ă"Might I catch a bit of a break, yeah?"ă
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ăTime Out â Hiding in His Room â Emerging From the Darknessă
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ăTime Out â Hiding in His Room â Emerging From the Darknessă
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ă#97A33Că
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When Bez stood with a cheerful look to her face, the words dripping from her lips quite the opposite, and made her way into her room, a small feeling of relief blossomed in Myutâs chest. That meant that he could also appropriately leave the small gathering surrounding Val on the couch without seeming rude. It seemed that everyone else felt the same way as Bezâs movement appeared to be the catalyst that broke the dam. Myut was probably among the first to return to the semi-safety of his room, and whatever everyone else did he could not care less.
The tallest demon among them hadnât said his name, and Meu couldnât help but wonder the reason why. He himself had not been particularly inclined to share, but he still had. He would have to ask later, he supposed. But for now, he had to go through the rest of his stuff and ensure everything still remaining was accounted for. Remembering that something was already missing irked him into a particularly sour mood, and a hard look was plastered to his face as he meticulously picked through his bags sitting on the bed. Only a few moments passed before Mew decided to continue this further in the depths of his room. He settled onto the desk against the wall, properly angled away from the door. His greed side didnât like the idea of prying curiosities impertinently eyeing up his things without permission.
It took quite a while to go through everything with how slow and meticulous Myut was being, carefully examining each individual item with a trained eye, comparing each thing to what was on his mental list. By the time Myut had finished, he discovered two more objects missing. The guards had been very liberal with his things. A severe look that did not belong on his pretty features burned intensely on his face, fists clenched and teeth grinding under the pressure of his jaw. The second he got his hands on the dirty guards responsibleâŠ.
It was an absolute insult, one of the highest offenses one could make against a greed demon. Losing these things set him off in a different way. A sharp ache reverbed somewhere deep within him. The fact that some plebian had purloined such precious things from him without anything in return⊠a dull but persistent gnawing grew slowly in intensity while Myut did his best to drown it out. It never worked, of course. He found his fingers trembling against the hard wood of the desk â when had they gotten there? A piercing pang knocked against his skull, causing his hand to shoot up in order to apply a counter pressure.
Suddenly, Myut remembered something. Dropping his attention from the desk and ignoring the creeping void of his sin the best he could, Meu came to stand by the side of the bed opposite the door, hands rummaging about on the sheets. Where had he put it again? Ah! His suit jacket. Fingers fumbled about in the pockets until they slid against cool smooth metal. He retrieved the object from the cloth confines and observed it carefully against his palm. The little necklace he had traded for earlier that day- well, it had been a while by now, hadnât it? Nonetheless, clasping the little object and feeling the reassuring shape and feel of it seemed to soothe the irritation a smidgen; Meu didnât know why, but it did. It was probably just the greed side feeling satiated where before it had felt emptiness.
In any case, the headache seemed to subside and Meu eased back enough to where the only thing remaining was the basic anger of his things being stolen. That he could work with. Depositing the cross back into a pocket (this time his trousersâ) Mew stretched his arms out, linking his hands together and popping his knuckles. Exercising would be the perfect way to take his mind off things and work out his frustrations. He should probably clear off the bed first, that way it wouldnât prove too distracting.
Once he had finished putting away his clothes, Myut stole away to the small respite that was the bathroom and its actual door. At least Abadeer had the decency to give them that much. It was rather cramped, though, so the greed demon had no desire to spend much time at all in there even if it had provided a barrier to the outside. Meu changed out of the wrinkled and dirtied suit he had been in, swapping out his fancy attire for a pair of rather plain charcoal grey sweats that were somewhat loose fitting and of a cotton-like blend. He matched it with a sleeveless, high-neckline black shirt that clung to his torso jealously, fitting just right in all the proper places.
Myut reemerged, taking a sidelong glance at the gaping hole that was the âdoorâ to his room. Tapping his left bicep idly with his right hand and pursing his lips a bit, the green-eyed demon sighed. He turned away from the doorway to stare at the opposite wall. It would be a little easier to focus this way if he were staring at plaster rather than the open unknown that lay past his door. People walking. Talking. Gawking. He almost shuddered.
He was still too pissed about his stuff, though, so it was time to get down and dirty. Mew would go down a list of the usual exercises he did, starting with squats and probably ending somewhere with arm and core strength implementations.
