This thread is meant to take place in the weeks leading to the timeskip
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To think so much had happened in only the span of a few weeks... If she was entirely honest, despite her best effort to remain her cheerful and upbeat self she was struggling to remain positive, and rightly so. The ominous warning that accompanied the departure of her late sister into whatever awaited her beyond Earthland had left Esperia troubled and uncertain about the future. However, the event had also made her realize that beyond all her longing and desires there was one thing, one goal, one desire that reigned supreme over all: To keep her loved ones safe. She would be willing to do anything to do that, even going as far as taking the mantle of a Demon Lord.

Of course, the title of Asmodeus came with plenty of power and influence, but in return, it also came with certain... responsibilities. Nonetheless, she still had quite a while left to go before she could take the mantle of Demon Lord of Lust as her own, and right now she had different priorities: coming to terms with the troubled feelings in her heart.

It had not taken long for her to learn that something was 'off' about Liana. Her desire to spend more time by herself leaving the young Eisenberg both confused and curious and a bit of peeking here and there quickly explained why: her best friend had been seeing the Lycan Fenrir, the very same person that had piqued Asmodeus's curiosity.

Frustration, anger, sorrow, a mixture of feelings had occupied her mind since that revelation, and since then she found herself unwilling to interact with her childhood friend. Although, inwardly it had also made her determined, to make a choice on her own feelings toward the girl.

An unrequited love was too painful for her to bear, and she wouldn't lust for one who didn't share the same feelings as her, especially after the promise she made to Fia. Speaking of which, the little lewdling still found herself struggling with her ability to resist particular... temptations, and as a result, she decided to seek out a certain lady, a sculptress who would surely be able to provide her with the aid she needed.

And so Esperia Von Eisenberg found herself in a secluded part of the Crocus Garden, a large picnic basket filled to the brim with snacks and drinks prepared, courtesy of Asmodeus' followers.

It didn't take long for the person she had waited for to arrive, her gaze lifting up to meet Alisa's own, yet the smile she gave her was less... energetic than usual, her soft voice betraying just a tiny hint of amusement. "Leave it to Lilith to predict where you are, it's almost like she has a radar for that type of thing."

The girl mused softly as she tapped her hand lightly on the bench's surface beside her while her gaze drifted upwards. "I guess we still got a while before the storm, I think about an hour till the rain will start falling for real and we'll have to seek shelter."

Seemingly inviting Alisa to take a seat she sighed gently and continued. "So much happened recently... Sometimes I wonder how people can endure it all." She paused for a moment and continued speaking, her tone more serious. "I met my sister... and in the end it made me realize something: All this time I sought a path for myself, a desire that is truly my own to pursue and I finally found it. I don't want to lose anyone else anymore. For that reason I will master the power of Asmodeus, and yet it has already been too late, for I lost someone."

Her small hands clenched into little fists as she proclaimed in annoyance. "Why was I never enough for her? All this time... First you, then now 'him' ... it's like she is playing my heart like a fiddle, and it makes me so angry. all this time I loved her, I longed for her, I was even willing to endanger the happiness I had now to get to be with her and yet... she didn't care..."

Tears started to gather in her eyes, a violent shake of her head followed as she whispered. "Enough is enough... even if Fia forgave me for longing and lusting after others, I'm done feeling those painful feelings. I'd rather just continue being with the one who answered my feelings than to continue chasing an unrequitted love."

Yet as she closed her eyes she admitted in a soft tone. "But that's easier said than done, considering my resistance to temptations like..." She raised a hand lightly to Alisa's bust, a pointing gesture following as she continued. "those is my lowest parameter I need plenty of training. But I'll become a classy lewdling!"

A few nods of affirmation followed as she hummed in continue to her statement. "Then again, Lilith believes that if I ask Fia to train me it will just be an excuse to have more sex, and I can't find any arguments to counter her with..."

"It's not resentment... at least not exactly." She shook her head lightly as she turned to look at Alisa and tried to explan her feelings a bit better. "I'm angry, there is no denying that. All this time I kept chasing after her, and yet I never caught her sight as anything more than a friend. After she... after she slept with you I was annoyed, but I still believed there was a chance, that given time I could make her notice me in the way I desired. I even made Fia spoil me with affection in the hope I could get her jealous but even then..." A soft sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back against the back of the bench. "Perhaps I been chasing the wrong person. Especially if Fenrir ended up being the one to 'slurp her noodles', to Lilith's amusement."

