Warning: Narnia and his motivations are mentioned, it's just straight up spoiler there.
TW: Self-loathing/doubt on Opera's part. Still dealing with DID and thus is temporarily fighting with She/They pronouns.
So it's throw short people month. -stares at chapter 320- Huh.
xXx-xXx-dissonance-xXx-xXx
Initially after parting with Iruma and Soi, Opera had planned on returning straight back to the boardroom. Yet, with each step something is building in their gut and clogging their throat, forcing them to take a detour in a space out of sight and notice.
They lean back against the hard wall and try to take in a deep breath. No matter how slow or fast, something catches.
They close their eyes and dig their nails into the stone behind them. They grit their teeth and open their eyes.
They are angry, they are distressed. They also feel deep loathing and disappointment.
Opera turns to face the wall, to more easily dig their nails into the stone and drag their feelings into order.
They recognize logically why Iruma had to be questioned.
On the other hand, she can't help but want to growl and hiss, while tucking their kit beneath her chest.
They feel inadequate. The way they'd treated Iruma up until now made sense- there was nothing wrong with it. However, now that they Knew he was their child, there were so many things they would have done differently, and would do so from now on.
Her child has scars on scars on scars. Iruma may not even realize the amount of pain and abuse he'd endured, but shethey can tell that they're there without words.
They gently rest their forehead against the cool stone and close their eyes.
They were a good guardian.
They will become a better parent from now on.
It will take time for them to readjust their views of their Ward. That they aren't just some weak human, but a half-human-demon hybrid. They need to pick up the research they'd set down years ago and study anew.
Their child was growing at a different rate than his peers, but that was probably the human side's differing growth cycle along with his sudden physical care causing him to try and catch up. Yet, their child is strong- strong enough to land a notable blow on Shichirou while being incredibly gentle all the time. Opera would go mad before being capable of holding back their strength as flawlessly as Iruma could.
They take in a deep breath and exhale softly before opening their eyes.
She needs to talk to her mother.
They left the Colony at a young age. There are things they don't know, or understand, even about themself.
Opera pulls away from the nook they've hidden themself in, and continue on towards the boardroom.
By the time they return her eyes are more gold than red, and her posture is stiff, with nails digging dangerously into her palms.
The Lady barely makes eye contact with them before Opera slams her first onto the table.
Sullivan flinches and begins wiping down his forehead with a napkin.
Kalego and Shichirou go stiff and silent.
The Lady narrows her eyes and places her fan flat onto the table.
Opera inhales with a hiss between her teeth, and growl deep in their throat, "What. The Fuck. Was that all about."
Opera's eyes are shadowed, but the gleam of their gold is bright within their eyes. The Lady takes in a deep breath, while folding her hands on the table where Opera can see them, to come off as non-threatening as possible. "I stated some years ago that I would shield Kalego from the Clan's clamoring, did I not?"
"Yes."
The Lady nods, "Before anyone else can unintentionally learn of the boy's existence, I needed to know what sort of state he was in, so that I could protect you and your pup, while protecting My Child as well."
Opera takes a moment to absorb that information, "...What protection would I need, let alone My Child?"
Scáthach takes a deep breath before explaining, "You are aware that Kalego has an older brother, Narnia, within Boarder Patrol, do you not?"
Opera stills before shifting their position to easily prowl if necessary, "What of him?" There is bite beneath their tone.
Scáthach takes a moment to herself before answering, "He despises any being that is not demon and believes they have no place in the Netherworld, to the point of destruction." Kalego notably startles at this information along with Shichirou while she speaks. "Iruma-kun is something-someone he will seek to destroy if they are ever to cross paths."
Opera snarls with a growling whine as their tail puffs up in agitation, and their fangs become more pronounced.
Scáthach swiftly raises her hand to stay the agitated feline, "That is why I must absorb you and your child now, before any other from our Clan can pick up his scent and report back, because more than anything else, Our Clan has a deep seeded Hatred of Humans."
Opera's growling stops as she narrows her eyes.
Scáthach gives them a moment to understand, "I will not speak of that Hatred's Origins. Only to say, that it is warranted, and that I am going against millenia of pain to take your child under my paws, who has also suffered from the hand of man." She grips her folded hands on top of the table, "That is why I questioned him so thoroughly today."
The Lady stands slowly, with purpose, "You are free to be frustrated with me and my methods, that is more than understandable, since you have only discovered the truth of your Child's identity today. However…" She moves slowly and cautiously closer to Opera, "I have done my own investigations over the years since learning of my pup's foolish choice." She carefully nudges and pulls the stiff and agitated cat demon under her chin, "I have chosen to stick by my foolish son, because I know more than anyone else, that he is a Good Teacher."
Opera furrows their brow as they take in the Lady's scent.
There are notes of plum and vanilla mixed with sandalwood. It is rich and deep, and it forces them to focus entirely on her as the violet black of her hair inhibits their vision. The Lady speaks, "My methods of interrogation and investigations are different from that of my pups. I have taken great care to learn the backgrounds of my son's choice in mates, and I have begun to build a careful friendship with your mother."
Opera stiffens, but Scáthach's Mana surrounds them and tucks them into her paws while dragging her by the scruff of her neck into her chest. The Lady will take this Stray in, just as much as she had the kit. "I haven't betrayed trust by speaking of your private life. Merely that we have crossed paths, and that I was interested in learning more about your Clan."
Opera grumbles and fights before the Lady wins her struggle and properly tucks them into her chest. There are things Opera forgot in their years of separation. How a parent's warmth and Mana were reassuring. How it felt to have their ears gently caressed, and their hair carefully brushed. How wonderful it felt to lean against the body of another, and have them lean back as tails entwined.
