A New Motivation: Chapter 8 (Patreon)

I looked around at the relatively busy streets of Kuoh as myself and the rest of the peerage made our way through the city. I hadn’t been to this part of town before but it seemed to be more relegated to shopping than anything else, random stores with just about anything one would need littered around the place.

“It’s just up here!” Rias spoke up, looking back at the rest of us, “This place has a little bit of everything so we should easily be able to find you something you like, Nero!”

“I hope so.” I said back, returning her smile, “It would be nice having some stuff that’s actually mine.”

Since I had appeared in this world with only the clothes on my back, not to mention the sudden, unexpected change in gender, one of the first things I intended to do was buy some underwear so that I wouldn't have to keep mooching off of Rias. The only issue with that was that I had no idea what my sizes were or even how to find them. I had wanted to enlist the help of my King or even Akeno on this little outing, but it had soon somehow turned into something for the entire peerage to join in on.

And so here we were, the five of us coming to a stop outside of a shop that looked suspiciously like a Victoria's Secret but much bigger. Akeno wasted zero time walking inside, no doubt eager to pursue the more racy items that the store had to offer. The rest of us were much slower to follow, mostly because I sort of paused right outside the door.

I could feel my face heat up as I looked at the women inside, sifting through pairs of underwear as they looked for something that suited them. Despite knowing intellectually that there was no reason to be embarrassed, I couldn’t stop it from bubbling up inside me. Old habits die hard I guess.

Luckily for me, Akeno was already gone. I glanced at Rias who was just grinning in amusement at my embarrassment and instantly knew that if the raven-haired girl was here, there would be much more teasing abound.

As I thanked my lucky stars, Rias turned to the other two members of our group with a questioning look on her face, “Are you joining us, you two?”

“No, I don’t need any more underwear. I’m going over there. I saw online that they have some new stuff.” Koneko said simply, pointing down the street to a nearby candy shop, the colorful storefront sticking out like a sore thumb among the rest of the more minimalist stores around it.

Rias looked slightly disappointed that the girl didn’t want to join us in our little adventure inside the store but didn’t try to push the subject, instead nodding her head understandingly, “Alright then. We’ll try not to take too long and meet you there. Kiba, are you going with her?”

The Knight rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly, “I think that would be for the best. Despite their wide selection, I very much doubt this store has anything in stock for me.”

I snorted at his joke and Rias smiled, “Alright then. Don't let Koneko buy the whole shop please.”

“I’ll do my best.” Was all he said as the two of them walked off, leaving us alone. I stared at their backs, kind of wishing that I could join them before

“We should probably get in there.” Rias said, turning to walk in the store, “Akeno’s gotten a headstart on the browsing and trust me, you probably don't want to wear what she picks out for you.”

I paled at that, images of the kind of underwear Akeno preferred flitting across my mind. I immediately made my way inside of the store, Rias’s giggles following me inside as I stepped into the chill interior.

Inside was an even larger space than the glass front had led me to believe. I looked around, slightly in awe at just how wide the selection was. There were regular underwear sets of course, but there were also bathing suits and even some lingerie in the back!

“Wow, they really do have everything here.” I muttered as I grabbed a bikini set that was anime themed, some character that I couldn't name plastered on the front of it, “This would be a bit embarrassing to wear though. Especially if the lower half is the same…”

“I think this one would look rather fetching on you, Nero.” Akeno spoke up behind me as I perused. I looked at the underwear set she was holding up only to blanch as I took in the tiny strips of purple fabric that would barely cover anything at all.

“I-uh, I don’t think so, Akeno.” I said, eying the tiny article of clothing, if you could even call it that. Akeno pouted at my words, disappointed that I had shot down her offer so quickly.

“Ooh! How about this one?” I looked over as Rias held up a powder blue underwear set for me to examine. I hummed. It wasn’t too frilly or lacy nor did it look that uncomfortable, much more normal than what Akeno had shown me..

“That looks nice.. Let me try it on.” I said, holding out my hand to grab it from her, “Oh, but I’ll need you to help me with putting them on properly, Akeno.” I said, gesturing to my bound limb.

“I'm more than happy to help.” Akeno responded with a smile.

“Alright then. While you two do that, I'm going to go see what I can find for myself!” Rias said happily, turning to head deeper into the store to find something that suited her.

I looked over to Akeno, “Do you know where the changing room is? I haven't seen one yet.”

