EX Mission: A Midsummer's Nightmare Dream Vacation

URGENT! Vanguards receiving this message should report to the Devil's Cocktail immediately.

Bastion hurried to the Devil’s Cocktail, his pulse thundering. The mission had sounded so urgent. It must be about...

He swallowed, the name bitter in his mouth. Mother Harlot. He couldn’t think of her without a chill going through his heart. Maybe you never really got over dying...

The bar came into sight, and he hurried inside. The rest of his class were there, all grim and silent as they waited. Nena hovered near the bar, brow furrowed, and Rory had even given up sweeping as she leaned against her broom.

“Good, you’re all here,” Komori said, nodding around at them. “I’ve selected you all especially for this very important mission.”

Bastion glanced around at the rest of his group. It had to be Mother Harlot. They were all there, and that’s the only reason why they’d be chosen together like this for an important mission.

“It’s very important that you listen closely to what I’m about to tell you,” Komori said quietly. They all waited, breathless, as he turned around. Then, abruptly, he whirled around and held aloft something green that took Bastion several moments to register as... a swimsuit?

“We’re going on vacation!!” Komori bellowed, grinning ear to ear, swimming trunks held proudly like a flag to rally his troops.

Bastion fell back onto a stool, mouthing wordlessly a few times before the words came out. “Vacation?”

Komori nodded, beaming. “That’s right! I worked it out with the Council, and they agreed you all need a physical and mental health break. Tomorrow, we will have one full, glorious day free of responsibility or care. Relaxation and fun will be our only mission!”

Vacation... Bastion shook his head. He honestly wasn’t sure what that would even look like.

“Sounds like fun,” Nena said, brightening up.

“Ah, I’d hoped you’d say that.” Komori turned to her, winking. “Since you and Rory are invited.”

Nena blinked, lips parting in surprise. She was startled out of this by the sound of Rory’s broom hitting the ground as the young girl ran up to Komori.

“R-really? We can come too?” She practically bounced on her feet as she looked up at him.

He ruffled her hair. “Of course. What do you say?” He directed this at Nena, who bit her lip.

“Well... I don’t know. I can’t really leave the bar. That would cut out a whole day’s worth of profits. And-“

“Ose will keep an eye on things,” Komori declared, glancing at the bored looking demon leaning against the wall. “Unless you’d rather-“

“No,” Ose interjected, idly licking his paw. “I’m not inclined to swim. Or go on vacations.”

Komori clapped his hands. “That settles it!”

Nena looked doubtful but slightly flushed with excitement. “Well... all right.”

The reality of the situation was finally sinking in one the group, and they began to buzz with excitement about what their vacation would look like.

“Make sure to pack a swimsuit,” Komori instructed them. “And things like blankets and snacks for lounging around. And any games or activities you’d like to try!”

“Can I come, Komori?” Mongo asked, peeking out from behind a tankard that had managed to obscure him from view.

Before Komori could open his mouth, Nena cut across. “Absolutely not. I’ll not have you gawking at everyone in their swimsuits, you lecherous little toad.” She yanked the empty tankard away, and Mongo toppled back onto his stool, whining.

“Komori?” he pleaded.

Komori glanced between the Mongo’s dewey eyes and Nena’s glare as she headed off into the kitchen and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Mongo. I don’t want to start this off on the wrong foot with Nena, if you know what I mean.”

Mongo sighed and slumped back on the stool as Komori turned back to the others. “Be back here first thing in the morning! We want to make the most of our day.”

Vacation. It would be nice to get away and relax. Bastion glanced at his gauntlet, feeling a twinge of guilt. Archangel wouldn’t like it, that was certain. He should be out looking for more Deathstones, but...

Hmm. That made him think about Monet. Where was she right now? Would she be open to going with them, if Komori would allow it? It would be nice to get a chance to spend more time with her, particularly somewhere that wasn’t a desolate, ruined highway. Maybe he should ask.

He got up from his stool, glancing toward Komori, then stopped. His eyes moved across the others, and he felt some hesitation. What would they think of her being there? What if they made things awkward? Or worse... what if they liked her too much? What if she ended up liking them more than him?

No... He backed toward the bar’s entrance. For now, maybe he should keep her to himself. He blushed. Not that... he had any claim to her or anything. And besides, they’d all be in swimsuits. That might be...

He blushed further, then shook his head. No, no, this was definitely for the best. Now, it was time to go back to his room, pack, and get a good night’s rest.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow then,” he said, managing a smile and waving before heading out.

--------------------------------------------------

From a corner booth, someone listened in on Komori’s explanation. She brought her glass up, a smile curving her lips as she drank.

Vacation, huh? Interesting...

- Cleo -

Cleo raised an eyebrow as Bastion practically crashed into the bar. He’d already been here when Komori’s message had gone out. So, he’d continued to nurse his beer while the others had arrived. Glancing down at the bottle, Cleo had to question if he might be developing a bit of a problem. Since their encounter with Mother Harlot, he’d been spending more time at the bar, although his consumption hadn’t increased to match. So, maybe he was okay.

Now that everyone had arrived, Komori seemed ready to speak though. So, Cleo focused on what the man had to say, at least until things took a turn towards the comical. Vacation? When was the last time they’d taken one of those? He grinned, thinking about it. The last vacation they’d taken was during their training, and you could hardly call it that because Komori had run them so ragged the week before that they’d practically slept through the time off.

Their instructor seemed to have something a little more thrilling in mind this time though. Cleo’s eyes drifted to Scarlet, and then to Nena. Swimsuits, huh? After a moment, his gaze moved to Aeris, who sat at the other end of the bar with a subtle grin on her face. Maybe he’d luck out and she’d invite herself to the party. It wouldn’t be the first time Aeris had crashed a team event.

Something bumped his arm, and Cleo turned to see that Silky was gesturing for him to raise it so she could wipe down the bar in front of him. “You do realize that you don’t work here, right?” He grinned, moving his arm so she could wipe the wooden surface. “And I know Nena isn’t paying you.”

“Would it kill you to relax and have a drink instead of cleaning an already spotless bar?”

Her only response was a shrug before she moved further down the bar, continuing to clean.

Devil's Cocktail

Vayu

Vayu was working out by himself when he received the urgent message to meet at the Devil's Cocktail. Dropping the weights, he hurried over to the bar and slid through the door just behind Bastion.

Komori was there along with the usual occupants of the bar. For a moment he tensed at Komori's explanation and then exhaled with relief and smiled.

Vacation.

That could be fun. When was the last time he took a vacation day?

Suddenly, Jack Frost appeared beside him, jumping excitedly up and down, his bells jingling.

"Vacation! Vacaction!" he screamed, jumping onto a bar stool and from there onto the counter top. Irritated, Vayu grabbed his out of control demon by the collar and pulled him down.

Jack Frost was flailing for a few seconds, not even trying to contain his excitement.

"I told you not to summon yourself," Vayu growled.

"But I didn't," Jack Frost protested. "You did! You should be more happy to get a vacation!"

