Game of Monsters - 142 (Patreon)

Disclaimer: I don’t own Highschool DxD.

Be Together Under the Lights

All in all, Joshua was feeling pretty proud of himself.

“I guess even these parties can be good,” he commented, sitting at a table with a drink in his hand. Non-alcoholic, unfortunately, since he’d go back home and likely have to play cards with Kunou until she decided – or he was forced to decide – it was a good enough time to go to sleep. Besides, he didn’t like wine and he had a feeling that someone would stab him if he asked for beer.

“I don’t think you can count just being by yourself as actually participating in a party,” a voice commented, taking a seat beside him on the table his Stars had occupied before. They’d come back eventually, but for the moment, the table was his. He didn’t think they were in a hurry anyway, since they seemed rather absorbed with whatever talks they were having where he sent them.

“That’s subjective,” he replied, a smile on his face. “I say this counts, so it does, for me,” he commented with a shrug as he turned his attention to the woman. “How are you liking the book?”

“It’s… enlightening. And much more… comprehensible than any texts on the subject I’ve managed to find,” Báthory said, a warm, grateful smile on her face. “It’ll take time for me to be able to apply any of it and even longer to see if it can help me, but… I appreciate it all the same. I’m in your debt, Joshua.”

“Don’t mention it,” he waved off with a roll of his eyes. “People just love saying that they owe me. It’s weird. I gave you that in order to pay you for what you’ve done and are doing for me. That’s all.”

“Well, if you want that to be the case with your deals, then maybe you shouldn’t go above and beyond the price for what you are, have or will be getting,” Elizabeth told him, sounding both amused an exasperated. “As it is… you bring this on yourself, and it’s ever so slightly infuriating to see you complain about it.”

“That’s… fair,” he commented, a wry expression on his face as he sighed. “I don’t like it, but it is fair. I just do what I can, it just so happens that people either overreact… or I can’t really think of anything other than what I offer.”

“Truly, you are a different kind of mean, Joshua,” Elizabeth said, giggling behind her hand. He wondered if she was being like that for the same reason that Agnes was acting more friendly. Or if maybe him giving her information regarding Senjutsu had made her that happy. It could be either or… maybe both? “You’ll fit perfectly well in House of Water and its reputation, I imagine.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, even if it’s not,” Joshua replied with a chuckle of his own. “As it is, I’m not too worried. If people owe me, then they are less likely to screw me over… Or so I gather. Admittedly, I might be a bit off,” he mused out loud.

“About as safe as anyone can be, yes. Unless, that is, whoever backstabs you doesn’t care for the absolute political suicide that’d be,” Báthory replied and he got the impression that she’d have shrugged if it weren’t… unlady-like, or whatever. He’d learned a thing or two about that while around Yasaka and Kunou… and lately Ravel. “Granted, nobody’s completely safe from that.”

“Betrayal can only come from those you don’t expect it from,” he commented, fairly sure that he’d butchered that saying three times in one move. Still, the point stood. “Well, I’ll take whatever guarantees I can get, I guess.”

“That’s all any of us can do, indeed,” Elizabeth agreed with a nod.

“So, did you just drop by for idle chatter or…?” Joshua asked, leaning back and taking a sip from his drink. Despite his question though, he didn’t mind having the woman around. Sure, her energies felt all sorts of… wicked and tainted, but he’d gotten used to that. No only through interactions with her, but through his extensive delving into devil and fallen angel energies.

She was no Agnes and certainly not one of his Stars though, which were about the only people he had any sort of relationship with in that whole place. However, she was a known factor in a place filled with strangers. ‘Better the devil you know and all that, right?’ he thought to himself, wondering how the woman herself would feel if he actually said that out loud about her.

Not too well, he imagined.

“Hm, just letting all the vultures around know that you’ve got the approval from both Agnes and me,” Elizabeth commented, raising her glass of wine slightly. “It’s sure to cement your standing in this association rather well, I imagine. Consider it me beginning to repay my debt a little bit.”

He shook his head at her words.

