My eyes open with the sun's rising, and thus I'm greeted by rays of the early morning orangish-yellow light shining down through the window upon us.
Yeah, us.
I crane my neck to the side just a tad, as that's all it takes for her to fill my view.
Rose is out, not unlike a light, bundled up against my side. I don't know how she managed it, but the sundress hugging her form seemed to have gotten…looser, in the scarce few hours of sleep she'd gotten since we returned.
By that, I mean the thing is falling, and her ample chest is slowly spilling out of the thing.
Yet despite that, she remains asleep.
Even as I stirred, sitting up a little with a chuckle, and reaching over myself with an unoccupied arm to pull the top of her dress back over her chest.
Nothing, not even a peep or slightly harsher breath.
The girl is out.
I can't say I'm shocked. It didn't take long for her to pass once we got back, and no, despite her slightly disheveled appearance, we didn't do anything last night beyond rest.
I had guessed correctly, Rose wasn't going to 'put out' so to speak so soon. She just isn't as naturally horny as…literally every single one or my other girls, now that I'm thinking about it.
Honestly? I'm glad for that!
I don't want her to jump into anything because she feels like she needs to, because she just wants to stop being a virgin, or whatever other nonsense.
As casual as I probably make it out to be, that doesn't change the fact that for others, it could be far more intimate. Far more scary.
So, as I've said before, I can wait just fine. If she wants her losing her V card to be special, I'll do my damndest to make it so.
Until then, well, I guess I'll have to see what Rose wants to do next when she wakes up.
With a smile, I carefully push away several strands of silvery hair blocking her face and eyes, revealing her sleeping expression.
It almost looks pouty, the way her mouth is slightly open, the steadiness and softness of her breath, no snoring, just pure existence.
Cute~!
I carefully manage to slide my arm out from her grip, the act of which still doesn't prompt the girl to make any kind of move or sound.
That's just how dead to the world she is right now. To be fair, I understand completely.
I'm a cheating cheater who cheats. I don't need sleep at all, but if I still did, I'd also be out as hard as she is if I only managed something like barely a few hours.
Time zone differences suck hard. Night in Asgard was damn near the morning in Japan.
Which is why I'm going to let her sleep in today!
I don't think she'll regret the hit to her sleep schedule after the night she had, though.
Too much. Hopefully. Eheh.
I slipped out of bed with naught a sound, changing out the robe I was currently wearing with another fresh variant of the same make and design just as quickly, before scuttling out of the bedroom.
The door shut behind me, I let out a sigh, and started stretching the kinks out of my arms and back as I walked.
"Man, what to do, what to do…" I muttered to myself.
That's probably not a good sign, but I've been realizing more and more lately that, without an outline like canon to follow, I've been sort of…lost on what to do lately.
I've thought about it before, a little. Maybe given it a sparse mention here or there, but it's at times like these that I realize I don't exactly have anything concrete.
Sure, I've got short-term plans, like next up, I'm taking out Kuroka and Shirone, I already promised that. Then, sometime soon, I need to return to Takamagahara, since I promised dear ol' mom I would meet my siblings, spend some time there, and all that jazz.
But like I said, short term. Long-term plans…those need a bit of work.
Eventually.
I give the floor a wry smile, "Ah, procrastination. The bane of the gods…and my past life." I mutter to no one but myself.
Shit, at least it's excusable this time around yeah? I don't think I'll die of old age, so I quite literally have all the time in the world.
Assuming someone doesn't off me first, but at the rate I'm growing, the list of people who could is growing shorter and shorter.
I stop. My eyes narrow.
Speaking of short.
I turn on my heels, heading away from the stairs leading down to the kitchen and living room areas, back toward my bedroom.
Except I pass that as well, and head straight for the guest rooms.
"Little shit didn't think I'd notice…" I grumble as I make my way through the hall.
Thankfully, it didn't take long to make it to the guest rooms.
Doubly so, it appears the cat hasn't messed with our guest much.
Yeah, I caught her with my senses on the way down. She wasn't trying that hard to hide, but she was trying to hide regardless.
But once again, not that hard. Upon reaching the guest rooms, I found the Voyalkyrie's door wide open.
I stopped at the frame, and stood there, arms crossed, finding what I saw inside entirely unamusing.
"Nyyaahhh~?"
