AdrianKing
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Game of Monsters - 143
🕑 Added 2024-06-04 17:53:05 +0000 UTCDisclaimer: I don’t own Highschool DxD.
Baby, Let’s Try Something New
“Oh…?” Joshua said, curious and intrigued. “Well well well… I hadn’t heard about this,” he commented, tilting his head to the side and walking forward, looking Sona up and down. “How is it that I’m just now finding out that you have a sister, Levi?” he asked, turning towards Serafall.
It had finally come, the time for Sona to honor their deal and be part of Serafall’s show. The Satan had been so excited that they’d had to reshoot the same scene like five times as many as they usually did already. All in all, it was… annoying for the crew, but fairly entertaining for him. Especially because the two sisters seemed equally as unable to get a grip on their emotions, with Sona being unable to get over her embarrassment and Serafall being unable to get over her excitement.
It was… cute, in a way.
It was also ironically similar of them, in a “two sides of the same coin” kind of way.
“And that’s important… how, exactly?” Serafall asked, faking a confused frown. “We never did talk much about our personal life, if you remember,” she added dryly.
She was barely keeping in character, but that was fine. Joshua was having fun, so, for once, he didn’t mind having to repeat scenes. He’d taken the opportunity a while ago already to have some extra fun by improvising and testing the bounds of the script. After all, if he’d have to go over it again, he might as well mess around a bit to see if he could find something else that worked for him.
“Well, she’s cute, for one. You didn’t think that was worth mentioning?” he asked, his smile widening as Sona grew red in the face. He wondered if that was because she was acting her part or because of embarrassment, it worked either way. Joshua’s bet was on both though. “Tch, if I’d known…”
“If you’d known, what?” Serafall asked him, suddenly being very close and narrowing her eyes at him.
“Hm, suddenly forgot what I was gonna say,” he answered, faking innocence.
“If you think I believe that for a seco-” Whatever else she was going to say was lost in his lips as he closed the short distance between them and kissed her. When she went to pull back a little, Joshua just followed her and then he pulled back himself.
“You are cute when you are jealous,” he commented and Serafall sputtered. He wondered if that was her in character response or her actual response. That wasn’t in the script, after all. Serafall was supposed to still be mad and Domino would scramble for a way to dig himself out of that hole and fail miserably.
That didn’t feel like a very Domino thing to do though, so Joshua took matters into his own hands.
“So, cute little So-tan, was it?” he asked, walking around Serafall before she “could recover” and addressed the sister once more. “Could have used a Levi two point zero a few times, don’t you think? Is she too weak or-?”
“Excuse me?” Sona hissed.
“You’re excused, sweetheart,” he replied smoothly with a wink. He was starting to figure out why Serafall loved the show and playing her character so much. It was just so much fun to be able to just… be someone else. Maybe that’s not what she liked, but he certainly did. It was nice not to be Joshua for a bit and just become Domino.
In a way, he was all the things that Joshua wished he could be.
Confident when dealing with people, for one.
“So, what changed now?” he asked, turning towards “Levia-tan”. “Is this your version of meeting the parents? Because I’m not mentally prepared for the shovel talk, Levi. You gotta warn a guy,” he said, even though his tone and expression didn’t match his words at all. His grin widened as he saw both girls sputtering.
“No, idiot,” Serafall growled, stomping her foot on the ground. It was a great impression of a tsundere character, Joshua would freely admit.
“Is there another super villain on the horizon? Another villain alliance? Because I swear, sometimes I feel like I’m dating Dark’ness instead of you-”
“You just don’t know when to shut up, do you, Domino?” Serafall asked, glaring daggers at him while he smiled unrepentantly.
“You know you love it,” he said, for once Domino and Joshua blending into one as his smile softened. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but he decided to believe that the way Serafall faltered was because she, too, blended Levia-tan with herself. “So, what’s up with the mini-me?”
