18 -|||

We left before Millicas did, changing out of our heavy gowns. We made idle chatter of our time at the ball, taking our time while changing.

"… And I swear, before Millicas made a point to kiss me, it was like every other person I spoke to was eying me like a piece of meat. I mean, just—" Shirone was complaining, bending over to retrieve her fallen pajama shirt and exposing her lovely lace panties.

We all froze as our fiancé sent us a wordless warning. His mind vanished a moment later. We finished shucking our dresses and waited patiently, knowing that if he had enough time to warn us, he had enough time to get away.

Eventually, his mind stirred. {Girls?}

Feelings of relief flooded through the bond. {Are you alright?} Gil sent worriedly, concern flowing from her words.

{I'm fine. I let myself get captured to see what they wanted.}

Gil began scolding him for not letting us in on his odd plan. Millicas listened until she was finished, and then patiently replied. {And what about staying in character? The instant I took that guy out, I admitted to being stronger than I let on.}

This gave her pause. While she was formulating a response, I opened the link up further, allowing me to use all his senses.

Moments later, he heard footsteps. "Is he awake?"

"No."

The unfamiliar voices sounded in the silence, making me tense slightly. "I don't know why we're even guarding the brat. He's just some worthless piece of shit. The only thing he's good at is getting lost."

He smirked to himself. {True, but I am magnificent at getting lost. It's an art form.}

I snorted with laughter at his errant thought.

The other voice replied, "Protocol, mostly. He's still the son of the fake Lucifer, even if he's wimpy."

I frowned. {Fake Lucifer? Must be the Old Maou Faction. I should've known announcing 'Ravel's' engagement to me would ruffle some feathers. I'm just glad they decided to take it out on me, instead of my girls.}

{As are they.} I pointed out in amusement.

He waited for the guards to speak again, but they seemed content to sit in silence. He sighed. {All right, girls. Looks like we're not getting any more out of them. Tell my father I'm safe, and cut off contact for a while. I'm going to go get lost, and I don't know how lost I'm going to get. I'll be back in a week for sure, any longer and something went wrong.}

{All right. Be safe.} I whispered, before disconnecting.

I opened my eyes and sighed. 'A week? Okay, then.'

"So…" I began casually. "What are we supposed to do while he's gone?"

Shirone smirked. "Hey, Gil, do you mind if we have a talk?"

She nodded slowly. "Sure. What about?"

"It… may be something personal." Shirone warned, her tone sounding like a cat who had just spotted her prey.

She coughed. "I-it's all right. We are lovers, after all. It's only fair for me to tell you about myself."

She smiled. "Which of your lives did you get your sub kink from?"

She froze, her face turning bright red. "Wh-what? W-why would you…" She paused, her face glowing, and considered the question. "W-well… both, really."

"Even as Gilgamesh?"

She sighed. "W-well, to tell the truth… My fantasies have always involved being pursued, captured, restrained, enjoyed by and submitting to a worthy Dominant male." She paused, her red eyes flashing. "The key word is worthy—someone who is naturally dominant, honest, knows himself, appreciates my adoration and service and is worthy of my trust. A lover worthy of a King." She finished her rant with a huff, crossing her arms beneath her slight chest.

Shirone raised an eyebrow. "And what appeals to you about submitting to Master?"

Gil coughed. "I-I tend to over-think everything. I can get stuck in a worst-case scenario or processing loop over most any decision. So, simplifying my life by devoting myself to Him, as His submissive, allows to me make all decisions based on what pleases Him. Again, this only works because I judge Him as wise, just, fair and trustworthy."

She paused, sighing and looking away. Her face was volcanic red. "I-I see my submission as my gift to him. He protects me, takes care of me and supports me in everything I do, big and small, and in return I make it my mission to please him in any way I can. And by pleasing him, it makes me feel happy."

Shirone blinked. "…Okay, then. Why do you want to be the First Wife?"

Gil sniffed haughtily. "It befits a King, does it not?"

I finally spoke up, ignoring the fact that that was the second TMI explanation of someone's kink that I had heard that day. "So, you're saying that you only want the title?"

She considered this, before nodding. "I suppose. A King such as I could not settle for anything less than the best."

I smiled softly. "So, why not? I mean, you're the only pureblooded Devil here, so you would be the only acceptable candidate. You can officially take the title, while I take the responsibilities."

She smiled back at me, and I could see her relax slightly. "This is acceptable."

Shirone smirked, interjecting herself into the conversation once more. "Well, then. I suppose you should start in on your duties, right?"

She looked confused. "Duties? What duties?"

Shirone and I exchanged a glance. 'Please tell me that she's at least been taught some etiquette. Hell, tell me that she's had The Talk already.'

I sighed, straightening and walking over to her. We were still only dressed in our bras and panties, but I didn't mind. I moved very close to her, wrapping my arms gently around her shoulders. "Gil… do you know what the duties of a First Wife are? Even if I'm taking them over in private, you still need to keep up appearances."

Gil flushed slightly, her cheeks reddening more by the second as she noticed my hands begin to wander. "A-ah, no?"

I sighed, deciding that if we were going to have this conversation, it should be on the bed. I picked her up and sat on the sheets, setting her gently on my lap. The fact that one of my potential Mates was mostly naked and on the bed with me was more than enough to soothe my Lust. I felt Shirone take a seat next to me as I began braiding Gil's long golden hair to distract myself from her soft skin.

"The First Wife is, obviously, the person that the husband marries first. This means that it's her duty to lead her sisters, as the most 'experienced' wife. But, seeing as this is Devil society, one also bears the responsibility of being the first one to bear your spouse's child. It's not mandatory, but it's considered a mark of honor if you do."

She flushed, her pale skin showing her embarrassment clearly. "S-so, I have to do… that… with Millicas-sama before any of you do?"