Kuroka was on all fours, looking down at Schwertleite with narrowed eyes and pupils, her tails swaying back and forth as she pondered the poor girl.
Occasionally, she'd reach over and paw at the girl's face.
"Mmggh…"
Prompting the poor girl in question to groan in exhaustion, likely still half asleep, as she moves an arm to weakly slap away Kuroka's probing hand.
Truly.
It is far too early for this shit.
One of these days, I ought to find out how to register pets, and come back with a file or certificate or whatever saying I registered Kuroka as my pet cat.
Do they have such things in Japan?
Hnn, research is required.
It would be great if so, though.
…Even if the horny cat would probably get off on it.
Oh yeah, speaking of getting off things!
Seeing as the cat doesn't seem to have noticed me at all, I take the opportunity to strut right on in and snatch her right off the bed.
My arms around her waist, and up and off she goes!
"NYAH!?" Kuroka cries out, almost immediately starting to flail around like an actual cat.
It takes a moment, but she either realizes her struggles are useless, or who picked her up, either or, she stops and looks at me.
"Oh. Nori Nyah~! Darling! Good Morning!" She practically purrs in my arms, smiling as she wraps her arms around me in turn, before leaning up and kissing me on the cheek.
Huh. She seems, well, beyond more cat-like, like in a really good mood?
"Good morning to you, too, kitten." I couldn't help but smile a little, her good mood just feels almost infectious, "Someone seems like they had a good time last night?"
She gives me a sly smile, "I should be asking you that, darling nyah~!" She giggles a little, "But yes! I had a sleepover with Shirone last night, after she was done with her devil work…it was just like old times, nyah!"
Ah, that would do it, wouldn't it?
"Soo~!" Kuroka continued unabated, smile only growing, "How was it, nyah?"
I rolled my eyes and shook my head, yet my smile never left. I knew she'd keep pestering me if I told her the plain truth, so I came up with a quick plan.
Food.
"I'll tell you about it over breakfast," I gave her, prompting the black cat girl's eyes to practically beam, "away from our new guest here."
I turned as I finished and started heading out.
Kuroka though? She perked up.
"Oh, nyah…" She began, "Speaking of, did you and Rose-chan adopt her without me!?"
I stuttered a step, damn near falling over like a stack of blocks.
It took more than a moment, as I choked down a very loud wheezing laugh, before I finally righted myself and gave Kuroka a look.
Not a bad one though, oh no.
"Save that one for when Rose comes down, aight?" I told her, my face hurting, trying to hold back a laugh.
Kuroka didn't say anything; she didn't have to, merely sent me a coy smile back.
We'd then spend the entire walk down to the kitchen barely holding in our collective cackling.
~ A New Sun ~
Unfortunately, there's only so long one can hold in their anticipation before it just kind of ebbs away.
As I told Kuroka about Rose and I's time in Asgard, that's pretty much what happened.
Well, not during that explanation specifically, more like waiting for Rose to come down after.
The whole, whole lot of waiting.
Sure, I could have woken her up early.
But I didn't want to do that to her, as already said, and besides, she did wake herself up fairly early regardless.
But she didn't come down, not yet.
I could feel the moment she stirred, got up, and started moving through the house. Not to come downstairs, but she almost immediately went to the Voyalkyrie's room, I think to check on her.
It didn't seem like she intended to stay as long as she ended up staying; hell, she was even about to leave at one point, but then she turned back.
Curious. I wonder what kind of conversation those two are having?
At least Kuroka was able to get her gremlin fix, leeching off the laughs of my telling of my time in Asgard.
She especially liked what we did to Hildr at the end. One could only imagine why, huh?
"Nyaaahhh~..." Kuroka yawned, half her body lying sprawled out on the kitchen table, "Mmm, what's taking Rose-chan so long…!" She whined out, her tails twitching and swaying in agitation.
I merely leaned back in my seat, arms crossed, and shrugged my shoulders at her.
At this point, we'd already finished breakfast, and I washed everything. I did make something for Rose, but Kuroka ate that as well once it started going cold, and Rose proved to be a no-show.
"Mmmmm~!" Kuroka let out an annoyed hum, almost like a hiss, before abruptly stopping, with even her body going stiff.
"Ah, I know! Darling~?"
She began again, this time far more sensual, far more sultrily, batting her eyelashes as she looked at me.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she stood up, yet her upper body still laid on the table, so all she was doing was sticking her ass out.
