A New Motivation: Chapter 28

“So everything’s set up?” I asked, looking at the screen in front of me curiously.

Standing just behind me, Rias nodded. “Yes, everything should be working now. Assuming he remembered my instructions, he should be online in just a few minutes.”

I smiled. “Good. I can’t wait to finally meet him. It’s kind of crazy that he’s just been cooped up in there for so long all by himself.”

“It’s what he wanted,” Rias sighed, a tired smile crossing her face. “I tried my best to make him comfortable but I’ll admit, I can’t help but worry about him despite that. I’m glad you came along with this idea. It would have taken me far longer to think of it.”

We were, of course, talking about the most elusive member of the Gremory peerage: Gasper. In canon, he wouldn’t have been pulled out of his sanctum for a while, but there was no way that I was going to let a member of my family stay locked up in a dark room twenty-four seven, even if it was by his own decision.

The computer speakers chirped, signaling an incoming call. I straightened up, watching as a video call came through on the screen

“He’s here,” Rias said softly, leaning over my shoulder to click the accept button.

The screen flickered for a moment before stabilizing, displaying the feed from a room that was noticeably devoid of light. The only illumination came from the glow of the monitor on the other end, casting a slightly eerie light over the figure huddled on the screen..

The boy on the screen looked absolutely tiny, curled up in an oversized chair like a frightened animal. His hair was a light, sandy color, hanging down to his shoulders, and he wore a large hoodie that practically swallowed his frame. The most things about him though, were his ruby eyes, pointed ears, and his undeniably cute face that wouldn't have looked out of place on a girl years younger than me

Gasper flinched as the video connected, wide red eyes staring back at me from behind the safety of his screen. Even with the veil between us, he looked like he was seconds away from slamming his laptop shut and diving into his coffin to hide.

I put on my gentliest smile, trying not to come off as too threatening. “Hey there, Gasper. How's it going.”

Gasper didn't respond immediately, his gaze flicking nervously between me and Rias, who was just off-camera like he wasn't sure what to do. “H-hello. Who are you?”

"Gasper, this is Nero,” Rias answered for me. “She’s a new member of our peerage, like I mentioned.”

The hesitation in Gasper's eyes seemed to lessen some at the mention that I was family, but it was clear he was still anxious. I decided to take the lead, deciding that if I kept up a steady stream of conversation it might stop him from retreating into his shell.

“I know it’s a bit weird to just start talking out of nowhere,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “But I figured it’d be nice for us to get to know each other. I mean, I already know everyone else. I would feel bad leaving you out.”

Gasper fidgeted with the sleeve of his hoodie, his eyes darting down to the keyboard before flicking back up to the camera. “S-she… she told you about me?” he squeaked. His voice was extremely high-pitched, just like I remembered. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine easily mistaking him for a shy girl.

Though honestly, given his habits, closing my eyes might now be necessary

“Sort of. I kind of already knew,” I admitted, shifting slightly in my seat as I tried to find a position that didn't aggravate the lingering soreness. “But with everything going on, I haven’t had the time to actually reach out until now. That's why I suggested this.”

Gasper's large eyes blinked, his face shifting in surprise. “You're the one who asked to meet me?”

“Well, yeah,” I said, chuckling softly at his disbelief. “Why wouldn't I want to? You’re family too, right? Just a bit of a shut in but I can handle that. I'm sure a bunch of people have little brothers just like you.

The blush that dusted Gasper’s cheeks deepened into a vibrant shade of red, and he shrank further into his oversized hoodie, looking like a turtle trying to retreat into its shell. He looked down at his keyboard, his fingers fidgeting nervously with the keys.

“I’m… I’m not really like a little brother,” he mumbled, his voice so quiet the speakers nearly crackled trying to pick it up. “And I’m definitely not worth the trouble. Everyone’s always so busy with important things… I’d just be in the way.”

“Hey, none of that,” I chided gently, leaning forward a bit. “Nobody is 'in the way' here. We all have our problems that we have to work through; you aren't alone in that.”

The presence over my shoulder retreated as Rias moved back to her desk trusting me with the situation. Gasper watched her go and I could see the hesitation begin to seep into his posture again, so I decided to distract him before he could spiral.

"So," I started, looking around his side of the screen for a clue. "I heard you like video games. I can't imagine there's a lot of stuff to keep you company in there.”

“It gets pretty boring most of the time,” Gasper admitted softly, his gaze dropping to his lap. “But Rias is really nice. She brings me new games every once in a while so I have something to do.”

I smiled, glancing back at Rias for a brief second. She was pretending not to listen, but the slight uptick of her lips told me she was pleased. “That sounds like her. She’s definitely considerate like that.”