“Of course, it's right over here.”

~~~

Despite how large the store itself was, the changing rooms were actually standard size.

 Now that I wasn't in public, I was actually able to use both of my arms without fear of scrutiny. I undressed, shivering slightly at the slightly cold air before quickly slipping on the panties and bringing the bra up to my chest

I turned to the door where Akeno was waiting, “Alright, I'm ready, Akeno!” I called out.

The girl in question gave me a smile through the mirror as she entered, before her eyes widened slightly, “Oh my. That really is a good color on you!” She complimented as she walked up behind me, “It really suits you, Nero.”

I couldn't stop the heat from coming to my cheeks as she stood behind me, “T-Thanks.” I muttered as she grabbed the straps of my bra.

Less than a second later, the bra clipped with a quiet snap and as Akeno's hands fell away I could instantly tell that it fit perfectly. I gave the girl a smile, before turning to the nearby mirror to see how it looked on me.

The specific shade of blue paired very well with my skin and even complimented my eyes and hair. In my old life, I had never put much thought into my underwear and how it looked on me, but this was actually making me feel…

“Would you like me to make sure it fits properly?” Akeno suddenly asked, breaking me out of my thoughts

I froze at the girl’s words, and the hidden meaning behind them, knowing exactly what she had intended by that simple statement. Since I hadn't had the chance to fix the issue with my arm, that meant that putting on a bra by myself was still absolutely hopeless and Akeno was more than happy to lend a helping hand each and every time I needed it.

Of course, that was likely because she had some sort of fetish for groping me, having yet to skip a day of doing so. I had pretty much gotten used to it at this point and had long since stopped complaining but… It had never happened in public before.

Despite this, there was no doubt in my mind about it the longer I stared into the amethyst orbs that she was blatantly asking me for permission to grope my breasts right here in the changing room, with who-knows how many people just outside.

I swallowed roughly as I stared at her, feeling my face burn crimson the longer that she stared at me, awaiting my answer to her question. Looking back, I still wasn’t sure what exactly possessed me in that moment. The idea of doing something like this in public was off-putting at best but instead of shaking my head in denial like I was intent on doing and by all means should have done, I for some reason found myself nodding shyly in response to her question.

My response apparently surprised Akeno as her eyes widened slightly before a sly grin slipped across her face, “Alright, just leave it to me…”

Still not looking at the other girl, I bit my lip as Akeno's delicate hands slipped softly over my bra.

Her ‘inspection’ was much more thorough than usual for some reason. Her fingers trailed along the edges of my bra, caressing the bare skin before she slightly cupped my breasts, squeezing down just as she had in the bedroom and causing my face to heat up. After a moment of just feeling me up, she even went so far as to lightly pinch my nipples as they hardened in response to her touch.

I moaned at that, not prepared for the sudden surge of sensations that such a small action would cause. Akeno giggled at my sensitivity, lightly pinching them again in an attempt to get a repeat performance. I was ready this time though and managed to keep my mouth shut in some vague attempt of defiance. Akeno raised an eyebrow at that, before grinning as her hands moved once more.

Her body was extremely close to mine now, practically pressing into me as she leaned in close to better view my reactions to what she was doing. She smelled good, some floral scent that I couldn't put a name to.

As I took this in, her fingers trailed across the top of my bra, the digits slipping in between the slightly stiff cup and my soft skin as she went to grasp it between her fingers.

My eyes widened and my breath hitched as she began to move my bra downwards in preparation to get a full view of my breasts, ready to bare them for our tiny fraction of the world to see. I couldn't help the shiver of anticipation, part of me wanting her to continue, to view everything I had in store.

Unfortunately, she had barely even managed to lift the fabric from my skin before we were interrupted.

“Oh, you’re still in there? Is everything alright, you two?”

I froze as Rias's voice suddenly called out to us through the changing room door. Akeno though, didn't even pause in the slightest, “We had a little issue but I took care of it, Rias. A little adjustment and everything fits perfectly!”

Even as she spoke, she nonchalantly removed her hands from my chest and stepped away from me as if nothing had happened. I stared at her, unsure of what to say and she just gave me a wink, putting a finger to her lips before turning and leaving the changing room.

I stared after her, my mouth feeling extremely dry all of the sudden, not to mention how warm my entire body was, tingling with something that I wasn't able to put a name to in my admittedly flustered state.

Slowly, I slipped a hand down between my legs and my fears were instantly confirmed as my fingers came into contact with a noticeable wet patch on the front of my panties.

Looked like I'd have to buy this pair.

~~~

I did indeed buy that pair, as well as several more pairs just like it. Despite my mind not really being on it while I was in the changing room, I had to admit it was actually pretty comfortable.

Our trip wasn’t quite done there however. Much to my chagrin, I was forced to endure a great deal of stress as both Rias and Akeno decided to try on some underwear themselves. Having been male in my past life, the two of them had apparently decided that I was the ideal judge of what looked good on them. At least I was pretty sure that was Rias’s reasoning for the whole thing, I think Akeno was just doing it to screw with me.

