Miki had made.

And two, because she was apparently an alien dog.

That technically should have turned them off from taking in Lucy, but the idea that some stranger might accidentally come across her… ahem, 'quirks', may overreact and do something completely understandable and rational such as calling the police. So, in some way, taking in Lucy would also be protecting her.

And finally, the most obvious reason being that Issei and Ophis adored her very much and were very insistent on keeping her. He couldn't say 'no' to them. If anything, there were so few concrete reasons for him to reject their request for anything.

Chuckling to himself, he finished his mug of coffee before putting away the newspaper, flexing his arms above his head. A crack popped into existence, drawing out a relieved sigh from him. "Ahh…"

"You know, I don't think it's good to keep popping your joints like that," Miki said, coming over to grab his mug and fixing him with a half-lidded look and a coy smile.

"What? It's not like I'm doing it on purpose. And it's not cracking my joints or whatever, so it's fine. If anything, it's more strange that you don't."

"My parents always said that, if you crack your knuckles, your hands and fingers become somewhat enlarged. My father's hands were always like that, but that sort of scared me, so I never did it."

"Well, to each their own, right Lucy?"

"Woof!"

The man couldn't help the smile on his face with that response, reaching one hand towards the dog. Unlike most animals who would barely respond, Lucy was all too happy to edge closer towards him, accepting his head pats with happiness. Such a sweet one.

It's been a week now since Ophis and Lucy had joined their family. The adoption papers for Ophis were still undergoing, so it was going to be a while before that would be settled. Still, the fact that the procedures were going a lot better than they'd initially feared put much of his fears to rest, though he was certainly going to work hard to see it bear fruit.

Lucy, thankfully, wasn't a difficult matter. Taking in a stray pet isn't uncommon, and the registration could be taken care of relatively quickly. He just needed to go to an official centre, register his name as Lucy's new owner, and await the certificate. The rest was history.

The only amusing part of all of that was when he'd brought Lucy along to the centre, and everyone had been delightfully surprised by how friendly she'd been. Some had even taken pictures with her, and the kids were all too excited to pat and hug her, which she'd reciprocated happily each and every time.

Now, most of the time, it was Issei and Ophis who took care of Lucy's needs, such as bathing and feeding her. Occasionally, he and Miki would chip in, though Lucy didn't demand much, despite being a relatively big dog. He wondered why—

Oh, right. Alien dog.

'Six-eight-two mentioned how, since they're aliens, they could technically adjust how much they want to eat, so I guess that's pretty helpful in her case. And maybe she could eat anything she wants.'

Despite that, she'd definitely made her preference known to everyone every now and then, showcasing a strange enjoyment of meats and fruits (he's pretty sure dogs don't eat fruits to begin with), but apparently disliked vegetables, nuts and spicy stuff. Certainly a quirky dog, she is.

Hold up. Speaking of Six-eight-two, they hadn't seen him for a while now. The last time he'd been present in their family was the night they'd met and had dinner. He hadn't shown up ever since. Guess he was enjoying himself back in his forest home, wherever it was.

"In any case, do we need to go out and buy more food for Lucy soon?"

"I don't think so. You bought a couple bags of dog food recently, and there's still a few more," shrugged Miki, standing up and walking to the kitchen with a cup, her tea finished. "If there's anything that we'll need, I think it's—Aah!"

"Whoa, careful!"

Something snapped forwards like a whip, the sound of flesh being undone and torn apart proceeded by the sound of something getting caught in mid-air.

All in just a single second, while his brain took five seconds to register the long black tendril floating right in front of his face. He followed it to the tip, curled around the tea cup that Miki accidentally threw up into the air when she struck the table leg.

Everyone in the house blinked, then slowly turned to look at Lucy. And, rather than seeing a normal dog, saw a malformed beast with its jaw split wide open, a muscular tentacle having shot out to catch the cup before it shattered on the floor.

Slowly, the tentacle set the cup down on the table again, before the monstrous visage was wiped away once Lucy regained her simple disguise. She barked innocently, panting at Miki with happiness.