Turning back to the screen, I added, “Anyway, that means we already have something in common, then.”

Gasper perked up at that, and I grinned internally. I didn't have the... charisma that Issei did so I doubted I'd be pulling Gasper out of his shell that way. I'd have to perform the process much more naturally, bit by bit, until he was comfortable enough to be open to actually coming out. Having an inroad like this would help considerably.

I leaned in closer to the monitor, resting my chin in my palm. “I'm not exactly a hardcore gamer but I definitely indulge from time to time. What genre's your favorite?”

“I don’t really have a favorite,” Gasper admitted, his voice gaining a shred more confidence as we drifted into safer waters. “But I usually play action games. It’s fun to pretend to be strong, you know?”

He paused, hugging his knees tighter to his chest. “I don’t like horror ones. I get scared really easily. I can’t play them unless I watch someone else first.”

“Same here,” I laughed, relieved we had found common ground so quickly. “Jumpscares get me every single time. I usually end up looking up the plot on wiki if I think it's interesting. So hey! What do you think of–...”

Time seemed to fly as we fell into an easy rhythm. What started as hesitant recommendations quickly evolved into an animated debate about game mechanics and storylines. I was surprised to find that Gasper was surprisingly passionate about his chosen time-waster which, considering that it was practically all he had to do in that hole he crawled into, sort of tracked.

As the minutes ticked by, I watched his posture slowly change. He uncurled from his protective ball, leaning closer to the camera to emphasize his points. The fear in his eyes didn't vanish, but it was joined by a genuine spark of enthusiasm. Which was exactly what I had hoped for. He was starting to warm up to me.

I was careful to keep the pressure off him, steering clear of any mention of the outside world or leaving his room. This was a safe space, and I intended to keep it that way for now.

“So, if they actually fix the matchmaking in the sequel, I think it could be really solid,” I said, gesturing vaguely with one hand. “But if they don’t, it’s going to be dead on arrival.”

Gasper nodded rapidly, his eyes wide with excitement. “Exactly! And they need to buff the–”

The door to the clubroom slammed open with enough force to make the walls rattle, cutting Gasper off mid-sentence and making us both jump. I turned, eyes wide, as Issei stumbled into the room, looking exhausted. His uniform was disheveled and he was soaked in sweat, like he had run two or three marathons without a break.

Behind him, Aika breezed in with a satisfied grin, looking none the worse for wear. She gave a small wave, but otherwise was focused on Issei as he stumbled inside.

“I survived,” Issei groaned, dragging his feet across the floor. “I didn't think we were going to make it, Nero. I think I aged five years in the last two hours. Why are old ladies so demanding?”

“Welcome back, you two,” Rias said, looking up from the magazine she’d been reading. “How did it go?”

“It was awful,” Issei groaned, collapsing dramatically onto the nearest sofa. “I thought my arms were going to fall off.”

Aika giggled, stepping over his legs to take a seat. “Shs just needed someone to clean her house. She saw issei and pegged him as the 'man' of our duo so, she made him do all the heavy lifting while I supervised.”

“And you didn't say anything!” Issei protested, pointing an accusing finger at her. “You could have helped but you just sat there drinking tea and laughing at me!”

Aika raised an eyebrow. “And alienate our client? Besides, you could do with the exercise.”

Rias giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “It looks like you two had a productive time regardless. While you’re here, why don’t you come meet another member of the peerage?”

Though inside of it was a good idea, I spun my laptop around so the screen faced the room, waving them over. “Come on, say hi.”

Issei picked himself up and trudged over, curiosity warring with his exhaustion. He leaned in close to the screen, squinting. On the monitor, Gasper had gone rigid, his eyes darting between the new faces with rapidly rising panic. I tried to give him an encouraging look, but I had a feeling it was a little too late.

“Whoa,” Issei breathed, his eyes widening as he took in Gasper’s delicate features and long hair. “Buchou, why didn’t you tell me there was another girl on the team?”

I opened my mouth to correct him but Aika beat me to it. The girl rolled her eyes slapped Issei on the back of the head. “You idiot, that’s a boy.”

Issei’s jaw hit the floor with an audible thud. “Eh!? A boy?! But he's so cute!”

The reaction was instantaneous. On the screen, Gasper’s face flushed a deep crimson, looking absolutely mortified. With a squeak of distress, he slapped his hand down on his keyboard, and the screen went black, the Skype call ending abruptly.

Silence descended over the clubroom and I let out a long sigh, closing my laptop lid. “And there he goes.”

Issei rubbed the back of his head, looking between the laptop and me with utter confusion. “What? Was it something I said?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I assured him, shaking my head. “Gasper is just extremely shy. Major agoraphobe.” I paused, shooting him a pointed look. “I’ll try and introduce you two again tomorrow, but you gotta be chill, alright? This is the first time he's talked to anyone new in a while.”

“I am always chill!” Issei protested, puffing out his chest. “I’m the definition of cool!”

Aika snorted from her spot on the sofa, causing Issei to whip around to give her a dirty look. She just ignored him, which only made his eye twitch.

The ensuing bickering was preempted by the sound of Rias giggling softly. She looked at me, smiling softly. “Regardless, the work you’ve done with him today was good, Nero. Honestly, I haven't seen him that lively in a long time. You have a knack for this.”

I shrugged, my cheeks warming slightly at her praise. “People like talking about their interests. That’s pretty much the one thing everyone has in common.”

“That is true,” Rias mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Perhaps if you can keep this up, he might even come out of his room sometime soon.” She smiled then, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. “Next time, perhaps you could mention your ideas for training him. Just broach the topic to see how he takes it”

Gasper’s Sacred Gear, Forbidden Balor View, was infamous for its time-stopping capabilities and the difficulty of controlling it was the main reason Rias had locked him away in the first place. Thanks to my 'stats' specifically my resistances to attacks involving paradoxical properties, I should be able to actually resist it somewhat.

If that were the case, it would make training him infinitely easier than it was originally. At the very least, allow me to help him navigate his lack of control without getting frozen in place every five seconds and maybe calm him down when he had his little episodes

Rias suddenly let out a soft, weary sigh, pulling my attention back to the present.

“However,” she said, her expression dimming slightly. “Even with this progress, I doubt he will be ready in time to help us out.”

I frowned, the casual atmosphere of the room suddenly feeling heavier. “So you're really gonna do it?”

“Better I do it before he decides to barge in here and challenge me himself.” Rias said, her brow furrowing. “I have no interest in losing face in front of my peerage to his impatience. And given how stubborn my parents have been so far, I doubt they've changed their minds.”

“Wait, what are you guys talking about?” Issei asked, looking back and forth between us.

“Her fiancé,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “He’s a prick.”

Issei froze, his eyes bugging out as he looked at me with a jaw that nearly hit the floor. “F-FIANCE!?”

Even Aika looked up from her phone, her eyebrows raising in genuine surprise.

Rias sighed, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “His name is Riser Phenex and, as Nero put it, he's a prick. Not to mention, an insufferable blowhard who can’t keep his hands to himself. Our marriage was arranged by our parents, but I have absolutely no intention of going through with it, no matter what they say.”

Her face turned solemn. “Some day soon, he is going to show up here to tell me that the date has been pushed up. And given the agreement is between our houses instead of on an individual level, the only way we could feasibly get out of the contract without breaking a dozen laws and souring relations, is a Rating Game.”

Issei blinked, looking completely lost. “A Rating Game?”

Rias gestured to the chessboard sitting on the table near her. “Think of it like a simulation, or a sport for the devils. It’s a battle held between two peerages – sort of like a single-round tournament. The rules can vary, but usually, the other team wins by defeating all the other pieces, or by defeating the King.” She nodded toward herself and then grimaced slightly. “So, either I defeat Riser, or he defeats me.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Aika said, her brow furrowing. “Are people going to get hurt?”

“Almost certainly, but there are measures in place to ensure that any damage is non-lethal,” Rias explained. “That being said, losing still has consequences. In the past, that would be status or even money paid out to the winner – usually vast sums that even I wouldn't scoff at.”

“But right now, it's just Rias's hand on the line” I finished. “Or well, it will be, once she challenges him.”

Not only would it look better on Rias if she was the one to propose such a solution to the issue, it would also put Riser on the back foot. He was well known for having a winning streak slamming his entire career; he wouldn't suspect a Rating Game noob like Rias Gremory to try and break it.

Hopefully he'd just see it as her lashing out in desperation, just like he did in canon. Either way, I was looking forward to helping wipe the smug grin off his face

“Wait,” Aika said, a look of realization on her face. “You said he will be showing up. If this is supposed to be a sudden thing, how do you already know what he's gonna do?”

Rias and I paused, sharing a look. Right, we hadn't told them yet. Somehow it had completely slipped my mind and judging by the look on my King’s face, she was much the same

It would be easy to just play it off as the rumors of nobility or even just an inside man in the Phenex Manor, but well, they were part of the peerage now and were entitled to the same info that we were.

I could see the same line of thinking pass through Rias's eyes and she gave me a small nod, giving me permission. I turned

back to the pair who were waiting patiently, and sighed.

We're gonna be here for a while.

“Okay so, that question is a lot more loaded than I think you realize–...”