She finally had voiced her feelings, but now it was time to figure out and explain what she would do with them. "Am I angry at her? I am, angry enough that I and Fia will go our own ways once we leave Crocus, not that she will care considering she's spending more time with Fenrir than with me. But I don't hate her, I just... I just need some time to come to terms with this. I can't see those two without those dark feelings rising in my chest."

When Alisa commented about her having given up the luxury of resisting those lustful urges the girl giggled sheepishly, quickly adding a playful jab of her own. "I didn't have much of a choice there, considering it was either accepting the invitation or dying from my injuries."

The spare arm that folded under Alisa's bossom certainly drew her attention, enough that the girl clenched her hand lightly and surpressed a light squirm as she continued. "I-I am confident! but calm is another story... Although I think a casual comment about a girl's pillows won't sound like a compliment at all. However---" Her gaze drifted back down to the sculptress' bossom as she took a deep breath. "Illumin please save me from temptation----"

One... Two... Three... Deep Breath... "DON'T TELL ME ABOUT THEIR SOFTNESS LILITH!" the girl whined in protest, flailing her hands lightly through the air.

She was not oblivious to the absence of comments on terms of Liana, but for now her mind tried to focus onto something else, leaving the girl to nod her head sheepishly. "Sometimes we got to fire with the guns we have, ah wait that's not how the saying goes..." a playful little hum followed yet Esperia's gaze clearly lingered on the sculptress' bust, the moment she pressed those pillowy breasts together causing her to gulp lightly. "B-But they look so soft and squeezhy! it's like they are calling out to me!"

Yet Alisa's mentoring words left Esperia to think for a moment, a hand raised to her cheek as she mused softly. "Acknowledge them, but don't let them control me. Now if only I could figure out why all the pretty girls around here got pillows that could create canyons with their cleavage then I might be able to figure a counter-attack."

She could already imagine it, Attack on Pillows! And at the start a familiar song would play and tell her to devote her heart to the pillows! SASAGEYO! Ahem- Her best efforts to stay focused were clearly taxing on the poor girl's fortitude, turning to look at Lumen while she smiled playfully. "I doubt your excited for the same reason I am Lumy~ Or are you becoming a follower of the pillow way like me? I could teach you much more about how to appreciate those pillows!"

The eager glomp caused Esperia to giggle playfully in response, a hand gently raised to pet Lumen's head. "Aye~ Aye~ you're an adorable one aren't you Lumy? It's like you're able to leech the lewd thoughts out of me just like that." A soft hum followed as she playfully rubbed her cheek against Lumen's own and looked at Alisa. "Sorry Ali~ Lumy's adorableiness won against the temptations of your pillows!" A little laugh followed while the girl continued speaking. "Although, as tempting as it sounds I don't think I want to get tempted by every woman with a nice pair of pillows. I got to become a classy lewdling so that I become as tempting and self-controlled as you!"

A mischievous little snicker followed as she nuzzled a bit more against Lumen. "But I wonder if it's truly just my mind playing tricks on me. If that's the case learning how to become in control of my own mind should be an essential step toward advancing further, right?"

Nonetheless, at least she was a bit more cheerful now, no doubt the courtesy of Lumen's glomp and their little snuggling shenanigans! Still, she couldn't help but seemingly mull over the fact that her lust was also a major weakness...

there was something about Lumen's affection that was soothing, that pure and innocent nature of her serving wonders to distract the obsidian-haired trickster from her usual perverted mindset. "Mhmm~ it shows just how wonderful Lumy is~ so soft and snuggly~" The girl declared with childish glee, yet their conversation soon turned toward the earlier subject of her learning to become a 'classy' lewdling. Still, that was easier said than done, something Esperia was quite well-aware of. "You can't train experience through practice? Wait, that sounds like I'm making a perverted suggestion..."