Her kimono followed her whims, slowly gliding forward, but only a little bit, just enough so I could see the round curvy edges of her perky ass and plumpness of her thighs.
I also couldn't see any underwear.
Following all that, her tails coiled up into the air, and in a feat of tail dexterity I don't recall her possessing, she shaped her tails into a heart.
Two tails form the image, with the last one wrapping around the heart's bottom point to complete it.
Seeing all that?
I took a deep breath in before abruptly standing.
Kuroka let out a pleased, lewd little giggle, giving her hips a very intentional shake as she did so. I just know it.
I was halfway around the table when, at the same time, we both groaned.
At that moment, we could feel as Rose left the room, with the Voyalkyrie coming along with her.
Kuroka sat back down, grumbling something under her breath.
I wasn't completely deterred, though, reaching over the rest of the way to grab the cat by the chin, looking her right in the eye.
"Later." I huffed out huskily.
Kuroka shivered in my hand and gave me a loopy little smile.
"Yes Darling~..." She flashed me a heart, albeit a smaller one, with her tails again, before I let her chin go.
By the time I had sat back down, I was able to settle a Nori Junior attempting an uprising from my robes, thankfully.
It would have been a little weird to flash Rose and our new guest with him now, wouldn't it?
"S-Sorry we took so long!" Rose called as she came down, more than a little ashamed by the sound of her voice, "Good Morning!"
Even still, she looked positively radiant.
She was followed closely by the Voyalkyrie, who, although up and about, still didn't look so good. Her skin seemed just a touch sickly, and there were visible bags under her eyes, her posture was more than a little sluggish, all that.
"It's my f-fault, alright? I kept us up…" The Voyalkyrie stuttered out weakly, "Good Morning…"
I gave the two a wave, while Kuroka just eyed the two, a mischievous smile growing across her face.
Yet, before Kuroka could say anything, most likely something to get back at the whole abrupt cockblock thing, Rose made way straight for me, stopping directly in front of where I'm sitting.
"Nori…" She began, her face slowly starting to flush, her fingers twitching as her nerves started getting the better of her, "There's something I'd like to ask you for, if that's alright?"
The Voyalkyrie soon joined behind Rose, her gaze directed downwards as she did.
I simply looked at the two and blinked, confused.
Out of all things this morning, I can't say I was expecting this at all.
This probably has to do with whatever those two were talking about for so long upstairs, if I had to guess.
The thing is, I have no idea what they could have been talking about in the first place!
"Well." I began, speaking my mind plainly, "This is rather abrupt. But, uh, alright I guess?" I waved for her to continue, "What's up, Rose? Voyalkyrie?"
The Voyalkyrie flinches and grumbles, probably something about not calling her that. Again.
Kuroka cackled off to the side, as the cat does.
Rose rolled her eyes at my antics, but pressed on, "I, well…this is going to be selfish of me, I know, so just please hear me out-"
"Rose." I held up a hand and interrupted her, now it was my turn, rolling my eyes at her antics, "Don't worry about it." I give her a good-natured smile, "Don't try and make it more complicated than it needs to be, just say what you want, as plainly as can be."
Rose looked at me, she saw my smile, heard my words, and eventually, slowly, she smiled back.
"Okay." She answered, her voice far smaller, then she took a deep, centering breath, and looked at me once again.
When she spoke again, she was far clearer and concise.
"I would like to take Schwertleite as my student, but if I do, she'd have nowhere to live. Could she please stay here until I can find somewhere to set her up?"
I stared at her, completely blindsided by this development.
"...Nyah?" Kuroka's surprised mew echoed from off to the side.
Almost immediately, Rose flinches back as if she said something wrong, likely misinterpreting the look on my face completely.
That was when the Voyalkyrie began to speak up, "R-Really, though, even if you say no, it's okay, I can work…something out, back home, Miss Rossweisse can take me back and forth, from here and Asgard. It's r-really no big deal…"
"Y-Yeah!" Rose came back in, "Forget I-"
"Okay. Wait, hold it!" I stressed as I interrupted them, "Jeez, girls, at least give me a second to answer, or even think about it, ya? I'm not mad you asked or anything, just surprised, is all. Didn't expect it at all."
"Sorry…" "S-Sorry…" Both girls let out lowly, one still more out of it than the other.