“I really can’t find a fuck to give about all this posturing,” he said and almost burst into laughter when he saw Elizabeth choke on her drink. “Good thing I won’t be dealing with any of them. I’ll just let Ravel deal with all that nonsense.”

“That can only end well,” the woman beside him commented dryly, to which he shot her a grin.

“I expect it will, for me, at least. If you are lucky and you play your cards right, then maybe for you too. For the lot of them though?” he asked, waving his hand towards the crowd, some of which seemed to turn away from him, as if he’d caught them staring. “They better watch out. She might be young but she’s smart and a devil. I expect blood to flow.”

“And yet people think you are just a goody two-shoes,” Elizabeth said, shaking her head.

“I am nice.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“It’s just that I’m nice to a particular number of people,” he finished with a grin, drawing a giggle from the woman.

[}-o-{]

“Mr. Davis! You need to get proper information regarding this!” Ravel whined somewhere in the middle of his “report” regarding the stuffy House of Water party. “How am I supposed to keep proper track of all the favors you are owed if you don’t bother to pay attention to them?” she added, pouting in a way that made him feel really guilty.

“I mean, is it necessary to be that precise?” he asked. The blond devil immediately let him know what she thought of that via intensified pouting. ‘I’m supposed to be the boss here, right?’ he thought to himself wryly. “You can ask them for the details during or after the next class, can’t you?”

“It’s the principle of the matter, Mr. Davis,” she grumbled, huffing and looking away before continuing to work on her notes. She was adorable, truly she was, but she also had her… eccentricities, that was for sure. Not that Joshua was one to talk.

Especially when he was on the set of Serafall’s show.

“Shouldn’t I be able to pull the string I got by bringing you here so that you aren’t angry at me anymore?” he asked with a half-smile that only widened when the girl turned to glare at him. The fact that she didn’t say anything spoke volumes though. “Come on, don’t give me that. Did you forget what we are here for?”

“For me to do my job?” the blonde asked, blinking confusedly at him. Right, he hadn’t told her. In fairness, that was because he wanted to surprise her so… Yeah.

“Partly, but that’s also a very small part,” he answered, glancing to the side. “How’d you like some autographs from everyone?” he asked, smiling as he noticed several of his coworkers from the show approaching them. He’d explained everything to them, after all.

He was pretty sure it was because of loyalty to Serafall that they’d been so on board with his request. However, he didn’t have a problem using that influence to his advantage… and maybe he’d throw some defenses their way, if they really wanted something out of it. He was pretty sure that should work. If it didn’t… then it was a matter of delving a little.

He was sure Serafall could help him figure that out.

“Truly?!” Ravel asked, completely forgetting about the previous issue as if it hadn't ever existed. It was adorable and very amusing.

“Yep, go ahead,” he said and before he even finished those words, she was already gone. Joshua looked, then, as his secretary went around getting any and all signs in her little notepad. “She’s fun.”

“I thought you’d think that,” Serafall replied from beside him, where she more or less teleported. “Things went well at the party, I heard.”

“How’d you even-?” he started, tilting his head before stopping at the devil’s mischievous look. “Why am I even surprised?” he ended up saying. Because really. She was the Satan of Foreign Affairs. It was her business to know what went on around the world. She probably had a bunch of contacts that could tell her how things went during the party. “I mostly gave my star students a little boost, really. Other than that, I spent the night talking with Agnes and Elizabeth.”

“Should Yasaka and I be worried?” she asked, but it was a bland attempt at a joke even for her. She sounded too… Not serious, not joking, not even curious. It was a strange tone, the one she used.

“As if. No, I have my hands full as it is.”

“I feel like that’s an insult somehow,” Serafall said, narrowing her eyes at him, but he just smiled innocently at her. “You are lucky that you are cute.”

“So I’ve been told,” Joshua replied with a chuckle. “Honestly, you two are more than enough for me. I don’t know why you both keep asking that sort of question,” he added, rolling his eyes.

“You are a smart man. I’m sure you can figure it out,” Serafall commented, clearly realizing that no, he wouldn’t figure it out. After all, if there was anything that was absolutely beyond him, it was understanding social matters. “Or not,” she added then, the mean thing that she was.