I smiled to myself, feeling Shirone nestle against my arm as she tried to sleep. Gil and I, as a Dragon and a Divine Phoenix, didn't have much of an issue just being in our undergarments. Shirone, however, didn't have the same inner fire as us. "No, knowing Millicas, he'll probably give all of us our first time at once. He just won't get any of us pregnant."

She sighed in relief. "G-good. I-I mean, I don't really have a-any…"

"Experience?" I finished, raising an eyebrow. "I don't either. I mean, other than fooling around with Shirone whenever we're both… in the mood… but you have as much experience with that as I do."

Gil seemed surprised. "Really? I would've thought that… I mean, you're how old?"

I shrugged. "Don't really know. But really, I only had passing acquaintances or enemies. Anyone that I might have considered a friend has been alienated or killed by Albion. That didn't really get me many opportunities for a meaningful relationship. If anything, you would have more experience than I do, being King and all. Wouldn't you have an entire harem of young boys or something?"

She flushed once more. "W-what? Of course not!" She paused, sighing. "I never really trusted anyone enough to, actually. There were any number of ways it could go wrong. The gods could've caused me to fall for someone and then kill them just to spite me. Someone could stab me in my sleep. A rival kingdom could talk me into marrying one of their princes, just to take my power from me." She shook her head. "No, it was best for me to never touch romance."

She paused. "Not to mention…" Her face twisted into a scowl. "Humans besides my best friend are nothing but scum."

I smiled, ceasing my braiding and wrapping my arms around her. "Good girl. No one but us, right?"

She shivered, leaning back against me. "R-right." She whispered, her eyes fluttering shut and a content expression crossing her red face.

I nodded to myself. "Good. Now, besides leading her sisters and bearing the first child, a First Wife must greet guests in the place of their spouse when said spouse is unavailable. She becomes the representative of the entire household, and is thus responsible for their actions."

She sighed, finally relaxing into my embrace. "I know that, at least. I've seen my mother doing that before, and she told me that it would be my job one day."

I tried my hardest to resist, but I found my hand beginning to wander once more. Gil was just so damn sexy right now… innocently relaxed against me, unknowingly allowing me access to her most precious place if I but moved… I coughed, settling for drawing small circles on her bare stomach with my finger. Still dangerously close, but far enough for me to stop myself before taking what wasn't mine.

"I-I see. Well, anyway, you would be in charge of Millicas's estate, and you'd be able to use his funds however you wished. Beyond that, there's really nothing much to it. Besides making sure to act like our superior in public, I can handle most of the other things if need be."

She smiled, sitting up and turning to look me in the eye. "Thank you, Ruby." She told me, her red eyes gleaming softly.

I twitched, before my Lust finally overcame me and I moved, pressing her against the bed and looking down at her. Shirone continued to sleep, merely falling sideways onto my pillow. I smiled down at the wide-eyed girl beneath me, and my lips pressed against hers. She squeaked, reddening. I pulled away, and my voice came out as a low growl. "Stop being so damn tempting, damn it. This is so hard."

I leaned in once more, this time making sure to press my tongue against her lips. She squeaked, but opened her mouth allowed me to taste her tongue. She tasted like cherry, and I continued the kiss until both of us were red-faced and panting. I smiled down at her, noting that she still hadn't tried to resist my advances. She simply lay there, allowing me to have my way with her as I pleased. I reached out, my fingers brushing against her invisible collar. "Do you mind if I use this?" I whispered, my golden bracelet shimmering to life.

She shook her head shyly, and her slave collar faded into reality. It shone softly in the candlelight, and I couldn't help but marvel at how well polished it was. "You really love this, don't you?" I asked, reaching out to touch it.

She nodded, flushing as my fingers began trailing down her collarbone. "R-Ruby?" She asked softly.

I smiled, and leaned down to kiss her once more. "If I use this…" I whispered, my nose brushing hers as I stared into her eyes. "You'll find out how much fun being my little sub can be."

Her eyes widened. "W-wha-a?" She whimpered, and I could feel her mind recoil slightly. "B-but—"

I silenced her with a kiss, making sure that she had lost her train of thought. "It'll be good practice for when you finally allow Millicas to have his way with you. You'll have no hesitation." I told her teasingly.

She nodded distractedly. "R-right. Practice. Sure." She looked up at me, her cheeks reddening. "B-but, um, I-I'm not actually going to…"

I shook my head, kissing her on the nose. "Silly girl." I murmured. "I would never take your first time away from your Master." I reached up to brush her cheek. "It's just a little… practice. As well as my punishment for you tempting me this entire time. Okay? I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

She hesitated. "But still… Millicas-sama said not to use my collar casually…"

I shook my head. "This isn't casual. This is important training for living life with a Lust as a Mate, as well as allowing you to become more comfortable with your body. I'm holding back right now, but once we're all ready…"

She shivered. "O-okay." She finally squeaked, the last of her resistance fading. "G-go ahead."

I smiled, holding out my golden bracelet. "All right, then, my little slave…" I murmured, tugging on her collar. "By order of Command Seal, obey my next Command until I release you." The odd markings on her collar glowed blood red, and then faded. I leaned down, noting that her mind was full of guilty anticipation. "Now… from now on, you're going to wear that collar in front of everyone you can, and every time someone sees you in it, you're going to remember who gave it to you and what it means to you."

Her eyes widened. "W-what?"

I smirked, leaning down and kissing her. She stiffened, trying to pull away. I sighed, pulling back and allowing her to speak. "W-why?" She gasped, feeling the Command sink in. "W-why did you…"

I giggled, tapping her on the nose. "Easy. One, you become less shy with your desires. Two, you start realizing what both your collar and Millicas really mean to you. And three…" I smirked. "Don't think I haven't noticed how turned on you are whenever Commands are used on you. Is this a mind control fetish?"

