There are twenty-four hours in a day, eight of which are devoted to school. So you might think it's near impossible to spend a decent amount of one-on-one time with your thirteen children in a single day.
Well... you're wrong. See, it doesn't matter the order or how long you spend with each child as long as they know that they are seen and heard by you. That they can come to you even if you're busy. You wanted to encourage their interests and be a rock that they could lean on.
Now, for some, it was extremely easy to bond with child's play. Others, it was harder to understand. You sometimes weren't sure if you were getting through or if you were slipping up. But you supposed it took patience on both ends.
On a technicality, you spent the most time with Iruma; you lived together 24/7, so it would be ridiculous if that wasn't the case. Still, though, you made sure that you were available for him the most because he was your "son." And he mattered more to you than any free time you might desire.
It was the little things that made Iruma the happiest you noticed. Eating together, asking about each other's day. And lots, we're talking a whole mountain of physical affection. Not that you minded you gave as much as you got.
Of course, it did help that you always had the love of Iruma's life. "Snacks." You made sure to always have something on hand just in case and in large abundance, knowing certain individuals' appetites.
Sleeping in the same bed sometimes occurred as well when Iruma was feeling lonely or scared. How could you say no when he asked so cutesy like? Plus, waking up and seeing him try to burrow beneath you and the covers was so precious.
Alice was... very passionate. And while you did like how he was protective of Iruma, you had to remind them every now and again that obsession can be dangerous.
Other than that, you found that Alice had very refined taste outside of his Iruma obsession. They knew much about high society and etiquette. They were interested in studying magic.
Alice had been inspired by the fireworks Iruma had suggested and asked you if you knew of other such wonders. So you experimented a lot with his fire abilities, playing with the temperatures and colors.
You would also find times to dance and share photos with him. Encouraging his closer friendship with his peers, including Clara, much to his dismay. You laughed and teased him about that, reminding him of all the times he would say never, only to be slowly worn down by her outlandish charm.
Alice was such a sweet child and genuine with their feelings. Sometimes, you worry about how often they put their heart on the line. But from what you've witnessed in hell so far, emotions were pretty much all or nothing.
Speak of the little devil, and she shall appear. She was by far the easiest one to spend one-on-one with. She constantly asked to play games, or she would climb all over you, seeking her own fun.
You knew instantly that Clara wasn't the type who liked to be alone. That you could deal with easily because you ensured that Clara never felt alone or used by others. You had found a few older students trying to get free stuff from Clara once, and that made your blood boil.
After saving your little jelly bean, you would just hold her and start rambling made-up stories or games you used to play as a child. She was quick to learn all the rules of those games and loved showing them to her classmates.
You would let her play with your hair and do your makeup. You would sing songs to her and watch as she drew pictures. Clara had a creative imagination. Sometimes, you would lose all sense of time when with Clara, and that was the best part. You didn't want your time together to end.
A sweet girl, the gentle sort who didn't favor one person but preferred to treat all with a sense of love. It was a bit difficult to wrap your head around. But she was still young. She didn't need to have partners or go on dates just yet.
Elizabetta is aware of her beauty. How could she not be from all the constant stares and drooling messes she leaves in her wake? She made sure to use it to her advantage.
She shone brightly at the music festival, which was great. Her confidence was winning over her classmates and the crowd. Still, you couldn't help but wonder. Was this the real Elizabetta or an act? Ment to trick others into believing someone like her did not have issues.
Elisabetta was a fashion-forward girl. She made the trends, and she looked good in anything. So, during your one-on-one times, you would help her practice with makeup or style her hair. You even sewed cute patches on her bag of all of her classmates, which had caused her to happily ask everyone for their bags so that you could both make more.
She had looked so proud as she handed back each bag, and it honestly made you want to laugh. So cute. All of your kids had a cute side!
Soi was, well ... very shy at first. But once he got to know you, boy, did he not hold back what was on his mind. He was curious and often had questions.
He liked that you held conversations with him even when he had rapid-fire questions. You often relaxed as he played his horn, sometimes humming along with the melody.
He liked being involved in things, so you were glad that once his classmates were aware of him, they had invited him to join anything and everything they were doing. Though sometimes when he wanted to be alone, he would just cling to you as he hid. You found it adorable and didn't discourage the behavior. It was a lot better than you constantly wondering where he was.
