【”While I didn’t want the party to end, this isn’t exactly what I meant.”】
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【Partay -> Somewhere in the Deep Red Yonder -> Straight to Jail】
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【#97A33C】
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Myut had been having quite the delicious time over the past four days of fancy. Of course he had been in attendance – this was a very rare occurrence indeed, for the Prince of Hell himself to host festivities at his residence. It far outshone any other demons’ attempts to host a party, so Myut wouldn’t miss it for the world; well, maybe that wasn’t true. The world did have so many superb things in it, after all, and he wanted all those. Still, the greed demon had been impossibly eager to garner his invitation to this event – there would be no bigger and no better time nor place to increase his collection, and in so many ways to boot. Objects, information, gossip, secrets, all so tantalizing and just on the cusp of his fingertips. But there was one very specific reason that he was attending this gala. So no, he wouldn’t dare miss it. There was too much riding on it.
Myut was largely business-minded in attending this event, considering he didn’t particularly seek or like being amidst crowds of anything. To be sure, the absolute throngs of demons that moved through the castle over the course of the party were a bit overwhelming, but Meu tuned most of them out into the background, keeping to himself on the outskirts or against walls and just observing. Waiting for just the right thing to spur him into interaction. Otherwise, the demon partook of food, drink, atmosphere, and luxury at almost all other times. He also did quite a bit of eavesdropping, picking up so many delicious little tidbits here and there. The greed demon was living it up, and he looked fantastic while doing it too.
Myut had chosen a handful of carefully tailored outfits for his four day stay, both for public and private use. He was getting plenty of wear out of them as well, though nothing so indulgent as changing it up multiple times throughout the day. That was a bit too much work for him. Honestly, when he returned to his room, he ended up staying there for quite a while, and he caught himself a few times finding it difficult to rouse from his reading. These sessions with his books were mainly during the day when the other demons were also more dormant. Evenings were when the fun really began in earnest. This wasn’t to say that Myut didn’t make his daytime routes – he got to explore the grounds a little better during this time, too. A little more quiet, a little less chaotic. He enjoyed his time here in many ways, and gods were the gardens splendid.
Vast and sprawling, there were so many different sections carefully divided and maintained, covering the vast stretches of Abadeer’s domain. But Myut’s interest lay solely in the sections that hosted the vibrant green earth colors. Meu took especially splendent time to walk through such courtyards; most of his second day was all about getting lost out in the yard, so to say. And other places. Against the very odds of nature, Myut did not feel any sense of tainted possessiveness, though to be sure he was very jealous of the Prince’s collection of flora. Instead, he simply enjoyed his walks among them, and it gave him an appreciation and numb longing for those plants waiting for him back at home. Those were the best. His favorite here was likely the grand hedges that were mindfully scaped and polished, bordering the paths in the gardens.
Myut’s first day had been particularly eventful. He had run into someone he hadn’t been expecting – though he shouldn’t have been surprised. The evening had just fallen and Myut had been resting against a wall, carefully watching the people and their things pass noisily by. He had been enjoying a particularly fragrant and sweet variant of champagne while eyeing a particular pocket watch a few people away when there had been movement that caught his eye. This motion had made him stiffen momentarily, but he had soon reasoned that it would be good to start mingling and get to eye things a little more closely.
A familiar short little demon with fiery orange hair graced his line of sight; he hadn’t expected to see Bezabelle, though with this party being one of the most self-aggrandizing, regal, and over-the-top events to date, of course the little glut had been stalking about. She had greeted him with a warm, excited, and sweet tone, exclaiming over having run into him here. Added with a playful tease, Bez had proclaimed that he had not yet indulged himself nearly enough.
In response, he had tipped his glass to her, showing – or rather defending himself – that he was indeed partaking. His glass had been getting rather empty though. After a playful inclination over the sad situation, Bez and he had made their way over to the bar, with Bez having taken the lead by grabbing his arm and guiding him that way. Myut had garnered the attention of the female bartender, and, after a short exchange, ended up ordering for the two of them. Myut had been enjoying watching the bar demon fluidly move to fulfill their orders when Bezabelle spoke a certain set of magic words that had his attention entirely on her. She kept him waiting though until their drinks were ready and the little demon had led them over to a loveseat in the corner.
That hadn’t been the end of the waiting for Myut, though. She had dodged about in regards to what she had to share with him, and it had driven him absolutely mad. By the time she had finally hinted towards her intentions, the request for an exchange of services had already been made. After a roundabout of suggestions, Meu had landed on two satisfactory bits of information that he had then shared with the gluttony demon. Bez had been very pleased with the result, but she had caught him off-guard in the way she had displayed said delight. He hadn’t complained at all, certainly, but his interest had been unwaveringly absorbed by what she had promised to tell him, rather than what her lips had just done.