By the end of it, I would have been happy if I never saw another pair of underwear again, especially not one on a seductively posing raven haired girl who seemed to have made it her mission to tease me until my head felt like it was about to explode.

I kept my eyes on the ground as we left the store, studiously not looking at either of my fellow peerage members as we made our way to rejoin Kiba and Koneko. I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop those images from coming to my mind.

“Is everything alright, Nero?” Rias suddenly asked, causing me to jump slightly. I looked over to find her staring at me with concern in her eyes, clearly worried by my silence.

“Oh, yeah just… thinking.” I said, managing a slightly nervous smile that I hoped she couldn't see through.

She gave me a slightly confused glance, turning to Akeno who just smiled innocently. That obviously set off alarm bells in the King's head as her eyes narrowed in suspicion almost immediately.

Luckily, both Akeno and I were saved from any questioning as we finally reached out destination.

Coincidentally, the moment we reached them,

 the doors opened and Koneko and Kiba made their way out. They spotted us immediately and moved in our direction, and it was here I took notice of Kiba's slightly haggard look.

“Did you guys just now finish in there?” I asked, glancing at Koneno and the numerous bags in her hands. There were at least six of them and each and every one was filled to the brim with what I assumed was candy.

The Nekoshou didn’t answer my question, instead looking around with a slightly confused look on her face. Her nostrils flared and I froze as I realized that she was smelling the air, using her enhanced sense of smell to track a scent that had caught her attention. Straight towards me.

‘She can smell that I’m turned on!’ I realized with despair as her eyes locked with mine. I gave her a nervous grin, trying to play dumb to the situation that was occuring. Luckily for me and my dignity, none of the others noticed this interaction play out and continued their conversation blissfully unaware as to what was happening.

Kiba smiled sheepishly at the look Rias gave him as she noticed all of Koneko’s bags, “Well, I made sure she didn't quite manage to buy everything in the store but it was a near thing, I'll admit. I'm sure she made the owners very happy.”

Koneko's face was completely unrepentant as Rias turned her gaze on her, “I bought less than I usually do.” Was all she said. Her eyes darted towards me for a moment but she mercifully didn’t say anything, causing me to breathe a silent sigh of relief.

Rias sighed and Akeno giggled lightly, giving her friend a teasing look, “You should have expected this, Rias. There’s few forces in this world more powerful than our little kohai’s hunger.”

“Yes I should have. I guess I just thought she had more than enough from the last time she visited this store.”

Koneko just shrugged, causing me to giggle lightly at her blasé attitude. Rias shook her head, “Okay, putting that aside, what’s next on the agenda?”

“I still need some clothes.” I spoke up when nobody else offered their input, “What I’m wearing now is kinda all I’ve currently got. Other than my uniform, I mean.”

Rias’s face lit up at my words, “That’s right! I almost forgot about that! Oh this is going to be so much fun; it’s been so long since I’ve actually gone shopping for clothes!”

I suddenly felt a sinking feeling in my gut which only worsened at the pitying look that Kiba was giving me and I couldn't help the feeling that I had just made a terrible mistake.

My fears were soon proven correct. The next five hours of my life were the most draining I had ever experienced. Rias apparently insisted on having an outfit for every single occasion one would think possible and as such, I had to try on more clothing than I was pretty sure I had ever worn in my old life. Her and Akeno used me like a dress up doll and by the end of it I couldn’t even find it in me to complain about it, just standing there lifelessly as the two of them experimented with dozens if not hundreds of possible outfits.

I was pretty sure that if I had seen the bill I would have fainted from shock and or horror but Rias refused to let me do so, insisting that she was the one paying and as such, it didn’t concern me. I was sure that if I had been more coherent, I would have complained but as it stood, I was so bored I was barely able to blink.

And hungry. I had no idea that shopping could work up such an appetite but my stomach was growling like crazy by the time we got done. The rest of the peerage wasn't far behind either, so we all decided to find somewhere to eat dinner for the night.

Luckily, despite how late it was, we managed to find a nice, sit-down restaurant that catered to large groups. Even luckier, Rias actually knew the owner sl we got seats extremely quickly despite the rather large line that was ahead of us, no doubt ruffling quite a few feathers in the process.

The atmosphere of the restaurant along with the incredible smells coming from the kitchen instantly revitalized me and soon enough I was laughing and joking with everyone else, thoroughly enjoying myself.

“...-so we had to remodel the entire room, not just the curtains.” Rias continued her story, sighing fondly at the memory she was sharing with us, “I don’t know why he thought it was a good idea to experiment with his Power of Destruction in the shower of all things, but he’s lucky that only the bathroom was affected.”