Vayu rolled his eyes and with a concious effort he de-summoned Jack Frost.

"Sorry," he mumbled towards the others. What was it with this demon?

He turned his attention back towards Komori just in time to hear his instructions.

With raised eyebrows, he glanced towards Cleo's new demon who was cleaning up the bar. With a shrug, he turned to leave the bar to finish his workout and start packing.

Nihility ~ Dorm Room

Nihility heard the message ting on her gauntlet but ignored it while in her current state of mind. Even though the Vanguard equipment was tucked snugly around her left arm, the young maiden let it be.

As she laid on to the side of her body, with a slight nudge, her arm slid down to cross over her stomach and rest across her chest.

"My lady, please, you need to re-focus your mind onto something new. Brooding will only give her more strength over you."

Nihility didn't make any attempt to shift her body as a sense of tiredness kept her from fully snapping out of her lucid sleep. Her demon steed's voice sounded far away, even though she was vaguely aware of his presence at her bedside.

Scion was sitting right in front of her younger self. He had a plant stem playfully raised up in the air that the child-Nihility was attempting to grasp at. She would rise up onto her tiptoes and pounce but then topple over as the twig would just narrowly miss her grasp. She would pout each time her brother would chuckle at her failed attempts. Nihility was stubborn, each time she fell, she would push herself up for another attempt. After a couple of failures, Scion would eventually give her a smile and lower the plant just a little bit for his baby-sister to have her firmly grasp onto it and pluck it out his hand.

"HA!! It is finally mine." The toddler would exclaim in glee as she held her prize triumphantly over her head.

"Yes, yes, you did it. Never give up on anything in your life. If you want it, then keep trying over and over again till you achieve your goal."

Scion would lovingly pat his sister on her head and ruffle her short and curly hair as Nihility nibbled on the sweet leaves.


"My Lady, please snap out of it. It is not healthy to live in her constructs for so long."

Tyrian's words would continue to beckon for her from afar. She knew he was right and that she should push herself away from the images, but her brother was right there. Just a little more. If she could reach out jut a little bit further, she would be able to grasp on to his arm. Hug him like the baby he was cuddling in his arms.

A tear of sorrow rolled down her cheek as the little bundle of joy dissipated and her brother was all alone. His surroundings dissolving into darkness as he sat there with a blank expression.

"Run. Scion, run away."

Nihility's quavering voice strained with emotion, her warning would never reach her Scion's ears. No matter how long she would scream, she would never achieve her goal of saving her brother.

Scrawny Purplish arms would reach out from behind him and wrap around his chest. Yellowish eyes would blink open and a sinister smile cracked onto a devilish visage would appear next to her brother's head to rest on to his shoulder.


"Stay away from him, you Fiend!!" Nihility would yell at the creature holding on to the motionless body of her brother.

"He is mine. He has always been mine. Just like you are."

Shoggoth would pull herself away but thin tendrils would remain attached between the two beings in Nihility's vision. Twirling her wrists and strumming with her fingers like a person playing a tune on a piano, the strings connected at her fingertips would pulse with energy. The previously lifeless body of Scion would begin to animate. That warm, loving and caring smile would be stretched on his face. Love and appreciation glowing in his eyes. His arms swayed in the air, mimicking the earlier actions of playfully dangling the plant stem over in the air.

"You see, it was always me." Shoggoth would chuckle again.

"Lies!! He was my brother and you took him away from me!!" Nihility would once again scream at the demonic entity but for some reason, she could never reach them. A feeling of hopelessness rooted her to her spot.


"Kekekeh" The purple demon would snicker at the woman trapped in a sense of despair, "The Lord taketh away and the Lord giveth."

With another motion of pulling on the strings, Scion would now be rocking her baby sister in his arms and letting her grab on to his finger as she nibbled on them.

"Your brother is a part of me. If you want him, all you have to do is to fully give yourself over to me."

Scion, still holding on to the baby in his arms, would turn to face the adult Nihility and open his other arm. His warm and smiling face inviting her over to his loving embrace.

"Just let go of everything that is holding you down. You have nothing. You are nothing without us. Everything you need is right over on this side."

The demonic figure continued to tempt her. Thought's of despair and hopelessness crept through her self and Nihility was starting to find herself getting up from her bedridden state to hunch over. Her left arm was strained in front, reaching for her brother's in the distance.


The dull light glowing on the Vanguard Gauntlet at each dimness and brightness was breaking her focus to and from the real and the imaginary world.

"Don't give in to her temptation. I will always be by your side my mistress. Do not lose hope. We will get through this together."

Nihility would turn her head to her left at the sound and Tyrian's body would emerge out from the greyish fog to be standing at her side. His Purplish muzzle would nudge under her outstretched arm to give it support. His warm breath and the feeling of something real and solid would snap her away from Shoggoth's Illusion.


"Stay out of this you wild beast. She is mine!!." Shoggoth would snarl at the Bicorn protecting Nihility.

"You have no power while I exist out here. I will let you harm her no longer. As long as I am alive, my duty to protect her will not falter." Chaos breath huffed out from his nostrils as Tyrian firmly stood his ground facing the Elder Demon.

"Do not test me, beast. Eventually everything fades and withers away and I have survived it all. You too shall meet your doom and all shall belong to me."

Shoggoth backed away and disappeared into the darkness. The warm candlelight flickered, shadows danced alongside the walls and Scion was nowhere to be seen.


Nihility fully awake and aware, let out a deep sigh as relief filled her chest. She felt better now that the dread had swept away.

"Thank-you Tyrian. I knew I could trust you in keeping watch over me." Nihility rubbed her demon partner's muzzle.

"Like I keep saying, you don't need to thank me every time. I do it not because it is my duty, but because I feel the need, the urge, to take care of you. And that is something I can't and don't want to fight against."

Nihility smiled at the Bicorn and turned to grab the tin box from on top of her bedside table. Taking one of the edibles out from it, Nihility fed Tyrian the treat that Vayu had prepared for Shoggoth. Tyrian's eyes glowed as energy flowed throughout his body, revitalizing his Maga. Nihility picked out and ate the confectionery from the stock that Vayu had prepared for her. A burst of sweet energy burst through her and she felt like her pains and sorrow washed out.


"Mistress, the Gauntlet." Tyrian reminded Nihility about the unread message.