What she had shared with him on that first night had confirmed his prior suspicions as to why he was really here in the first place. He had finished up their little interaction after hearing this bit of juicy information from her, as he honestly couldn’t focus on her for any longer because of it, and had stood up rather abruptly, leaving a little Bez to tumble from his lap into strong, waiting arms. From there she had been a bit unceremoniously plopped back onto that loveseat, and Myut had said his adieus, quickly leaving his unfinished drink at the bar before disappearing down one of the halls.
Following his engagement with Bezabelle, Myut had gotten down to business for the rest of his evening day one. That had consisted of hunting down certain servants and discussing certain matters with a vague demon or two. It was all about getting information and biding his time.
Day two, as previously mentioned, consisted of quite a bit of exploring. Namely in places he probably shouldn’t have been in. All in the admirable pursuit of knowledge, though! Indeed, most of day two he spent all by his lonesome, creeping around the castle and its outer grounds. Mew had been surprised that he hadn’t run into any trouble or peeking eyes, in fact. Despite getting all of this time to himself, he didn’t end up finding what he had been looking for. It wasn’t entirely frustrating, he had seemed to be on the right track, just… not in the right place yet. As desperate as he was to get this thing pinned down, Myut was still being extremely cautious, and at this point in time he had decided to take a break to return to the lavish festivities and blend in some more.
Evening three had Myut doing a bit of business on the side here and there, the most notable being with a somewhat disheveled-looking white-haired demon. First impressions on the guy? Uhh, Myut hadn’t really been paying enough attention to tell you. Instead, the entirety of his focus had been resting solely on the silver cross that lay low against the other’s chest. It had glimmered in the shine of the evening lights and had immediately garnered the greedy demon’s eyes. That had really been the only reason why he had come over in the first place. It wasn’t unpleasant though, this other demon had such bright red eyes, and Myut had felt an off-hand sort of flattery from the other checking him out with such interest, but luckily that didn’t prove to be a hindrance when it came down to that little necklace Meu wanted so badly.
The interaction had been short and sweet, and all it had costed him was an, admittedly, gorgeous little trinket he had brought with him for this very reason. The thought of his new acquisition easily softened that blow, and Meu hadn’t been so sorry to see it go. The weight of it in his pocket was tantalizing even now.
The greed demon took a long, soft sip of the limed-up rum he held easily in his hand as he walked down a sparse, darker hallway. There was a reserved and terribly pleased little smile resting confidently against his lips as his fingertips brushed against the now-warming metal in his pocket. Even Myut hadn’t been entirely sure why he was so wickedly taken with the piece, but there was just something about it. He didn’t get to dwell for long though, as suddenly there was a little demon servant scurrying over from some side door, a serving platter pressed against her chest and her eyes looking somewhat shifty; it wasn’t the appearance of the demon itself that had him prying his thoughts away from the necklace, he wouldn’t have wasted too much thought after her since he was in a moment of reverie, but the little servant demon had been looking for him.
“Psst,” he heard the wavering voice of the smaller female as she looked up at him before stepping into another room, further away from any prying eyes or ears. Ah! The work he had put in was finally starting to pay off. A wicked little smirk now replaced the prior look on his face, eyes intensely sharp and focused on the doorway the lass had just moved through. The clear, circular glass he had been holding was abandoned on the windowsill, barely unfinished.
It was just as poorly lighted in the room they now found themselves alone in. Myut tilted his head, an eager look to his face, but he politely held himself back. The servant before him looked a little uncertain, but Myut made quick means to amend this. ”I was beginning to seriously wonder if anyone was actually going to be able to guide me in the right direction. Fret not, I’m well prepared for this sort of thing.” Meu opened the left side of his black overcoat, and all traces of unease disappeared from the serving girl’s face.
”Now, tell me what it is you’re looking for.” The greed demon smiled benevolently, and another short round of business began.
Myut whistled happily to himself – not too loudly, of course, – both hands shoved into his pockets as he now found himself walking with a purpose and distinct goal in mind. It was growing rather late, but all the better for him. Less eyes to be looking around. He could hear the faint and distant giggles of a few stragglers – cavorting demons disappearing behind closed doors – but soon this too faded into silence as he grew further and further away from the residential wings. Myut placed a hand down on the rather fancy railing of a staircase, twirling himself around it till he was facing the first step. He winced slightly as he heard a squeak from his boots, but after a cursory looksee, found that he had not alerted any guards. Or anyone period, for that matter.