Opera rubbed their cheek against the Lady's front and sighed with slowly drooping eyes.
"You should send your mother a letter, Opera."
Opera takes in a deep breath before exhaling softly, "Speaking over the phone would be less stressful."
The Lady is silent for a long moment, to the point that Opera becomes concerned by the time Scáthach answers gently. "That would be fine, if not for the fact that Soprano became completely deaf a few years after you left the nest."
Opera jolts in the woman's arms as she looks up at the Naberius Matriarch's face for any line of deceit. Yet, the feelings interwoven within her Mana, and the comfort that she is providing tells all.
Opera buries her face into the Lady's neck and exhales their grief with tears hidden within the folds of her top.
Pen and paper it was, with the long and anxious wait in between.
xXx-xXx-dissonance-xXx-xXx
Now one might wonder why Sullivan kept backing down or staying silent when it came to Opera and the day's events.
Well, first of all, finding out Iruma was their child was a true blessing. He was over the moon about that.
However, no one had dealt with a serious Opera but him.
Whether it was their Wicked Phase, or falling into Feral territory, there were just things a demon as old as him knew to back out from. He'd seen plenty of cat fights in his time, and he had no plans to ever step in between claws, thank you very much.
And really, he had tried to get Opera to lighten up, only to have them scream (or come as close as they could to it) at him over his behavior, and to please spare them this one time, or they would throw him through the wall.
Sullivan calmed down after that, because to put it simply, Opera could kick his ass.
It was the actual point of them being his Security Devil.
You see, Sullivan knew he was stupid powerful- not as much as his Lord Derkila, but still quite close to it. However, he needed someone who could stop him if he took things too far or lost sight of himself.
This is where Opera's natural strength came into play, as well as their vast known and unknown abilities.
They were already a Rank Zayin (7) by the time they'd strolled up to his doorstep at a young age, rough around the edges, and clearly having traveled by foot from their homeland. They'd been a mess, but they were the fire and spit that brought color back into his drab life after his Lord's disappearance.
The monotony had sunk in, as no demon could match the brilliance of the Missing Demon King.
Perhaps, to a degree, he understood those poor souls who had fallen back to Origins. He'd been teetering on the edge himself, had Opera not demanded to become his Security Devil. Their appearance was quite different at their meeting, with long black braided hair that fell to the back of their calves, and a much more pronounced chest that they suppressed with any materials they could get their caws on.
Sullivan's curiosity had been piqued, and after testing them for a period of six days straight and still capable of standing on their feet despite everything he'd thrown at them, he had taken them in as his first and only Security Devil.
From there he had been forced to interrogate them over any physical and psychological issues, as well as to prepare them for all of the tasks he deemed necessary for them to know and learn as his Security Devil.
It had taken a year, a snatched pair of scissors after the worst haircut he'd ever been pained to witness, as well as surgery that left them helpless to do anything they wanted to for several weeks, before they calmed down and became the best Security Devil he'd ever had the fortune of meeting.
All before the age of fifteen, when he forcefully enrolled them into school, only to learn they never went to class, and spent their time beating the shit out of various groups of students.
Honestly, he wanted them to have a nice high school experience.
Yet somehow, as he came to later learn, they did.
His sympathies to Kalego and Shichirou, really and truly, for the trouble Opera put them through.
LOL.
xXx-xXx-dissonance-xXx-xXx
Iruma settled onto the floor on his stomach with a small pile of papers and a pen with pursed his lips. His tail was finally free to emote without thinking, so it swished in agitation along with his thoughts.
He hummed and hawed, before writing a few lines, only to cross them out and tap the pen against the page in contemplation.
Purson couldn't help but be a little confused about what he was up to, but shrugged and air practiced his part of the piece for a time.
He went through his parts of Lilith's Red Carpet four times before glancing over at his classmate, only to find him in the same position, still fighting the paper. He straightened up and shuffled over, "What're you up to?"
Iruma grumbled with a sigh, "Kalego-sensei said I shouldn't copy him, so I'm trying to write a love letter to Lilith, and it's hard."
Purson couldn't help but miss the logic in his purpose, "And how exactly does that make sense?"
Iruma melted into the floor a little as his tail and ears drooped, "Well, Kalego-sensei said to think of what Lilith wants… and well, food won't work, so I just don't know what to do."
Purson would laugh, if Iruma wasn't so blatantly bummed about it. "What Lilith wants, huh…" He thought back to his own situation, and how the Misfits had approached him both incorrectly and with care. "...I wonder how she felt about all of those men vying for her attention. Was she creeped out? Disgusted? Troubled? Happy?"
Iruma thought back to Kerori's words, about how the focus should be on Purson and Elizabetta this time and had an epiphany. "I've got it!" He ran off to grab the book detailing their musical piece and studied it again. He read it over, page by page and line by line, until he finally understood the undertones of the piece, and how to apply it to his classmates.
Purson supported him, and as they practiced, their melodies became properly synced.
Iruma took the time to finally focus on who Lilith was- Elizabetta, the girl who any boy in their class could desire the honor of dating, and wrote a letter of appreciation and admiration towards her.
He sealed it, and when Kalego came to check in on them later that day, the two students explained their plan to the now confused teacher.
In a day's time, Iruma would present his letter, and their joint practice would begin.
xXx-xXx-dissonance-xXx-xXx
Yesterday was my birthday, but I wanted to post an update even if it was short. Opera's silence got to me, and it was after posting the last chapter that they gave me material, as well as general headcanon on why they're Sullivan's SD. And Sullivan decided to throw in his two cents after Opera. XD
If you haven't learned about it yet, Mairuma fans should search for the What if Mafia official Mairuma AU that exists. It has 2 chapters, though only one has a scanlation. It's fun.
Please let me know if you enjoyed the chapter!