"Ah, yes. I'll get right to it." Nihility nodded and tapped the Vanguard Gauntlet.

~~~~~~~~~
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~Devil's Cocktail~

Feeling refreshed, Nihility made her way to the Devil's Cocktail following Komori's instruction.


"Hmmm... a vacation." Nihility pondered over the reveal of their latest expedition. "Can't say for sure what kind of change it would be, but it would be nice to relax in a different setting." She mumbled to herself with one hand stroking Tyrian's back.

Finally making up her mind, she nodded and head back to her room.

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"So, you have made your decision then, mistress." Tyrian's gaze followed Nihility as she went about rummaging through her drawers.

"Ah, here it is." Nihility held the parchment with Vayu's instructions on how to make the Maga pills. "Yes, Tyrian. We shall go to this Vacation with everyone, but before that, if we are to continue with our plan, then we need to stock up on these maga pills. I will make a bunch for both of us."

"Alright mistress, as planned, I will go into my dormant state to reserve spending unnecessary Maga."

"Right right, but first follow me, we shall gather the ingredients and prepare the pills. Reserve however much you can. Once we make enough pills, it should be okay."


Nihility grabbed Vayu's pills along with the parchment with the recipes and headed out of her room to gather the ingredients and prepare for the Vacation.

Zephyr Arc - Barracks Training Ground

Zephyr narrowly dodged the punched aimed squarely at his nose, dropping low and releasing a sweep at his opponent's legs. It appeared she'd already expected this as she'd jumped right over his low-sweep, sending a kick at his face. He sometimes wondered whether she had something against his face with how much she aimed for it. Knowing he wouldn't be able to recover his stance in time to block, he twisted his body along with the momentum from his kick to avoid having his face stomped in.

"...You're being pretty fierce today, Cherry." He commented as he took the moment when she landed to regain his footing. Not too soon either, as another punch came, this time for his chest. "Less talking more punching." she replied uninterrupted. Zephyr met her punch with one of his own this time. Most people that had seen her smack him whenever he'd gone berserk probably wondered what business a pixie had punching or kicking things, but fact was that the master had trained them both together. She'd been magically grown to human size during combat training, naturally. His own Shift spell had been based on a spell his master carried, though he apparently couldn't use much of it's power for reasons he wouldn't say.

Cherry had taken just as much combat training as he himself had. In fact, when shifted, she even gave him a run for his money. When spells weren't involved, that is. Zephyr dodged a roundhouse kick and was about to throw an uppercut in retaliation when his gauntlet buzzed. The distraction gave Cherry just enough time to nail him in the forehead and lay him out.

"Ouch." He called out, which was met him only a "Hmph!" from Cherry. Clear enough she'd already decided he deserved it. She'd been furious about his reckless abandon in battle recently.

Sitting up, he checked what the gauntlet wanted. "Seem's we've been summoned, sis. Better stow the attitude where you usually do in case the others realize you're actually a wild boar!"

His comment earned him another good smack before Cherry returned to her normal size.

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Devil's Cocktail

Zephyr arrived with Cherry on his shoulder, both having wiped away the sweat and gotten a quick change of clothes. Seeing the rest of his graduating class here as well, he wondered what might be up. With them all here, could it have anything to do with Mother Harlot?

Deciding not to speculate pointlessly, he grabbed a seat and ordered himself some juice and a food platter. Sparring could really make one hungry. Naturally, smaller portions were ordered for Cherry, who's sat down on the table next to him as well.

Once everyone was present, Komori announced that they'd be going on... vacation? He hadn't had a vacation in... actually, he hadn't had a vacation at all. Neither had Cherry. "Hey Cherry, think we should buy some stuff for the trip?" He asked her, clearly excited.

She looked between him and her food a few times. He could see it was probably taking her great effort to not show her own excitement, but the glimmer in her eye made it fairly obvious. "I'll take that as a yes, let's hit the market! All of that allowance master usually sends really comes in handy for things like this!" He declared as he finished his platter and headed out, leaving payment next to his tray.

Samael - Samael's Quarters

"It's so quiet...." Samael muttered, as he lied in his bed watching the wall in his room.  His body felt stiff and he had zero desire to move.  His crafting and clothing lied on his workbench in a complete and utter mess full of half projects and failed stitches with various plans ripped to pieces in a heap of fury.

It's better this way, I need to stay hidden after all and Goki wanted me to be Monet.  I don't deserve to be her, she's a simple weak disguise and I need to be strong if I want to be able to make amends.  Yea, maybe Ryoko did have some merit in what she said, after all, helping Goki only brought on this so...

Suddenly his gantlet pinged, as he saw the message to report to the Devil's Cocktail.  A wave of heat passed through Samael... what is Komori was there?  What is Goki was there?  What is Ose was there?!?!  Right after he snapped at him during the winter mission too, he would utterly murder him if he spotted him.

"No!  Samael is strong!  He's not weak." Samael muttered, as he found himself thinking about how much he sounded like Goki with that phrase.  Whatever!  Let's just go to the mission, that will help him get his mind off this once they get started... that is!


---------

Devil's Cocktail  

Samael kept his head low, trying to avoid the glare out Ose. He wasn't sure if Goki had left to go see him yet, but if he did.  Well, It didn't seem that Goki was here though... for the time being thankfully.  He was probably trying to avoid him too after all, but besides that.

"Hey..." Samael started to say with a smile to Bastion before realizing that... he and Bastion weren't that close with his redirecting his wave towards everyone in the group, "I can design anyone's swimsuits if they don't have one, I can guarantee you won't get a better fit."

Samael a chill of awkwardness and shuttering shot through Samael's body as the realization hit him, 'Wow, did I actually say that'.  But, he wasn't about to just leave, that would be even more awkward... he'll just see if anyone wants one and then quickly slip out...

Chaldea - Barracks

Bastion paused in the doorway at the sound of Samael’s offer. He didn’t actually have a swimsuit, so he was going to head out to find one. But if Samael could make one for him, so much the better.

“Actually, I’d be interested, if that’s okay,” Bastion said, returning to Samael. They ended up walking back to the barracks together so Samael could get his measurements for the swimsuit. It was slightly awkward getting measurements taken, but Bastion was comfortable enough around Samael for it not to bother him too much. But something was definitely off... and it took him a moment to realize the little oni they’d picked up on their first mission was nowhere to be seen. Usually, he was always hanging about in that infectiously eager and animated way of his. Strange... Bastion might not be overly fond of demons, especially oni, but Goki and Samael did seem to complement each other well.

When they finished up, Bastion thanked Samael and headed back toward his room. “I hope my order doesn’t take too much of your time sure,” he said, smiling. “I’m sure Goki wants one too.”

Back in his room, he proceeded to pack his things, though he wasn’t really sure what to bring. He’d never really done this sort of thing before. Doing his best to think it through, he finished adding in he necessities to his bag and laid down on his bed. Glancing at his gauntlet, he was tempted to summon Archangel and discuss things with him, but... that would hardly be conducive to a restful night’s sleep.