“I’m not a-” Sona started, scandalized in a way that looked very convincing. Unfortunately for her, Serafall interrupted whatever complaint she was putting forth.
“She just got her powers,” Levia-tan answered with an exasperated sigh. “And she needs help learning what she can do.”
“Ooooohh, should have said that sooner,” he commented.
“I would, if you’d shut up for two seconds,” she grumbled under her breath.
“So, where do we start?” he asked, turning towards Serafall and tilting his head.
“Cut!” the directed called and Joshua deflated a little. He suspected there’d always be that second in which he went back to being Joshua, that single second where disappointment filled him. Alas, he was who he was. ‘Besides, Domino’s not the one with not one but two wonderful, amazing women in love with him,’ he reminded himself with a slight smile. ‘Yet,’ he added absently, because with Serafall heading the project, one could never know.
“So, how was it? I didn’t improvise too much, did I?” he asked, bringing a hand to the back of his head. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” he added while looking at Sona.
“No worries,” she reassured, making her glasses appear on her face and pushing them up. “It seemed… like a good scene, I guess,” she commented, very obviously out of her element. She was trying though and since Serafall was beaming like never before, Joshua took that as a win.
[}-o-{]
[Dion Fortune]
Together with her fellow Stars, she looked forward from their seats at the front of the class. That is, when they weren’t having a whispered conversation between themselves. After all, they had some free time at the moment and looking forward too much held the risk of getting Ravel Phenex’s attention.
Nobody wanted that on themselves.
Especially when the girl seemed to be in charge of dealing with Professor Davis’ extensive web of debts owed. God only knew what that innocent and almost harmless looking girl could do to them. Looks could be deceiving, Dion knew very well, but never before had that been more true for her than at that very moment.
Fortunately, she was in Professor Davis’ good side, so there was that.
Unfortunately, being in Professor Davis’ good side could also be bad.
It sounded stupid, but that was the truth. After all, if she weren’t on Professor Davis’ good side, she wouldn’t be one of those people that were all the more deeply entangled on the aforementioned web. Their teacher’s favor was already enough to make her owe the man, but the job he’d helped her secure with a highly positioned member of Rosenkreuzer?
Dion would maybe have gotten that far in decades by herself. Or, that was before being swept in the wave of influence that was Joshua Davis. Before that party, it had been a somewhat distant goal of hers. Maybe a few years? Sounded about right for her.
And then Davis had decided that it wasn’t nearly enough and all but threw her into that position, skipping all the build up like he was some kind of madman. If she hadn’t known better, Dion would have thought he was just trying to get her and her fellow Stars as underlings for his position in House of Water, regardless of the fact that not all of them were part of the association. However, she did know better, so she was aware that this wasn’t the case.
After all, if there was one thing that was easy to learn about, it was the fact that Joshua Davis could care less about politics if he tried. The man only seemed to bother with that when he needed to. This was plain for everyone to see, but especially for Dion, who was in a very advantageous position to learn more about the matter.
A position that didn’t really help her figure out how to get out of the hole she was in.
Then again, it was an admittedly very nice hole, she supposed.
Still though, she-
Her thoughts were interrupted when Professor Davis entered through the door, soon followed by the bird familiar, Margalo. Immediately, most conversations were interrupted and the classroom fell into silence. It was the normal procedure, really, but there was more to it this time, in a way that she’d only seen once.
“Well, I sure hope everyone’s here,” Professor Davis started, standing in front of his desk and leaning back onto it, crossing his legs at the ankles and his arms in front of him. His familiar, for her part, perched herself on the backrest of the teacher’s empty chair. “Nobody’s missing?”
“No, Mr. Davis,” the Phenex devil answered dutifully, which would never not be weird for Dion.
