Chapter 19 : still can't look at the photos )

want to read ahead or want to support you can join my patr-eon and u will be able to read ahead by 15 chapters

patreon.com/Elsapataky

-----------

I'm glad to see that you're on board with the whole Vin/Xenovia pairing, especially as someone who hates harem stealing. The truth is, I was worried that people like you, who don't like it when one of the girl's is arbitrarily paired with a random OC, weren't going to enjoy the story, or that it was going to sour your enjoyment or something like that. I'm working on ways to circumnavigate those issues, mainly by setting up Vin and Xenovia's relationship as a friendship first, that later on gains romantic connotations, and also setting the time where Vin and Xenovia get to know each other a good nine months before Xenovia and Issei even meet, which will hopefully allow for Vin and Xenovia to pair up in a more 'natural' way.

Thanks for leaving the review, and taking the time to have good, constructive discussion with other users while not being even remotely toxic about it. We need more people like you in the DxD community, so mad props to you.

Alright, that wraps up this Review Roundup, and thanks again to everyone who left a review! Make sure to leave a review if you want to be featured in the next chapter's Review Roundup. Follow and favorite if you genuinely enjoyed what you've read. Chapter five will come out relatively soon, no more time than a week, I promise. All the support has been phenomenal, you all are the best motivators and fans a writer could ever ask for. Rock on, and I'll see you next time!

Vin slumped into his dark room, his limbs feeling like jelly in his body. Yet, even as every muscle in his body screamed and protested, the brunette made his way past his bed, and sank down into the chair by his desk, flicking on the desk's lamp as he went. Reaching down despite his pain, Vin yanked open one of the desk's drawers, and pulled out a pen and a small leather-bound notebook.

Cracking it open, and flipping through at least half a book full of diary entries, sketches, failed song lyrics, and much more, Vin finally found a blank page, and upon uncorking his pen, put pen to paper, and began to write.

September 14th 2012

(Three Weeks Since Recruitment)

Dear Diary,

Why the hell am I still writing in this thing? I have no idea, but I thought that maybe putting some thoughts into words would help me… sort through a few things. And if not, then hey, maybe this'll become something funny to show my kids in the future or something…

First of all, training has been going pretty good. Well, by good, I mean literally hell. Yeah, turns out trying to double-up on training every day has not exactly been my brightest idea. Oh well, I'm in too deep now. And hey, only three weeks, and I'm seeing improvements already! Thanks to Griselda, I can at least reliably summon my Sacred Gear. Thank fuck, because if there's one thing I don't regret leaving behind, it's not being able to bring the damn thing out unless I'm about to die.

So yeah, Griselda's getting me to train in using it. Learning to make crystals quicker, or getting a feel for how they sprout out of the ground, you know, that kind of thing. One of the coolest things I've discovered is that I make crystals on my arm too! You know the very first thing I tried was making a sick-ass arm blade, and it worked! It just… is very brittle right now. Griselda tells me I have to train more with the crystals to master their density and toughness, and yeah, I can see where she's coming from. I mean, seriously, how cool would it be if I could just sprout a wall of crystals when I need to block an attack, or even use them to trap people to the floor!

I could go on, but for the sake of this diary entry, I will consolidate my various ideas into a list on a page after these ones.

While Griselda's training has put me on my own, and specifically focuses on training my Sacred Gear, Xenovia's training is the opposite. Her training's all about strength, seriously, weight lifting, burpees, how to throw proper punches and kicks, you know. Griselda's training is already super taxing, but shit, Xenovia's is downright sadistic. I'll go on record saying that I have puked at least twice as a result of training. I have no idea why I agreed to do all this extra training. Well, I mean I do know, so special fuck you to my damn competitive spirit. Maybe Xenovia just reminds me of Lisa or something, I dunno.

Ah. Lisa. Yeah…

I have… reservations about everything that's happened, and I really don't like to unpack this now; but hey, there's no therapist here from what I can tell, so maybe this is the best way to do it.

I still can't look at the photos. They're sitting in the box at the bottom of my wardrobe. I don't like to think about my old family too much. For all they know, I don't exist anymore. It's… It's a hard reality to accept. Sometimes, I'll wake up and think that Lisa's about to break open my door, shouting at me to get ready for school.

A stray tear fell onto the page, pointedly ignoring it, Vin continued to write.

School's kind of weird now. I still go to school, but now my teacher's and the other student's just refer to me by the last name 'Marino'. Guess my new last name, huh? It's a good choice, honestly. It sounds like it fits, and it's common enough that any number of excuses could be used to justify it.

Me and the other's eat lunch together, we all will meet up outside in the garden every lunch break, and just chat and eat and stuff. It's… really nice actually, a welcome change from sitting alone and listening to music anyway. After school everyday, we all group up in the parking lot, before heading over the Vatican by city bus. It's kind of cool, actually, I'm actually a part of a group of friends that I really care about. I mean, I've had other friends before, sure. But they were all just acquaintances, you know, the kind you would talk in class with, but never invite over to your house or something.

----------

want to read ahead or want to support you can join my patr-eon and u will be able to read ahead by 15 chapters

patreon.com/Elsapataky