Moonlight Demon (GL LITRPG)
Author: Already_In_Use
Chapter 70
Satsuhiro shook his head.
"Ugh," he sighed as he tried to wake himself up. After reporting to the Council, the higher-ups sent him another request, asking him to write a detailed report. One they could copy and send to others. He was currently in the middle of that, doing this in the living room of the Savior House.
"Here you go," Metsumi handed him a mug full of black coffee. Satsuhiro nodded.
"Thank you." Satsuhiro took a sip, the liquid nearly scalding his lips but right now, the heat was appreciated. He was dangerously close to passing out.
"Still at it?" Metsumi asked, walking over and rubbing his back.
"Mhm," Satsuhiro tried his hardest not to focus on the feeling of his wife's hand soothingly moving over him. If he did, he'd likely fall asleep instantly. "How's Ash?"
"Well, she's still down and all," Metsumi stated, putting her hands on her hips and sighing. "Between what you said with the whole demon stuff and the whole 'passionate kissing in front of several people who may as well be strangers' thing, she's not having the best of times."
Satsuhiro nodded.
"Can't imagine what's going through her head."
"I can," Metsumi said. "She's dealing with feelings for the first time, and on top of that, she's got the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's probably thinking she'd rather run away than deal with all of this."
"Is that so?"
"I've talked to her but... Maybe you should take a second to prod her mind a bit."
"Hm? What good would that do?"
"Well, you were there when it happened. I'm guessing she's thinking she disappointed you somehow."
"Right. Like she cares how I feel about her. She doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks," Satsuhiro countered.
"You sure about that? Maybe she doesn't care how random citizens see her, but you? Me, the girls? She might put on a tough act but we're the first people in her life who ever treated her like she's more than just a half-demon. And, maybe now, she's worried that'll go away. You know?"
As Metsumi's tone softened and Satsuhiro remembered that moment when he saw Ash devouring the last Nightmare they'd fought, the look of complete and utter shame that came over her once she'd realized what she'd done.
Satsuhiro put his pencil down and nodded.
"I'll see what I can do, but no promises," Satsuhiro stated and Metsumi smiled. "Where is she?"
"She's sitting outside, just in front of the house. Good luck."
He made his way to her. He saw that Kaori was standing by the curtains, looking outside. As Satsuhiro walked into the living room, she startled and turned around, her face reddening as she realized she'd been caught looking out.
"I-I was just..."
"Yeah, yeah. Just checking on her, I get it." Satsuhiro replied. "She'll be fine," he said. "She's a strong girl."
"O-Of course, I... Yeah." Kaori sat down as Satsuhiro walked out.
He saw her with her back hunched over, eyes low, and her hands twiddling with her fingers. Satsuhiro approached her, and her eyes briefly looked up. She went right back to looking down and Satsuhiro sat next to her.
He thought. These sorts of talks weren't exactly his expertise. He wasn't sure of what to do, what to say. As they remained in some awkward silence, Ash looked at him and smirked.
"I appreciate the effort though," she suddenly said. "I'll be fine."
...
"Hm." Satsuhiro leaned back against the bench and looked up at the sky.
"Nah, seriously, I get that you're here to like, try to make me feel better or whatever, but it's alright. I'm good."
"Mhm." Satsuhiro wasn't about to just leave though, without giving it a shot.
He'd learned from none other than his wife to always go ahead with the plan, even when it's hard to do so.
I mean...
It has actually been a while since I got laid, I guess.
It was a memory he remembered fondly. Later, Metsumi would tell him all about how nervous she was, how she had to talk herself into approaching him. And now, all Satsuhiro could do was thank her for it. The beautiful daughter the two would have, the other memories they'd come to make, it was all because she had the courage to talk to him.
Looking to the right, he saw Ash looking at him.
he told himself.
"I'll be honest, I was pretty grossed out," Satsuhiro said. Ash raised a brow, and then, she looked away.
"Yeah... I can imagine."