“Great. Well, I want to welcome everyone to this class. I see familiar faces and some new ones, nice, on both accounts. Always neat to have both, from what I know. Old ones know how things work around here and new ones make me wonder if they’ll be interesting,” their teacher said, instantly showing that he was as far from a normal magical teacher as one could get. “Anyway, I’m Joshua Davis, as you must and should know, because otherwise… yeah,” he commented with a smile on his face. “This is my Hex Magic class and I hope you all are ready for it, because as I hear it, I don’t teach what you’d call conventional lessons.”
Well, he was certainly not wrong about that. If anything, that felt like a massive understatement. Alas, Dion had figured out that Professor Davis just could never truly grasp how odd he was. He seemed to understand a little of it at times, but then he’d go right back to being oblivious, for whatever reason.
Odd by itself, but extremely so when paired with everything else.
“Now, first of all, there’s students from my Ward class here. Many concepts overlap with Hex Magic, as you might or might not know. However, there’s just as many things that are different, so be wary of trusting what you “already know” too much, because it can and will screw over your casting and knowledge of the subject,” he warned them, waving his hand over his shoulder and making the point write itself on the board.
A moment later, everyone started taking notes already.
“Good, you are studious. That’ll help. Rule Number One, you call me Professor Davis, Professor Joshua or just Joshua,” the man said, contrary to his attempts at informality from previous classes. “I don’t need you groveling at my feet or using fancy speech. You just need to be a decent, non-stupid student that won’t actively disrespect me and we’ll be fine.”
Somehow, Dion doubted everyone would get that memo. From experience, more than anything. She was there because someone hadn’t, for one. She wasn’t sure what the deal was, but some people were just build different… in a bad way.
“Rule Number Two, if I ask a question and you have an answer – any answer–, speak up. If you aren’t going to engage in my class and put effort into learning, then my classes aren’t for you,” he continued then, adding that and the previous point to the board too. “Rule Number Three, if you have doubts, ask me, or ask your classmates. If anyone tries to be funny and mess with someone else’s education, I’ll deal with them,” he said.
Immediately, everyone felt the shift in his presence as he seemingly fixed everyone in the room with his piercing blue eyes, all at once.
“You are in my class to learn, so you’ll do so. You do anything else here, especially something that’ll hinder the progress of the class or your fellow students and I will deal with you,” Davis said, and Dion held back a grin. Gods, she loved Professor Davis. Best teacher she’d ever had and she was likely to ever have, really.
That was for fucking sure.
She’d had some terrible teachers in her time as a magician..
If someone messed up and somehow Davis didn’t catch them, then Dion and the Stars would. Because nobody messed with their premium classes and the man that had given them the chance to be truly great. Hell, she would bet good money that anyone that had taken his classes for any decent length of time would act the same way even without the massive, crushing debt.
As it was, Professor Davis was still going, so she better pay attention.
[}-o-{]
[Joshua Davis]
“This is going to become a thing, isn’t it?” Joshua asked with a smile on his face. After all, despite the question, he thought it wouldn’t be a bad thing. He rather enjoyed it, quite honestly.
What was he talking about?
Well, the fact that Gabriel had once more prepared what could only be considered a mini-cafe for them to spend the time in between his defense set ups. A few tables were placed in a nice room with a view of the garden – which was beautiful and the rain outside only accentuated that fact –, someone had been stationed off to the side and any order would be delivered to them. He wasn’t sure what to think of all that effort being put into him, but he liked to tell himself that it was likely for Gabriel instead of him… Or maybe both?
Anything was better thinking people were going that out of their way to please him.
That made him feel terribly awkward just to consider.
“It could be. It’s nice to take a moment to relax and have a nice conversation from time to time,” Gabriel replied with a kind smile on her face as she brought up her own cup of tea. “Certainly better than thinking over the less than pleasant present reality, I’d say. Things have been… difficult for my faction and for my siblings and I,” she admitted, her previous smile dimming a fair bit.