It was only one day, after all. What could happen?

—————————————

Chaldea - Devil’s Cocktail

The next morning, the group met at the bar and waited as Nena finished bringing her things out. Ose leaned against the bar, annoyed and impatient, periodically sending sharp stares in Samael’s direction.

“Okay, I think that’s everything!” Nena declared, hoisting up her tote bag. Her expression flickered in surprise as she tested its weight, but Komori immediately scooped it out of her grasp and beamed.

“Allow me,” he said. “All right then, everyone. Let’s head out!”

The group trooped out of the bar, leaving Ose alone.

“Goki,” he called out to the oni, who’d been hiding out in the kitchen to avoid Samael. “You can come out.”

Ose took a seat on one of the stools, moodily picking at his claws. This was so far beneath him...

“You can tend to the patrons, too,” he decided, pointing at the oni. “Think of it as... endurance training.”

—————————————

Woods

Komori led them out of the front gates and out onto the wilderness plains. They had to walk some ways, Chaldea slowly fading into the distance behind them, until they finally reached the edge of a large forest.

“Woods?” Nena asked, frowning. “I brought a swimsuit, not camping gear!”

“Trust me,” Komori replied, winking. “You’re going to love it.”

They headed into the woods, following after Komori as he hummed cheerily to himself. He really seemed to be excited about all this. His attitude seemed to spread to Rory, who trotted along beside him with a beaming smile on her face. After a ways in, Komori halted and turned to face them all. He puffed up his chest with pride, teeth gleaming as he grinned.

“Welcome, everyone, to our vacation paradise!”

He stepped dramatically around the corner of a large tree and gestured with his arm. They followed him around, then stopped to gape.



A beautiful, shimmering lake spread out before them, surrounded by a high, rocky cliff from which water continued to pour and spray in a cooling mist. Lovely flowers bloomed and spread across the grassy clearing, with plenty of space to spread out, relax, and play.

“It’s amazing,” Nena gasped. “How did you find it.”

“I have my ways,” Komori replied, eyes twinkling.

Everyone seemed to linger, just taking in the sights, when someone brushed past them all and moved into the clearing.

“Not bad at all, Komori,” Aeris said, throwing her black hair over her shoulder. “I’m impressed.”

Nena glared daggers at her. “What are you doing here?”

Aeris shrugged and started to walk away toward the lake. “Just taking a stroll through the woods. Don’t mind me.”

“I do mind,” Nena growled, but Aeris was already out of range.

“Uh...” Komori picked at his cheek. “Anyway, let’s get unpacked and start having fun!”

Everyone spread out into the clearing, setting down their things and picking out spots. Nena retrieved her back from Komori and tossed it to the ground, causing a squeak to emit from it. Nena, eyes narrowing, threw open the back and dug through it.

“You?!” She hauled Mongo out by the scruff of his neck and hurled him into a nearby bush. “Go back to Chaldea!”

Mongo groaned and popped his head out of the bush. “You can’t send me back alone! I’m too weak! Defenseless! What if I get attacked on the way back?”

Nena bared her teeth, eyes flashing. “You should be worrying about getting attacked if you stay!”

Komori laid a hand on her shoulder and chuckled. “Now, now, let’s all just cool down and relax, okay?”

Nena looked up at him, sighed, and folded her arms. “.....fine.”

Bastion finished setting up a spot for himself and looked around. “What should we do first?”

Mongo grinned. “Change into swimsuits, of course!”

Nena cast him a suspicious look. “Someone keep an eye on him while we girls go to change. I don’t trust him.”

Mongo threw up his arms. “Wait! This is a special occasion! You can’t just go off and change and come back.”

Nena’s eyes narrowed as she leaned down toward him. “Oh? We can’t?”

“No, no!” Mongo shook his head. “We need...”

Everyone exchanged looks as the little imp’s smile grew impossibly wide.

“A swimsuit beauty pageant!”

Zephyr Arc - Devil's Cocktail

Just as they made to leave, Samael- albeit awkwardly- offered to make everyone swimsuits. Cherry stiffened for just a moment, causing Zephyr to stop in his tracks. He glanced down at her once before turning around and beelining for Samael.

He then abruptly snatched the pixie off his shoulder and handed her to him. "Can you do a super tiny one?" He asked. He could easily buy a swimsuit for himself, but he realised getting one in Cherry's size would be near impossible otherwise.

He left her in Samael's capable hands in spite of her pouting and sauntered off to shop for the rest of their luggage.

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Devil's Cocktail - next morning

Zephyr showed up the next day in full vacation mode, newly bought shorts and a vacation-themed shirt, Cherry perched on his shoulder. He also carried a large backpack full of way too much stuff, as well as his weapons. Who knows what could happen? Them being on vacation didn't mean aggressive demons would leave them alone.

Zephyr strolled along next to Vayu when they got moving, apparently not bothered by the weight of the pack he was carrying. "What kind of food do you think would be most... vacation-y?" He asked, trying to make conversation. The pixie had managed to nag his ear off when she returned the previous night and he was worried she might rip it off next time if he didn't put in some more effort to be social...

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Woods

Having reached their destination, the group found a beautiful lakeside sprawled before them, the crystal clear waters looking especially inviting, to the point Cherry hovered off his shoulder to go whizz around and get a better look. As he busied himself taking in the breathtaking view, a commotion seemed to have started amongst the others.

It seemed they had two uninvited guests in the form of Aeris and Mongo. One made Nena crabby, while the other's perverted tendencies made all the women in the group turn quickly hostile, including Cherry.

Just as quickly as Mongo had managed to finish blurting out his "suggestion", Zephyr grabbed him by the back of his shirt and tossed him far into the lake like a sack of potatoes. "That should keep him busy for a while. I don't think the suggestion itself was bad though." He added. He didn't really have any interest in a beauty pageant as much as thinking it was 'vacation-y' and therefore must be fun, right?

What was a pageant anyway?

Nihility ~ Dorms

Nihility consumed herself in her tasks and time passed by without any incidents. She remembered Komori informing them to bring along a swimsuit. If Shoggoth was readily available, the demon could have easily provided her with a suit of any form and design on the spot. But as it seemed like the two weren't on friendly terms at the moment, the order from Komori was made on very short notice and as she didn't have a suit on hand; there were only two options left for Nihility, in the end, Time chose for her.

By the time it took her to cook up the Maga Boost Pills, even adding her twist to them by using the essence of her Maga Transfer Spell, the clothes selling shops had closed for the night. So the only outlet left to her was to take on the proposition that Samael had so graciously offered.

This outcome was also the best opportunity for her to test out the new pills. By this time, Samael might have exhausted his strength in completing all the orders that he had took upon himself since the late evening.

Checking up on him at his lodging, Nihility meekly knocked on his door and apologetically requested him for this last minute order. But she sweetened the deal by offering him as payment few of the bountiful pills she had concocted. It would greatly help him power through the night and depending on how many he took, even let him have a good night's rest.

To be fair and understanding of the situation, instead of selfishly going off to bed, Nihility would wait for Samael to finish her order by allowing herself be seated outside his room and let him work his magic in private while she and Tyrian would meditate in channelling their Maga Restoration and Conservation process.

~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~