I chuckled at the embarrassing story of the most powerful Satan. It wasn’t surprising to know that Sirzechs could be a little eccentric at times, but to hear that he had done something like this as recently as last year was a bit funny, “Your brother is kind of a goof, isn’t he?”

Rias giggled, “He is and I don’t think he’ll ever grow out of that. When it comes to serious stuff or things that I’m involved in though, it’s like a switch is flipped!” Her lips turned down in a slight frown, “It’s kind of scary sometimes, how fast he can change personalities and go from my Nii-sama to Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the Four Satans and most powerful Devil in the underworld.”

“It’s a good thing that he’s even able to do that though, isn’t it?” Kiba chimed in, “A leader who’s not afraid to be a little lighthearted but can still take things seriously is just what the Underworld needs and he’s been doing a wonderful job so far.”

Rias nodded, her smile reappearing, “Yeah, that’s true. And besides, it’s not like the rest of the Satan’s are any different. I can’t remember the last time Falbium did any actual work without being forced to.”

“Falbium… That’s the current Asmodeus right? The really lazy one?” I asked as I picked up a takoyaki with my chopsticks. The appetizer was covered in some sort of brown sauce and sprinkled with flakes of seaweed, giving an even deeper color to the already golden ball of fried dough. It looked absolutely delicious but I would admit I was slightly leery of the octopus. Oh well, I was always willing to try things at least once.

“Yep, that’s the one. He visited the Gremory manor when I first became Rias’s Queen but we haven’t seen him in a while. For some reason, I very much doubt he’s changed all that much.” Akeno answered as I hesitantly put the food in my mouth.

“Oh definitely not. He probably still sees working as losing.” Rias giggled as I bit into my food, “Its funny. Despite his attitude, I think he actually has one of the hardest jobs in the underworld. Or he would if he didn't pass all of his work to his underlings.”

I was barely listening at that point, too busy having an absolutely divine experience in my mouth. My eyes had been one hundred percent right that the takoyaki looked delicious, and I just barely held back a moan as the flavors of the food danced over my tongue. It was savoury and slightly salty thanks to the seaweed flakes and the sauce! The slight sweetness of that sauce paired so well with the other flavors and was just… wow.

Akeno turned an amused glance my way as I came down from my little food high with a massive smile on my face, “Enjoying the food, Nero?”

“She certainly looks like she is.” Kiba grinned, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone but Koneko make that kind of noise while eating.” He suddenly yelped, jerking away from Koneko as the Nekoshou pinched his leg for that remark, “Heh, sorry.”

I blushed at their words, swallowing the remaining bits of food in my mouth in slight embarrassment, “I’ve just never tasted anything like that! I thought with the octopus inside it would be fishy or slimy but it wasn’t! The dough is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and it’s super savory even with the octopus!”

Akeno giggled lightly as I immediately grabbed another one, “There’s not enough octopus inside the takoyaki here to actually taste. The taste is subtle in the first place and not really fishy at all. If you want something like that, there’s a lovely little restaurant nearby that we could all visit sometime. Though I don’t think we’ll be able to get in without a reservation at the moment. They’re rather packed this time of year.”

“Oh! You’re talking about Tsuriya!” Rias's face lit up in recognition., “I haven't been there in forever! They usually have a really good special this time of year so I wouldn't mind visiting sometime soon.”

“Their sashimi is super good.” Koneko chimed in from her side of the table, looking surprisingly eager, “I’d definitely be willing to go.”

“I second that. Tonight has been really nice and I wouldn’t mind a repeat performance sometime soon.” Kiba added.

“Then it’s decided. I’ll see about getting us some reservations for next week!” Rias said, a happy smile on her face that was shared by the rest of the peerage, me included.

Our food arrived shortly after and once again I was gifted with the amazing experience that was Japanese cuisine. I couldn't remember the exact name of the dish, but it was an incredible mix of rice, meat, and sauce that left my mouth watering for another taste long after eating it. Everyone else gave me amused looks as I thoroughly enjoyed my meal but I was just too satisfied to care. I’d definitely have to come back here some time.

We continued talking long after we finished eating, spending another hour or so just chatting as we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere inside the restaurant. It was getting rather late and more families were making their way inside to eat but the volume of the room never raised above a certain level, making for an overall enjoyable experience.

When all was said and done, Rias paid for the meal and we all made our way out of the restaurant, charting a path deeper into Kuoh and back towards the school. I was in such a good mood that I couldn’t help swinging my arm slightly, my bag thumping lightly on the side of my thigh as I followed after my King. She looked back curiously at the sound and I just gave her a smile, in an extremely good mood at the moment. She returned my smile with one of her own before facing forward once more and happiness bubbled in my stomach at even that little gesture.

Today had been fun despite everything and I couldn’t wait to repeat the whole thing in the future.