[RSVP]
I sat cross-legged in a field of flowers, eyes closed and breathing even as I focused all of my attention inward, blocking out the outside world. Wind drifted softly across my face, a fly buzzed somewhere off to the side, a rabbit munched on blades of onion grass. I ignored it all.
My magic crawled along my skin, suffusing capillaries and skin cells, morphing them. Changing them.
The scales along my arms began to disappear first, sinking into my skin as it rolled upwards to engulf then. My claws shrank, shortening and flattening into regular nails that would struggle to tend paper, much less flesh.
I could feel fatigue begining to set in. Sweat burst forth on my brow and even my incredible well of magic shrank at an alarming pace. Shapeshifting like this took an absurd amount of magic. As Tiamat had explained, unlike the surface-level illusions most could manage, this was far deeper and more complex. It was akin to tweaking one’s soul and by proxy, their appearance.
My facial structure was the hardest part—shrinking my elongated canines back into normal human teeth and morphing my eyes from the reptilian slits into the round pupils I had been born with. It felt weird, like someone was tugging on my teeth and pressing their fingers into my eyes. Kind of unpleasant, honestly, but not painful .
I left my hair alone. There was no reason to waste magic on what could be fixed by a stylist. Besides, I was actually sort of growing to like the longer look. Combined with my eyes, it made me look wild. Powerful. Like I was someone you should think twice before messing with. I liked it.
I was busy wondering if the ego I was clearly developing might be a problem, when my meditation was interrupted.
“That is enough.”
My eyes snapped open at Tiamat’s voice, and I looked up to find the dragon standing at the edge of the clearing, her arms crossed beneath her large chest. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a tightness around her eyes that I had learned to recognize over the past few days.
“Training is done for the day,” she announced.
I blinked, glancing up at the false sky. The sun was still high overhead, nowhere near the time we usually finished. “Why? It’s barely been three hours.”
“You have a visitor.”
I frowned, confusion wrinkling my brow. “Huh?”
“Naomi!”
A familiar voice cut through the grove, and I turned to find Serafall skipping toward us from the direction of the waterfall. Literally skipping. She had a bright smile on her face that barely seemed to abate against Tiamat’s glare. She was wearing a deep purple dress accented in blue, and didn’t seem to care about brushing against the grass and ground and whatever else despite it’s clearly expensive make.
“Serafall?” I said as I pushed myself to my feet, brushing petals from my clothes. “What are you dong here?”
She skipped right up to me, poking me on the nose with a childish giggle. “I came to see you, silly! How is your training going? Have you managed to get ahold of that big nasty dragon yet?”
I nodded, my nose twitching from the touch, and she pulled her arm away. The smell of vanilla wafted towards me in the wake of the limb as I rubbed my nose. “Mostly. I’m working on turning back into a normal human right now. Tiamat’s been a great teacher. Thank you for bringing me to her.”
Serafall grinned, clapping her hands together. “I’m glad things worked out! I’m gonna be honest, I had no clue whether or not Tiamat would be able to teach you anything useful. I figured I’d probably have to find someone to teach you illusion magic or something instead.”
I blinked. “Why didn’t you just do that from the start?”
Behind me, Tiamat snorted, drawing our attention. The dragon was regarding Serafall with an expression of mild annoyance, her pale blue eyes half-lidded.
“Because even with the control you’ve gained through our training, you would fail to cast a working illusion,” Tiamat said flatly. “Illusion magic is a delicate branch of the art that even I do not have the patience for. It would have taken you hundreds of years to cast a spell complex enough to hide yourself day in and day out.”
She paused, lips curving downward. “Not to mention the cost of it. Illusions large and powerful enough to fool multiple people would take nearly as much energy as shapeshifting. And unlike shapeshifting, a single mistake would bring the entire facade tumbling down.”
Serafall nodded sagely. “Yep! That’s why I brought you here instead. I figured Tiamat would be able to help you better than a Devil tutor.”
She suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug that pressed her generous chest directly against mine. I froze at the contact, my cheeks heating as her warmth seeped into me, alongside her scent.