“Well, I hope things get better soon,” Joshua said sincerely. “I like to think that Khaos is getting weaker and that should take a weight off everyone’s shoulders… or maybe that’s just me projecting how much of an issue they are for me on others. As for your faction in particular… how are things progressing?” he asked after shaking his head. He sometimes forgot that before he came around, the factions weren’t in too much of a hurry to deal with Khaos Brigade.
“Well, and before you ask, no, we will not ask for more services from you.”
“You won’t because you aren’t in need of my services or don’t want me to do anything else?” he asked, tilting his head and giving the woman a smile. The wry one she returned spoke volumes to him, which made him roll his eyes. “I see, well, would that be the same answer if I said I’m in need of your faction’s assistance?” he asked, making her eyes widen ever so slightly.
“Truly?” she replied, as if shocked that that was the case. Which was bullshit, really. He did ask for things from time to time! “And what may we help you with in order for you to put us even more in debt?” she asked and if he hadn’t known any better he’d have thought she was teasing him…
Who was he kidding? She definitely was teasing him.
“I need information on the Sacred Gears connected to your faction. You gave me some on Annihilation Maker back in the day, now I can get that kind of thing through other means, but I want more on those that you must have the most information on,” Joshua answered, turning serious for a moment. This was important, after all. It was important at that very moment and in the future too. “True Longinus, Sephiroth Graal, Incinerate Anthem all the way down to Blade Blacksmith and even lower ranked ones. I need all that you can get me.”
“I can do that, but can I ask why?” Gabriel replied, seemingly caught a little off guard but recovering quickly. As expected of someone in the same business as Serafall that the Satan considered a rival. “Not that I won’t regardless. We do owe you quite a bit, as I’ve told you.”
“Repeatedly, yes,” he added with a half-smile that the angel returned. “I want that information for a number of reasons. You’ve given me plenty on holy energies and such, you’ve allowed me to scan holy artifacts, people with holy element and even angels such as yourself, which is great. However, I don’t know much about holy Sacred Gears other than Blade Blacksmith and Incinerate Anthem,” he explained then before bringing his cup of tea to his lips.
All the information he’d gathered thanks to her had been to push the other side of the coin that was Project Ascension. Grigori and Heaven had both flooded him with information for him to work on that. Alas, the latters were a little behind for the sole reason that he didn’t have an accessible guinea pig such as Raynare. They cared a lot more than the fallen did for the safety of their members, after all.
Which was very considerate of them but also slowed Joshua quite a bit.
Not that ge blamed them for it or anything.
It was just how it was.
“You believe it’ll help you progress in that regard?” she asked, getting a nod from him. “That’s certainly enough. You said a number of reasons though.”
“Another is that I know the enemy has True Longinus. They might even possess other such Gears,” he explained, which was true. “A third reason is that I know Alphecca Tyrant’s wielder and I’d like to help them,” he added, respecting Meredith’s wishes to keep that a secret. As it was, the only one that he’d shared that with was Ravel and the girl knew to keep it a secret too. Meredith didn’t seem eager to be even more in the spotlight than she already was, so he’d allow her some privacy.
“All of those are things we can get behind. I’ll get the information as soon as I can,” Gabriel said, a slight smile on her face. “Now, I imagine you want me to tell you something you can do to help us in turn so we can’t escape your clutches?”
“Hey, is it so bad to be in my clutches?” he asked jokingly with a grin of his own.
“Do you want the appropriate answer or the honest one?” she asked, following along and making him chuckle. “Either way, I guess I should answer your first question, right?”
He was tempted to ask for the answer to his latest question, but ultimately decided that he might be pushing things a little. She did sound a little weird and they were getting increasingly less formal as the visits passed by. However, she was a Seraph and he was in a relationship with a Satan so… Yes. Maybe it was better to keep things a little more under control, he supposed.