I waved their apologies off, and finally thought.
Rose, grabbing a little student, huh?
That, in and of itself, isn't surprising. I know from the novels that Rose's future goal is to build something of a Valkyrie school, training and teaching a new squad of Valkyries in the Underworld.
The problem is, I can't remember exactly how that goal came to be. Was it something she wanted to do later on because of some event, or was that something she always wanted to do?
Well, I guess now the 'how' doesn't matter, huh?
I'm mostly just surprised this is all happening so abruptly. I have a feeling I know what kind of answer Rose will give me if I ask why, it's pretty easy to infer based on their past.
As for my answer, though, well, wouldn't it be obvious?
I lean back in my seat and give the two silver-haired girls an easy-going smile, "Well, I took in Kuroka over there. What's one more, anyway?"
"Nyah!?" Kuroka gave an indignant mewl at that, but she was entirely ignored.
Why? Well, the Voyalkyrie was too busy sagging further in what looked like relief.
Rose, though. She jumped me.
All of a sudden, I found my lap being straddled by the older silver-haired girl, her arms wrapping around my neck as she leaned her whole body up against me, and pushed her lips into my own in an almost desperate kiss.
When she pulled away, her flushed face was all that filled my vision as she rested her forehead against mine, and I could see tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately, but at the same time, not enough." Rose began, soft yet quickly, "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
I slowly wrapped my arms around her waist, and just held her, gently and soothingly rubbing her back, "Alright, Rose, alright… It's okay, it's not an inconvenience, or anything like that."
I barely caught it, but I'm fairly certain I heard the sound of a picture being taken on a phone.
Rose didn't seem to catch it, though.
Heh. Fucking cat. She'd better send me that picture after I grab myself a new phone.
"...Are you sure?" Rose eventually asked back, far more gently this time.
I nodded and gave her a little peck on the lips back.
Rose let out a quivering breath, seemingly letting out all that tension inside, before she practically slid off me and turned right back to the Voyalkyrie.
"Alright!" Rose started up again, her far more peppy tone causing the poor girl to perk up, "Now that we know you can stay here, we need to find a place where you can continue your education!"
"E-Eh?" The Voyalkyrie looked at her, bewildered, "W-Wait, but…really?"
Kuroka cackled off to the side, as Rose nodded in affirmation, holding up a finger.
"Your education is very important for your future!" She rambled off in an almost chastising tone.
"B-But…you're teaching me already!" Her junior tried to argue, yet Rose simply shook her head.
"I'm continuing your Valkyrie training, but I can do everything, now, can I? That's a bit much, even for me."
Rose, girl, you really shouldn't sound so ashamed of that fact.
"B-But, but that! But I, well, hnn…" Her junior grumbled out, weakly trying, and failing, to come up with another point.
Rose, though, seemed to take that as affirmation, nodding, "Good. I'll start looking then!" Which only managed to draw a further pained groan out of the poor girl.
Right to business, as usual, huh, Rose?
Still, though, maybe it's just a gut feeling, but…
I smirk, "Hey, Rose?"
She turns back to me, eyebrow raised.
"I think I know a place."
~ A New Sun ~
Sona sat in the Student Council Room, at her desk, as she pretty much always has since she became the Student Council President.
Even though it's a Sunday. School isn't even in session right now.
Regardless, she has the school during the day, as part of her deal with Rias, so here she is.
In the center of the room sat a magic summoning circle, with which her Peerage uses to go to and fro for contracts.
Most of her pieces are out doing just that, their work had begun as soon as morning arrived.
Meanwhile, hers didn't feel like it'd ever end, as she looked over a paper of one of her contracts made with-
"Uh. Boss?"
Sona sighed in slight agitation, having been interrupted before she could even begin reading over the thing.
She set it down and looked up from her desk, seeing her pawn standing directly in front of it.
Yet to her surprise, she's not looking at her. No, she's looking and pointing, passed her.
Sona turned, swiveling her chair to do so.
By her sister did she wish she didn't do so.
Floating there, in front of her window, was him. Noriaki Kusanagi, wearing nothing but a bathrobe, one arm holding a silver-haired girl like a suitcase, with some sort of file folder in his other hand.
He smiled and waved at her, as if nothing about this was in any way wrong whatsoever.
Sona could already feel the headache coming on.