She flushed. "N-no, I just… not being able to resist a Dominant's commands…"

I leaned down and whispered in her ear once more. "You love following orders, don't you?"

She sighed, closing her eyes. "Did you not listen when I was explaining it to Shirone?"

I shook my head. "Nope, I heard you just fine. I'm just picturing how turned on you'll get as all those people are watching you wear proof of your owner's claim on you."

She froze. "W-wait, what?"

My Lust finally satisfied, I moved back and allowed her to sit up once more. I peeled back the sheets, tucking the still slumbering Shirone beneath them and climbing under myself. Gil hesitantly slid in next to me, looking slightly nervous. I giggled, taking her by the hand. "Don't worry, I'll cancel the Command if you actually hate it. But if you do actually end up enjoying it… well. I'm sure that even the King can stand to masturbate once in a while. And before you call me cruel, remember that I can always make you wear a vibrator as well." I leaned in, smirking. "I know you have one~!"

She squeaked, reddening.

{Hey, girls, are you there?}

A voice tore me from my sleep. I yawned, using Thought Acceleration to catch up to him.

Over the past week, I had made Gil… well. She certainly began enjoying every moment she wore her collar, that was for sure. She lasted an impressive amount of time before snapping and begging me to Command her again, a colossal blush on her face and her breathing ragged. I simply released her original Command and Commanded her to kiss me every time she saw me from then on. I'll leave it to your imagination how that one ended.

{All right, so you know Asia?} Millicas began, shaking me back to reality.

She's that nun you told us about, right? The one with Twilight Healing?} I sent back. I paused as my tired brain woke fully. {Wait, you're in Italy? How are you still alive?} The sheer amount of exorcists, active and retired, inside that city should have made him the largest target on the continent.

{Oh, that? I just kinda… figured out how to hide as a human without setting off the System.}

{What about Asia?} Shirone sent, ignoring his smug comment.

{Ruin all my fun, why don't you?} He grumbled. {Anyway, yeah. I'm sitting next to her on a park bench after a few hours of exploring. I asked her out to lunch to thank her for all the help. Now she's asking if it's a date.} He sent over a picture of a pretty blonde nun in the light of the afternoon sun.

{Yes.} Shirone and I replied simultaneously. I could already picture what those creamy thighs would feel like as I utterly destroyed her innocence and gradually turned her into my own personal—no, bad girl.

Gil spoke up next. {I'm fine with it. Her modest attitude would help me balance out these perverts. Honestly…} I could hear her mental sigh echo through my head. {If I weren't here to stop them, they probably would've… well.}

{They certainly would've. Thanks for saving my sanity. Remind me to kiss you when I get back.}

I could feel her blushing as she coughed into her hand. {Ahem. V-very well, if you insist.}

He raised a mental eyebrow. {Really? Why the sudden change of pace? Normally, you splutter for a while and refuse. Then I have to track you down and kiss you in front of as many people as possible.}

{W-well, if I am to be the First Wife, then I must take my duties seriously, no? T-that is the only reason.} She replied quickly.

{She does actually like kissing you. And she realized that Ruby and I have spent more romantic moments than she has, so she wants some more time to herself.} Shirone added, amusement coloring her voice.

{I know she likes it. I would never force her to kiss me otherwise. And Gil, you do know that you could just ask for more time with me, right?}

{W-what King would lower themselves to begging for attention?} Gil replied haughtily.

{One who's head-over-heels in love with—ow! Fuck! Gil, what the hell?} I replied teasingly, cut off by Gil kicking me in the shin from underneath the sheets. She was carefully avoiding looking at me, which I took as an invitation to begin trying to get her to kiss me. Every time she looks at me means every time, whether or not she had just kissed me five seconds ago.

{Drama aside, how am I answering the adorable nun?} Master interrupted drily.

{Three definite yeses. Shirone and I want… ah… snuggles, and Gil wants another modest influence.} I replied, my Lust helpfully conjuring images of a small blonde priestess, begging for forgiveness from her goddess as she slowly began stripping off her robes to follow the goddess's merciless demands…

He sighed. {Right. Snuggles. Sure. All right then, I guess I'm keeping her.}

I smiled, finally suppressing my Sins. 'Good. Someone to help balance us out, then.'

Later that night, I felt my Bond hum to life.

How to be a person.

A little girl with blonde hair woke up in an orphanage. Her mother was nowhere to be found.

Step one. Find your voice. Know that not all languages contain words. Your voice could be music, it could be dance. It will be what expresses you most sincerely—your voice is an art. If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces.

A young Asia knelt at the altar of a church, smiling and praying.

Step two. Apologize, you will not always be right, you will not always be wrong, but you will hopefully always be learning. Atonement is a sacrifice of pride. An explanation of why you did what you did or said what you said will not vindicate you. If the cost to heal someone is only your pride, then apologize and be grateful that you received peace at such a bargain.

Asia was trying to break up an argument between two other children, and failing. For the first time, she hated her shyness.

Step three. Forgive, and realize that some are still learning. If forgiveness is not possible, then think of everything you have ever wanted to be forgiven for but weren't, hold that uneasiness in your mind until you feel your desire for absolution becoming a wish, realize you can grant this wish for others. If you are waiting for forgiveness, be prepared to wait, be prepared to stand in the path of time and wither. Respect that forgiveness is difficult, not all trespasses are equal, and not everyone will heal according to your schedule.

She watched as Mother Meridea calmly and easily broke up the argument, but did not make either boy apologies. Apologizing, the Mother said, was never something that could be forced any more than you could force someone to forgive you. But, she continues, if Jesus could forgive all the sins of the world, then why couldn't they forgive each other.