Much like the rest of your kids, Soi did like physical affection, and sometimes, you would shower him with praise. You would, on occasion, be handed his phone. The first time, you didn't understand until you heard his father's voice on the other end.
That started a whole thing where if Soi's father crossed whatever line Soi had drawn, the phone was given to you so you could verbally tear the older demon to shreds. Which Soi seemed to like about you? You decide it's best not to question that.
Lied was happy enough playing games all day, but as his designated parent, you had to draw a line somewhere on the amount of time he spent playing. You didn't want to be the bad guy. You just wanted to make sure that Lied took his classes seriously and did his homework.
Which meant most of your one-on-one time was spent studying. Not forcing him to look at the textbooks and stare blankly at pages he didn't understand for hours on end. No, the way to get Lied to study was to make it a game.
You made trivia cards and developed a point system. If Lied got a certain amount of points, he would earn rewards. You made sure to change the rewards every week or so. That way, he would keep interest. This actually became a popular method to encourage all the kids to study, so you often did large group competitions to for bigger prizes.
But when after an hour or so of doing homework and studying, you would play games with Lied or watch movies. His tail would wave excitedly around before it would settle wrapped around your arm or loosely at your shoulders. The biggest Cheshire cat grin on his face.
Twirl, spin, step, step, twist. You and Kerori kept to the beat of the music as you helped her rehearse for her latest show or event. Kerori was extremely dedicated to her craft. You would give her that.
A merciless tyrant when it came to her own performance and the perfection she must show. You both would end up sweating buckets as you went over several routines and nitpicking lyrics. As long as Kerori was happy in the end, it didn't matter much to you.
This girl was constantly climbing up some imaginary mountain she had conjured up for herself. You could only hope she'd be satisfied with whatever she found once she reached the top. Constantly climbing on your own can be so lonely.
You would rest your feet with her and relax your sore muscles, chatting away about the latest rising star and so forth. Kerori seemed to shine as she spoke more and more of her passion. Hopefully, she would always shine.
One on one time with Goemon was a constantly changing event. Something different every time. It was somewhat what amusing to know he had so many interests.
The little swordsman was such a bright and cheerful soul that it made you wonder where he got so much positive energy, especially in Hell of all places. Either way, he was very eager to try everything.
Sword training, arts & crafts, cooking. There were times when you would have to slow him down a bit to complete one project at a time. Ensuring he doesn't overwhelm himself.
And frankly, you thought the young demons' goal of making 100 friends (followers he always corrected) was sweet. Although he definitely had some kind of rose-tinted glasses on if he thought they would always get along with each other.
Either way there you found yourself now teaching the excited extrovert how to knit. Observing as he made pleased sounds of triumph or huffed a little on tricky loops. What a peaceful moment.
It was almost familiar. Something about it reminded you of your old life. But it felt warmer somehow. Like replacing an old memory with something similar yet newer.
You wondered if one day you would forget ever being human. Watching as Goemon proudly showed off his new "scarf" to you. Accepting the gift with a smile, you offered him a new ball of yarn for his next attempt.
Sleepy, grouchy baby. If Goemon was your extroverted child, then Picero was your introvert. Even Soi wanted to spend more time with people than Picero, who would fuss about being around noise and people.
But that was fine, wasn't it? Picero just wasn't the social kind, and devi knows Goemon forces him to interact with enough people. So, when it came to spending time with the little dreamer, it was really basic.
Snacks, cuddles, naps, and lullabies. Not necessarily in that order. It was quite a soft moment of tender care that was soothing. Although the only lullabies you knew were human and you had to be careful not to slip into your old tongue while humming the melodies.
So sticking with some of the darker songs just in case the words did slip out in hopefully demonic speech. ☆If the seven hells collapse, although the day may be my last. You will be okay~ When I'm gone, you'll be okay.☆
To be frank, you weren't entirely sure what to make of your one-on-one time with the small avian. Your little baby bird who insisted he was a gentleman but also acted so lecherous even by demon standards. At times, he would amuse you greatly with his antics, but as a parent, there were some actions that you would not tolerate.
Not if they were to be dubbed as one of your children, at least. You found it a little difficult to discipline Kamui, though. He was still a teenager, still learning and developing. You didn't want to discourage him from expressing his desires or that finding others attractive was wrong.