“I didn’t expect you to take to shapeshifting so easily though!” Serafall gushed, her voice muffled against my shoulder. “That kind of talent is pretty rare, you know. Tiamat’s the only dragon I know of who’s able to do it!”
I coughed, trying not to focus on the feeling of her frankly massive tits pressed against my arm, which was kind of hard considering she was absolutely not wearing a bra. “Um, thanks?”
“Hmph.” Tiamat snorted derisivly. “I’d suggest you stop complimenting her before her head becomes too large to support. If you want to play your games, do so outside of my abode, preferably far outside of it. In the meantime, you can tell us why you interrupted the training that you requested.”
Serafall pulled back from the hug, pouting at Tiamat. “You’re no fun. I’m just being nice! Why don’t you try it some time?”
Tiamat huffed, and I got the feeling I was missing something. “In due time. As it stands, I don’t have the stomach to entertain your whims today, Leviathan. Tell us what you want and leave.”
Serafall huffed, but her expression brightened a moment later as she gave up the act. “I want Naomi to be my plus one to the party!”
Tiamat’s brow raised, and I stared at her. “Party?”
“Well, it’s more of a banquet. For High Society Devils. There’s going to be little teacakes, fancy wine, schmoozing, you know the drill,” Serafall ran her hand through a pigtail, grinning widely. “Sirzechs asked me to invite you since Rias doesn’t actually know you’re in the Underworld right now.”
“What does Rias have to do with anything?”
Serafall tilted her head, her expression freezing as she searched my face. “Oh, nobody told you? I guess you’ve been busy, but I thought So-tan at least mentioned it.”
I shrugged, scratching my head. “She was pretty busy and I’ve been training. I mean, she gave me a quick rundown about what’s going on, but we haven’t exactly talked. What’s the deal with Rias? I’m guessing it’s good news, since there’s a party?”
Serafall’s expression shifted, her playful demeanor sobering just slightly. “Not exactly good news, no. Rias lost the Rating Game. The banquet is to celebrate their marriage.”
I scowled. “She’s marrying him? Seriously?”
Serafall’s expression softened with what looked like genuine sympathy. “She agreed to the terms and lost. She has to abide by them unless Riser offers up some other competition.”
“That’s bullshit,” I growled, my hands clenching at my sides. “I should just go there and beat his face in until he gives her up. Nobody deserves to be married to that prick unless they’ve got a fetish for being treated like human garbage.”
Serafall smiled secretly, her violet eyes glittering with mischief. “I’m sure Rias would appreciate the sentiment, and it would probably be fun to watch. But it’s unnecessary.”
I opened my mouth to comment, but closed it at the look in her eyes. There was something she wasn’t telling me, and though I didn’t know exactly what it was, I got the sudden feeling that this whole thing with Riser was less set in stone than she claimed.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “So why do you want me there?”
“Because you’re fun!” Serafall beamed, her expression brightening again as she looked at me with wide, sparkling eyes. “And So-tan speaks so highly of you! Most of the Devils there are going to be total bores, and it’ll be nice to have a friendly face to liven things up. So, will you attend?”
I stared at her for a long moment, before shrugging. “Yeah, I’ll go. Sounds like it’ll at least be interesting and it’s not like I have anything else to do. Oh---Can Mittelt come too?”
“If she can stomach being around so many snobby Devil nobles, she’s more than welcome,” Serafall smiled excitedly, before turning to look at Tiamat with an expectant expression. “What about you, Tiamat? Will you be attending too?”
“No,” Tiamat rumbled in a voice that said she would not be swayed. “I have more important things to do than participate in whatever circus you Devils are brewing.”
Like what, lying around? I thought, remembering just how much sun basking the Dragon before me seemed to do while I was actually training. Thankfully, I held my tongue before I blurted that out like an idiot. If I had, I was sure Tiamat would have no qualms about introducing me to the ground in a very intimate but manner.
Serafall pouted, but didn’t object. “Well, if you’re sure.” She grabbed my arm before I could react, her small fingers wrapping around my bicep with incredible strength. “I’ll be borrowing this one for the rest of the day, if you don’t mind!”
