Chapter 36: Pier 16 (Part 2)

"We all done, Lute. Rooms made and entrance finished."

"You gentlemen are miracle workers. Here, take this as a parting gift."

Passing over a bunch of six packs from the Black Dog Bar and dinner coupons from Pegasus Wings n'Brew he'd bought recently the worker's eyes widened in approval, Cayman smirking as he said, "I have it on good authority these are some pretty killer brands. Enjoy at your leisure."

Lesson number one of working in a high risk environment? Make sure the hired help didn't think of you as an asshole. Less chance of the plumbing backing up or faultily installed wiring causing your home security to collapse and allow an assassin to slit your dirty throat.

Seriously, it had routinely shocked him in his past life how many people overlooked the fact that just buying a few nice lunches or high-quality donuts for people without prompting could uplift their opinion of you.

…It wouldn't matter that much if you were exploiting the shit out of them but that was a whole other ball game entirely.

"Give us ring if need more work, always looking to stay busy."

"You'll be first on my list. Take care, fellas."

Happily chattering and already cracking open a few of the beers as they made their way home for the day Cayman retreated inside his now completed base of operations/home for the foreseeable future.

Lots of rooms, big kitchen, modest gym, more than modest entertainment theater, workshop for summoning experiments or whatever, basement for guests and Rin to do with as they pleased…never underestimate the power and space available in a warehouse turned house.

Also he got to write that purchase off as a business expense on the Sanctuary books, so fuck yes to that.

"Eager to get started, Rin?"

Already dumping her equipment and gemstones into the center of the warehouse with a disgruntled expression the Magus complained, "It took you so ridiculously long to actually get everything completed and in position that I thought we were going to be robbed before I even got started."

"You can't rush perfection, Rin."

"You can't rush Bounded Fields either but I was giving it some serious thought."

Muttering under her breath as she nonetheless began to take measurements and calculations of the area she was going to be working in Rin still found the time to fire off a bit of snark his way, commenting, "Nice of you to take the day off, however. Going on a date no less, I'm really feeling the proper division of labor."

"You know if you're just jealous of me having a proper love life I'd be happy to give it a shot with you, Rin."

The nasty glare she sent his way made the Surveyor chuckle, waving over his shoulder before heading towards his room in order to properly get ready. Although a simple shirt and slacks wasn't exactly heavy duty preparation, truth be told.

"Remember to have fun and be nice to her, okay? She seems like the awkward and shy sort."

"And I'm sure she would be gratified to hear you say that."

Till stuck out her tongue in good humor as she woke up from her nap on his bed's pillow, stretching with a satisfied moan as Cayman asked, "Have any fun plans for tonight, then?"

"Yup! Mai, Yumi and myself are going to order a pizza as we help Yumi get ready for school."

Riaisng an eyebrow as he shucked his shirt the Surveyor curiously asked, "You know all of that education stuff?"

"I'm not dumb, Cayman."

Chuckling at his Fairy's pout he replied, "I also didn't know you covered Human subjects and the like."

"Well seeing as how I was going to be the ruler of my people it made sense that I knew about the other worlds and things like that at least a little bit."

"Well personally I think it's just plain unfair that you're loaded down with both beauty and brains."

She playfully swatted him on the nose before flying out of the room, chiding, "Don't tease Rossweisse into a stuttering mess on the first date, alright?"

"No promises."

Looking into his reflection the Surveyor smirked to himself, musing, "No promises indeed. Poor girl is just that fun to wind up."

Surveying the outside of Tokyo U during after school hours was an interesting experience, to say the least. While much of the foot traffic had died off there was still plenty of activity to watch and learn from, the most obvious ones being the security measures.

While he'd been careful not to make himself seem like a clear and blatant problem waiting to be solved he'd been unable to help himself from observing things with a keen eye, earning no shortage of warning looks from what was at least a platoon of heavily armed and armored soldiers teched out in powered armor and packing weapons that would have made a Terminator jealous. And while he wasn't 100% sure about this next bit there was a drop off depot in the school grounds with a few trucks that might have been carrying the bipedal combat walkers from the Taimanin universe.

Factor in the more subtle magics or patrolling Extranatural that resided within the school grounds and the place was about as safe from a variety of threats as could feasibly be.

"S-sorry for being late!"

Rushing up to him in a breathless hustle was none other than Rossweisse herself, Cayman making of show of looking at his watch as he said, "Indeed, you're late by about…negative five minutes."

"...O-oh."