"But that's about it," Satsuhiro said. "I was just grossed out. I wasn't scared of what you did or... What was happening, I didn't think any less of you. I mean, unless you're going to tell me demon meat is one of your favorite meals now, are you?"
Ash didn't seem to react to his jest. He looked back up at the sky.
"To me," he added, "you're always going to be the passive-aggressive and, sometimes aggressive-aggressive, pain in my ass they're making me teach. That's it. Not a demon, not whatever it is you think you're becoming. You could eat 5 Nightmares in front of me, and all I'll do is gag a little."
"What if I go further?" Ash asked. "I... I could always get worse."
"Then we'll deal with it as it comes," Satsuhiro replied. "As far as what we're doing right now though, you're still just Ash. You might be a little scared because of that last fight, but that was nothing to be too concerned about. You're still just my student."
"..." Ash remained in silence. She nodded and Satsuhiro stood up.
"Well, that's about as much consoling as I've got in me to do. See you later."
"Yeah." And so, Satsuhiro walked back into the house, hoping she'd figure things out.
Metsumi was washing some dishes in the kitchen. Those memories went through Satsuhiro's head again, and he walked up to her, putting his hands on her hips. Metsumi glanced back and smiled.
"Went well?"
"Fuck if I know," Satsuhiro muttered. She turned around, setting down what she had in her hands, and wrapped her arms around him, leaning in to plant a brief kiss on his lips, which he returned.
"What's got you so warm all of a sudden?" She asked.
"... Just remembering things."
"Yeah?"
"The tavern... Ten years ago."
"Oh? First time we went out?" Metsumi asked. "Can't believe I puked over your shirt like that. Sorry, by the way."
Satsuhiro looked down, smirking.
"You're still not forgiven for that."
"Aw, and how can I make it up to you?"
"Guys, please," Kaori said, from the living room. Both of them looked over at her. She gave them a fake disgusted look hiding an amused smile. "I'm right here. Take your middle-aged flirting somewhere else."
"How about we do just that, huh, Satsu?" Metsumi asked, dragging him away.
"Ugh," he sighed as he tried to wake himself up. After reporting to the Council, the higher-ups sent him another request, asking him to write a detailed report. One they could copy and send to others. He was currently in the middle of that, doing this in the living room of the Savior House.
"Here you go," Metsumi handed him a mug full of black coffee. Satsuhiro nodded.
"Thank you." Satsuhiro took a sip, the liquid nearly scalding his lips but right now, the heat was appreciated. He was dangerously close to passing out.
"Still at it?" Metsumi asked, walking over and rubbing his back.
"Mhm," Satsuhiro tried his hardest not to focus on the feeling of his wife's hand soothingly moving over him. If he did, he'd likely fall asleep instantly. "How's Ash?"
"Well, she's still down and all," Metsumi stated, putting her hands on her hips and sighing. "Between what you said with the whole demon stuff and the whole 'passionate kissing in front of several people who may as well be strangers' thing, she's not having the best of times."
Satsuhiro nodded.
"Can't imagine what's going through her head."
"I can," Metsumi said. "She's dealing with feelings for the first time, and on top of that, she's got the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's probably thinking she'd rather run away than deal with all of this."
"Is that so?"
"I've talked to her but... Maybe you should take a second to prod her mind a bit."
"Hm? What good would that do?"
"Well, you were there when it happened. I'm guessing she's thinking she disappointed you somehow."
"Right. Like she cares how I feel about her. She doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks," Satsuhiro countered.
"You sure about that? Maybe she doesn't care how random citizens see her, but you? Me, the girls? She might put on a tough act but we're the first people in her life who ever treated her like she's more than just a half-demon. And, maybe now, she's worried that'll go away. You know?"
As Metsumi's tone softened and Satsuhiro remembered that moment when he saw Ash devouring the last Nightmare they'd fought, the look of complete and utter shame that came over her once she'd realized what she'd done.
Satsuhiro put his pencil down and nodded.