Tiamat waved a dismissive hand, not even bothering to look at us. “Do as you will.”
“Thank you!” Serafall chirped, already dragging me toward the waterfall.
I stumbled to keep up with her skipping pace, my longer legs struggling to match her bizarre gait. “Where are we going?”
“Dress shopping!” Serafall announced happily.
I felt a pit open in my stomach. “Dress shopping?”
“Yep! You can’t show up to a high society banquet looking like that.” She gestured vaguely at my clothes, which consisted of a simple shirt and shorts I’d thrown on for training. “You need something fancy! Something that screams ’m a powerful dragon and you should all be intimidated by my presence.’”
“I don’t think that’s how fashion works.”
“It is if you know what you’re doing and have a few hours to spare.”
“H-HOURS!?”
And with that, she dragged me through the waterfall and out of Tiamat’s grove, leaving me to wonder what exactly I’d just agreed to.
~~~
I stood in front of the full-length mirror, turning slightly from side to side as I admired my reflection. The girl-no, woman staring back at me looked like an entirely different person than the one I was used to seeing in the mornings.
“I guess I was wrong,” I murmured, a smile tugging at my painted lips. “This outfit definitely makes a statement.”
The outfit Serafall had chosen for me was a glossy piece made mostly of black and charcoal grey, with matching heels that made me almost as tall as a regular girl my age. A slit ran up the side of the dress, allowing me to move easily and showing off a bit of thigh. It was necessary. The dress conformed to my body and muscles in a way that was tight but not obscene, hugging the curves I had while leaving just enough to the imagination.
The scales on my neck and arms were plain as day, as there were no sleeves and the neckline dipped to show off my pitiful amount of cleavage. Serafall had told me to go au naturel for this event, and now that I saw the results, I had to agree with her decision. They gave me a sort of exotic allure that normal skin didn’t, and even I was surprised by how good they looked against my pale skin and black dress.
My hair rested around my face, free and only somewhat tamed by the Sitri’s maids who had spent far too long brushing and arranging it. My lips had been painted black, and purple eyeshadow dusted my lids, emphasizing my slitted pupils and the danger they represented.
I looked like some kind of femme fatale in an old spy novel. Dangerous and untouchable, but oh-so pleasing to the eye. I liked it.
“I wish Miyo was here to see this,” I said aloud as I admired my new outfit.
A sudden knock at the door had me looking over just in time to watch Mittelt barge her way in with a scowl on her face.
The Fallen Angel was wearing a blue piece that emphasized her cute features, the color contrasting beautifully with her blonde hair and pale skin. The bodice hugged her small chest while the skirt flared out slightly at her hips, giving her a soft, feminine silhouette. Ribbons were threaded through the fabric, accenting the design and showing off the expensive nature of the dress. She looked fantastic in it.
Or at least she would have, if not for the massive scowl marring her pretty face.
“What’s with the face?” I asked, turning away from the mirror to face her properly. “You look like someone kicked your puppy.”
Mittelt’s scowl deepened. “I have to spend an entire evening surrounded by Devil ’Nobles’. Do you have any idea how insufferable that’s going to be?”
“I thought you wanted to dress up,” I pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “You were complaining about the modest clothes Sona made you wear just a few days ago.”
“Of course I wanted to dress up!” Mittelt huffed, crossing her arms beneath her small chest. “But these Devils don’t deserve to look at me!”
“But I do?”
Mittelt went conspicuously silent, her mouth snapping shut as her eyes darted away from mine. Her cheeks dusted pink, and I watched as she suddenly found the wall beside her extremely interesting.
I studied her face more carefully. There was a slight worry behind the irritation, plain in the way her shoulders were set and the tightness under her eyes. I guess I should have expected her to be a bit wary about this whole thing. She was a Fallen Angel about to walk into a room full of High Class Devils. There was no telling how things would go if she looked at someone the wrong way or said the wrong thing, or vice versa.