Step four. Know that love is a vulnerability, but not a weakness. Love is the volunteer that raises its' hand and steps forward without needing to be rewarded. Love is a currency that functions in reverse, because the only way to be wealthy with it, is to give more of it away.

She loved others all her life, refusing to keep any love for herself. Until one day, when she met an odd boy who listened to what she said, and felt like home. On that day, she decided to be selfish for the first time.

Step five. Don't laugh to fit in. Laughter should be honest, if there is no sincerity in your joy then your happiness will be a forgery that fools only yourself.

On that day, she laughed, both at his jokes and his personality. She wasn't laughing to make someone feel better, but out of pure happiness. There was no worry, no sadness, no fear, only joy. This, she thought, must be heaven on earth.

Step six. Try... the tiniest dream that you try to make happen is worth more than the biggest dream you never attempt.

She smiled to herself as he offered to let her spend eternity at his side. He looked sad, as if he already knew she would deny him, but he wanted to offer anyway. She decided in that instant that she would do whatever it took to stay by his side, to stay by her own little slice of heaven.

I 'watched' as the previously shy nun unexpectedly leaned closer, deepening the kiss. She wrapped her new wings around him, humming in satisfaction. He waited for her to pull away before asking, "What was that for?"

She smiled, her green eyes glowing with happiness. "Don't worry, Mister Fool. You don't ever have to let me go. I'm yours now, remember?"

He raised an eyebrow. "O…kay?"

{Don't mind him, Asia.} I sent. {He doesn't know what we saw when we opened the bond.}

She giggled, burying her face in my chest and humming happily. {He loves you all very much. I can feel it inside me, and I'm not sure how much of it is even mine. I'm pretty sure I could kiss you all, right now. Mmm…}

I decided that a kiss from this adorable creature was more than welcome.

Millicas sighed. "You know that you're going to be absolutely mortified when you calm down, right?"

She hummed an affirmative, snuggling deeper into his chest. {Worth it.}

He sighed, picking up the angel and walking to the Door. She adjusted her wings to continue holding me. "Let's Gate home, okay?"

She nodded deliriously, pulling her smiling face away from his chest. "I love you." She told him determinedly, looking him dead in the eye. "A-and even if the love is not all mine, it will be one day. I can guarantee it."

He sighed, placing a Gate seal on Asia's bed. He opened a Gate into his room and stepped through, closing it behind him. Asia's new wings curled tighter around him as they stepped across the hole in space. He walked over and sat on the bed, being careful not to disturb her sensitive wings.

A moment later, we arrived. He smiled at us, and I got my first good look at my new Angel. She had hair like woven gold, and she wore a pair of white lace panties. "Evening, girls." Millicas called, jolting me from my lewd thoughts. "Say hello to the snuggle Angel. Right now, she's out of character, but in the morning, she's going to be extremely shy."

I raised an eyebrow. "The snuggle Angel?" I eyed her position in my fiancé's arms. "Well, it seems to fit. Just make sure to keep those wings hidden in public, okay?" I warned, approaching the bed.

She nodded, not releasing her wings' hold on her new Soulmate. Said Soulmate sighed. "Asia, at least let the others climb in bed, too. Then you can be on one side and put your wings around all of us at once."

Her eyes widened, and she finally let go. "Okay!"

I watched the show as Shirone undressed and pulled on one of her 'Master's' shirts that I'm fairly sure she steals from the laundry. I eventually took my normal spot be his shoulder, resting my face on his arm. Gil settled down close to Asia, seemingly still mostly asleep. Shirone settled on his chest, her tail wrapping around his leg. Once we were all situated, Asia closed her wings around us, blanketing us in soft white feathers. We were all fast asleep within moments.

The next day, I was slowly torn from my slumber by Shirone's Gluttony and Asia's embarrassment. It felt wonderful, feeling the Angel's Spirit against mine. She was so beautifully warm and peaceful that I could have easily fallen asleep once more… except that her embarrassment shifted to lust as what I assumed to be Shirone's kiss continued. I blearily opened my eyes, seeing that, yes, the two were indeed happily exploring each other's mouth with their tongue. I felt Asia's embarrassment, lust, and guilt begin to make my cheeks redden, and I buried my face in Millicas's arm with a groan. "Can they not? I was still sleeping." I grumbled.

Gil was too embarrassed… or entranced… by the feelings flowing from the link to do anything but stare. I smirked to myself, pushing my Spirit against hers. {See something you like?}

She stiffened. {W-what? No! I-I just…}

{Loved the feeling and wanted to try for yourself?} I interrupted in amusement.

{N-no…}

I smirked, pressing my mind more closely against hers'. {Oh? Then why don't I believe you? It's okay to tell me, you know. I've seen the way your submissive little mind works. Would you like me to order you to tell me?}

I didn't get an answer, but her embarrassed silence told me 'yes'. I sighed, closing my eyes and resting my head against my fiancé's corded muscles. {All right then, my little sub. Show me what you want to do to the little nun.}

She fidgeted slightly, glancing furtively at the erotic sight of the two girls kissing. {U-um…} She flushed even brighter red. {I-I want to, um…} I could see her imagining herself alone with the little nun, both turned on and ready. Asia was holding her, her expression soft as she began slowly taking off Gil's clothes, one layer at a time, making sure to brush her soft hands against Gil's bare skin as much as possible. Gil shivered, submitting to her kind mistress as the hands began to wander lower…

I smirked as Gil's eyes began to glaze over slightly, pupils dilated. {Good girl.} I purred, finally releasing my hold on her mind. {Now, what are you going to do with your fantasy?}

Gil slid off the bed and shakily stood. She disappeared in a nearly invisible flash. A moment later, I could feel waves of pleasure emanating from her mind.

Asia finally broke the kiss. "I-I have to go soon. If Mother Meridea finds my bed empty, she's going to be worried."