“Sorry, I got a little carried away. I’m not used to watching how I act all that much… Especially with people I get along with. That was presumptuous of me,” he said, bringing a hand up to rub his forehead with his palm. “Politics are really not my thing,” he mumbled. Then he looked out the window to see the raindrops hitting the window and trailing down. After a moment, Joshua decided to get on with things before his embarrassment got worse. “Anyway, yeah, what can I help your faction with, Gabriel?” he asked, taking a deep breath in to try.
And there he’d been, avoiding social awkwardness like a champ for quite a while. Of course he had to ruin it. Evidently, he’d made things awkward for poor Gabriel too. The angel was looking at him like she wanted to say something, even went all the way to opening her mouth before she decided not to, closing it. After a few seconds she spoke.
“... There are bases that have been taken over by the opposite side in… our faction,” she said and he was already getting the picture. It had to be embarrassing and hurtful to admit that someone from the inside had stolen a whole base from them. Alas, such was the pain of a civil war, he supposed. “We also suspect certain locations have become secondary bases too. We could use some help breaking through their defenses to deal more effectively with our… enemy,” she explained, saying the last word like it pained her to do so.
He imagined it did.
If a regular person felt awful being betrayed, he couldn’t imagine how it had to be for someone like a pure angel. They were just built different, even if they could fall, especially the Seraphs. He imagined it was difficult to even comprehend the very idea. They were just too… Well, pure for that, for lack of a better word.
“Point me in their direction and I’ll deal with them outright,” he said, leaning back on his seat. “I very much doubt that they’ll have defenses good enough to stop me.”
Because if he could break through into the home of a faction leader such as Nurarihyon, then this gathering of Stray Exorcists wouldn’t stop him either. There were few places that Joshua thought had defenses good enough to keep him outside and those? Those were not even close to one of them.
“Joshua, just making way for our people-”
“Gabriel,” he interrupted, giving her a lazy smile. “It’s easier for me to do it myself than to open the path for you. You wouldn’t ask me to do a more difficult job on purpose, would you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
It wasn’t even a lie.
It’d be easier if it was just him. That way, he could use the same trick he used with Nurarihyon’s defenses, which was how to tweak his own energy through a spell array, basically switching the faction leader’s signature with his. A neat little trick he’d learned while delving on Project Everchanging and then going on a tangent. Not quite what he’d been looking for when trying to make a spell that constantly shifted so as to make it unreadable and uncounterable, but…
It turned out to be very useful anyway.
‘God bless my eternally drifting mind, I guess,’ he mused to himself.
“You have to be one of the most infuriating people to negotiate with. Has anyone ever told you that?” Gabriel said. Her statement was somewhat undermined by the fact that she sounded amused and her lips were pulling up into a smile. “You really are something.”
“I know,” he replied with his best innocent smile, which probably wasn’t very effective. “Now where are these bases and where can I find them. I’ll deal with them as fast as I can. So, where can I start?” he asked, leaning back and bringing his cup of tea to his lips and finishing it.
Setting it down on the table, he pushed it aside and his mind started racing.
“Hm, maybe we can discuss that later? You’ll probably have to start working again soon, right? We can discuss more after the next set.”
“Sure thing.”
“For now… More tea?” she asked and he grinned.
“You know me too well,” he replied, getting a giggle out of the angel.
[} Chapter End {]
Hey guys! How’s it going?
I don’t know anymore, guys. This is the second time I’ve tried to get this story to follow the same plan. More specifically, the same plan that my characters derailed some chapters ago. I complain about this kind of thing a lot, so I wouldn’t blame you if you can’t find what I’m talking about either in your memories or in the chapters.
The important part is that neither the characters nor the setting want to follow my ideas.
They are meanies like that.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.
Discord Link: discord.gg/UTDransjJZ
Random Question: I don’t know, guys, tell me something. Any particular scene of this story that comes to your mind? Why?
See you.
Comments
JACOB HEBERT
Every time I ring this bell, a Fallen Angel gets her extra wings
TheKilledGamer
Joshua meeting Kunou, because she is adorable.