I walked over to her, putting a bit of sway into my step. I watched Mittelt’s eyes track my movement, drawn by the motion before snapping back up to my face as I reached down and lightly cupped her face with a clawed hand. She froze at the touch, her blue eyes widening as I tilted her chin up to look at me properly.
“If you get uncomfortable,” I said softly, “just find me and I’ll get us both out of there. You don’t have to stay if it’s too much.”
The tension in her shoulders eased slightly at the offer, though she tried to hide her relief with a deeper scowl. “I’m not scared of some stuffy Devils.”
“Mhmm,” I smirked, running my thumb along her jaw, lightly scraping her skin. She shivered at the contact. “That doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to suffer through it if you don’t want to.”
I leaned in closer, purring the next words against her ear. “Besides, if you really don’t feel up to it, I’m sure there are better things we could occupy our time with anyway.”
Mittelt swallowed hard, her throat bobbing visibly. I felt her tremble slightly against my hand, and I watched as the pink on her cheeks spread down to her neck.
“I... fine,” she managed, her voice unsteady. “I’ll let you know.”
“Good girl,” I purred.
Mittelt’s face flared bright red, and she opened her mouth but I didn’t give her the chance to talk as I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers in a kiss. She melted into it immediately, her eyes fluttering shut as her fingers came up to grip the fabric of my dress at my waist.
I pulled away after a moment, and Mittelt swayed forward, trying to follow. Her eyes were still closed, her lips slightly parted, and I felt a surge of affection at the sight.
Her eyes opened and she glared as she saw me staring at her. Before she could demand I continue the kiss or yell at me to stop teasing her the door swung open behind us.
“It’s time to go!” Serafall announced, bouncing into the room with a bright smile. She was wearing a pink dress that somehow managed to look formal despite the color, her pigtails bouncing with each step. “Hurry up, we don’t want to be late!”
Mittelt jerked away from me like she’d been burned, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. She smoothed down her dress with frantic hands, refusing to meet either of our eyes.
“Finally,” she muttered, her voice only slightly unsteady. “Let’s get this over with.”
Serafall led the way outside, her heels clicking against the stone pathway as she hummed a cheerful tune. The evening air was cool against my exposed skin, and I found myself grateful for the warmth that my new draconic biology provided.
“I’m so happy you decided to come, Mittelt!” Serafall said, glancing back at the Fallen Angel with a bright smile.
Mittelt returned it with a scoff, seeming a moment away from rolling her eyes. “I’m only going because Naomi is going. Don’t expect me to socialize with any of your kind.”
“Fair enough!” Serafall didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the declaration. She stepped out into the courtyard and raised a hand. A massive magic circle spread over the ground, bright blue and glowing with power. My eyes widened a its appearance, my hackles raising far above my head, and before I even registered what I was doing, I’d jumped into the air, my wings unfurling and carrying me high above the spinning circle of death.
Both women froze, staring up at me with a mixture of confusion and exasperation. MIttle scrunched her face, looking down at the circle and then back up to me. “What are you doing?”
Serafall, on the other hand, already had the answer. She sighed, snuffing the magic circle with a small smile. “I forgot. She has a phobia of teleportation circles. Or well, teleporting in general.”
Mittelt’s head snapped toward the Satan. “She what?”
Now that the circle was gone, I landed, tucking my wings away and frowning despite the blush spreading across my face. “It’s a perfectly rational fear! Haven’t you heard of Parfit’s Teletransportation Paradox?”
Mittelt stared at me blankly. “I don’t think anyone other than you has heard of that.”
Serafall let out another sigh, this one longer and more dramatic. “The Gremory estate is a good ways away. Not even I could fly that distance and still make it before the party is over.”
I took a deep breath, steadying myself after my close encounter with death. “Well, it’s a good thing we don’t have to, then.”
Both women looked at me with interest.
“What do you mean?” Serafall asked. I gave her a grin.
“How would you feel about showing up to this little shindig in style?”
Intrigue flickered in Serafall’s violet eyes. “What are you planning?”
“You’ll see,” I said, holding up my hands as Abyss Eater appeared around my fingers, the gems already glowing with magic.
“I just need to leech a bit of power, first.”