Millicas nodded. "Okay. Can you move your wings, then?"

"O-oh!" She withdrew her wings, allowing them to dissapear behind her. "S-sorry, Cas. I-I'm still a bit new to all this…" She mumbled, flushing.

I smirked. "Cas? That's adorable."

'Cas' sighed. "I couldn't exactly call myself Millicas Gremory in the middle of Italy, now could I?"

"Point."

Asia timidly sat up. "U-um, e-excuse me…"

He smiled at her. "Asia, you're literally sharing a soul with me. I think you can ask anything you want at this point."

She smiled slightly back at him. "O-okay… so… um, your name is Millicas, right?"

He nodded. "Millicas Gremory, son of Sirzechs Lucifer and the bearer of the Reality Marble Dreams of the Fallen. Nice to meet you."

He held out a hand, and she shyly shook it, her green eyes softly shining as Gil's too-big nightgown hung off one shoulder. I stared. "Oh my God, she's totally adorable. We're keeping her."

Millicas raised an eyebrow. "Ah, yes. 'Snuggles', right?"

I flushed, remembering my Lust and Greed-induced fantasy from the night before. Her slender thighs, smooth skin… "Yep. Snuggles."

Asia just looked confused. "U-um, snuggles?"

I gave my smirking fiancé a look that clearly said shut up. He ignored me, opening the link and sending her his memories of my little fantasy. "O-oh!" Asia squeaked, turning volcanic red. I could almost see a puff of steam coming out of her ears. "I-I s-see…"

Millicas sighed. "Might as well get used to it. She has a competition with Shirone to see who can make the other blush first."

I could feel a tentative brush against my mind, and suddenly Asia was practically merging her Spirit with mine. I patiently helped her pull away, and waited for her to speak. {U-um…} She hesitated.

I sighed, calmly siphoning off some of her nervousness. {Speak, love. I won't hurt you.} I murmured. {I'll only ever do things that you ask me to.}

{A-all right.} She whispered, and I could feel her relax slightly at my sincerity. {U-um, did you really want me to…}

I shook my head. {No, it was just a fantasy to indulge my Lust. Practically every Devil in existence dreams of spoiling an Angel's purity. In fact, the original Devils had a custom that, should they ever capture an Angel, they would corrupt it in every way possible, until it finally fell from Lust and spent the rest of their days pleasing the one who corrupted them. Millicas hates the idea, but others… well. Those white wings of yours will make your virginity worth billions here in the Underworld. Of course, once it comes out that you belong to Millicas, they'll probably leave you be, but…}

I could feel her mind begin to generate images of Millicas 'spoiling' her. Some were innocent, but some, to my glee, were not. I steadily began allowing my Lust to flow through the Link, until her face was a brighter red then it had been before.

Millicas seemed to notice Gil's absence, and made contact with her mind. {Gil? Where'd you go?}

{I'm changing.} She replied easily. {If I'm going to greet my newest lover, then I wish to make a good impression.}

I smirked to myself, waiting until our fiancé's mind moved away from Gil's. {Changing, eh? How much of a mess did you make? Did you enjoy yourself?}

{Y-yes, mistress. Thank you for letting me do that. And, um, I made sure to c-clean up, j-just like you told me to…}

{With your tongue?}

{Y-yes, mistress.} She squeaked, radiating embarrassment.

{Did you like doing it?}

{I enjoy doing anything you order me to, mistress. I am yours.} She told me submissively, and I could feel her Pride taking an odd sense of pleasure in that fact.

I sighed. {Very well, then. Now, tell me, do you want Asia to be your mistress as well?}

She twitched, and I could feel a bit of Lust beginning to stir within her. {Yes, please.}

My eyes widened slightly. {Gil? Are you all right?}

{Don't worry about it. I make sure to indulge my Pride more than anything else.} She sent back, realizing my concern.

I nodded. {Good. Now, if you're going to ask her, then ask.}

A Gate opened in the middle of the room, and Gil stepped through. "Good morning!"

Asia looked up. "H-hi?"

Gil stared, her cheeks turning light pink as she saw the object of her latest fantasy in the light of day for the first time. "Oh my Satan, she's adorable!" She squealed, scooping the poor Angel up and cuddling her.

Shirone pouted, her ears drooping. "And I'm not?"

Gil deadpanned at her, still hugging Asia. "If I cuddle you, you'll kiss me."

Shirone smiled. "Shamelessly. But don't worry, you love it."

Gil promptly turned bright red and began stammering denials. "I-I would never—"

Millicas interrupted, pointing to Asia. "She's turning blue."

Alarmed, Gil loosened her grip enough let her breathe again. Thankfully, Asia didn't seem too worried. "D-don't worry, I-I know you didn't mean it… Gil, was it?"

She nodded. "I'm Gil, she's Ruby, and that's Shirone. Call me Ravel in public, though."

Millicas sighed. "Now that introductions are over, I'd like to teach Asia how to use her powers before she leaves. I don't want her accidentally blowing someone up."

Gil frowned, but reluctantly relinquished her hold. "Fine. Just make sure she's back soon."

Millicas just stared at her until she realized what she had said. "Right, time differential inside your Marble. Got it."

He turned to Asia. "All right, so I'm going to take you inside my Reality Marble. Inside, I'm going to teach you the basics of how to use your powers of Light."

Asia frowned, tilting her head in confusion. I mentally dubbed it the 'confused puppy head tilt'. "What's a Reality Marble?"

Millicas sighed, rubbing his eyes.

I smirked. 'This is going to be hilarious to watch.'

When Asia finally returned to the Covenant, and while Millicas was off doing whatever he did whenever he got that look in his eye, I decided to do something to celebrate Asia's addition to our little family. After asking the maids for ideas, I came up with a plan, one that I was now capable of doing since I was thirteen. Cook.