The girl admitted with a little snicker, clearly amused at the thought, although judging from the cloudy sky up above they wouldn't have much time left to talk before the rain would fall. "Hmm~ the weather sure is being gloomy lately." A soft hum followed while she turned back to look at Alisa. "Then again, training my tolerance through experience is an option also, then again it might cause me to get teased into oblivion..." the girl mused with a hint of concern in her voice. It appeared there were still a lot of trials and tribulations left for her to face before she would be able to comfortably say she'd grown into a classy lewdling who was in control of her own urges!

Esperia nodded her head with a little grin, humming softly "Teasing training! How to endure the temptations of pillows!" However, it seemed Alisa had an idea of her own on how Esperia might learn to hone her mind, through one of the most classic methods available to mankind: meditation. "Hmm..." Raising a hand to Lumen's head she gently patted the transformed girl while thinking a bit more on the matter.

Meditation sounded like an option, in the end it was a lot similar to praying, so after a moment of consideration she turned toward Alisa and suggested with a little smile. "How about we do that? We could relocate to a quiet place and practice meditation! Lilith says that if I can resist Ali's temptations while meditating then surely nobody will be able to overcome my calmness!"

A short pause followed as she tilted her head slightly, as if in conversation with the demon lord. "What do you---" And then her cheeks turned scarlet red as she protested in objection. "I'm not taking this as an excuse to snuggle her pillows! This is training! training to become a classy lewdling! I'll be as elegant and graceful as Ali! and as perverted as an Espy! And don't you dare saying that nickname..."

Almost instantously her cheeks flushed a right red hue of embarassment, clearly flustered by the mentioning of a certain nickname's existence, and lightly flailing her hands as she stood up the girl stated in a flustered tone. "We don't talk about that nickname! It's forbidden! What happens in dreams stays in dreams!"

Nodding her head a few times in affirmation she took a few steps forwards and spun around, the motion carried a certain adorable innocence to it. "Let's go somewhere else, shall we?"

A playful wink followed as she seemingly had decided to proceed with the aforementioned suggestion of meditation. In the end she had often been told that meditation was a battle of the mind, so if she was to meditate it would be a good method for her to learn to overcome her weakness, while at the same time keeping the chance to succumb to temptations as much as possible. Not to mention, considering it was Alisa she was fairly confident that her senior wouldn't abuse her weakness. Sure, she would have a fieldtrip teasing her, but for some reason the obsidian-haired trickster genuinely believed that Alisa had the best interests in mind for her, so she didn't need to worry about her weakness being exploited for a more nefarious goal.

"Then again, let's not try to go with meditation and cosplay at the same time, last time Fia did that... I lost pretty quickly~"

"Mhmm~ I'm sure you'd love to hear some of her stories~" Esperia mused with a playful giggle, albeit feeling the innocent smooch on her cheek Esperia felt her cheeks flush up lightly, not out of excitement but because of how freaking adorable Lumen was. Nodding in agreement to Alisa's statement the two of them had started to move toward the exit of the Gardens when the rain started to pour from above.

"Shelter~ shelter~" the girl mused absent-mindedly as they made their way toward a familiar-looking building, and once inside a playful sigh escaped her lips. "At least we're no longer getting soaked~ Wait, what do you mean Lilith?"

Turning back toward the building Esperia's gaze quickly shifted from the entrance sign to Alisa and Lumen, her face turning scarlet red as she stuttered in a flustered reaction. "This is like S-rank meditation training! I mean--- not that I'm complaining but I'm not sure how effective my attempts will be if..."

A sudden pause followed as she seemingly was told something by the Demon Lord, a few quick eager nods being made by the girl. "I'll accept the challenge! I'll do some super meditating and will ascend in a Super Classy Lewd Super Sexy Lewdling! Not even Ali and Lumy's naked bodies shall stop me!"