After once again apologetically and gratefully thanking the tailor for his extraordinary work, Nihility would finally leave for her own room and rest on her inviting bed for the remainder of the night with Tyrian at her side.

~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~

Starting her morning, Nihility popped a pill, let it work its Magik, and went about getting ready for their vacation trip. She placed the tin pillbox into a satchel and two varied sized towels to dry herself with as Komori's suggestion of swimsuits meant that they would be heading off to a location where they could get drenched. Nihility didn't have much to add as she didn't really have a huge variety of personal belongings. Plus, this was supposed to be a vacation, which meant to her being light and free, as much as possible.

After her refreshing shower, Nihility held it up and admired Samael's craftmanship of the swimsuit he had intricately designed for her...

~Woods~

As it, appeared that the group had to make their way without a carriage, Nihility chose to ride on Tyrian. Chaldea was soon left behind and out of sight as they ventured deep into the woods. Nihility didn't really know what their final destination was, hopefully, it would be an open enough area which didn't remind her too much of the groove that the Merrymen had made their camp, or worse, make her reminisce on the memories within the swamp near her birthplace. The feeding ground of Shoggoth.

Thankfully Komori led them to the promised vacation spot, and it seemed quite the refreshing sight. The scent of the abundant plant life and the cool tone of the water. Komori called it a paradise. It sure felt like an enchanting getaway spot at first glance.


The young lady ignored the drama and antics that the tiny creature was causing. Nihility loosened up her light Purple robe that she had been snuggly covered in from the time she left her dorm, and she made her way to the edge of the lake.

The water was cool to the touch. Letting her robe drop, Nihility waded into the water in the swimsuit that she had already been wearing. The other items that she had brought, were inside the leather satchel attached to Tyrian. The Bicron walked over to the lake as well but kept his distance away from the water. He could keep watch over Nihility while also making sure her items were close-by whenever she would need them in haste.

Spoiler:

- Cleo -

Devil's Cocktail

Cleo raised an eyebrow when Samael mentioned making swimsuits for the others. Maybe he should introduce his fellow Vanguard to Natalia sometime? Although, Samael seemed to regret his words almost as soon as he spoke them. Interesting...

---------------------------------

Woods

Cleo let out a low whistle as he turned the corner to see a little slice of paradise before him. The others seemed equally impressed with the view. Of course, the view got even better when Aeris stepped into the picture. Not that Cleo was planning to say that aloud. Considering the altercation he'd had with her during the winter, it was probably best not to get on her bad side right now. Apparently, Nena didn't have any problem with starting something though, not that Aeris really acknowledged her anyway.

His hand went to his katana when Nena's bag squeaked, but Cleo relaxed as she tossed Mongo into the woods. The poor imp couldn't catch a break, but to be fair, he had expressly been not invited. A moment later, the demon suggested something unexpected, and Cleo couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face, especially after Zephyr also agreed. "Yes, a nice little show sounds excellent." Cleo replied. "Besides, it will give us time to let all of the Mongo in the water settle out and be less concentrated."

Woods
- Vayu -

Vayu was on time, meeting up with everyone at the bar. He enjoyed the early mornings, the air smelling fresh and new at the crack of dawn.

They headed out with Komori leading them through the woods. The more distance they gained from the city, the more Vayu began to breathe freely. When was the last time he’d taken a stroll in the woods just for fun? Efficiently he moved through the underbrush until they arrived at a clearing that Komori proudly proclaimed as their vacation spot. In the middle of the clearing was lake with exceptionally clear water.

Vayu simply stood and took it in for a few seconds.

When the commotion with Mongo started, he simply moved off to the side into higher ground. He dropped his bag and stripped down to his swim shorts. Swimsuit pageant. He shook his head. What as silly idea.

Instead of waiting for the others to decide, he dove head first into the lake from his higher spot. The water was smooth and cool. Vayu stayed underwater for a couple of seconds, looking around the clear water. When he finally broke through the surface, he allowed his body to float on the water, looking up at the light that filtering down to through the trees.

Samael

"Of course, it should be fun. I haven't designed clothes for a fairy for a long time." Samael stated with a light smile, as he quickly began taking Cherry's measurements with a tape measure he pulled out of a hidden pocket within his elaborate garb quickly marking down the measurements.

Then, Bastion's voice quickly clawed its way into Samael's mind as the words "Actually I'd be interested" resonated in Samael's mind as he felt like his blood went cold for a split second. Slowly turning around just like how that one man had that weapon to the back of his head in that crazy hell biker mission.

God dammit! Him and his mouth!

"Sure! I'd be happy to make something Bastion." Samael stated with a slightly forced smile, as he exited the inn with Bastion. The vanguard kept a bit of a distance between the two, as he made sure there wasn't ANYTHING that might tip him off that Monet was him.

Samael began taking measurements, as he fumbled over the tape measure a few times that was signs of him being a tailoring novice! But he couldn't help it, a slight slip and bam! Bastion would feel his chest like out of those old weird picture book his family owned!

"Ok I got them, should be good! Unfortunately, Goki is training with Ose, he's been more determined lately but I have a lot of orders so we can chat more later!" Samael stated quickly ushering Bastion out of the room and closing the door behind him, as his face turned as red as a sunburn pyro jack in the middle of the hottest of deserts.

----

"Hmm, I need to make sure it's comfortable around Cherry's wings... should I put some protective fabric around it? If would need to handle water well, or it might make it harder to fly... Would wet wings be too heavy for them to fly anyways? Do they use wind magic or something to dry it off!?" Samael ranted in a bombardment of questions, as a sudden knock at the door made him jolt in the direction various needles and threads scattering about the room in the heat of the moment as he rushed over opening it.

"Oh, it was just Nihility...." Samael thought a little disappointed, as his head was looking down at her shoes which was made of a surprisingly nice black material that provided protection to the elements as well... not too worn either.

"Of course, another order isn't too difficult! The pills should be a great help too, I've passed out many times working on my clothes." Samael quickly responded to her ask with genuine excitement, continuing to say, "I'll just leave your swimsuit outside when I'm done, I hope you don't mind me taking a bit of creative choices with your design? It's the least I can do."

Samael then popped in one of the 'magik' pills, and worked harder than he had ever before. His mind was sharp, and he was able to quickly breeze through the the designs.

---

Samael laid out Cherry and Bastion's outfits out for them to see.

For cherry Samael wanted to design something that would blend in with the fairy forest he had been too... The one he was from had very thick cherry blossoms with various trolls and Napaea in them. The had a rather balloon like appearance, so Samael took the time to try and mimic the balloon like wings with a water proof fabric that wouldn't absorb any extra water and instead cause it to flow off. Then he would snugly make it wrap and flow with her wings so that she would still be able to fly and even enjoy the cool water despite her small size.

Spoiler:

Then for Bastion... Well he did go with the holy feature lately and with how much he enjoyed the old world with Monet. He might like a theme that can show off both! He decided to go some trunks that were etched with various holy symbols with a gray and yellow tint to it with a pair of sliver wings etched around the side.

"Could afford to be a bit extravagant with the pills Nihility gave me, though..... I think I'm feeling a bit of a crash now." Samael stated to Cherry and Bastion while handing them their suits as he sat back down onto the grass soaking in the pleasant sunlight.

All the girls looked skeptical at the idea of this swimsuit pageant. Nena folded her arms, opening her mouth to protest, when Aeris stood up from the edge of the lake where she’d been feeling the water.

“I’m game.”

Nena blinked, protest stuck in her throat. She warred internally for a few moments, then blurted out, “Fine, I’m in too.” She plucked Nihility out of the water and grabbed Scarlet with her other arm and dragged them toward the tree line. “We’re all doing this thing!”

“Umm...” Rory hesitated, blushing. “Can I join?”

Everyone paused, sharing an uncomfortable look. Komori cleared his throat. “I’m not sure that’s...”

Rory hung her head, clutching her swimsuit in hand.

“Oh, it’ll be fine,” Nena assured him. Komori finally sighed and nodded.

Rory, beaming, hurried after the other girls into the safety of the trees.

“Since this was my idea, I’ll be the judge!” Mongo declared, popping out of the water and climbing onto the top of Vayu’s head.

“Absolutely not!” Nena shouted back from behind the trees.

Vayu pulled the imp off his head and tossed him to the shore, where he squeezed the water out of his robes.

“Fine... I’ll MC then!” he said, grinning. Pointing at the other guys, he added. “Then you’ll all have to be the panel of judges.”

During all this, Bastion held up the swim trunks that Samael had made for him, admiring the work and detail that went into them. He smiled warmly at Samael, threading the material through his fingers. “They’re perfect. Thank you.”

He took a seat next to Samael when Mongo volunteered them all as judges in his contest.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with-“ he began when Komori hauled him and Samael up with one arm each.

“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun,” Komori said, looking a little too enthusiastic about this.

“I knew I could count on you, Komori,” the imp said, climbing onto his shoulder and grinning.

While the girls changed into their swimsuits, Komori and Cleo rolled over a log for them to sit on as the judge’s panel. With his nimble little fingers, Mongo tied together a makeshift curtain out of vines as a makeshift curtain and scattered leaves and flowers from it to serve as a walkway.

“Ooh, this will be fun,” he giggled, clambering onto a small bush to act as his MC stand. “Are we ready girls?”

“I guess...” Nena replied, beginning to sound like she thinking better of her earlier rash decision.

“The rules are as follows,” Mongo declared. “The contest will be judged based on their poise and bearing, the style of their swimsuit and how it works for them, and the answers to my questions. Scores will be kept private, and the winner will not be revealed till the end of the contest”

Bastion winced at the thought of what Mongo’s questions could be.

“First up... Nihility!”

The judges clapped as Nihility came out from behind the curtain and down the cat walk.

“Nihility is wearing, uh...” He tilted his head, squinting at the unusual design. “A unique design of her own, preferring a modest cut and bright, clashing colors to distract from the lack of skin on display. Nihility’s style shows that sometimes... less is more?”

Mongo waited until Nihility had finished walking and taken her place at the end of the runway before clearing his throat..

“Miss Nihility,” he said, folding his hands. “What would you say your three best attributes are?”

Nihility ~ Lakeside

Nihility was taken by surprise as the strong loving arm of the Devil's Coctail's patron grabbed her from behind and pulled her out of the cool water that she was just about to take a full dive into.

"Wah-wah! What's going on!?" Nihility squealed

The saddened lady gave a little pout but didn't break free from the hold as the older woman similarly grabbed onto Scarlet and walked them all towards the other females. She was soon given a quick rundown of the event that everyone was being made to participate in. The quickest way to get out of any situation was to simply breeze through it, instead of expelling the same energy or more in fighting against the tide.


Nihility nodded and pumped herself up. The Pro-tips from Nena, fresh in her mind. "You can do this. Just walk out there and do not trip."


Pushing aside the leafy curtain, the young lady confidently walked the petal strewed walkway. With her chest held up high, light reflected off the snuggly fit Jewels studded swimsuit complimenting her slender frame. Reaching the edge, Nihility shifted her weight onto one side of the hip, tilted her head slightly to her side with one hand resting onto her side. She then swapped the posture onto the opposite side while also slightly twisting at the waist to present an alternate view and gave everyone a silly smirk as she flipped the free lock of hair over her shoulder.

After displaying herself to the onlookers for a few seconds, the fresh runway model relaxed a bit, threw her arms in an open waving motion and then twirled her body around in a quick motion. The strips extending down and over her thighs, mimicking the tendrils of a deadly yet exotically beautiful blue-ringed octopus, were lifted up by the flow of air and spun along with Nihility's motion. The damp pale skin glistened as the sunlight hit the latent water from the drenched tendrils now fully laying bare her previously teased thighs. Water droplets trailing the tendrils fanned out around her legs in an extending arc. Thankfully, the judges were seated far enough and were saved from the spray.


Nihility now done with her display, moved over to stand a bit further away from the end of the line so as to not block the path for the next model.


"Hmm... my best attributes you ask?" Nihility stared at Mongo in thought, unconsciously biting the left side of her lip as she pondered on the answer. "I would say, in no specific order..." The young woman still in thought would fold up her arms and close her eyes, stalling for a bit longer before answering. "I can be quite Patient in most situations. I don't trust easily, but when I do, I am Loyal, but if that trust is shattered, then it is extremely unlikely it would ever be regained. Thirdly... umm..."


Nihility frowned with visible discomfort as she felt everyone's gaze on her. She was having a difficult time thinking for the last attribute when Tyrian strode up next to her and nudged at her left palm. Nihility got a bit of a surprise and gave a slight jolt at the Bicorn's sudden appearance. The second time someone approached her blind spot today.

The demon didn't make a sound as Nihility's hand reflexively stroked his muzzle. The thought finally filtered in and she affectionately smiled at her demon partner. "Thank you, Tyrian, you always know how to cheer me up."


Turning back to face the others with renewed charisma, Nihility smiled at them all and responded with her final answer. "Linking with my Loyalty to the beings who I bond with, I would say that I can be quite Caring towards them."


Nihility approvingly nodded and turned her attention to her partner with another bright smile and ruffled his mane and caressed his ear.

Woods + Lake
- Vayu -

Vayu lost his balance in the water when Mongo climbed onto him. With a sigh and a light smile he tossed the demon ashore. It seemed the others had really decided to go for the swimsuit pageant.

Vayu was only mildly curious, but he decided to be a good sport anyways. He swam back to shore and made his way over to the other boys.

Standing behind them, he wrung out his wet hair, dripping them with cold water.

“You’re missing out. The water is pretty nice and cold,” he said with a grin after Nihility presented her colorful swimsuit and answered the questions with a surprising amount of normalcy.

More or less patiently he waited for the next person to step out behind Mongo’s makeshift curtain.

Zephyr Arc - Lake

