Chapter Text
It truly was pitiful to watch Lied struggle. This was probably the fourth time he’s tried to talk to Elizabetta this week. Sometimes he would get maybe three words in before backing down or if he was being skittish that day he would just run.
Iruma sighed. It was pretty sad. If only there was a way to help his friend. Help Lied deepen his relationship.
“Master Iruma, I think you are the most qualified to help.” Iruma frowned at his soul mate. Azz had a habit of blowing his capabilities out of proportion. “When it comes to bringing people together Master Iruma. There is no one as charismatic as you!” His other soulmate swings around, placing herself in between the two of them.
“Iruma-kins, you are the ‘friend’ expert right?! You want Nee-san and Lied-y to be friends like us right!!” She gasped, stars in her eyes, “You want Nee-san and Lied-y to be soulmates.” Azz gasped alongside her giddy and excited.
Soulmates… Is… is that what Lied wants? To be soulmates? He knows a few things about soulmates. I mean he does have two, soon to be three once he figures out what his feelings for Ameri are. “Well, If it's about becoming soulmates… Then, YEAH! I AM THE BEST!” Iruma on his high horse boasted. His friends whooped and hollered fueling the high. To the Magical Apparatus Battler room! They all screamed. The trio stormed down the corridors, weaving past students and teachers alike. Students wandering the halls felt the excitement from the three and cheered them on despite not knowing what they were up to.
Flinging the doors of their battler room open, they scared Schenell, which made him break the questionable figure he was making. Iruma grabbed the whiteboard and pens, happily setting up the room for their meeting. Placing bean bags in a semi-circle while the other two commenced their routine Schenell beat up. The reason being he messed up the battler room again and created something heinous.
“Alright!” Iruma yelled out. Azz and Clara stopped their assault and threw Schenell before jumping to their places. Schenell eventually made it to the extra bean bag. Iruma had written Project: Soulmates! As a heading, Lied and Elizabetta’s names were on opposite ends of the board. A double-ended arrow in the middle with a question mark on top. “We should write the steps on how to become soulmates.” A hand shot up. Iruma swivelled his head and pointed at it in acknowledgement. “YES!”
“What is a soulmate?” Azz and Clara enthusiastically explained in Iruma’s stead. A person you spend time with! They mean more to you than a friend. A confidant! The best playmate! Someone, you swear your allegiance to! Someone falls heads over heels! Blood sacrifice! FOREVER!!!!!
Iruma pleads them to stop. The definitions were getting weirder and weirder. Schenell however seemed to understand the sentiment. He even proclaimed he had a soul mate. Which was now destroyed because of them. This prompted a second beating.
“So what is step one Iruma-kins?” Clara asked as she head-locked their so-called senpai.
“Well, you have to tell them! You have to talk to them… and then confess…” hmmmmmm. Ok, this is gonna be harder than he thought.
“Um, I beg you pardon Master Iruma but. Lied can't even make eye contact with IX.” Azz stared at the board for a moment. “Maybe we should back up. Let’s start with friends. Well, we became friends when… oh.” Azz grimaced. Both options started the same. With Iruma proclaiming his feelings and the two reciprocating. Maybe they should start from the very beginning! “Iruma sir! You should get them to engage in hand-to-hand combat!” Clara cheered. Iruma reclined in defeat.
Lied just needs to talk to EIizabetta. Tell her how he feels. But if Lied is too skittish then what can they do? Elizabetta is a really sweet and patient demoness, she would wait for him to get over his nerves, what should Iruma do?
“You speak of your little blonde classmate yes?” Schenell asked. “Well, it makes sense he’s so nervous. Demonesses can be very intimidating.” Intimidating?
“Yeah! For Lied-y Elizabetta is a giant woman! You look up and wow!” Clara adds.
“Yes, That makes sense. Demonesses from the Lust circle tend to tower over average male demons, It's a given my two younger sisters will tower over me soon enough.”
“You have sisters?” This comment prompted the third beating of the day.
Intimidating? Giant woman? FIRST LOVE MEMORIES. Iruma flicks his phone on, calling his fiery companion. “Hey Ameri! I need to see you. Are you free?” The three having a scrap on the floor quieted. Wow how manly, calling the president like that. Their comment made Iruma suddenly shy. “A-are you sure?” Ah now I'm stuttering, Iruma cursed. He hangs up and accusingly looked at the three. Azz gave him an impish grin while Clara gave a slight jealous pout. Schenell was just annoying and cried about how Iruma stole the president from him.