Drawing herself upright Cayman gave the Valkyrie a thorough once over, smiling in approval.

"You wear casual very nicely, Rossweisse."

A simple, loose shirt and skirt with thigh-high boots while a more glossy blue ribbon adorned her silver hair, the young woman predictably getting flustered at his comment.

"As much as I would like to take credit for this I had one of my teaching friends offer me advice. She's far better at these kinds of subjects than I am."

"In this day and age I'd say one of the smartest things you can do is know where to look for proper information and guidance."

+5 REP with Rossweisse [75/100]

A cute smile adorned her lips as she responded, "Indeed, I try to tell my students the very same thing. Some of them come from more ancient or traditional families and haven't quite gotten the hang of the internet and all its uses."

"Magus, Demon, Devil or any other of the dozen more storied cultures?"

"...Yes to all of the above."

Chuckling at the rare bit of deadpan from the Valkyrie she suddenly paled, quickly apologizing with, "I-I'm so sorry! I never complimented how handsome you look and I immediately started talking work!"

"Well you're in luck, I just so happen to be interested in how your work goes from day to day and am just as happy to receive delayed compliments as I am immediate ones."

He laced his fingers through her soft but mildly calloused own, drawing them side by side before stating, "Also I'm curious how this school even came to be in the first place. Walk and talk?"

Rapid nodding and wordless agreement, the pair heading deeper into Tokyo's downtown districts.

+5 REP with Rossweisse [80/100]

"T-that sounds like a good idea! Did you have anything in particular you wished to do?"

"Nah, let's just window shop and see if we find anything. Bargains, perhaps?"

Rossweisse sent the Surveyor a pouty expression at his obvious teasing before Cayman quickly headed it off with, "So how did all of the university and its surrounding grade levels even leave the drawing board? Something like that can't have been easy."

"It wasn't by any stretch of the imagination. The history I read was that twenty-seven years ago Prometheus, Thoth, Lord Phantom and the Director of the Clocktower - with no warning and to the shock of everyone - funded and began the construction of a series of academies in the middle of Tokyo to serve as a hotbed of innovation and cultural exchange. Their stated reason being that a school in such close proximity to Yomihara, away from the general influence of the Moonlit world and in a historically neutral area of the Supernatural would have the greatest chance for success."

"Sounds more like the greatest chance for failure if you ask me."

"Many thought the same thing. Yet students, teachers and staff alike began pouring in for a variety of reasons, the initial years of the academy garnering quite the interesting roster."

The Valkyrie's lips quirked upwards into a wry smile.

"The fact that there were a few initial years at all rather than a few destructive and chaotic months was another type of surprise."

"I'll fucking bet. Okay, I can understand Thoth and Prometheus being involved in all of this considering their backgrounds but Lord Phantom? The Director?"

"I understand your reaction. Of all the possible individuals to have begun this grand experiment those two would have been near the bottom of my list as well. Many theories exist as to why they joined but the end result is undeniable…Tokyo University has succeeded beyond anyone's wildest expectations."

Appearing more energetic as the conversation went on Rossweisse said, "The institution has garnered a reputation as the dream job of any educator, although the prestige is matched only by the stringent entry requirements. Complete mastery and knowledge of one's chosen subject, personal interviews with one of the four administrators, competent skill in combat…although considering a teacher must be able and willing to step in and solve a dispute at any given moment the latter criteria is a given."

Nodding in agreement Cayman abruptly realized something he'd overlooked at first.

"Wasn't Lilim the true daughter of Lord Phantom or something like that? Pretty sure he was the ruler of the Succubi and Incubi Demons before Kuroi took over. Wait, isn't Lilim hiding her true power or something?!"

It had been a minor side story in the Taimanin universe - which was almost as bad as Fate with all of its alternate realities and shit - but it had been revealed that the dorky Succubus placed herself under a memory and power restriction spell in order to keep herself out of the nasty and cutthroat politics of Lord Phantom's court.

"So I basically have a pretty big player in the Demon world working for minimum wage right now? Jesus."

Setting aside that thought for the moment Cayman instead wondered about Lord Phantom himself, trying to draw on what limited knowledge he could to form a better understanding of the current situation. The Demon - while not exactly a paragon of righteousness - was at least a sensible sort of ruler and the fact that he'd collaborated with the other three to create something like the university was a point in his favor of NOT being a total psychopath.

Basically the opposite of the current Incubus King.

"In that regard I imagine he's sorta like the Director of the Clock Tower. Pretty fucked up people that lead morally bankrupt organizations yet probably do more good than bad in the world. But don't quote me on that."