With the festivities apparently starting, Zephyr quickly zipped off to get Cherry. Now that he knew what pageant was, he felt it a shame she wouldn't get to participate when all the other girls were going to. Spotting her still whizzing around over the lake, he hopped in and swam over, leaping out of the water to snatch her, to her chagrin.

He was brought, still pouting, back to the lake shore by Zephyr. "Look, if you want me to socialize you're gonna have to do it too." He told her as he cast Shift on her, blowing her up to human size. Cherry finally sighed and went to join the rest of the girls, clearly resigned to her fate.

Nihility came out onto the hastily constructed runway not long after. Her answers were... surprisingly normal, for a girl that plucks and eats eyeballs. "Don't worry, I already had a nice dip." He replied to Vayu's comment on missing out on the water as he watched the on-going pageant.

Samael

Samael blinked as he suddenly found himself in a panel of judges, wasn't this kind of biased considering he made outfits for some of the contestants? He kind of also wanted to participate and show some of the fancy outfits he made for Monet recently, but that isn't an option.

THOUGH! This sounds like a lot of fun! He always loved the idea of these kinds of pageants though this simply. won't do!

"Let's make this look more presentable.... Transform! Transform! Transform!" Samael called out as the walkway suddenly transformed into an elegant cloth of flowers and nature woven elegantly together with various twigs forming an elegant walkway. The vines also transformed into a flowery well put together curtain as Samael sprayed a bottle of perfume on it given it the scent of flowers from the fairy forest. A oaken stump suddenly warping into a cloth elegant table serving as the judge panel.

"Well, I'm glad you like them! You can't do much with a guy's trunks but simple is better sometimes." Samael muttered while blushing a bit before he coughed when the first question was asked.... and listened intently to Nihility's answer. She was actually surprisingly cute? with the display. It honestly made him shutter a bit at the thought.

"How about you.... Cherry, Scarlet? Same question." Samael professional responded, as he calmly folded his hands in front of him observing the vanguard with watchful eyes. He was genuinely curious about how Nena and Rory would answer since he hadn't interacted with them as much as the others.

- Cleo -

Cleo whistled as the ladies made their way into the trees to change. "Are you sure you don't want to join them?" He turned towards Silky, who regarded him with an unamused look.

"You realize that you're every bit as beautiful as any of them, right?" He asked, dipping a finger under her chin so that she'd hold his gaze instead of looking away.

Silky's eyes darted back and forth, and her cheeks began to color a little before she pushed Cleo away and slipped into the lake. Her dress billowed and rippled before seeming to merge with the water as she sank beneath the surface, leaving behind only a stream of bubbles.

Chuckling, Cleo turned back towards the event, just in time to hear Nihility's responses. She seemed oddly earnest, considering what he'd seen of her so far. Not to mention her choice in outfit was a little... Loud? Cleo still hadn't quite gotten a good read on her, even though they'd recently spent a mission together. Although, given her responses, that somewhat made sense. While they'd needed to work together, Cleo hadn't spent much time getting to know her. She'd seemed a little "distant" during the journey, but now she seemed to have recovered from whatever had been on her mind.

Bastion half-smiled, half-grimaced as Samael seemed to get a little too into the production, using his illusion spell to turn this half-baked production into a glitzy, glamorous runway scene. He tapped down on the temptation to say something, figuring it was best to let Samael enjoy the moment, no matter how odd it was.

Nihility was a pleasant surprise, answering her questions sincerely and receiving encouragement from her demon in a moment that captured the judge's sympathy. As she left, they clapped politely and smiled for her.

"Thank you, Nilly," Mongo said. "And now for our next contestant, Aeris! Like the goddess of discord, she stirs things up wherever she goes!"

Aeris emerged from behind the curtain, garbed in black as she usually was. But this outfit left slightly less to the imagination.

Spoiler:

Mongo choked slightly as Aeris made her way down the runway, proving that her usual gait was close enough to runway model stride as it was.

"Aeris has chosen a simple but striking black bikini, as well a transparent wrap that adds a touch of elegance to this work of art," Mongo narrated, smiling impossibly wide.

A snort came from behind the curtain. Aeris reached the end of the walkway, gave a striking half turn and the hint of a wink in Mongo, Komori, and Cleo's direction, before snapping back to front and posing with one hand on her hip. Komori swallowed, eyes darting back and forth between Aeris and some point far off in the distance.

"Now, Aeris," Mongo went on. "Why don't you tell us what you think your three strongest attributes are."

Aeris' lips curved. "Best qualities? Let's see... strength, daring, and confidence."

Mongo clapped. "And modest! She didn't even mention 'strikingly beautiful.'"

"That-" Aeris turned back toward the curtain, her glossy black hair whipping around her shoulders. "-was a given."

Mongo oggled her as sashayed away, ignoring the sounds of faux retching behind the curtains. "Confident indeed."

The runway now clear, Mongo sighed and leaned back in his podium, looking bored. "Next up, Nena."

Nena walked out in what appeared to be a more modest one-piece outfit, but as she approached, it became apparent that the transparent mesh making up some of the swimsuit allowed a bit more to show than first appeared. Komori leaned forward a bit in his seat, eyes raking over her.

Spoiler:

Nena caught his eye, and, seemingly emboldened, smiled and strutted more confidently down the walkway.

"Remember, no succubus charming the judges," he said, wagging a finger.

Nena came up short, taken aback. "I wasn't- I don't need to-!" She huffed, then resumed her walk with slightly less poise.

"Mhmm." Mongo barely waited for her to reach the end before prompting her with her questions. "What are your three best attributes?"

Nena caught halfway between trying to pose, cleared her throat and straightened up.

"I'm, uh..." She struggled for a few moments, then forced a smile. "Kind."

Mongo snickered.

"And... uh, generous!"

Mongo burst out laughing. Nena raised her hand and blasted him with a Curse spell, sending him hurtling off the podium and head-first into the bushes. She then turned back to the judge's pannel and beamed at them, hands clasped.

"And forgiving," she said through a teeth-clenched smile. "Thank you!"

With a forced, cheerful titter, she turned and made her way back to the curtain amidst a round of nervous claps at the perceived threat as Mongo crawled out from behind the bush. "She's... losing... points..."

"You deserved that," Komori said, frowning and scooping him up to set him on the podium.

Mongo, unrepentant, dusted himself off and cleared his throat. "Next up, our little Rory!"

Rory, garbed in a frilly white one-piece, popped out from behind the curtain. One look at Samael's transformation, and she stopped to turn around, gazing at the set in wonder. It wasn't until Mongo cleared his throat that she jumped, blushed, and made her way down the runway with more of a skip than a stride.

Komori, maintaining an encouraging smile, leaned toward the rest of the judges. "No lingering eyes."

Bastion winced. He didn't have to worry. Rory was cute, but too young for any of them to be interested in her, or for her to be interested in any of...

His thoughts trailed off as Rory reached the end of the runway, caught his eye, and blushed profusely. Komori shot a look between them, and Bastion hurriedly found something interesting to pick on his arm.

"Now, Rory," Mongo said, smiling pleasantly. "Who are the three most important people in your life?"

"Well..." Rory clasped her hands behind her back and shuffled her feet. "Komori, for always looking out for me."

Komori beamed proudly at her.