Meu had been busy exercising for quite a while now, and was currently doing pushups at the foot of his bed. Just as where he had started, he could not help but still be positioned enough to the side that he would be within view of the door. There just wasnât that much room to spare. He was still turned facing the far wall so he could better keep his count. At least there was a window to stare up at. His breathing was rhythmic and exerted as he pushed himself up and down off the floor, swapping between one hand to the other and interchanging to both at other times. His form was impeccable, straight as an arrow and carefully aligned so he could yield the best tension results from his muscles.
At some point Bez had realized that she had not seen Myut in some time; She'd been busy, of course, flitting from room to room, conversation to conversation, but she still made note. But with how ill at ease Myut had been when they had all gathered for a brief chat, there was no way she wouldn't check in. So that was what she was doing now.
When she came to his room, he was already in the middle of exercising. Bez watched for some time. She was enjoying the exhibition and felt no need to make her presence known just yet, content to simply lean against the wall. She had changed out of her ruined gala gown, now wearing a black shirt with pearl buttons and a brown belt across the middle. The shirt belonged to Cyr, of course, which meant it reached well past her mid-thigh.
Myut had been minding his own business and counting reps. He had felt the mounting suspicion that he was being watched, though. So, finishing his set, the greed demon turned to look at the door and was startled quite badly to see Bez leaning there. He hadn't actually expected anyone to be there. Good thing he had paused, or he may have been so caught off guard that he would have crumpled in the middle of an exercise.
It was just Bez though, which provided some small relief. Still, though. "Uhh, how long have you been standing there?" He took in her cute oversized appearance, sporting some shirt he had never seen before and, judging by the size, one that clearly did not belong to her.
Bez had been able to tell the moment that Mew started to suspect she was there, as the tension in his well-defined muscles changed ever so slightly. It had taken him several reps before he turned, though. Bez couldn't help the giggle that slipped out when he jumped. "Oh, not quite long enough. You can keep going," she flirted, motioning her okay for him to continue with a wink.
At this, Myut let his jaw slack open a bit as he gave an amused laugh of disbelief to how bold Bez was. "Alright then..." He grinned to himself before turning back to stare at the wall as he started a new set.
"You're alright, Bez?" He spoke in a soft but serious tone. "I saw what they did to you." He grunted, a bit of anger threading through his words.
"I mean, I know you're you. You can handle anything. But sincerely, how is this affecting you?"
"I appreciate the concern, I do. But it was honestly my own fault for fighting back. Should have known better. As for the rest, it's... unsettling. I wonder why they are taking so long to tell us what's going on." She talked low enough that it wouldn't carry easily in the main room, partially watching, partially just letting her eyes wander. She didn't let the neutrally cheerful look slip from her face, however, in case Myut turned around sooner rather than later.
Unsettling was an excellent word for the situation, and Myut could not help but agree over how long they â whomever that was - were letting the little group stew in mystery. It was wildly unprofessional, if you asked him. Perhaps Eris was right and Abadeer was just delighting in messing with all of them, pulling them together for his amusement and that there was no real reason behind them being all gathered. But Mew doubted that, especially after learning they had all gotten up to something or other.
"I was surprised to see you of all people suddenly chucked into the room. I can't help but wonder what sort of mischief you got up to Bez~." He pumped himself up and down on the floor, elbows bending silently as he pushed his own weight.
Bezzie laughed, strolling over to the bed and plopping down on it. Now, Mew would be able to turn and look at her, if he so chose. And of course, she had an even nicer angle of his full form.
"Oh? Wouldn't you like to know~? Well, here's a secret," Bez crossed her arms, set her chin down, and pouted fiercely, "I don't know either."
She traced a finger on the bed, wrinkling the sheets in a formless pattern. "I'm hoping the information I brought you wasn't what got you in deep? Did you get to find out what it was about?"
Meu could hear her padding deeper into his room, ascending atop his mattress and taking a dainty seat thereon. He tilted his head so he could look at her from the corner of his eye. He was glad that she seemed to be, for the most part, managing just fine.
He gave a wry chuckle at her severe pouting face. That was interesting, though: she couldn't think of anything in particular to pinpoint what had gotten her in trouble. That was not the case for Myut.
At her next question the greed demon couldn't help but laugh. "You could say that." Myut answered for both questions. He didn't seem particularly bothered by this fact, though. He flashed Bez a reassuring grin before elaborating.
"Yeah, it had to do with some content I was already looking into before you gave me that little tidbit, so certainly don't feel bad. It just egged me on all the more to get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, that led to some dark corridors and dusty shelves," Myut was also sure to speak in softer tones, not particularly endeared to the idea of anyone eavesdropping. "I ended up in the same kind of trouble as your Vivian demon." Meu smirked teasingly up at the little gluttony over how buddy-buddy she had been with the gorgeous demon. She certainly was having her fill.
"Well, that's two among us going where we weren't supposed to be. What, the gala didn't provide enough to keep you occupied," she teased.
Myut playfully scoffed in response, "I could ask you the same. After all, you're here too." He flashed her a charming, cheeky grin. "And why didn't you introduce yourself earlier? Don't tell me you already know everyone here~." Honestly that was likely the case, though. Bezabelle got around, so he wouldnât be surprised in the least.
"There are getting to be fewer and fewer strangers in Hell. I know a good amount of the demons at the gala as a whole, in some capacity or another."
Myut gave a wry whistle at the revelation of the female demon knowing so many. He gave Bezabelle a half glance as he let his weight fall with gravity before pushing against it again. "I don't know how you've done it, Bezzie. I can barely handle three people at one time, let alone a whole party of 'em." Myut turned his gaze down to the floor as he rested his forearms against the carpet, shifting his weight so that he was lifting his lower half and suspending it in the air for a bit in order to work on his core and arm muscles.
"I'm having such~ a great time so far." Meu spoke derivatively and sarcastically, tone otherwise rather quiet as he focused on keeping himself upright.
Bez's brows raised a fraction, surprised as Meu held his entire body weight on his forearms. Impressive!
"Liar~ it's not supposed to be a good time. Otherwise they wouldn't have taken us from the gala. On the bright side, you don't have to deal with a whole gala. Just me and five others. And there's a nice little tidbit I think you're missing."
"That's true." Myut had a bad habit of always looking on the lesser side of things. Just five strangers, rather than a whole castle of them. âŠMyut would prefer the castle. At least then they wouldn't be bursting at the seams in their little cage.
He stopped, suddenly lowering himself all the way to the floor before getting up fully. He dusted off his hands, closing the gap of a few steps between he and the bed. "Oh?"
As Myut approached, stopping just before where she lay near the foot of the bed, Bezzie rose to a partial sitting position. Her right leg was tucked under the left, and her left leg swung over the edge of the bed to brush Meu's lower thigh. She leaned back to rest her weight on her arms, looking up at him.
"I wonder," she started, once again pulling her favorite tease with Myut, "what would you be willing to give me for the information?"
Meu leaned forward on the bed, resting his knuckles on the mattress with his arms in a wide stance. As he let out an involuntary chuckle at Bez's words, his chin dropped ever so slightly until he was looking down at her leg. He shook his head with a grin. Even in this situation; Bez was always a little businessman. She must have taken after him at some point during their unusual friendship.
"Depends. I don't have a whole lot on me right now, but you're free to look through my trinkets if you'd like." He motioned towards one of the bags laying on the desk, a few items spread out onto the surface of the little table-like structure.
"Unless you're looking for something else~."
When Myut had leaned over her, his arms on either side, Bez took a moment to just enjoy the closeness. She watched his face, his lips as he spoke.
"Oh, I suppose I can take it easy on you for now. Just this."
With how close he was, all she had to do was lean forward. Her kiss was lingering, hungry, and ended too soon. Bez stayed close, her voice low so as not to carry.
"By my estimation, you have at least half the demons here at a disadvantage. You hold the cards, my dear Mew."
Bez almost did him a great disservice by only asking for a little kiss. To some extent he certainly enjoyed their time together, oft uncommon as it tended to be, but, perhaps this was for the best. This wasnât really the time for this sort of thing. As her soft, delicate lips did their best to ravage his in a few passes, Myut couldn't help but grin, lifting a hand to cup the back of her head so his fingers could slide against the silky but somewhat mussed texture of her currently red hair. He could gladly pay this sort of price with Bezabelle.
There was an ever so gentle pressure behind his palm, making a tiny attempt at encouraging her on, but for the large part his fingers were loose and gentle so she could easily pull back when she had decided to take her 'fill'. It didn't really seem to be enough for either of them, leaving more to be desired, but that was how it was with the gluttony sin. He was far from immune to its effects.
The kiss had almost distracted him out of their current situation and into one reminiscent of somewhere far more comfortable and intimate. Almost. It was good that it was just a short kiss. Myut was admittedly still very uneasy, and as much as he was tempted to feed little Bez a bit, he would not have been comfortable doing so. Besides, if he wasn't careful, he would have to deal with a jealous Vivian. Now that would be uncomfortable.
In any case, Bezabelle had promised him some secrets, and that was what he was most interested in. After all, he wouldn't want to distract Bezzie from letting the cat out of the bag.
However, when she said that he was holding the cards, Myut responded with a half-hearted but playful scoff. "It certainly doesn't feel that way to me. ...But I will admit that the vote of confidence makes me feel leagues better than I had been doing." Meu chuckled, using the back of his index finger to gingerly trace his touch over the rise of Bezabelleâs cheekbone, an appreciative look taking up residence in his attractive facial features.
Myut then broke any built tension by ruffling her hair, messing it up again with a cheeky grin. A serious tone juxtaposed it as he spoke quietly and sweetly back to her, "Come and find me any time you're in need, for whatever matter, however small." It was the least he could do for a friend.
Bez leaned into the touch, enjoying both the sensation and the attention. Then, wrinkled her nose as he ruffled her hair like a child's.
She tsked at him before tussling her own hair back from her face with an impatient sweep of her fingers. "Only if you promise to take advantage of your situation here." She pushed off the bed, turning when she was halfway to the door. Her eyes glimmered with mischief that she didn't feel; a small use of her powers, but she felt it necessary. "After all, you never know how long the game will last."
Her reaction only seemed to delight Meuâs humor more, but the smile dropped from his face as he watched her retreating from his bed, surely off to cause some more trouble. His aura remained congenial, however, feeling somewhat reassured by the mischief he could see gleaming in her eyes. At her final words Myut simply gave a playfully dismissive wave of his hand and a halfhearted shrug. âIâll promise to try my best, at least.â That would be the best he could offer on that regard. He gave Bez a final wave as she disappeared out the door, though whether she saw it was of little concern to him.
It had been a nice little break, but Meu wasnât feeling quite satiated yet. He still had a set or two left and far be it from him to miss out on his full normal routine.
By the time Myut was finally wrapping up, the rooms had descended into darkness. He hadnât quite registered the passing of time or its extent other than the windows, but it was properly dark now. It didnât bother him in the least â he had done what he set out to do, regardless of how lost he had become in it.
Myut tilted his head this way and that, relishing in the cracks that followed. He had worked up quite the sweat and luckily had also blown off all that pent-up steam. Physical exertion was definitely something that always helped Mew to get out of his own head, and it had proven especially effective this time around. Prior to exercising, his mind had been a jumble, but now it was feeling just blank. It would be good to continue to fill his time and mind with some more distractions, just to be safe.
Mm⊠finding something to read sounded particularly appetizing in that moment, but none of the books he had brought with him were really calling out his name. If he remembered correctly, there had been a bookcase by the front door? He hadnât taken that good of a look beforehand, but it wouldnât hurt to investigate into the matter further. And what better way to sit down and enjoy a tome than with some tea?
As he pulled one arm in front of him with the other in a stretch, Meu gave a little teary-eyed yawn. His body felt good, but he had been at it for a while. It would be good to sit back and relax. Grabbing a small bag from the desk to his left, the tall white-haired demon took a few steps from where he had been standing. He tossed the bag onto the bed and came to a stop at its side, leaning his lower back against the mattress.
He stood in clear view of the door now, one hand rummaging through the dark pack while the other lazily fell to the flattened line of his stomach, fingers gripping the black cloth of his shirt. He peeled it off his lower abdominals in order to lift it up and absentmindedly wipe his face down. Once he was done, it fell back into place against his torso and the greed demon fully turned to better angle himself before the bed.
It did not take long for Meu to find the little tin hidden within the depths of the sling he was searching, and he swiftly pulled out one of the little bags of cinnamon tea therein. To go with it was a rather intricate and delicate looking Chinese porcelain cup. Disappearing from view of the doorway, Myut found his way into the bathroom again. He was not paying much attention as he let the mug fill from the tap, resting neatly in the sink bowl. A sudden but not unfamiliar discomfort irritated at the skin below one of his pecs, and Myut tried to adjust the now-drying sweaty shirt he wore in attempts to allay the itch.
No matter what he tried though, nothing seemed to do the trick.
A look of severe irritation harshened his features before Myut suddenly ripped the shirt up over his head to toss it harshly against the doorframe of the bathroom. That felt a little better, at least. Far less constricting. Mew loosened his waistband just a bit to match. He would have to figure out a way to clean himself down later now that he was a sweaty mess, but that was a problem to figure out once he returned with a book safely secured in his grasps.
His cup was now full enough, but only as a broad hand wrapped around the cool porcelain did it suddenly occur to him that the material was indeed cool. It was not hot. A slight look of exasperation tugged his lips along with a raggedy sigh â no hot water, of course. How much worse could this get?
There was no way in Hell he was letting the precious little teabag go to waste. That went against his very principles as a greed demon. Perhaps he could see about heating it near the fireplace or something. In any case, it was time to go see about that bookcase. So Myut emerged from the depths of his room, cup of tea water in one hand while the other lay in the pocket of his now lower-hanging sweatpants.
His chest was completely bare and free from the obstructed view of any pesky shirts, and it would not be difficult in the slightest to get an eyeful now that he was under the brighter artificial lights that hung on the wall of the main room. Strong shoulders, built arms, defined pecs, tight abs, and flat stomach were paired with a teasing trace of the deep V that hid below the waist of his sweatpants.
Meu didnât seem bothered by the change in air temperature as he re-entered the main room from the comparative stuffiness of his own. He moved to the fireplace without thinking it through too much and stood before it, enjoying for a moment the warmth that brushed against his chest. He was running several glances between his cup and the fire, eyes narrowing a bit as he tried to calculate a way in which he might be able to actually produce tea. Nothing was worse than tea that hadnât actually been steeped, and while Myut would drink it if he had to, heâd try everything he could to avoid vaguely flavored cold water.
It seemed that while he was making his way over to the hearth, he had attracted the attention of another. Cyr watched intently as Myut passed, bringing with him an aura of body heat and exertion. He slowly shut his book and stood, glancing around before strolling over to stand by the demon in front of the fire. âUnless you have fire-proof gloves,â he said, âI wouldnât do that if I were you.â
As Myut gazed into the swirling flames, he gave a low chuckle at Cyrâs comment, suddenly finding the demon standing beside him. Now that it was growing later into the night, the white-haired demon seemed to be a lot more comfortable since there were far fewer people milling about. âYeah, I was thinking the same. Was hoping for maybe a set of tongs, but I wouldnât dare risk the fine china.â Meuâs lips adopted a disappointed little pout, dark brows scrunching as he ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair. He wasnât quite sure what to do. He looked despondently down at his cup; it was looking like he was going to be out of luck. He should have thought this through a little better, but how was he to know Abadeer would cut off their access to heated liquids?
âMmm,â Cyr mused, glancing back at the sheet-draped door to their right. âYou could always ask the little wrath demon, perhaps sheâd heat it up for you?â he suggested, giving the cup a sympathetic look.
At this suggestion from his olive-skinned companion, Meu stiffened ever so noticeably, fingers tightening around the little handle of the cup. While it was true that wraths did have power over fire⊠the idea of the rabid little squirrel chomping her fangs at him was certainly not ideal. Myut gave a shudder at the very imagery, hoping to pass the motion off as perhaps being from a cool draft of air. âAhâŠâ He trailed off, not quite sure what to say in response so as not to give away his utter distaste for the pocket-sized demon thus far. She had seemed to have calmed down a bit, at least. Or he hadnât seen or heard from her in a while. Maybe. It could have been that he was tuning any of her noises out.
He hated the idea of interacting with her, though. Especially to ask for a favor. But⊠was it worth it? Do it for the tea? He looked down at the sad little bag just floating around in his cup of cool waterâŠ.
Cyr turned his head to study the other demon, a small smile playing amused across his face as he saw Myutâs predicament. âShe is a piece of work, isnât she,â he said lowly, holding out his hand. âIâll ask her for you, if youâd prefer. Then at least youâll be there to pull her off me if she goes for a stab, huh?â
With this offer, a reaction of surprise took up residence on Myutâs face as he quickly turned to look up at the taller demon. He needed to confirm with his own eyes that he had heard and understood correctly. He had not been expecting the black-haired demon to offer to ask for him. A soft swirl of emotions tumbled around in his chest in that moment. Namely uncertainly. Was this guy being serious? After a quick glance-over, it didnât seem like this demon was ingenuous in any way, shape, or form â and Meu couldnât help but like his shape and form. The man had an easygoing and confident little smile to his face, seeming amused himself at the idea of how they would go about heating the tea. But he also seemed to take the wrath demon with a pinch of salt, as proved by his following words.
Cyrâs comment elicited a genuine laugh from Myut.
âYouâd do that for me?â Mew gave Cyr an impressed and semi-meaningful, semi-humored look as he handed over the cup. âDonât break it.â Myut teased, but there was a bit of a serious thread to his words. Though, somehow, to him that non-threat sounded hollow to his mind. What did that mean? The idea of Cyr breaking his precious cup⊠actually didnât bother him that much. That was a bit new. The green-eyed demon was extremely grateful at the idea that Cyr would go ask in his stead, so he supposed that was a sort of trade in itself.
Perhaps his tea would have a chance after all.
âIâll keep an eye on you.â Meu flashed him a fanged grin, tilting his hand to indicate for the tall demon to lead the way. Myut would hang by.
Cyr grinned. âAnything for you,â he teased with a wink, cupping both hands to take the china from the other demon. âIâll guard it with my life,â he teased back, but he did hold it with care. That wouldnât go over well, would it. He quickly turned as the white-haired demon grinned at him, swallowing back a wistful sigh. Damn he was hot. But now was not the time.
Tentatively, Cyr tapped on the wall next to the small wrath demonâs door. Or, at least he assumed she was a wrath demon. What else could she be? It took a few attempts at knocking before a small head, her cheek smeared with paint, poked out from behind the sheet. âWhat do you want,â she snapped.
âOh,â Cyr said, putting on a winsome smile. âWe were wanting to make some tea, but thereâs no hot water. Since youâre the strongest one here, we were wondering whether youâd be able to heat it up for us?â
Eris glared at him. âDonât patronize me,â she snapped, but then seemed to reconsider. âI suppose it wouldnât hurt.â she said after a beat, holding her hands out for the cup. Cyr gingerly passed it to her, and within a few minutes he carefully took the now quite hot cup back, presenting it to Myut proudly. âHere you go,â he said, setting it down on the table. âJust for you~.â
Meu had cocked an eyebrow when he saw the angry demon poke her head out, face covered in paint. What had she been up to in there? He blinked a couple of times before changing his gaze back over to Cyr as he spoke with her. Myut didnât want to attract her attention, after all, and if he was caught staring he was sure to get an earful. Or to lose an ear. Likely the latter. No thanks.
Instead, he occupied himself with gazing over the dark, messy locks of the other demon, tilting his head ever so slightly as he mused silently to himself. It wasnât long before Cyr was returning, though, and a very, very hopeful look filled Meuâs face, like an excited puppy. He was swift to take a seat at the table, pulling the little cup to his spot and delighting in the fact that steam was now rising from the surface. A very comforting, rich smell of cinnamon filled the air around them, and Myut carefully wrapped his hands around the mug as soon as it was cool enough to do so. He relished in the warmth filling his hands, closing his eyes halfway and giving Cyr a distracted, dreamy smile.
âI owe you.â He purred, eyes fixating on the tea as he lifted the rim of the cup to his lips to blow a few soft breaths of air to aid in cooling the liquid before taking a sip. As soon as he had swallowed, though, those same pearlescent green orbs flickered back up to meet Cyrâs golden gaze. With a self-assured grin, Myut voiced proper appreciation. âThanks.â His gaze was already gone in the next instant as he looked over toward where the door was supposed to be, suddenly remembering his original quest. His eyes sought the bookcase.
A look of horrified distaste filled his face as he stared at the bookcase, utterly empty. Mew pushed himself back in his chair, angling his head back in disbelief and frustration as he tilted his elbows up into the air, covering his eyes with his hands and inhaling a sharp breath. âAre you serious,â the white-haired demon growled.
Cyr sat down, leaving a chair between them, and affectionately watched Myut enjoy his tea. That soft smile⊠Cyr wanted to see it more. How could he be so fit, but still have such a cute face? Cyr sat on his hands so he would keep them to himself. He was being polite now. âItâs no problem at all,â he replied, unable to tear his eyes away from the otherâs mouth. âIâm happy to help,â he said, flicking his eyes up just in time to meet the otherâs.