She would! Failure was not an option! Quickly chasing after Lumen Esperia entered the changing rooms of the hot springs, and while she was getting changed out of her clothes she turned to look at Lumen and Alisa and hummed curiously. "Say Ali~ Are Lumy's clothes a part of her transformation?" A light tilt to the side came for her head as she seemingly pondered about the matter. "Like, what happens if she transforms back and forth? Would she have clothes on her, or would she..." A soft cough followed as she explained a bit more about her question. "I never really seen a transformation like that, I mean Sebastian has a humanoid form to begin with, not that I ever seen him not wear a butler suit! Lilith actually mentioned Sebastian has a WHOLE closet full of them~"

a sheepish grin lingered on her lips as she idly mused a bit more on the subject, it was a interesting thing to consider for sure: what would happen to Lumen's clothes if she transformed? Yet as she idly thought about those things she had almost forgotten about the fact Alisa was changing also, her cheeks flushing up lightly as she quickly turned her gaze away and hummed happily. "Seems I returned to paradise~ Now to master the art of meditation."

A few nods were made as she pulled the towel over her shoulder, already aware of the fact that the hot spring they entered was a private one, courtesy of the Demon Lord of Lust's insightful peeking at the entree sign to confirm it was a familiar establishment.

"Earthly desires are there to be conquered!" Esperia hummed playfully as she chased Alisa and Lumen into the area the hot spring was at. "WAIT!" A sudden startled exclamation came from the girl as she darted toward Alisa and Lumen, looking back and forth between the girls as she stated with a clear hint of disapproval. "Surely you don't plan to enter the spring wearing those, right? Hot springs are meant to be enjoyed naked! It is a taboo to enter one with any form of clothing on!"

A few nods of affirmation followed before the girl addressed the situation a bit further with yet another statement. "I thought you knew that already Ali~ Didn't Lilith teach you that? Although she mentioned that hotsprings are also the land of females having skinship with one another but that's an entirely different matter... we're here to mediate and overcome our earthly desires!"

Another nod followed as the girl bounced toward the spring. "And everything shall be exposed!!!" A little leap followed as she exclaimed playfully "Wee~~~" and dived into the water. It took a moment as she remained submerged before she lifted her body upwards, surfacing in the spring as she looked at Alisa and Lumen, quite curious to see what her speech had done to the two of them!

A mischievous little giggle escaped the obsidian haired trickster's lips, clearly entertained by Lumen's reaction to the invitation, yet at hearing Alisa's words her lips curved into a smirk as she hummed softly. "If it's skinship related, perhaps I should call Lilith? I'm sure the two of you would have quite an adventure then."

Yet it was at the same time that Lumen surfaced from the cannonball splash into the spring that Esperia's eyes widened for a moment. "She certainly takes after you in the pillow department Ali, although it would be difficult to actually match your pillow size I guess~"

A slight tilt of her head followed while she mused softly. "I wonder who has the largest pillows among everyone I know, or the softest and most snuggly ones..." Musing softly the girl's cheeks started to turn red as she suddenly submerged herself into the water, waiting a moment for her thoughts to cool down before a single flower petal rose from beneath her, causing the girl to take a monk-like meditation pose as she mumbled softly.

"I shall not be distracted by earthly desires and soft pillows... I am classy... I am an adorably classy lewdling." A few nods of approval followed as she opened one of her eyes lightly, peeking at Alisa's bust before nearly losing her balance on the petal she used as a seat to barely remain above the water surface. "Uwaah~ resistance to the urge to pounce and snuggle... is faltering...."

A soft snicker escaped her lips at Alisa's warning, leading the girl to hum softly. "If getting that information is the reward then getting smacked is worth it~" The girl hummed playfully while she tried to focus a bit more on the meditating aspect. "I'm an independent and dominant lewdling, the one who is meant to be on top!" A few nods followed as she soon mumbled along it. "Then again, having Fia on top is kind of fun..." With the distractions rising up again she nearly toppled off the flower petal again, narrowly regaining her balance as she hummed in agreement. "I wouldn't mind giving you my approval then~" A soft snicker followed as she closed her eyes and mused softly.

"I heard a famous lewdling is able to figure out a girl's measurements just by looking at them. Some rumors even say they can peek through clothes..."

A deep breath followed as she decided to try to do something that would likely have surprised Alisa, for the girl whispered softly beneath her breath. "Luxuria..."

A familiar cocoon of darkness coated her body for a moment before causing the familiar sight of the demon lord of lust to emerge from within, but curiously enough naked and still meditating. "I will... master my lust..." the demon lord whispered softly as she took a deep breath, her cheeks still flushed lightly.