Leaving Schenell to the other two, Iruma made his way to the student council office. On his way, he spotted Nafra. Nafra happily greeted him. They chatted amicably away, no other demon dared come near as usual. Iruma sniffed the air. He finds it funny how Nafra’s odour doesn’t bother him, it doesn’t bother the student council either. It’s just a scent now. In the same way, different people’s houses smell different. He wonders if she chooses who feels nauseated by it, or if it’s more of a time thing. He didn’t have long to ponder as they made it to the Student Council room.
Inside, Ameri and the rest of the council were all mingling and chatting away while on break. They all greeted Iruma and Nafra casually.
“We’ll be off now everyone,” Ameri said coolly. Everyone said their byes as Ameri and Iruma left.
“So what was so urgent Iruma?” She gazed at the smaller boy. He had a spring in his step and a look of determination. A fitting look for him she gushed.
“I need your help Ameri. And we need to consult First Love Memories!” Intrigued but slightly worried but more so very excited. So far every time Iruma used the forbidden texts he had created something magnificent. Together they flipped through the pages. “Opera gave me amazing advice before. ‘When you feel fear turn that fear into boldness’” Ameri nods her head. Professor Opera truly is spectacular. One day she hopes to study under them closely. “But what if the fear is too great? What if the fear was too overwhelming? What then?” Ameri stares at Iruma. What’s going on? Iruma is obviously troubled but not that troubled, was this hypothetical?
“Well, normally a demon would just turn around and leave if things get too hard. But That’s never an option with you is it Iruma?” He shakes his head. He stares at her head on, She smiles proudly. “Then you just get stronger until you don’t feel fear anymore!” Ameri plants both feet on the floor and gives Iruma an equally charged stare. “Listen Iruma, there is a difference between fleeing from a fight and retreating to regroup yourself. Never look down on yourself if you need to leave the battle for another time.” Iruma searched her eyes. The air between them felt like electricity. It was exhilarating. Whatever it was, Iruma seemed to have found it as he gave her a confident smirk. She smirked back.
“You’re the best Ameri.” Her heart went offbeat for a moment. Ameri quickly turned back to the book in her hands. Calm down Ameri, it was just a compliment. You get those all the time, especially from Iruma, he never not has a sweet comment to say.
Fear. So she needs to look for a character who has overcome some sort of fear. Both Kakeru and Rin are quite fearless. The only fear they do have is losing each other, there isn’t really anything you can do to overcome said fear. If not fear then some sort of obstacle? A battle?
“Hey, Iruma what about this, when Rin was defeated in this boxing match and had to train so she was stronger?” very close but not quite. They continue searching. “What exactly are we looking for?”
“Maybe I’m being nosy but… But Lied is my friend! And he’s just struggling so much!” Lied, Ah yes the smaller blonde demon, the 2nd harvest festival king. He’s struggling? “I don’t understand it, if you want something you can just go get it right? Well, his want is a person and he’s just way too shy. If only I can help him out,” Ameri finds this amusing, Iruma just can’t help himself, meddling in other’s affairs. It just makes him all that more charming. “I’ve suggested Lied take Elizabetta to all the places we have gone. Those places were super fun! But he said that those places were uhh too advanced? I don’t even know what that means!” She couldn’t help but slip out a giggle. Iruma pouted.
“Umm, well. He is kind of right Iruma. I hang out with Elizabetta and honestly, I don’t think she notices him. I think he has to get noticed first.” Iruma nods his head. That's right he can’t even talk to Elizabetta. “Then we can talk about bringing her out on dates.” OH! She remembers a story in first love memories about this exact scenario! They had read it a few months ago so it totally slipped her mind!
“Rin!!” Kakeru calls out. “I need your help!” The girl in question tilts her head at her boyfriend.
“What is it Kakeru?”
“My cousin has fallen in love with Mei-Mei the Chinese foreign student. But he’s just too shy!” With a determined look, the girl turned and marched off into the sunset.
The next day Rin and Kakeru went to Shoto’s house. Shoto is Kakeru’s cousin.
“Sho! This is my girlfriend Rin, she's going to help you talk to MeiMei!”
“Huh???” The boy recoiled back, surprised at the sudden offer. “Really? You would do that for me?” he wiped away a tear. So kind of them.
“I will pretend to be MeiMei. And you! Will practice talking to me!” Petals flew by transforming schoolgirl Rin into a beautiful girl wearing a traditional hanfu. Shoto was embarrassed and tried his best to talk to Rin but failed.
“It's ok Sho! Baby steps” Kakeru encouraged.
End scene
“This is perfect Ameri! Thank you! So I just need Lied to practice talking to her! I gotta go call him!”