Now, the next question is what exactly I should be cooking. I mean, for Gil's Claim, I baked premade cookie dough that I bought from the market. Grayfia wouldn't let me make the cookies myself, but she was fine with me putting dough in a pan and taking it out afterwards. I don't know why she was so insistent, seeing as Dragons are nearly fireproof, but that was what she did.

So, since I made cookies for Gil, I obviously couldn't do that again. I blinked as a thought occurred. 'Wait, why don't I just ask Asia?' I opened the Bond, making contact with Asia's mind. {Hey, Asia…} I frowned. Something wasn't right, here. Asia's Spirit didn't feel like this this morning. {Asia? Is everything all right?}

{Hmm?} She asked distractedly. {Oh, yes, everything's fine.}

My eyes narrowed, and I pressed my mind more fully against hers'. I watched as the previously calm field of random thoughts became a twisted mass of ideas and feelings, ideals and beliefs. It was… re-organizing itself, to something that was definitely not human. Her previous beliefs seemed to have been… warped… to the point that they were unusable.

My eyes widened. Distorted. She had become inhumanly Distorted in the brief time between learning of her Sacred Gear from Griselda and now. I hesitantly began studying the odd, warped amalgamation. 'I guess that this is what happens between the starting and ending point of creating a Marble. I think I can understand a bit more why it's called 'Distortion' rather than 'Madness'. Her mind… it may have been warped beyond recognition, but it's not broken. It still functions just fine. In fact, it's working even better than before. But…'

I watched as part of the shifting mass was… consumed… by the rest. I watched each individual piece carefully, trying to spot which ones were being cannibalized. I quickly found the pattern. The hideously disfigured pieces, the things that had been rendered impossible to re-use, were the things being 'eaten'. '…It's healing itself.' I realized with a start. 'It's defending itself from the corruption. Oh my God. Distortion isn't the consequence of trauma… it's the mind's defense mechanism against it!'

I pulled out a small wooden chair, shakily sitting down on it. 'That means that the 'Distorted' people are actually the sanest ones here. I've never once known Millicas to back down from the path he chooses. Maybe it's not because he doesn't want to… but that he can't. His mind previously saw that the idea of backing down would only end up destroying him, so it burned it to save energy. His Marble came to life not because of the other spirits inside of it, but because his mind realized that in order to survive, it would have to put a piece of itself inside.'

'Reality Marbles aren't the Alien Common Sense of Demons, they're the Alien Common Sense of Survivors. If you don't know what made their mind Distort itself, their mind would seem alien to you. But if you realize that they were just defending themselves, adapting to survive… it makes perfect sense. Distortion doesn't corrupt… Millicas's mind just realized that my mind might get broken one day, so it tried to help me protect it the only way it knew how.'

I closed my eyes, returning to my silent watch of her mind's tireless reconstruction. With a start, I realized that it was actually importing things. Values based on memories she never witnessed became the building blocks of her world. Ideals, merged with thoughts Asia never thought, became the glue. 'Something is helping her.' I realized.

I modified my theory slightly upon this realization. 'Maybe Reality Marbles are the manifestation of whatever 'saved', or Distorted, them. Millicas was saved by his Dream, so his Marble became a haven for Dreams.'

{Asia?} I finally asked. I had too little information to properly theorize, so I just had to get more. {Why do you feel so Distorted? There should be no way for you to be this warped in so short a time.}

{A-ah, sorry.} She stammered out. {I didn't realize you could feel that. Um, I might have had something stressful happen with my Sacred Gear, so, um, I just kind of… used Cas's mind as a sanctuary.}

I blinked. Cooking suddenly seemed like a very minor issue right now. {You what? But surely you would've realized—}

{His Distortion can spread to me? Yes, I did, and that's actually a good thing in my case. Anyway, why did you need me?}

I let it go, but still decided to send Shirone to find out the actual story. Or, if Asia was unexpectedly stubborn about not sharing, she could at least use some more stable company after a sudden Distortion of that level.

I could write down my theories later.

{What's your favorite dessert?} I asked, returning to the reason I had contacted her in the first place.

{Oh, I like tiramisu. You know, those little cake things?}

I nodded slowly. {Sure. That's all I need for now.}

Mission finally completed, I connected to Shirone's mind. {Shirone? Are you doing anything right now?}

{Mmmph. No, nothing too important. I'm trying to sleep next to Gil, but she keeps petting me, so…}

{Gil?} I asked, surprised. {You usually have to beg her to pet you.}

{She's reading a book right now. She's only petting me with one hand, and she's reading with the other. She's not paying full attention to me, so my Gluttony is barely giving me a buzz. What do you need?}

{Something happened to Asia, something that made her inhumanly Distorted. She changed the subject when I asked what.} I informed her.

She paused, concern flowing from her. {Really? Damn. I guess I should check on her. Why me, though?}

{I already asked her. If I pressed for more, she'd start getting defensive.} I reasoned. {Plus, she seems to like the feeling of your Gluttony, so you can ask her for snuggles.}

She nodded seriously. {All right, but this is only for Asia's sake.} She pulled away, and her emotions faded from view.

I snorted. 'Bullshit.'

OMAKE (Alternate ending): Why Ruby is banned from the kitchen.

I stood, walking over to the fridge. 'Tiramisu, huh? I've never heard of it. Maybe I can look up a recipe.'

I pulled out my phone, looking up the unfamiliar term and pulling up the required recipe in record time. I read it over, and abruptly realized one major problem. One that I had never considered before. One that, in hindsight, is a pretty major issue.

I don't know how to cook.

I guess I just assumed that whatever odd spell Millicas had used included cooking, but nope. I had no frame of reference to understand this stuff by.

