Shadow Slave Fanfic: Peaceful Dreams...well...kinda. [New]

Rain's expression soured as goosebumps danced across her skin, prompting a full-body shake to dispel the unwelcome chill.

"Let's steer clear of my brother in this conversation, alright? I might just lose my lunch if you don't."

Nephis chuckled, a playful smirk gracing her lips.

"Fine, but I've got some sage advice for you. When the moment arrives, don't overthink it—just let the current take you. Making love isn't a textbook subject; it's an experience. Just be clear about your boundaries and savor every second with the one you adore."

Rain glanced around, a warm smile spreading across her face. With a voice laced with relief, she said, "Thank you all so much! Seems like there's no dilemma the Saints can't tackle after all."

Laughter bubbled up among the group, and after a moment, Effie chimed in with a chuckle, "Glad we could lend a hand, but I've got one more nugget of wisdom. It was hard to miss earlier when Rick was sporting that skin-tight bodysuit—don't plan on going anywhere once you're done."

Rain furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Effie winked and teased, "Well, let's just say Rick's packing quite a bit down there. You might find walking a challenge after he's had his way with you."

Rain's face froze, a deep crimson blooming across her cheeks. Moments later, she turned to Neph, her curiosity piqued. "Is that why Sunny had to carry you home after your date?"

Nephis coughed awkwardly, admitting, "Well… yes. You're definitely going to have some trouble walking afterward. He's a master after all sohis stamina is something else."

A hint of worry cracked Rain's serious demeanor. "Is it… is it going to hurt?"

Nephis hesitated before responding, "Not if he's gentle enough. But your legs might feel like jelly afterward—not from injury, just from the experience."

With a long sigh, Rain flopped back onto the couch. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Everyone shrugged, and Jet piped up, "Not really, the rest is up to you two. We can't help you with that."

Rain chuckled, rising to her feet. She strolled to the door, pausing to turn back. "Alright then, I'm off to bed. Thanks again for the help. Love you all, bye!"

As she closed the door behind her, Nephis sighed, "Well, I think she's as ready as she'll ever be."

Effie suddenly froze, her expression shifting. "Oh no, we forgot to ask her about protection!"

Panic rippled through the group until Rain's communicator lit up with a message from Sunny. Nephis grabbed it and read aloud, "Sunny just messaged Rain, saying, 'Just had a chat with Rick and gave him something for your date tomorrow. Don't worry about protection; that's covered.'"

Laughter erupted, and Nephis grinned. "He really is a wizard sometimes, solving problems before they even arise."

Jet added, "Yeah, he's incredible. You're one lucky girl, Neph."

Cassie and Neph flinched at Jet's words, but thankfully, no one pressed for details. Neph simply smiled and replied, "I know."

The next day, at the amusement park...

"That's the grand prize for the gentleman over here and his lovely girlfriend!"

Rick had just snagged the biggest prize from a booth where he had skillfully knocked over cans adorned with images of nightmarish creatures. While the win was easy, the prize he brought for Rain presented a challenge—it was a teddy bear nearly as large as she was! With a nervous scratch behind his head, he confessed, "I'm sorry, it looked much smaller from the shelf."

Rain beamed at him, "I love it! It reminds me a bit of you."

Rick raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

With a playful chuckle, Rain explained, "Well, bears have paws, big sharp claws, and teeth—just like you! But they're also incredibly cute, just like you."

Rick couldn't help but laugh at her whimsical comparison of his demonic form to a cuddly teddy bear. "I guess you've got a point. But let me help you with that bear; I can shrink it down while we're out."

Rain hesitated before handing him the bear. Rick placed his hand on the red ribbon around its neck, which began to shimmer and pulse with energy. In moments, the teddy bear shrank to the size of a football. Rain's eyes widened in awe as she took it back. "Wow, that's incredible! How did you do that?"

Rick chuckled, "I can manipulate the size of lifeless objects. It takes a fair amount of essence depending on how much I want to change it. You can return it to its original size by putting essence into the ribbon while pulling on it."

Rain wrapped her arms around him, beaming. "Thank you! You're amazing. Where to next?"

Rick pondered for a moment. "We've hit most of the attractions and booths, so how about we grab a bite to eat?"

Taking his hand, Rain replied, "That sounds wonderful! Where do you want to go?"

Rick opened his new communicator, which he had received that morning, and pointed to it. "I found this nice sushi restaurant just a few blocks away. You mentioned you like sushi, and I've never tried it, so I'm excited!"

Rain nodded enthusiastically, and they left the amusement park, strolling toward the restaurant. Once seated and perusing the menu, Rain's eyes widened at the prices, realizing they were far from synthetic ingredients. "Are you sure? This is pricey… even my dad wouldn't pay for this."

Rick laughed, "No worries! I've got plenty of money from selling most of my shards. The corpses of nightmare creatures fetch a good price, though transporting them can be tricky."

Rain contemplated this for a moment before asking, "So you can't absorb shards like other awakened ones?"

Rick nodded. "Exactly. I can't absorb them, so I either sell or give them away for information."

With a smile, Rain agreed, and they placed their orders. As they dined, Rick was pleasantly surprised by the delicious taste of sushi. "This is fantastic! I didn't expect raw ingredients to taste so good with simple rice."

Rain nodded in agreement. "It's delicious and surprisingly easy to make. Sunny made it once, but he used nightmare creature meat, so it wasn't quite the same. He said it was a corrupted beast he killed in the deep ocean around Antarctica. He's not a fan of water, so he only did it once."

Rick laughed heartily. "I can relate; I'm not a fan of the ocean either. Not knowing what lurks beneath is unnerving."

After finishing their meal, they decided to head to a spa with private rooms and an artificial hot spring bath. Rick paid the bill, and as they crossed the street, disaster nearly struck. A car sped through a red light, almost colliding with them. Thanks to Rick's quick reflexes, he grabbed Rain and leaped to safety just in time.

Once they were on solid ground, Rick looked Rain up and down, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay? Some people really shouldn't be driving; that was way too close."

Rain smiled but then froze, realizing something was amiss. The teddy bear she had been holding had fallen and was crushed by the car, its remnants scattered across the street. Sadness washed over her, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm so sorry I dropped the bear. It was such a lovely gift from you."

Before he could respond, dark clouds gathered above, and rain began to pour. Confused by the sudden downpour, Rick looked up and then back at Rain, smiling. "It's alright; I'll get you a new one. But we should hurry before we're soaked!"

Rain's spirits lifted, and they dashed toward the spa, reaching it in just a few minutes. They had booked their private area in advance and quickly closed the door behind them. As they caught their breath, Rick's gaze landed on Rain, and he froze. Her white dress, now drenched, clung to her figure, leaving little to the imagination since she wasn't wearing a bra.

Noticing his reaction, Rain asked, "Is everything alright?"

Blushing, Rick quickly averted his gaze. "Uh, yes! Everything's fine. Your dress just… um… got a bit transparent from the rain."

Rain glanced down and chuckled, realizing her silhouette was on full display. "Well, I hope you like what you see."

Rick turned back, a smile creeping onto his face. "I like it very much. But unfortunately, that dress is still blocking an even better view."

With a playful grin, Rain placed her hand on his chest, her fingers dancing lightly. "Why don't you meet me in the hot spring? I can give you that much better view you're talking about."