"…Oh yeah, Lucy's an alien!" Was Issei's helpful reminder. "Hehe, you've been so normal this entire week, guess we sort of forgot, huh, girl?"

"Such fast reflexes. That was, amazing, Lucy."

"Orf!"

The husband and wife glanced at one another before letting out a collective sigh. Really, they thought in unison, this was going to be a norm for them, wasn't it?

Walk The Totally Normal Dog

The story of David and Goliath was rather popular. While he didn't know the entire details, it denoted the tale of a battle between a young David and the stronger Goliath. It was meant to be an inspirational one, whereby David bested Goliath in a one-on-one duel with just a sling and a sword, severing his head and proving his mettle.

Admittedly, he'd grown up assuming that Goliath had been some kind of mythological monster. Maybe he was a human too, though a far stronger human being tempered by war, compared to David.

In modern times, the phrase 'David and Goliath' was used to depict an underdog situation; whereby a significantly weaker person fought against a greater adversary, and that the underdog could achieve victory in an unexpected manner.

The scene before him could have been described as a re-enactment of that moment, though the only difference was the fact that the supposed 'battle' occurred between his six-year-old son and their family dog, playfully wrestling on the ground and spinning around on the carpet.

"Go, Issei. You can win."

"Careful not to hit your head on anything, okay?"

"Yeah, I can—Aaahahaha! Lucy, no lickies! Nohoahaha!"

True to form, their little scuffle was nothing more but a playful game. Issei's tactic was just to hug Lucy and roll around, while Lucy decided to go for his face and smother him with licks. Clearly, Issei was not fulfilling the David bit in the slightest, but it didn't make the sight any less heart-warming.

"Gorou," his wife called from the kitchen, her head peeking out from the side of a wall. "Isn't it about time you go take Lucy for a walk?"

"Hmm? Is it already?" He checked the time, and was mildly surprised that he'd somehow forgotten it. "Oh yeah. Guess I was a little preoccupied with this little show."

"Kids, you two should go get your baths. Your father—" He didn't miss the way Ophis visibly sat a little straighter. He buried his chuckle in his fist. "—will be taking Lucy for a walk."

"Sure thing, Mom!" Issei yelled back, nuzzling Lucy's face as he giggled. "Go have fun, Lucy! And take care of Dad for us!"

"Woof!"

"Hah! It should be me protecting the both of us. And besides, we'll still be in the neighbourhood, so we'll be fiiine," he chuckled. "Now give me a sec. I'll go get changed."

Swapping his house clothes for a tracksuit and pants, he joined Lucy outside of the house once he put on a pair of sports shoes. The Malinois looked excited, happily wagging her tail as she waited patiently for him. Made sense; she'd never gotten walked before this, since all of them had been more than a little busy settling into this new norm.

Just before he was about to walk with her, he recalled that most people walked their dogs with a leash and collar.

He then looked down to Lucy, and she looked back up at him with a happy smile.

"…Nahhh. You're smart enough not to run off or whatever."

"Orf?"

"Nothin', girl. Now come on, let's go."

With that thought out of the day, both the Hyoudou patriarch and the dog began their walk around the neighbourhood.

…

The sun was greatly hidden by clouds, the early morning incredibly cold. The gentle drafts of wind that came in intervals was even more cooling on the skin, made even better by the chatter of other kids on the sidewalks and Lucy's company all the way.

Slowly adopting to having a new pet in the house, they'd begun implementing several routines, one of which was a daily walk around the neighbourhood with Lucy. Usually, he'd take her around town for three laps, though if he was up for it, he'd take her on one more. The children would join them if they woke up earlier to get their baths early, though usually it'd just be him and Lucy.

More than anything else, this felt incredibly nostalgic. That was the only way he could describe this moment as he and Lucy brisk walked down the road, memories of his childhood coming back that reminded him of the times when he used to walk his family's dog around the local park after school.

He could still remember her. Her name was Mary, a Husky that they got from a friend's relative shortly after she was born. She'd been an immediate favourite of everyone in the house, though she was closest with his mother, on accounts of the fact that she'd been the first to hold her, and the one that took care of the most whenever they went to school or couldn't help out.