"And Miss Nena, for taking me in and being very helpful, even if she tries to hide it."

The curtain ruffled slightly.

"And... umm..." Rory's eyes darted toward Bastion, her cheeks more pink than ever, before quickly looking around at the others. "All of this Vanguard class for being so nice and inclusive to me."

Bowing her head, she hurried back across the runway to join the others behind the curtain as the group clapped warmly for her.

Mongo waited for the applause to die down, then cleared his throat. "Ooh, and now for a rare treat, we have our next contest, the pixie Cherry!"

Cherry the Pixie | Lake

Her name called, Cherry slowly emerged from behind the curtain, face beet red as she fluttered around the runway. Despite the look on her face, her eyes radiated bloody murder at Zephyr, who stood with the rest of the boys, arms crossed. At first she just floated bashfully forward, but when he gestured at her to put in a little more flair, she turned even redder for a moment as she stopped, then took a deep breath and drew a few circles in the air with flourish before returning to the focal point of the stage, landing with the grace one would expect of one of the fairy folk.

Next came the questions. As they were asked, Cherry looked like a deer staring at headlights, tongue-tied and stuttering. Suddenly, with a flurry of wet purplish hair, a man whose face would probably put a woman to shame if he'd just keep his mouth shut landed on stage beside her, a hand on her head.

With a whisper of 'you're doing great' in her ear giving her encouragement, she finally spoke. "U-uh. I-I'm not sure, but my master told me m-my best qualities were... l-loyalty, in that I'd never leave a friend or injured person. Kindness from the same, a-and my ability to look after people."

Woods
- Vayu -

Vayu watched with an open mouth when Samael suddenly sprang up and began to transform the makeshift stage, decorating it with elegant cloth and flowers, even recreating a sweet-smelling flower scent that covered the entire area.

I mean, he knew Samael had a transform spell, but to use it like this? All this had come from his mind. So what was going on in his mind? Come to think of it, he did show great skill and creativity in designing the women’s and the men’s clothes. None of the men he knew back home would have even touched a sewing needle. Hell, he’d gotten enough crap when he decided to learn how to cook, something that inherently women did.

Finally closing his mouth, he continued to watch Samael instead of the women who were modeling their swim wear. Samael seemed to enjoy the moment, looking proudly at his creation.

What if he was gay? Vayu’s mind still pondered over Samael’s behavior, but now he returned his eyes to the stage where Cherry had just walked out.

- Cleo -

Despite things getting off to a slow start, everyone seemed to be getting into it now. Samuel even made the effort to decorate the stage with his illusion magic, which Cleo could appreciate. Any woman comfortable in her own skin didn’t need a runway to look gorgeous, but what could it hurt for them to experience this kind of production once in their life?

He grinned as Aeris sauntered down the path in her bikini, adding in a subtle exaggeration to the sway of each step. That only served to reaffirm that this woman knew how to use what she’d been given. When she turned a wink in their direction, Cleo caught her gaze for a moment, searching for something. There was a hint of hunger masked behind what he could only describe as confident amusement, but it wasn’t overpowering. Before her eyes moved away, they told him that she’d let him have his chance, but he best enjoy it, because there would only be one.

Much to his surprise, Nena seemed much less confident, both in her stride and in her responses. If he didn’t know how heartless she could be at times, Cleo might have even called the seemingly frazzled barkeep “cute” or “adorable” in this moment. Too bad she’d only ever had eyes for Komori, not that he’d ever seen the two of them act on it. “That way leads to dragons…” Cleo muttered to himself as Nena power-walked away from the stage, leaving a sputtering Mongo behind. The poor imp really was bad off if he didn’t realize that the woman had gained far more points than she’d lost, at least by Cleo’s count.

With Rory’s appearance, Samael’s work could be truly appreciated. Cleo didn’t know her whole story, but from what he did know, the girl deserved more opportunities like this one. She’d clearly missed out on opportunities to feel special, and it was good to see her glow under the spotlight of attention.

That glow was harshly contrasted by a certain fairy, who was next to travel the stage, her cheeks alight with what Cleo could tell was embarrassment, rather than excitement.

Bastion winced as poor Cherry seemed very taken aback by all the proceedings. Zephyr, however, was willing to jump in and reassure her - which he should, given that he put her up to it - even though Mongo was none too pleased by the interference.

“Judges can’t show favoritism to contestants!” he reprimanded, wagging a finger at Zephyr till he vacated the stage.

Cherry pulled herself together enough to answer the question, but it was shaky at best. Everyone clapped encouragingly for her as she headed back and signaled for the last contestant, Scarlet. Scarlet opted for a more sporty swimsuit and seemed largely above it all, casually answering Mongo’s question and returning without much effort to impress.

When Scarlet had finished, all the ladies came out onto the stage and lined up - ranging from shy hand-wringing to last minute poses and flirtation to catch the judge’s eyes to death glares at the judge’s panel.

“Well, judges, you’ve seen our lovely ladies,” Mongo said, waving toward them. “It’s time to crown our Queen of Summer Beauty!”

Komori smiled at the woman, then gestured to bring the guys into a circle. The moment his back was turned, his smile fell like a ton of bricks.

“I have a confession. I may have let my hormones cloud my judgment. We’ve placed ourselves in a position with no little hope of escape.”

“You’ve placed ourselves,” Bastion muttered.

“No matter who we choose, the rest of the girls will either be hurt or angry - with us and each other,” Komori reasoned. “I think we only have one out.”

He looked around at the guys, then solemnly nodded. “We crown Rory.”

Bastion blinked. “Why Rory?”

Komori held up a finger. “The other girls won’t be able to hold it against her or take it as a slight against their own looks. She’s too young and innocent. So they’ll perceive it as a warm, heartfelt gesture from us thoughtful men, and Rory will over the moon.”

“Judges!” Mongo interrupted. “It’s time.”

They all straightened up and faced the ladies, who watched them with eager eyes.

“What are your votes?” Mongo asked.

Bastion wasn't particularly invested in any vote, and Komori's reasoning was sound. Sighing, he took the plunge and voted first.

"Rory."

Rory gasped and turned bright red, which did nothing to make Bastion any more comfortable. But at least he wouldn't be the only one voting for her... right?

[A: Vote for Rory with the group
B: Vote for your own candidate.]

Samael didn't like this, he would never tarnish such a elegant time with some stupid scared vote because he'd hurt someone's feelings. This! Is a contest! And as a contest he needed to be unbiased and pick the one he approved the most! That being said, he couldn't help but put keen attention on each of the girl's outfits.

They were all beautiful in their own right, each with careful and an appreciation put into them. Though, one stood out to him the most, as he realized the amount of effort not just put into the outfit but the various aesthetics that extended to the rest of her appearance.

"Nena. IT was close, but the outfit she wears blends seamlessly into her appearance, careful consideration even to the tiniest of details such as the flowers and arm bands that blend very well with her black hair." Samael stated with an approving nod, as he glanced over at the other candidates giving them all an approving look as well to show that he approved of their design choice as well.

It was almost frightening as her outfit seemed to predict his illusions, the flowers of the stage blended in with her own purple design.... She didn't plan this out in advance did she? No matter, his mind was made up.

Spoiler: