The door to their assigned apartment sat facing the mouth of the stairs on the third floor of a more-than-questionable, and quite compact, building. The stairway itself wasn't well maintenanced, the handrails were greasy to the touch and the air held the unmistakably foul odor of feral cats, but the dusty skylight that sat high above their heads let in the lazy, late morning sunlight making the whole space look deceivingly more pleasant. Anzo wasted little time once they had reached the top of the stairs, pulling his key from his pocket and pushing it into the lock. The scrape of the bolt moving back, then a satisfying click, and Anzo was turning the knob, trying to push into the new home that his Master and himself will share.
Trying being the keyword.
Under the pressure of his hands, the wood of the door only creaked, moaning loudly with age. Anzo pushed again, harder this time. No dice. Finally, with a half-step run-up, Anzo slammed his shoulder into the door, popping it open so harshly that it swung back into the room and hit the wall behind it with a startling slam. A plume of dust and rust flakes rained down on the pair's heads.
Anzo, not bothering to brush the debris from his hair, he reached to wipe it from Kagari's instinctively. He had barely brushed his fingertips against her hair before remembering her orders not to touch her and snapping his arm back, bobbing his head in a silence apology, hoping she hadn't seen. He quickly turned and leaned his head inside the room.
"The King Of Cats dances. Dances oh-so merrily. High upon his hill, with all his rich milk and foods for a belly as large as none. Yet -- he dances -- his people's eyes hollow -- he dances -- with the prospect of plates -- he dances -- gone dry," Anzo mumbled, mostly to himself, musing his distaste for the Demon King's tastes. Anzo imagined the demon cackling to himself, sat up upon his throne, out of the reach of the game. A true King of Cats.
The whole room was an unpleasant sight. Even from the doorway, Anzo felt a bit sick to his stomach looking at the yellowing wallpaper peeling off the walls and feeling the humid air of the room hit him full in the face. His old hoodie was no longer a comfort, but rather began to make him sweat. Something tugged at the back of his mind, a memory long forgotten, but very prominent and quite unpleasant.
Anzo pushed the door back against the wall, moving aside to hold it there and allow Kagari to enter, bowing his head as she passed. When they were both safely (More or less) inside, Anzo let the door fall shut, and flicked the lock for good measure. As he turned, he couldn't help the wrinkle his nose did as he looked upon their new living space. It was even worse when they were inside.
One might call him a spoiled dog, but Anzo was used to a certain living standard that a place such as this did not uphold.
Both the kitchen and the living room were visible from the threshold, with an open closet on the right wall and a window at the far side. There was only one door in the whole place, and it sat ajar. A quick glance could reveal it was a bathroom, but that was all. No bedrooms, no extras. Even the furniture was minimal. There was an odd, faded floral-pattered couch in the living space, sat in front of a coffee table that looked to have seen better days. A single, oscillating fan sat on it, doing a deplorable job. The whole place was no bigger than a postage stamp.
Stripping himself of his hoodie, and half a mind to strip his shirt too, Anzo moved to drape it over the back of the couch. He glanced to Kagari, and, for a moment, he saw Nami. Surprised, Anzo stumbled back slightly, catching his foot on a fold in the rug and falling hard with a loud thud.
When he looked up again, blinking frantically, the shimmering image faded away, leaving Kagari in her place. A sudden wave of guilt washed over Anzo as he pushed himself slowly back to his feet. He tried to talk the thoughts away, turning away quickly to begin eyeing the moth-eaten curtains with far too much interest, "Had the sun risen in another lifetime, another dice had been thrown, Kings would gossip and swear with envy for the kingdom I would build you. A Queen's castle, a dream to clutch." It came out much more bitter than Anzo had hoped, but he was only upset at himself.
Kagari was his new master. Nami was dead, Anzo always forgot. Kagari, although they shared the same heritage, was not Nami. Anzo should be hit for just thinking such a thing. He was already so unfaithful, and it had only been a morning. He only knew her name, and that she was human... Curiosity ate at him. Would it be too forward to ask?
"Um..." The Alp Demon took a long pause, no sure how to ask who she was in a way she would understand, and in a way she would not be offended. Finally, he sighed, deciding to just go for it, "Queen of Tides... Has the ink yet dried on your ledger? As pages turn, what worlds have bowed to your pull? Can you fill eyes such as mine with tales of long ago?"