'4 eggs, separated.' Eggs? What kind of eggs? Dragon eggs? (shudder) Ostrich eggs? Phoenix eggs? Lizard eggs?

I blinked. 'Hmm… I've eaten lizard eggs before. Very flavorful, excellent texture. But I'm pretty sure Flame Lizard eggs are dangerous to other races, so… what kind of lizard eggs can they eat?'

I quick search revealed that yes, indeed, most ordinary lizard eggs were edible. The most common of these was the iguana. I smirked to myself. 'Heh. One step down. I'm pretty sure there's at least three or four iguanas in the garden. I just need to do a quick seek spell, and I'll find them in a snap.'

Five minutes later, I returned with six eggs and a live iguana that I dubbed Iggy.

Next problem. I haven't the foggiest idea what 'mascarpone' is, or how to find any. Another quick search told me that I could blend heavy whipping cream and butter to replace this 'mascarpone'. I walked over to the fridge, opening it and looking over its' contents. I quickly found the bottle of whipped cream and a stick of butter. I mean, the whipped cream doesn't say 'heavy' on it, but, well, I guess it won't really matter in the end.

Humming to myself, I set the butter and whipped cream next to the eggs and Iggy.

'4 oz sugar, divided.' 'Finally, something easy!' I reached for the cane sugar that I stirred into my coffee every morning, putting it beside Iggy.

'1 1/4 Cup brewed espresso, cooled.' I grabbed the pot of espresso that I had made this morning. It said cooled, so I suppose day-old coffee would work.

'1/4 cup sweet wine.' I smirked, liberating a bottle of wine that the cook kept around for cooking slash dealing with unruly subordinates.

'Sweet bread of your choice.' I sighed, deciding that I'd have to stick with actual bread. I have some idea of how it's made, but what worked five thousand years ago might be inefficient now.

I ignored the rest of the ingredients, seeing as it seemed to be only for flavor, and I had maple syrup for that. I took out a bowl, looking over the directions. I didn't quite know what 'egg yolk' or '4 oz' meant, so I just cracked two of the eggs into the bowl with a good-sized dollop of sugar. I completely skipped the bit about the mars-whatever and just put in a bunch of whipped cream and butter I melted using a quick jet of flame. Iggy just stared at me as I began mixing the odd combination.

I pulled out another bowl, cracking the rest of the eggs and mixing them with another large helping of sugar. I followed the instructions as they commanded me to beat the mix until it held its' shape. I glanced down at my egg and sugar mix, and decided whoever wrote these directions didn't seem to understand liquids very well. It was already 'holding its' shape', so I didn't need to beat the stuff. There's not much point to beating inanimate objects, either. 'Bloody humans and their violent urges…' I grumbled to myself.

I mixed in the contents of the first bowl, slightly puzzled. 'Incorporate the mascarpone mixture' sounded nice, but didn't tell me much. I eventually just ended up mixing it together like I had with its' components. Finally, in a moment of brilliance, I grabbed the remaining pound cake from this morning's breakfast and decided to use that as the bread. Using my coffee mug as the 'cup' it asked for, I mixed together the coffee and wine in the bowl that had held the first mixture. I dipped each slice of pound cake in the liquid, then laid it inside the pan I had grabbed from the drying rack.

After pouring the 'mascarpone mixture' on top of the soaked pound cake, I set down the bowl and went looking for maple syrup. Unfortunately, I… didn't actually know where the maple syrup is. After about ten minutes of fruitless searching, I found nothing. Not even in the pantry. Although, I did find several dusty two-liters of Diet Coke that hadn't seen the light of day in years. Eyeing the three bottles, an idea began to form in my mind. I vaguely knew that soda was formed from some form of syrup and soda water, but what if soda water acted like normal water? If it boiled, the water could be boiled away to make syrup!

Decision made, I grabbed the three bottles and left. I tracked down a large stew pot, and poured all three bottles into it. I've never used a stove before, and it seems to be a lot less efficient to use Dragon fire, so I guess I'll just use my fire. In another moment of brilliance, I abruptly realized that the pot would melt before the soda boiled. So I decided to use a quick spell that was originally a spell Millicas used to try to make metal heat-resistant but only made the metal transfer all heat aimed at it without actually warming. While the spell was useless for armor, it would definitely work for cooking.

I took a deep breath, and began to blow a steady stream of fire at the pot. Seconds later, the pot was bubbling merrily. A half of a minute later, and I finally had to stop to breathe. After checking the liquid, I noted that it had nearly halved. I frowned. I needed a lot less than this to use as syrup. So, maybe I should just keep going? The syrup could only lose more water, right?

Five minutes later, I had finally gotten the liquid down to the amount I could use for the tiramisu. I set down the pot, and absently used a water spell to douse the drapes. 'They really shouldn't have flammable cloth in kitchens where fire is being used. I mean, honestly…'

I poured part of the syrup over the 'mascarpone mixture' and then laid another layer of pound cake. I spread more mixture on it, then poured the syrup. I glanced down at my phone, checking to make sure the recipe was complete. Sure enough, the directions stopped there. I frowned. 'There's something… missing. A personal touch. What should I do?' I checked the pockets of my cloak, coming up with a random assortment of lint, writing utensils, and cookie crumbs.

I grinned. Cookies. A personal touch, to be sure, and you can't go wrong with cookies. I grabbed the cookie jar from the top of the fridge, absently disabled the locking spells they used to try to keep me out, and pulled out a few cookies. One immediately disappeared into my mouth, but the rest were crushed and sprinkled on top of the syrup.

I smiled in accomplishment. 'I can't wait to show Asia!'

Humming cheerfully, I took my tiramisu back to Millicas's room using a teleportation circle. Gil was still reading her book on the bed, and looked up as I entered. "Oh, Ruby. What's that?"