"So what the heck is the curriculum in a place like Tokyo U? I mean with the sort of chaotically varied students and wildly different cultures I can't imagine standardized testing is even remotely feasible."

"You would be absolutely correct. What we try to do is foster a sort of trade school mentality, where the majority of the lessons are practical or have real world applications. While there are some cores that all grades and disciplines must study - mathematics, sciences and written languages - the lion's share of the curriculum is elective-based, each student able to pick and choose what sort of topics they desire to specialize in. Whether that be military, economics or any other discipline."

Puffing out her chest in clear pride of the institution she worked in - something that Cayman appreciated given her nicely sized bust - Rossweisse added, "Field trips, apprenticeships and exchange programs are carried out at least once every two weeks and different classes are often forced to work together in order to overcome their differences and succeed in their assignments."

Cayman could only shake his head in awe.

"I have no idea how this all works but it apparently does."

"In all honesty - despite working there myself - I'm of a similar opinion on many days. The number of times I've had to restrain combative students or suffer their leering…"

Heaving out a defeated sigh Cayman playfully nudged her with his elbow, joking, "Hey, if they keep bothering you feel free to casually name drop the Surveyor who you're going out on dates with, that should get them to fall in line."

A brief bit of laughter left the Valkyrie as she finished by stating, "There were a few shaky starts as the elementary and junior divisions faced a few kidnapping threats from parties that wished to use them as leverage but that was quickly stamped out by the first wave of instructors and guards that had been hired. While the fate of those that had attempted the kidnappings is unknown, popular sentiment, well…"

Rossweisse shifted somewhat uneasily.

"The rumor mill says cadavers for dissections are always in need."

"Yikes."

"Yikes indeed. While every now and again someone tries to find success in exploiting Tokyo University by and large it's surprisingly safe from outside threat."

"It's just the internal ones, huh?"

"Yes. It's not considered a successful school year unless the science wing has been destroyed or evacuated at least once."

Chuckling at the Valkyrie's words the Surveyor complimented, "Well good for you, Rossweisse. It sounds like you landed a job you really enjoy."

+5 REP with Rossweisse [85/100]

Preening at his words the woman was quick to ask, "But what of yourself? How did you become a Surveyor? From what I understand that's no small feat to be among those selected."

Electing to go with an abbreviated version of events the male explained, "Well before Zelretch picked me up and got me involved with the thing I was a part of a moderately sized mafia, worked as an accountant for them."

Stroking his chin as he thought back to those days Cayman mused, "Guess you could say I had a near death experience after a couple meetings went bad, decided it was high time to get myself out of that particular death trap. I suppose it was cosmic coincidence or simple fate that had the Wizard Marshall come across my person and decide my particular talents were fit for the job."

Recalling what he'd told Caren a while back he continued with, "Inbetween my lack of options and ability to absorb the lifeforce - or soul, or Ki or whatever you want to call it - of dead stuff around me to bolster my power it was a match made in heaven. Or hell, take your pick."

The man considered it a mark of how different this universe was and how broadened everyone's horizons were when Rossweisse didn't so much as blink at his admission, simply nodding as she replied, "That sounds very much like how the famed Kaleidoscope would operate."

"Not that I'm complaining but you seem to have taken my little reveal there in stride. Figured you might be more upset or wary given my background."

The Valkyrie quickly shook her head, protesting, "Not at all! After seeing you act as you did in these recent missions I would never have assumed you came from any kind of criminal background, you were extremely selfless."

"I mean I was super dead if the rest of my team hadn't stayed alive to carry the battle but eh, I'll take it. Selfless sounds sexier than self-preservation."

"Well I think I can say with complete certainty that life as a Surveyor isn't boring. The people I get to meet and work with are just the icing on the cake."

A familiar tinge of pink briefly colored the young woman's skin as he sent a pointed glance her way, Cayman grinning as he debated whether to ask her about Edelweiss since the damn thing was still just sitting in his inventory with no real way to make use of it.

He eventually decided against it, figuring that if she knew of any hints or tricks Odin probably would have told her not to tell him…besides, if the old God had meant it to be as simple as just asking someone for help then it was a lame fucking test considering he'd already proven that he was willing to socialize.

"Well look at that. Interested in having a little competition, Rossweisse?"

"Eh? How so?"

Pointing to a knick-knack shop located in the middle of a crowded street Cayman mused, "Those little shops always have interesting deals and artifacts in them, how about we go and see what we can find, one bargain hunter to another?"