“Why did I say yes?”

“Because I’m hot?” she shot back instantly and without hesitation, even going as far as striking a pose.

“Right,” he replied, his lip twitching in contained laughter.

“Anyway, the little cutie is almost done over there,” Serafall commented, glancing towards where Ravel was talking with the most important villain of the series so far. “And we have a scene to get through, which, if I might remind you, is-”

“-the best scene of the show, in the history of ever and ever,” he finished, having been told that repeatedly. “It’s just a kiss, Serafall. People have seen us kiss in public a lot thanks to you.”

“And they’ll see many more,” she proclaimed unashamed. “But that’s besides the point, Josh! This is the show! People need confirmation. Thus, Levia-tan and Domino Mask must become canon. Do you have any idea how many people have been dying for this to happen?” she asked dramatically. No wonder she’d ended up in the show biz.

“About as many as those that want Domino to end up with “Miss Dark’ness” or about as many as those that want Levi to end up with-”

“Besides the point,” Serafall interrupted, narrowing her eyes at him. “There’s only one OTP here and that’s Dominia,” she declared, with a tone of finality.

“But-”

“Nope.”

“I was just gonna-”

“Nope.”

Joshua gave the woman a flat look that she returned stubbornly. In the end, he could only sigh and shake his head. Truly, why did he even bother at all?

Thus, he went with the only answer that would be accepted.

“Yes, dear.”

Serafall hummed contently with a smile on his face.

And that was that.

[}-o-{]

“Joshua,” Koneko’s even, almost emotionless, voice reached his ears, making him hum in acknowledgement.

He was a little distracted, but that didn’t seem to matter to the girl so long as he was around. And oh was he around, he supposed. She’d basically moved both him and her own sister into the position they were in at the moment. With her back resting against his while she played cards with Kuroka.

She’d dropped by that day basically unannounced, but that was hardly a problem. He didn’t remember very well, but he thought he’d told her that she was welcome whenever, and she really was. So, he’d pulled Kuroka away from the training area at the behest of Koneko and that’d been that. Everyone was happy with the arrangement and that was what was important.

He’d have participated in the game himself, or maybe helped Koneko beat Kuroka again, but he was a little busy.

Busy with Raynare, to be specific. Days passed by and it was increasingly more evident – for her, at least, since he already more or less knew – that Project Ascension’s latest test had been a success. A second set of wings was growing out of her back, slowly but surely, as if it were a plant sprouting from the ground. It was a fascinating process, because he’d thought that he’d caused it all, that he’d shifted her existence.

As he watched, through his own senses and his spells, however, Joshua couldn’t help but mock himself for thinking that. Because he’d done almost nothing. He’d barely scratched the surface of what was necessary for the change to happen. With every minute, every hour, every day, Raynare’s energies, presence and existence, changed just that much more. In the end, the only thing Joshua had done was nudge her and plant the seed that was the four-winged Raynare.

And oh boy had she noticed this as time passed, both her new set of wings and her changes.

If he were a god, Joshua wondered if he’d have felt the fallen’s worship. Because she was that fanatical at the moment. Raynare had already been… appreciative of his efforts to make her stronger. Now though, with what Project Ascension had achieved, he might as well have become God himself in her eyes.

All orders were carried out.

Every action was taken with him and his opinion in consideration.

The smallest complaint or annoyance from the other two fallen was punished.

All this and more was going on and… Joshua didn’t know how to feel about that. Sure, it was nice to know that she was dutiful – if it could be called that –, but it was also strange. Then again, his whole relationship with the fallen had been strange for quite some time by then. He just couldn’t seem to fully wrap his mind around the fact that she was the same shit character he’d read so much about.

In the end, he guessed her brief appearance in canon had just tainted his perspective that much.

Joshua had to wonder if that was the case with any other matter.

“She’s cheating,” Koneko said after a moment where annoyance bleed through her. If Joshua weren’t able to basically follow the games without even looking, then maybe he’d have been surprised by the rather strong emotion. Strong in Koneko’s standards, at least.