It was a weekend night at the Sullivan estate. Lied and Iruma sat on Iruma’s plush California-size king bed. Lied super red at Iruma’s sudden proposal. Is this guy insane? Practice talking to Nee-san? How would we even do that?
“Well I had an idea that included transforming into her… but uhh, that didn’t go well. It seems cherisul doesn't help with shapeshifting into others. So instead! Why don’t we practice what you want to say to her? And then maybe speak to other demonesses. You can work your way up to Elizabetta.” Iruma’s enthusiasm radiated in waves off him. Lied didn’t have the heart to say no. especially after being invited to his home, playing on the latest devdom consol and feasting on Opera’s superb culinary creations. Iruma ate a 10-course dinner every night, which wasn’t surprising but is still terrifying to watch. How can someone eat so much, so quickly and so elegantly? Even after dinner He continuously snacked on those mana bombs, no sorry, ‘vitamins’.
“I…I wanna be able to say hi how are you today and have a conversation that actually starts and stops without me being a complete ass.” Lied confessed. He was incredibly embarrassed.
“Lied why is it so hard to speak t her? She's our classmate and we are all friends.” Lied fiddled with his thumbs. He took a deep breath and pushed back his hair.
“I don’t get it, I just feel all choked up. She's just so pretty and amazing and so out of my league.”
“Um, Lied? What? I’m sorry. But out of your league?” Iruma jumped up and dramatically pointed at his friend. “You are last year’s, Young King! You helped secure The Royal One! You are cute enough to be a demdoll! You have an awesome bloodline ability! You can use non-verbal magic! YOU ARE RANK DALET!” At this point, Iruma was throttling his friend. Shaking him by the shoulders. It’s a crime that Lied thinks so lowly of himself. “If anything you are one of the only people that isn't like I don't know, a 4th year? That is in her league!”
“God dammit Iruma!” Lied pushed him away. The poor demon was red all over. How can this guy just say all these things? And he thought Azz was dramatic with all of his waxed poetry. “You’re the cute one, I’m manly.” He murmured. “So what’s your plan anyway.”
Iruma grinned and pulled out the binder that Ameri and he created together. The both of them got in trouble for staying out so late without telling anyone. Henry had lost a few marbles that night.
“First thing is first. We need Elizabetta to notice you. The goal is for her to start actively greeting you.” That seemed easy enough. Just constantly say hi every morning right? Start a routine. Yeah! Yeah, he could do that. “And also I want you to start talking to other demonesses regularly in casual passing. Keroli and Clara don't count. You have a bond with them already. That is phase 1.”
“What's phase 2?”
Iruma flips through the pages til he came to a double-page spread. Phase 2: Date practice.
“It’s where you will ask her to hang out alone. Just the two of you.” Lied recoiled. No way that's phase 2. Shouldn't that be phase 3? Or 4? “You and I will go out together as practice, to possible places you can take Elizabetta.”
“But we hang out all the time together. How will it be any different?”
*Flower petals fly in*
A beautiful girl in red stood in front of a boy in green. “Shoto. We are friends. But here, right now, you have to treat me like a girl you fancy. Pretend I’m the girl of your dreams. How would you speak to her? Would you hold her hand? Where will you take me? How would you get your feelings across? When will you share your life with me? How would you make me stay up at night thinking about you?”
Lied sweats profusely, what the actual fuck is happening. Iruma is very close right now. He is holding Lied’s hand on his chest. Did the air get hot? Why is he dizzy? He’s drowning in his ocean eyes. Is Iruma part Incubus? There was also this strange intoxicating smell that was wafting off him too. The more he inhaled the dizzier he got.
“Hey, Lied are you ok?” Iruma placed the back of his hand on his friend’s forehead. Ameri and Clara told him that proximity is really important when applying “pressure” whatever that meant. But maybe it was too much for Lied. Iruma backed off. Well if he wants to be soulmates with Elizabetta, he has to get used to touching. He thinks back on how Clara and Azz interact with him. The three constantly cling to each other, Clara being the most touchy, She would hang off Azz or be on his back, She would wrap her tail around Iruma’s leg when they sat in class, gently bapping his knee. Azz is a little more reserved in his touches but would never be the one to let go first if you held his hand. Being the biggest of the three, he would easily carry them off or fly around with the two in his arms. Iruma himself is also very needy when it comes to physical affection, being denied it for most of his life.
Thinking about Elizabetta. She tends to hold the person’s shoulder or arm when she chats. So touch is quite important to her too. Seems like they have a lot of work to do.