Walking Lucy felt like walking Mary all over again, though this time, he was an adult. Didn't really change much, though. Now feels just as fun as it did almost twenty years ago.

"Careful not to run off, okay, Lucy? If you want anything, you can just point me in that direction."

"Arf!" Yipped Lucy, keeping close to him and matching his pace almost perfectly. Heck, it feels like she's moving her left feet when he does!

He'd notice that the first time they'd gone on their walk. It feels less like walking Lucy and more like walking with Lucy. Unlike people walking dogs normally by having them in front of them with a leash and collar on, Lucy seemed to walk right beside him, which certainly made for a strange sight.

Honestly, it was a little strange, but he didn't mind it all that much. He supposed Lucy much more enjoyed being by his side rather than right in front of him and not seeing him, so he was all too happy to indulge her.

The two walked until they reached a crossroad, whereupon they watched a car pass them by before they took a right turn. There were a couple more people, though it was easy to count the number by hand. Most of them consisted of parents whose kids were in school, elderly and some younger children.

Some of them stopped to greet Lucy, while a few came up to her to pet her. She was all too happy to receive their attention and give some back, being so friendly that the kids practically loved her right away. It never failed to make him smile.

"She's such a delight!" A neighbour cooed upon meeting her smile. "What's her name?"

"Lucy. Issei was the one who gave her name."

"Little Issei? Oh, that adorable boy is such a joy, and so is this one," her wrinkly hand stroked the canine's fur, and Lucy reciprocated with a little nuzzle with the side of her jaw. "Take good care of the Hyoudou's, will you?"

"Woof!"

It was only after the older lady left did he laugh a little. "Hah. It's a shame that I can't understand what you're saying like Ophis does, but ah well. Actually, do you understand us?" She barked back. "Huh. I can't exactly tell if that's a yes or no, although Ophis says that you're really smart. Not like I haven't seen evidence of that, but I'm a little curious… Okay, try pointing at a fire hydrant. It's red and made of metal. The one that fire fighters use," she immediately responded by pointing a paw at one such hydrant, which sat underneath a traffic light. "Good one. Now, try pointing at a…"

The more he asked her to point at stuff, the more he was certain that she really was intelligent. It was evident by the fact that she succeeded in pointing out the correct item each and every time, ranging from trees to crosswalks, though he supposed those were simple enough.

Ophis had told him once that she was a fast learner. She seemed to develop a good understanding of schedules, able to press the television remote, help wake up the children from time to time by pawing on their door and yipping softly, and even operate faucets and doorknobs.

She was an incredibly clever one, which might have been scary to some. To him, though? Just remembering that time she'd somehow taken a bath all of her own brought about a surge of amusement.

They walked for a little longer before they neared the end of their fourth round. It was well time to go back home for breakfast with Miki and the kids. Lucy didn't look exhausted, though there was no need to stay out for even longer.

Just as they were about to turn back, however—"Oi, old man! Hol'up!"

For a minute there, he was uncertain if it was him being called an old man, though when he turned his head around, he came face-to-face with a gang of three delinquents, which confirmed his initial suspicion. And this gang, to put it kindly, looked extremely comical.

One of them had shaved his hair on either sides, giving himself a faux mohawk of sorts. He walked up to him, hands in his jeans and the flaps of his leather jacket swinging wildly with each motion. "Deaf, are you? We were talking to you!"

"You sure have been having some fun walking on our turf, eh?" Scoffed another kid, who looked sixteen or so. His black t-shirt was so dark, it felt like he was looking into a black hole, which is ironic since one technically can't look at a black hole.

"You and your mutt," the last one glared at the poor thing. Lucy seemed to wilt from the young man's tone, Gorou stopping in front of her to shield her from them. The punk looked up, so many chains dangling from his neck it was no wonder he was hunched. "Try'na acting strong now, old man?"

"Listen. I don't know what we did wrong, but I'll apologize regardless. All I'm asking now is if we could go home."

"Pfft. After walking willy-nilly all over our side of town? Don't think so."

Urgh. Dumb teenagers trying to be the 'cool guys' without actually considering their place in society. He prayed to every god in existence that Issei never turns out like them. "So, what is that you want?"