Fire lit up in Rossweisse's eyes at his words as she wordlessly dragged him towards the shop, the male inwardly musing that these kinds of stores had always had interesting little novelties in his old world…who was to say what could be found within shops in a realm as crazy as this one?

The answer to that question - as Cayman's Valkyrie date happily walked at his side and snuck glances towards her wrist - was a small bracelet of unremarkable string but covered in finely carved and crafted beads of wood that, once per day, could shield against a minor bit of misfortune. The owner hadn't really had a clue of what he had on hand - what Rossweisse had identified as a bit of Native American shamanry - and sold it for practically a tenth of the price.

And as for Cayman's own side of the equation? A nicely sculpted bit of Jadeite that carried within its structure an odd curse that caused drowsiness on one of the various lunar phases, although the Valkyrie hadn't been able to tell which.

"Rin will probably get a kick out of examining the thing."

"I…I had a lot of fun today, Cayman."

Turning his attention to the silverette at his side as they walked back towards the academy he found that she was nervously tucking a strand of her hair behind an ear, the sun rapidly retreating beneath the horizon as their date was heading towards its endpoint.

"That makes two of us. Interested in doing it again sometime?"

Practically jumping with enthusiasm the Valkyrie was quick to reply with, "Y-yes, I would love that! Err, I'm not sure what my schedule looks like and I imagine you're busy so-"

Deciding to sneak in a last bit of teasing before they had to call it a night the Surveyor placed a finger on the young woman's lips, muffling her speech as she stared at him with rapidly blinking eyes of shining blue.

"Should I mention that I'm apparently forming a harem? Nah, let's not spoil the moment."

Instead he leaned in, withdrawing his finger and instead replacing it with his lips as a muffled squeak of surprise echoed within his throat, shock swiftly replaced with passion as Rossweisse hesitantly and awkwardly gathered him in a hug, the male rewarding her adorable 'boldness' with a bit of tongue as the Valkyrie all but melted in his returned embrace.

And as much fun as there was to be had with an experienced and mature partner the tentative and shy swirl's of the silverette's tongue had a charm unto its own, especially as the Surveyor lightly bit down on it and pulled back slightly, a low hum of joy leaving the young woman as Cayman decided to test her limits, flipping up her skirt and grabbing a handful of ass.

Rossweisse's response was immediate and gratifying, her form locking up stiff as a board for an entire second before practically falling limp, shyly pressing her rump further into the gently kneading hand.

"And my god, what an ass."

Possessing a soft and squishy texture that was backed up by taut muscle due to her training, a winning combo if he had anything to say about it while the soft and silky texture of her panties was a nice counterpart to the more natural bits. Not quite lingerie but not exactly casual daywear.

But as much as he would have liked to keep things going and see where the night lead them there were only so many hours in the day, Cayman pulling back as a deep, frantic breath escaped Rossweisse's throat as she gasped for air.

"I'm looking forward to that second date, Rossweisse."

+5 AFC with Rossweisse [5/100]

He gave the woman a peck on the lips before taking his leave, the Valkyrie standing in a flushed daze as she stared at nothing, eventually heading towards her dorm on campus as if drunk.

"...It's a good thing I bought that toy and smuggled it into the school premises. I'm going to need it tonight."

Despite the raunchy thoughts the silverette couldn't help but smile and skip like a lovestruck maiden, heart beating at a breakneck pace as her imagination ran wild.

"You know most Magus wouldn't even think of so openly performing their craft in front of another like this."

"We can do the song and dance about me not really being a Magus all century long, Rin. Or would you prefer for me to suggest that my craft is so far beyond your understanding that there's no point in me hiding it?"

"Go ahead and do that, see what happens."

Chuckling at her deadpan response he didn't fail to notice that she was still rather taken with Jadeite he'd gotten for her, examining it with a discerning eye even as she kept a close eye on where he was about to perform.

+5 REP with Rin [20/100]

"Speak for yourself, I think this is going to be really interesting!"

Till's reliable enthusiasm was matched by Yumi's curious gaze as she watched him put the finishing touches on his summoning circle, only Mai showing the slightest traces of apprehension as she murmured, "Is…this a good idea? To summon something using that?"

The Taimanin gestured towards the severed tentacle of the Incubus King, flanked and connected to both Edelweiss and a collection of freshly grown and purchased Lavender plants with a variety of esoteric markings that he instinctively knew made sense but probably just looked like a bunch of gibberish to the uninitiated. Basically the pathways of coated Hagoromo chalk mixed with his blood were a bunch of esoteric symbols and channels that carried meaning through tradition and mimicry of a Magic Circuit network while the two offerings provided their own bits of influence.