“I’m winning fair and square though~!” Kuroka exclaimed, fake-scandalized. She really wasn’t helping her case by being more annoying, but that was just how it went for her, he supposed. At least when she was happy.

“She isn’t cheating, Koneko,” he commented, and he didn’t need to turn to see that the younger sister was pouting and the older one was looking pretty smug. For both of those reasons, he was glad to be looking somewhere else.

“The Black Cat cards are just the superior deck, and you have to admit it. That was the bet~” Kuroka said, and Joshua had to hold back a sigh. Why did she insist on making things harder for herself? Then again, despite how exceedingly annoying she was, she also was still getting in his and Koneko’s good side. Somehow, her madness worked, he supposed.

Didn’t make her any less annoying though.

“Joshua,” Koneko said simply. Despite her impassive voice, he could still somehow pick up the pout even without his spells to help him out. “I need better cats that aren’t Black Cats.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Still though, that’d likely be a fun lil’ project to work on with Kunou, he supposed. Maybe he could drag Koneko into it too? Probably. Ravel wouldn’t like being left out and the Phenex and Nekoshou would likely keep an eye on each other so they didn’t try to be sneaky and get an advantage for their decks…

And if he dragged all the kids together, maybe he could have Jeanne and Asia keep some order after they were done card tinkering. Meanwhile, he could invite Yasaka or Serafall or both and have a nice afternoon at home. Jeanne owed him for all the times he did her favors in regards to her dates with Yuuto anyway and Asia would enjoy dealing with the brats, for whatever reason.

Yes, it was all coming together.

“Will you?”

“I will,” he answered, rolling his eyes at the clear doubt. “Believe it or not, I haven’t worked on the game that much. I’m not surprised some decks are better than others. I’ll have to work on it, I guess.”

“It’s pretty good anyway~” Kuroka said and he could tell that she meant it.

“Thanks,” he replied. Although, he didn’t really feel like taking too much credit for that. He had pretty much stolen the work from a game back home… Even if he’d had to improvise some things and mix them with other games he remembered. His memories of the game hadn’t been perfect and it hadn’t even been a game he’d played much to begin with.

“Again,” Koneko demanded.

“Hai hai~”

And that was that, Joshua was free once more to focus on other things while the sister’s played.

[}-o-{]

It was a sleepy Joshua who walked up to the door of his room and opened it, blinking blearily.

“Hi, dad,” Kunou greeted, shy and unsure, which was very unlike her. She was also hugging Cheshire to her chest as if she were a stuffed toy or something. “Sorry for waking you up,” his daughter mumbled, looking down and poking at the floor with her foot.

If Joshua was honest, Kunou was lucky that all she’d interrupted was his sleep. Glancing back inside the room, he saw Yasaka looking curiously at the door, but he just waved to her and gave her a reassuring smile. He could deal with Kunou no problem and he knew her answer to the only alternative path things could go. Besides, he knew she liked when he acted as Kunou’s parent even when she was around.

Back to the topic at hand, they were both happy that he liked being prepared for anything…

Which meant that he had modified storage spells and such things in place to dress quickly and also deal with cleaning and such. And people had looked at him weird when he explained that he wanted to set up spells for such mundane things. One never knew when they might need such in… quick notice, after all.

“What’s the matter, Kunou?” he asked, pushing all other thoughts aside. As it was, he was still kind of waking up. “Was Jeanne being meanie again?”

“No, I just…” the girl mumbled, sounding small, nervous and afraid. It tugged at his heartstrings something fierce and finished driving away any remnants of his sleep.

“Hey, relax, you know how it goes, right?” he asked in a whisper, kneeling down in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders. “Close your eyes.”

“Take a deep breath in,” she continued, an unsure smile tugging at her lips as she went through the motions. “Relax your muscles. Let the air out.”

“And open your eyes,” he finished, kissing her forehead. “Feeling better?”

His daughter answered with a positive hum and a nod of her head.