I smiled proudly. "Tiramisu!" I told her, setting it on the top of the dresser and casting a refrigeration spell on it. '…At least, I think it's supposed to be refrigerated…' "It's to celebrate Asia joining us!"

She smiled at me. "You know, you can be really sweet sometimes."

I smirked. "Oh? And what about all the other times?" I approached her, leaning down and kissing her. She squeaked, reddening. "You know…" I whispered teasingly, "We're the only ones in here right now. If you want, I can show you exactly how cruel I can be."

Her face a volcanic red, she stumbled over a stream of meaningless syllables. She eventually finished her odd mumbling, and shyly glanced up at me. "U-um… okay." She squeaked.

I smiled softly at her, sitting next to her and taking her hand in mine. "Calm down, love. I was only joking. But I'm glad you're comfortable enough to agree to it if I ask."

She sighed, her emotions a mix of relief and disappointment. "You and Shirone are to blame for that. The past week has been the most pleasurable torture of my life."

I smirked. "Do you want to help corrupt Asia?"

She flushed. "W-why would you ask me that! I would never…" She trailed off as mentally I reminded her 'morning session'. "O-oh. Right." She glanced away. "I mean, if you really need me to, I suppose I could help, but I'd really rather not."

I nodded, my hand squeezing hers'. "If you're not comfortable with it, I won't force you."

She frowned at me. "Oh? Then why has the past week consisted of you publicly humiliating me?"

I sighed. "Gil, I was there alongside you the entire time. I had a constant-effect invisibility spell on your collar. They could never actually see the collar, you just thought they could. And that was enough to count." I paused, smirking. "And I never forced you to pleasure yourself. I just told you to make fantasies, and you didn't know how to deal with it otherwise."

She glared indignantly at me. "You made me clean it up with my tongue!"

I leaned in and whispered less than an inch from her ear. "So tell me you didn't love every moment of it."

She flushed a bright red, but didn't reply. I sighed, deciding to take pity on my little bird. "So, do you mind if I give Asia a bottle of Phoenix Tears as a gift from you?"

She blinked at the non-sequitur. "Ah, sure? Wait, where did you get my tears?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Gil, you love romantic tragedies, and you cry every time there's anything even remotely sad. I have an actual water bottle of your tears. It'd probably sell for a fortune."

She winced. "I see. Um, well… sure?"

I nodded once. "Good."

Elsewhere, a lone iguana sat in the midst of a nearly destroyed kitchen. The drapes smoldered, the wallpaper was wet, containers were haphazardly strewn about the room. The shells of several eggs sat beside a dirty pot and two bowls, and the fridge door was open.

I learned two things that day. One, I am a terrible cook. Two, 'the lizard did it' is not a viable excuse for why the kitchen is trashed. And three, Phoenix Tears are very good for accidental food poisoning.

And that is the story of how I got banned from ever using the kitchen again.

I still blame Iggy.

A/N:

Ah, Ruby, one of the more complex characters to write. I couldn't, in good conscience, make the cooking scene part of the original story. While funny to read, it seemed out of place in the theme of the chapter. In case anyone decides to question why Millicas used Experience to cook, while Ruby couldn't… it's a matter of the person whose Experience is borrowed. Ruby got the Experience of a modern teenage girl. A teenaged girl, who never bothered learning to cook. Combined with Ruby's lack of knowledge… well. Lizard egg tiramisu.

Ruby is a Dragon, with different societal norms and values than humans. It was an interesting experience to try and see the world through a different culture. Dragon culture, as I see it, is a mix between Prideful honor and jealous Envy. It may be vicious, but it's dishonorable to stab your opponent in the back. And if you've ever read the novels, you'd see that even the Evil Dragons, save for the 'barbarians' like Grendel, had honor.

Aži Dahāka showed his when he didn't insult Vali for his desire to protect his family and even admired and apologized to him for it, as he believed that is what makes him strong. Apophis didn't attack Issei and waited for him to activate his Diabolos Dragon God form. He also said that a battle with no honor (referring to Rizevim) is the lowest of the low. Crom Cruach hates dirty and nasty tactics and tricks, as he states during his intervention against Niðhöggr.

If even the ones that are widely agreed to be the most brutal of the Evil Dragons are honorable, then the values of their society must have something to do with upholding honor.

…That being said, I found writing for Apophis more fun than I probably should have. In fact, I wrote too much for him, and had to cut some out. So, uh, here's the highlight.

"'BUT APOPHIS,' THEY SAY, 'WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT TO SWALLOW ANYONE?' 'WHY CAN'T YOU FIND A LESS TERRIFYING WAY TO KILL YOUR PREY?'" He twitched. "WELL MAYBE, IT'S BECAUSE I. DON'T. HAVE. ANY. HANDS!" He bellowed, his entire body quivering with rage.

"AND SOMETIMES THEY ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION. THEN, IT'S 'HEY, APOPHIS, CAN YOU GIVE ME A HAND?' OR 'HEY, BUDDY, COULD YOU GIVE ME A HEADS-UP IF SOMEONE COMES THE OTHER WAY?' I ONLY HAVE A BLEEDING HEAD! I CAN'T DO ANYTHING BUT GIVE YOU A HEADS-UP!"

I just watched in amusement as he worked himself into a fit of rage. "AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE DICK JOKES. OHOHOHO, BOY, I'VE HEARD THEM ALL! 'HEY, THOUSAND-YARD, IS YOUR DICK AS LONG AS YOUR BODY?' 'DO YOU HAVE THE DICK OF A SNAKE?' 'HEY, JOHNNY DICK-HEAD, WHY DON'T YOU SPRAY YOUR PRIMORDIAL WATER ALL OVER ME?' SNAKES DON'T EVEN HAVE DICKS, YOU ASSHOLES!"

He paused, considering. "WELL, I DO, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"