That made things quite a bit easier for him, at least. At the next floor, Myut paused to ensure he was still going the right way according to what the servant had told him. He had been a little lighter for it, but he felt good about the upcoming results. The demon turned this way and that, and after a winding corridor, his olive green eyes settled upon the door that was his prey. This should be the place – moment of truth. Meu’s careful hand rested on the doorknob to the room, and he held his breath as he turned the knob.
This… seemed to be the place? It was a rather small, out-of-the-way room scantily furnished and looking somewhat worse for wear judging by that big cobweb up in the corner there. There were two small rows of two bookcases settled shortly in the center of the room, with a table or two and a chair in the corner. There was a bit of uninteresting shelving against the eastern wall, but that wasn’t what Myut was here for. He had been a bit surprised that he hadn’t run into a single guard – was anyone even guarding the place right now? Not that he should be complaining. It was good fortune for him.
He had might as well get started; fortunately there weren’t a lot of places to look, but the books he would need to go through weren’t anything to scoff at either. Myut settled down on the floor cross-legged, not really minding if his nice trousers got a little dirty from it. They would just need a little pat down afterwards if it became an issue. His mind was already enamored with the task at hand so little else mattered right now. He grabbed a few books from the bottom shelf of the first of the four bookcases, pulling out a pair of large circular glasses from god knows where. And with that, he quietly began mulling through hundreds of pages of old text.
Myut didn’t know how long he had been in here, but if the impressive piles of books and notes were any indicator, quite a few hours had passed. He hadn’t had any luck so far, and Myut sat back on his hands, balancing a pencil between his upper lip and nose, deep in thought. He blinked and suddenly let out a frustrated sigh, glancing around him. It was then that he noticed just how long he had been here. A pang of concern bolted through his body, but… he hadn’t found it yet. And the servant had reassured him there would be something helpful in this room. As if they couldn’t have been any vaguer, Meu thought ruefully to himself. He had to be close by now, there were so many books strewn about, there couldn’t be many left. Just a little more…. The demon walked around the corner of the short bookcase – or was he just tall – and pulled another book from the top shelf. This one was a dark, dull mauve color with a leather-bound cover and a tattering spine. Once more he plopped onto the ground and flipped over the small bundle, eyes scanning rapidly through the text there.
…Something about the Hinterdemons in the ancient Nandatha province in the underbelly of Hell, blah blah blah, an old medicinal recipe using Scatherwart originating near the same place, Ca ritual powers and a history of- wait, that was-! Suddenly the door slammed open on its hinges, startling Meu quite badly, and ooooh…. It seemed like he was getting paid back in double force with the guards now, making up for the utter lack of them - was it last night now? Damn! He knew he shouldn’t have pushed his luck lingering around for so long. How had they known though?
“Wait guys I think this is a misunderstanding,” They apprehended him before he could say anything else, dragging him towards the door while he was still clutching the book in his hands. Okay, so this definitely wasn’t a misunderstanding. He wasn’t supposed to be here – that was for certain, but come on, what was the big deal? The two guards with a grapple hold on his body wrenched the book from his hands and placed it gently down (the Prince’s property, after all) on a table they passed by on the way out. Myut threw one last forlorn, longing glance back at the item as the third and fourth guard closed the door and stood at attention in front of it. Five and six followed behind as the first two manhandled him down the corridor to a different set of stairs. Well, it was actually kind of funny because only one of the guards was really tall enough to be doing this to Myut, who stood at 5’ 11’, the other guard was kind of just awkwardly holding his upper arm with his own outstretched one. That didn’t mean the shorter one was lacking in any strength or ire, though.
Myut didn’t bother to say anything else, because clearly these guys weren’t going to be listening to him. The two backing demons branched off, seemingly having something better to do now, and his originals continued marching him all about the place. Luckily he didn’t really see any other demons around as that would have been somewhat embarrassing. Well… apparently that wasn’t quite true. As they rounded a corner, Mew spotted two servants standing against the wall looking rather smug and rather familiar. So it seems it wouldn’t have mattered how long he was in that room for, he would have been tattled on regardless. His mood was rather soured, but at least that made him feel a wee bit better. It hadn’t been his fuck-up. At least not directly. Myut sent them a backwards glare as the trio passed them, but the servants didn’t seem too terribly bothered by it what with the guards and all.
Myut resigned himself to blankness for the short rest of their journey. It seemed like they were in a more abandoned wing of the castle, much like where he had come from, though that had been in the upper floors. The greed demon patiently waited for them to arrive at their destination, a very particular, special door of a very particular, special color. Brown. It was just brown. Like every other door. The two roughly pushed him forward through that door without a word, and Myut took a couple of stumbling steps forward to try to catch himself, but before he could, his feet bumped into something that sent him toppling to the ground. ”Shit.” He groaned, swiftly tilting his head to see what he had tripped over.
Or rather whom.