“Now, what’s the matter, Kunou? Anything I can do?” he asked, pushing some of her hair out of her face. Unfortunately though, it wasn’t rare for Kunou to come to his room when she – or Yasaka and her – spent the night. It was one of the reasons for his many planned spells, really.

And it had always, so far, been for the same reason.

“I had that dream again,” she mumbled, shuffling a little closer as she did. Her voice was barely above a whisper and her eyes were looking at anything but him. “You…”

“No, Kunou, I’m not leaving,” he interrupted softly, pulling her into a hug with her head on his chest and his chin resting on top of her hair. “Never, is that clear?” he repeated, just like he’d had to a bunch of times already, but it was fine. He’d do it every single day for the rest of his life, if he had to.

Because he knew what it was like to want your father back and not have him. Maybe Kunou’s father was out there alive and she had Joshua now, but that didn’t take away from years and years of wanting her father back, just like he often did. Nevermind the fact that she was a child. If he was having a bad time with that, he couldn’t imagine how much worse it had to have been for her. So, he’d just do his best to reassure her and hope he could one day help her overcome her fears.

“Can I sleep with you two?” she mumbled against his chest and he chuckled despite himself. She had the audacity to sound unsure, the silly little thing. “Can I, dad?” she asked, and he almost laughed some more. Because really, as if he’d ever say no. Not only would he never be so heartless, but Yasaka would kill him painfully if he dared. 

“Of course you can,” Joshua answered, as was only right, giving her another kiss on the forehead. “Come on,” he added, picking her up in his arms, even if it was wholly unnecessary. “How about we have a little illusion show while we are at it?” he asked with a smile that turned into a full blown grin when his daughter perked up.

“Everything ok, sweetie?” Yasaka asked, even though she likely hadn’t heard their conversation out the door just as well as she would if they talked to her face. Still, there was no denying that Kunou very much appreciated the attention and the hug her mother gave her. “Nightmares again?”

“Mhm, can I sleep with you two?” Kunou asked once more and Joshua rolled his eyes fondly, if only out of the girl’s sight.

“Of course you can,” Yasaka replied instantly. “Now, I do think I heard something about an illusion show?” she followed up with, giving him a smile that made his heart do a little dance. Even if he, by some disturbance in the natural order of things, hadn’t loved Kunou with all that he had, he’d still have done anything for the girl. It’d have been worth it just to get more of those smiles.

“Can we see the one about the girl with the compass?” Kunou asked, already getting comfortable sitting on the bed with his mother. Joshua was, once more, very grateful for his spells.

“Sure thing,” he agreed easily, waving his hand and starting the next show.

However, as he did, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was more he could do for her. Because so far, there didn’t seem to be much progress, if any at all. He didn’t mind helping Kunou through her “episodes” of sorts, but still. It would be better if he could help her not have to go through them at all.

Alas, all he could do was sit there and be the best father he could be. Maybe it wasn’t much, or maybe he wasn’t very good at it, but he was trying and everyone seemed happy enough with that. So… he’d just keep going and hope for the best.

‘Actually,’ he thought, pausing for a moment even though the illusion kept going. Idly, he tilted his head and an idea formed in his mind. A moment later, he took off his locket and then moved to place it over Kunou’s head.

She looked at him questioningly and then wide-eyed at the necklace.

After that, she hugged him tightly, gesture that he returned.

From there, it was just continuing to watch the show.

Somehow, Joshua felt he’d done something right.

[} Chapter End {]

Hey guys! How’s it going?

Some more slice of life for you, guys. I’d apologize, but I’m not really sorry. If you’ve reached this far into the story you either enjoy my way of writing (which is very slice of life-ish) or you are masochistic… Which also means you enjoy it, so, I guess it’s fine anyway.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Discord Link: discord.gg/UTDransjJZ

Random Question: Since I only post in FFN, you must have found me there. However, which is the fanfic site you like the most? Mine is, obviously, FFN, but I’ve been thinking about posting somewhere else because FFN’s email issue is getting out of hand and it’s grating on my nerves.

See you.