Edelweiss was obviously a high-class artifact that carried either divine origins or seriously hefty magical prowess even if he couldn't make use of that, those very same energies mixing with the Incubus King's own and bringing forth something greater than the sum of its parts.

The Lavender was pretty tame in comparison and Cayman was honestly unsure if it was going to act as intended. Because while the stuff was often associated with peace and unification and other goody two shoes emotions it was just a stock fucking plant, nowhere near the conceptual mumbo jumbo that Edelweiss and the Demon's tentacle carried. He needed a way to ensure the two played nice and this was the extent of what he had on hand unless he decided to wait around for another couple weeks.

"Don't worry about it, Mai. Cerb was made from only a Dark Beast's corpse and he turned out adorable, it'll be fine."

Said summon offered a happy bark from where he sat nearby, eagerly wagging his tail and watching the proceedings with no shortage of enthusiasm.

"Guess he wants to make a new friend."

"Alright, here goes. If I actually summon an eldritch tentacle abomination I apologize in advance, that was only half of my intention."

He almost laughed at the way Rin and Mai carefully edged away from their already distant positions, fingers twitching in preparation for action.

"Abracadabra!"

Channeling his power into the circle the room burst into light, an odd noise halfway between a rattlesnake's warning and blowing wind filling their corner of the warehouse before dying down as quickly as it started, Cayman breathing a sigh of relief as all of his MP was drained yet again.

"Alright, so what exactly did I summon this time?"

Waving away the multicolored smoke with his hand he finally got his first good look at his new summon and couldn't help but be wowed.

It…wasn't really what he'd been expecting. In a good way.

Not much larger than a potted plant you might find in any department store for window decorations was a gently pulsating mass of multi-colored flesh, tendrils every color of the rainbow sprouting from its top and slightly waving through the air as if they were underwater, no discernible mouth or eyes to be found.

"Well aren't you the interesting one?"

Cerb eagerly padded up alongside him as the rest of his companions carefully watched from a more respectable distance, the Hellhound immediately licking one of the wavering tentacles as the feelers slowly and respectfully traced the contours of the canine's face, said canine's tail wagging hard enough to break the sound barrier.

Following Cerb's example after sticking Edelweiss back into his inventory Cayman allowed the tendrils to slowly prod and poke at his face and body, surprised to find that the being smelled like Lavender rather than musky flesh or some other nasty odor.

"Well that's not how I expected it to work. Can't say I'm complaining, though."

Neither was there some sticky or cloying fluid on the creature's body. If anything it felt like a warm stress ball in texture and feeling, the Surveyor gently stroking the center mass of flesh which caused the other swaying tendrils to hover in what looked to be content patterns.

"Whoah…so that's how you're summoning works!"

Till drew close, allowing one of the tentacles to lightly prod at her before it was seemingly satisfied with a cursory examination and withdrew the appendage.

An action that seemed to reassure Yumi and Mai as they began to approach, evidently confident it wasn't about to molest anyone.

Rin kept her distance, to his total lack of surprise.

"So what are you going to name this one, Cayman?"

"I think Oct has a nice ring to it."

At the bevy of disapproving gazes sent his way he merely shrugged, explaining, "Short, to the point…what's not to like?"

Oct, Injuu Newborn(Summoned Companion), LVL 1

HP: 30

MP: 800

STA: 150

STR: 10

DEF: 10

AGI: 30

MAG: 50

MAG DEF: 30

EXP: 0/100

SKILLS: Immature Body Melding, Immature Hypnosis, Immature Breeding, Immature Body, Immature Female Seduction.

"I better not find that thing in my bed or I'm killing it."

"Already jumping to fantasizing, Rin? I guess that's just the Japanese schoolgirl in you that has a cosmic connection to tentacle monsters."

The Magus' eye began to rapidly twitch in agitation and as she opened her mouth for a no doubt stinging rebuttal Till suddenly spoke up with, "Umm…awkward timing but I think mother's calling for us."

Sure enough a swirling portal to the Demon world appeared before them, Cayman blinking in surprise before letting a feral smirk color his features, turning to the room at large.

"So how does everyone feel about a trial by fire? It's sudden but I think we're more than ready for it."

"And now I'll be able to reach that level 30 milestone. Let's see what's so special about it, Hoestia."