He kinda looked familiar, to be honest. Crumply and white-haired, and- hey, wasn’t that brooch-. “Vaaal..ra-something?” He spoke a little uncertainly, not quite sure if he remembered correctly. He had only paid attention to the other’s name in passing. Well they did make quite the pretty little heap. Speaking of which; Myut scrambled to get off the poor lad, easily regaining his footing before clasping a strong hand around the other’s bicep to pull him up to his feet. However, about halfway through doing so, maybe just long enough for Val to get a knee placed, Myut suddenly froze and his head shot to the side where the fully empty rooms were. All other thoughts were forgotten as his hand suddenly released whatever hold he had on the sloth demon and he strode with quick, purposeful steps past the first two rooms on the left. He didn’t even notice the other two demons therein that initial leftern room, and somehow instinctually knew to choose the third. His stuff. Where the hell was his stuff? There had been a bag or two in front of the other rooms. Suffice it to say he imagined, since Valramir was also here, that the guards had rounded up their stuff. Why, though, Myut couldn’t say. But there would be absolute hell to pay if his things weren’t there.
The demon’s eyes landed on the queen-sized bed. There lay a few bags and some of his clothes, which he recognized immediately. It wasn’t safe yet, though. He strode up to the bed, shrugged off his overcoat, and unzipped one bag promptly, to which he started muttering quiet profanities to himself as he sifted through his things. ”Agh!” a look of utter frustration and distaste harshened his attractive features as he clicked his tongue loudly, crossing his arms and stamping his foot as he turned to the side. There was already something missing. And he hadn’t even gotten to the other bags yet.
No doubt whatever prying hands had searched through his belongings beforehand had discovered something they just couldn’t do without. Shit, he would have to deal with that later though, he realized, as he remembered the poor sloth demon he had left hanging, or rather falling, at the door. Or not-door? There was no entrance in the wall when Myut reappeared from his room. No doors to the rooms either, he registered. Myut angrily loosened the black tie at his throat and slid his fingers down the first few buttons of his shirt in order to get better air for the sudden onslaught of frustration he was encountering due to the situation.
”Are you alright?” He spoke loudly enough for Valramir to hear, looking ever so slightly abashed about having dropped him. But hey, we were talking about his stuff here.
The red-eyed demon looked up at him from his position still on the floor, but confirmed he was alright with a "I am fine, better now," and a grin as he eyed Myut’s loosened shirt. "But what are you doing here?"
Myut blinked, not actually quite sure how to answer that. Mew mulled it over in the couple of seconds it took him to return to Val’s side, scooping the smaller demon up off the floor in apology. ”Not quite sure.” He finally answered, easily pulling Val into the secure crook of his sturdy arms. He figured he should probably deposit him somewhere a little nicer, but quickly found the other latched rather tightly onto him as he tried to set him onto the couch. Myut squinted momentarily, not entirely sure what to do here now. ”Uh,” He began, glancing up at the painting on the mantel of Abadeer and his partner. Ah, that probably had something to do with this situation. They were in his house, after all.
"Why don't you just relax next to me? We obviously can't go anywhere." Meu’s attention tilted back down to look at Valramir who was currently looking quite comfortable cuddled up in Myut’s arms with his own tightly wrapped around the olive-eyed demon’s broader chest. ”Only if it means you’ll get on the couch.” He grinned with a charming, reserved smile, hoping to disentangle himself from the arms that were Val and get some sort of distance between the two of them.
Val simply fluttered his pretty red eyes back up at him. ”Well of course I'll be on the couch if you lay down with me."
”Er, no, I mean-“ Myut tried to grab Val’s wrists in order to pry him off after dropping his arms from supporting him, but man, he had a grip. Myut wasn’t going to lie and say he didn’t feel uncomfortable so out in the open with some stranger clinging to him. He was still flustered from having no idea what was going on. Dropping his pleasantries since polite requests did not seem to work, the greed demon spoke in a sharp, deep, and commanding tone, ”Valramir.” His pronunciation was rich and concise, leaving no doubt that all his focus was now on the other white-haired demon.
Val’s eyes widened for a moment as he couldn’t help the shudder that came with the way the other said his name. He’d never had anyone put that much emphasis on his name before – the intensity in his eyes. It was obvious Myut wasn’t playing games and it was a little sad. Valramir sighed but let Myut break out of his hold this time.
Myut let the other drop onto the couch cushions with his own little sigh of relief, running a hand through his own white fluffy locks. To show he held no ill will, Myut only took a little sidestep to lean back against the arm of the couch, remaining near and folding his arms together. ”So what do you think this is?” He glanced down to make eye contact with the sloth as he spoke much more gently now, trying to use the softer tone to cushion the potential sting from his last words.