"Money, old man. Money," to emphasize, the kid with the black tee rubbed his thumb and index together. "Pop 'er open."

"Money? That's it? I give you money and you promise you'll let us go."

"We ain't so unreasonable we'd go back on our word," the three snickered together, as if sharing an inside joke. "Go on! Cough 'er out!"

Gorou stamped down on the flash of annoyance, knowing that there was no need to risk his and Lucy's safety. He was a working man. He could always make more.

A life, on the other hand, was finite.

"Okay, okay. Just don't hurt us. I have my wallet with me."

"Good, good. I'm so glad that you—" The smile on his face suddenly contorted into confusion. "Eh?"

"Whoa, your dog's getting feisty, eh? You should keep her on a better leash—or if you had one to begin with! Hah!"

"Huh? What do you…"

He turned to look behind him, only to find Lucy having rushed right in front of him, snarling at the group of three.

"Ggrrgrrr!"

"L-Lucy!" He yelped, shocked to hear her growling. He fell down to one knee, trying to soothe her. "Calm down, girl, it's okay!"

"Stupid mutt. Think you're so strong, eh?!" Without warning, the one with chains drew out a pocket knife. The sight of it made Gorou recoil, while Lucy barked once. That wasn't enough to deter the punk, however. "Come on, then, if you're so brave!"

"Oarf! Oarf!"

"Lucy, don't! You'll only get hurt!"

Now, while Gorou would never typically lose his calm, this moment had been enough to trigger his fight-or-flight senses to disrupt his ability to recall one key detail about Lucy; something that was understandable in the heat of times, and that which he would find himself forgetting at times in the near future.

To put it simply, Lucy was not a normal dog.

That was what the three thug-wannabes quickly learnt very quickly when the sclera of her eyes began to turn red. That wasn't enough, though—it was what came after; her body grew in size and her face quickly split apart, elongating and developing fangs, eyes and a myriad of tentacle-like tongues that were so very close to strangling them.

They must have stood there like statues, their brains taking a moment to properly register the truth before them. They stared at the monstrosity before them, all of their faces draining of colour until they turned white as a sheet, one of them mumbling things about not wanting to die, before they collectively passed out.

All of that occurred in just forty seconds.

Gorou had witnessed the event from start to finish. And then, when his brain had properly understood the events that transpired, the first thing he said was: "Oh right. You're an alien."

Lucy's response was to immediately revert to her initial state, and then happily bark at him, as if she hadn't just turned into a monster to scare a bunch of teenagers.

He looked to the three unconscious boys, deadpanning a little before shrugging. "Welp, I guess that's that. How did I end up forgetting that fact..? Either way, good job, girl."

"Woof!"

"Although, turning like that in the middle of the day isn't a very smart idea. I'd suggest you be more careful next time, okay?" Lucy barked back in what might have been compliance. "Good. Also, you weren't actually going to hurt them, right?" She barked once more, though this time, he had a feeling that she was trying to say 'no'. "Okay then. Make sure you never use your… uh, thing to hurt anyone. Something like this is fine, I guess."

And that was how the Hyoudou patriarch ended up walking home with their family's dog, completely unscathed. The three teenagers, on the other hand, woke up hours later. They didn't remember the encounter, though they'd ended up rather traumatized and opted to forego their old ways. All in all, a good outcome.

And then Issei got into another scuffle with Lucy that night. Lucy came out a flawless victor.

Author's Notes:

As a person who has had pets, albeit the very small ones (fish, tortoises, lobsters—yes, I had actual lobsters as pets before. There was a shop building with a huge pool of water where they put lobsters in, and you could fish for them. I remember the establishment going bankrupt, though that was so long ago) and nothing like cats and dogs, I can only imagine what it's like to have those.

There wasn't any specific mentions of when Kuoh Academy was made co-ed, though it was noted to be sometime prior to the series. We'll assume it was before Issei became seventeen, which is the time when he's become a second-year.

Also, Ophis Hyoudou? Come on, now. Don't tell me that doesn't sound adorable.