Cyr looked away quickly, feeling warmth creeping up from his throat. They quickly flicked back when the other let out an anguished sound. âWhatâs wrong?â he asked in a soft voice, holding out a hand to soothe him, though it lingered in the air between them. âIs there something else I can help you with?â
âThat,â Myut began, gesturing widely at the bookcase off against the wall, âIs a crime against humanity and devildom.â The well-muscled demon crossed his arms, still leaning back against his chair with a slim pout. Tilting back forward to the table and resting his chin in his hand, propped up by his elbow, Myut gave a foiled blow of air from a puffed cheek, quickly seeking solace in his tea again. He looked back up at Cyr when the other demon voiced his concern, finding himself surprised once again. This demon offered his help so simplyâŠ. What did Cyr want in return?
âI had been hoping to find some new material.â He tilted his head momentarily in the direction of the bookcase to gesture over what he was speaking about. His fingers flexed out of response to that familiar ache for material desire.
âOh,â Cyr said, glancing over at the bookcase. He hadnât even noticed it was empty. âWell, I have a few books if you want to borrow them?â He suggested. âI donât usually bring any with me, but I guess Iâm lucky that I did this time.â He got up and returned with a small satchel of books. They were all soft-backed, with well-loved pages worn from years of being thumbed through. Cyr flushed a little. âTheyâre not really that great, but I like to read them when Iâm bored.â
Some were human fiction, and others were demon, but they were all adventure romance stories, involving mystical creatures and suave men with big swords. âThey pass the time alright,â Cyr said, sheepish now.
Myut still looked wickedly appreciative. Man, this demon just kept hitting homeruns on catching Mew off guard. The tall demon had momentarily disappeared to return with a little plethora of written treasures, which Meu eyed with great interest. This guyâŠ. Meu gave a very fulfilled little cat-like grin, pawing through the offered books with a languid though critical eye. Force of habit.
They werenât exactly his favorite genre of books, that was for sure, but he was desperate, and besides that he found himself⊠strangely interested in what Cyr read. Myut squinted at this discovery and blinked for a moment before his expression brightened, hand carefully cherishing the tome he had picked out at utter random. These had seen some extensive use, which perhaps spoke of quite a bit of sentimental value. And Myut was all about value.
âMm, at this rateâŠâ He trailed off for a moment. âLet me know if I can be of any service,â he promised, allowing his thumb to gently tread through the softened pages as he revered them with the utmost care. He didnât seem to take note or mind any sort of the embarrassment that came from the other demon â everybody liked what they liked. The fact that heâd share with Meu in his time of need was more than enough to gain the greed demonâs respect and good-will.
âAnd what can I call my dear hero?â Myut asked, not looking up from the pages he was leafing through.
Cyr couldnât help but feel a little pleased as the other flipped through the books, looking interested in them, at least. In retrospect, he probably should have pruned out the ones heâd written in when he was younger, but ah well. Now he was too distracted by watching Myutâs hands thumb the pages. They were long and dexterous, but firm⊠Cyr didnât tune back in to completely catch what the other was saying. âReally, donât worry about it. Iâm not keeping score,â he said softly, and as Myut asked after his name, Cyr gave him a warm smile. âYou can call me whatever you like~â he flirted teasingly. âBut my name is Cyr.â
Mew gave a nod of recognition as Cyr finally got to introduce himself. âCyr~.â He voiced, liking the way the otherâs name rolled off his tongue. âWell, Cyr, thanks. Truly.â Myut looked up at him, tipping the book he held in his hand at the other dark-skinned demon. And with that, Meu took his little cup of tea in one hand and tucked the book carefully under the other sideâs muscled bicep. As he rose, he gave Cyris a final nod before he turned and walked back to the quiet and kind-of privacy of his room.
At hearing his name slip past the lips of the other demon, Cyr couldnât help but turn a bit pink as he stared up at Meu, managing to catch his gaze once more as he tucked one of his precious novels under an arm and turned to leave. Cyris watched him slowly walk away, tongue poking out to swipe his bottom lip.
Cyr waited until he was back in his own room, tucking his books back into his suitcase, before grinning to himself, overwhelmed at just how well that had gone~. They were stuck in some shitty hallway thanks to the Prince, but at least Myut was there. Cyr couldnât help but imagine their next encounter. How would it go~ he rubbed his face with a hand, trying to compose himself again. He hadnât realized how fast his heart had been beating throughout that. It had been a long time since heâd wanted to impress someone that badly.
Heâd need to figure out what else this demon liked so he could give him more gifts.