Yet, you didn't want him to behave so crudely and certainly not wanting him to be attacked by several women for his behavior. Granted, he did get a little tamer after all that training, but also worse... You weren't entirely sure how that was possible, but you certainly gave Mr. Hat a piece of your mind for locking your children up in cages with wild, untamed animals.
Regardless, though, most of the time spent with Kamui was over tea and a game of cards. Gossiping over the latest rumors floating around the netherworld. His feathers puffed up with pride as he poured you tea.
Weren't you so lucky that all of your children had a cute side? Sipping tea in the gardens while listening to Kamui reveals the latest scandal. 'Yes,' You thought for a moment. 'So lucky.'
Debates... to sum it all into one word, that was how you would find your time spent with Allocer. Your child who absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Thank Devi, you had some practice when it came to battles of the mind.
In order to prove to Furcas-san that you were right on many occasions, you had to find the demonic equivalent of what would have been your human resources. And you found that it often came in handy when speaking with Allocer as well. The boy loved to discuss everything.
Curious child, a precious son. So you found your time spent as though it was a lesson itself. Discussion of laws and magics, theory, and hypothetical actions. Theology, biology, philosophy, an endless amount of material brought forth as you went. Raiding the library as you went, referencing sources.
Sometimes, you both could be found surrounded by a large pile of books with papers spread about, both asleep. Others would find you both talking a mile a minute about some complex theory that probably only Furcas-San could understand. But that was to be expected.
Allocer was a beast, after all. A beast of knowledge that devoured any and all info. Sometimes, there were days you'd worry he wasn't getting enough mental stimulation in classes. You would probably have to go over that with Kalego-San at a later date.
Sabro was a proud child. He seemed to bear no shame, and for the first few months you knew him, he did not care much for authority. Yet, he had grown. He had learned to respect his teachers, and he was aware of boundaries, unlike some of your children who sadly still needed to learn.
Sabro was as intelligent as he was strong. It seemed that spending time with his battler had helped him to grow in wisdom and understanding. You were very grateful for that. As long as he had something to keep his interest and encourage him, you found nothing wrong with it.
Sabro wasn't used to being coddled. Even from a young age, he had things expected from him. And yet, for some strange reason, there you were. The guardian of his rival tending to his cuts and scrapes. Asking if he was having fun or if he wanted water.
He thought it strange that even though you were smaller than him, you would stretch up and pat his head. Not demanding he get stronger or become faster. No insisting that he needed to be the Demon King.
It was refreshing. During your times together, Sabro found himself relaxing more. Just enjoying that someone didn't want him to be anything other than himself. And when he did speak of becoming the Demon King, you never corrected him or said that Iruma would be instead. You never told him he couldn't be the next Demon King.
You just listened and gave small comments here and there. "You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?" or "I'm sure it will be wonderful." You were proud that he actually put real thought into what he would do if he became king. Besides, it was such a long way away and a hard goal to reach. You wanted him to try his absolute best in reaching for it.
Jazz loved living with you. Ever since you took him home, he loved every moment of it. He liked how everyone knocked on his door and waited instead of barging in.
He liked that he wasn't forced to do all the cleaning and cooking anymore. Most of all, he loved not seeing his stupid older brother Rock's face. Jazz liked being the unofficial older brother of sorts to Iruma and the attention he received from you.
Sometimes, though, he'd worry you might change your mind and send him back. And on those days, you decided he needed to spend time with you the most.
You would show him all sorts of tricks to use. You knew better than to try to stop him from being a thief. Jazz was always going to have sticky fingers. But that's just what made him one of your boys.
You got him an advanced lockpicking set and showed him how to use the tools he didn't recognize. Practicing sleight of hand movements that had tricked him before. You made sure that he'd recognize the art of creative wording. You wanted him to know all about what the world could throw at him.
You knew better than any, seeing as humans were cunning enough to survive in a world of demons before the two worlds had become separate. It wasn't always about brute strength or power. Even money didn't mean that much when it came down to pure survival.
Jazz seemed to recognize your willingness to teach him. A way of saying, "Now you'll always carry a part of me with you." The complete opposite of his brother, which usually meant. "You're on your own."
Jazz was shy about affection, but it was the little things that made him the happiest. Stroking his cheek, forehead kisses, welcome homes. Those made him over the moon as he would sit down and tell you about his day.