"I'll see what I can do, but no promises," Satsuhiro stated and Metsumi smiled. "Where is she?"
"She's sitting outside, just in front of the house. Good luck."
He made his way to her. He saw that Kaori was standing by the curtains, looking outside. As Satsuhiro walked into the living room, she startled and turned around, her face reddening as she realized she'd been caught looking out.
"I-I was just..."
"Yeah, yeah. Just checking on her, I get it." Satsuhiro replied. "She'll be fine," he said. "She's a strong girl."
"O-Of course, I... Yeah." Kaori sat down as Satsuhiro walked out.
He saw her with her back hunched over, eyes low, and her hands twiddling with her fingers. Satsuhiro approached her, and her eyes briefly looked up. She went right back to looking down and Satsuhiro sat next to her.
He thought. These sorts of talks weren't exactly his expertise. He wasn't sure of what to do, what to say. As they remained in some awkward silence, Ash looked at him and smirked.
"I appreciate the effort though," she suddenly said. "I'll be fine."
...
"Hm." Satsuhiro leaned back against the bench and looked up at the sky.
"Nah, seriously, I get that you're here to like, try to make me feel better or whatever, but it's alright. I'm good."
"Mhm." Satsuhiro wasn't about to just leave though, without giving it a shot.
He'd learned from none other than his wife to always go ahead with the plan, even when it's hard to do so.
I mean...
It has actually been a while since I got laid, I guess.
It was a memory he remembered fondly. Later, Metsumi would tell him all about how nervous she was, how she had to talk herself into approaching him. And now, all Satsuhiro could do was thank her for it. The beautiful daughter the two would have, the other memories they'd come to make, it was all because she had the courage to talk to him.
Looking to the right, he saw Ash looking at him.
he told himself.
"I'll be honest, I was pretty grossed out," Satsuhiro said. Ash raised a brow, and then, she looked away.
"Yeah... I can imagine."
"But that's about it," Satsuhiro said. "I was just grossed out. I wasn't scared of what you did or... What was happening, I didn't think any less of you. I mean, unless you're going to tell me demon meat is one of your favorite meals now, are you?"
Ash didn't seem to react to his jest. He looked back up at the sky.
"To me," he added, "you're always going to be the passive-aggressive and, sometimes aggressive-aggressive, pain in my ass they're making me teach. That's it. Not a demon, not whatever it is you think you're becoming. You could eat 5 Nightmares in front of me, and all I'll do is gag a little."
"What if I go further?" Ash asked. "I... I could always get worse."
"Then we'll deal with it as it comes," Satsuhiro replied. "As far as what we're doing right now though, you're still just Ash. You might be a little scared because of that last fight, but that was nothing to be too concerned about. You're still just my student."
"..." Ash remained in silence. She nodded and Satsuhiro stood up.
"Well, that's about as much consoling as I've got in me to do. See you later."
"Yeah." And so, Satsuhiro walked back into the house, hoping she'd figure things out.
Metsumi was washing some dishes in the kitchen. Those memories went through Satsuhiro's head again, and he walked up to her, putting his hands on her hips. Metsumi glanced back and smiled.
"Went well?"
"Fuck if I know," Satsuhiro muttered. She turned around, setting down what she had in her hands, and wrapped her arms around him, leaning in to plant a brief kiss on his lips, which he returned.
"What's got you so warm all of a sudden?" She asked.
"... Just remembering things."
"Yeah?"
"The tavern... Ten years ago."
"Oh? First time we went out?" Metsumi asked. "Can't believe I puked over your shirt like that. Sorry, by the way."
Satsuhiro looked down, smirking.
"You're still not forgiven for that."
"Aw, and how can I make it up to you?"
"Guys, please," Kaori said, from the living room. Both of them looked over at her. She gave them a fake disgusted look hiding an amused smile. "I'm right here. Take your middle-aged flirting somewhere else."
"How about we do just that, huh, Satsu?" Metsumi asked, dragging him away.