Myut returned to the darkness of his room, terribly happy to have his little cup of tea to enjoy with a new book. To be sure, the content of the book was certainly not his favorite, what with it being fantasy, but it had come from Cyr, so, he would still appreciate it for that reason. It was also new â something that he had never read before. Therefore, it wouldnât be an absolute waste of time. Not like he had many options here, anyway. Maybe being stuck here with this as his only reading route would give him a new appreciation for the genre. Myut couldnât spend his time researching or discovering, so this would be as good a time as any to try something new.
Before he could delve into the book though, Meu decided it would be good to wipe himself down and clean off the residual sweat left from his workout. That certainly wouldnât be very comfortable, especially if he was going to be getting into bed eventually. So the greed demon placed the book and his still-hot cup of tea on the edge of the desk where his other things were and proceeded into the bathroom, which he closed the door behind him. He would be quick about it so as not to waste the precious hot water that Cyr had procured for him.
Meu glanced around for a moment before finding a small towel to use. He turned the faucet on, looking displeased as, oh yes, that was right, there would be no hot or even warm water to do this task with. A grumpy look filled the greed demonâs face, but he resigned himself to his fate, running the towel under the cold water before ringing it out and then smoothing it against his skin. He realized halfway through that he should probably grab a change of clothes again, and he paused to toss the rag in the sink and make a pitstop at the wardrobe outside the bathroom.
He grabbed from there a pair of sleep pants which he had been using the past few nights, so it wasnât new but it wasnât dirty either. Myut didnât bother to select a shirt, figuring that would be a waste of time; it would be easier to dry off without one. Returning to the bathroom and ensuring the door was securely closed, Myutâs deft fingers untied the string that fastened his sweatpants around his waist, letting the clothing drop and stripping himself of any remaining coverings. He retrieved the rag from the sink and resumed his ministrations.
The cold certainly was very unpleasant, so Meu was very ready to return to his hot cup of tea now that he had finished with that task. The warmth of it spreading in his hand made him shudder pleasantly, and he scooped up the book with his other hand, using his foot to hook a chair leg and pull it away from the desk. He took his seat, pulling the book open and beginning.
It didnât take too long for Myut to discover something very interesting, however. As per usual, the content wasnât extremely engaging and Myut could only enjoy it to such an extent. But as he smoothly progressed through the first handful of pages, something caught his eye. On the margin of this page here, there was a cluster of words scribbled in neat handwriting. Oh? Mewâs eyes widened with curiosity as he suddenly straightened from his previously slouched and semi-uninterested position against the back of the chair.
Now, what was this? While Myut couldnât care less about the romance genre, seeing as he had never experienced romantic inclinations himself, viewing what he could only imagine was Cyrâs fine handwriting making comment to the passages was entirely new and fascinating. Was this how most entities viewed romantic relationships and experienced pining? What sort of demon was Cyr, actually? From the little snips and tidbits he was finding, he supposed maybe envy? Or perhaps was he akin to gluttony, like Bez? No⊠he seemed far too regal and reserved to fall to the whims of that sin, at least from what Myut had observed thus far. He really just didnât have any good guesses. Cyr was becoming more and more the riveting puzzle.
In any case, getting to see and experience in a secondhand sort of way the manner in which these emotions affected a person and their point of view gave Myut a renewed appreciation for this genre. Perhaps he would be able to do some research and discovering after all?
Myut sat at the desk for quite some time, glued to the little book in his hands. He wasnât quite sure how much time had passed, but his back was growing a bit uncomfortable pressing against the chair like he was. Carefully rising from his seat, Meu did his best to try to discipline himself to stop looking at the little pages and actually focus on what he was doing and where he was going. He slid the seat of the chair back under the desk, and gave a big, involuntary stretch as he finally straightened from his crunched-up position. He also didnât remember when he had finished his tea, but he was glad he hadnât forgotten about it while being so engrossed in reading Cyrâs notes. It would have been a shame if it went to waste.
It was growing rather late, though, and Mew was admittedly backlogged on needing to catch up on his sleep. Was it nearing almost forty-eight hours since he last dozed? While it wasnât unheard of for the greed demon to binge on occasion in his library back home, this situation was an entirely different animal. And Myut admittedly liked his sleep. The stress of the day suddenly weighed down on him, and he dragged his feet back to the bed that he was calling home for now. What a sad notionâŠ.
Sneaking under the plush covers, Meu gave a mopey look at nothing in particular as he snuggled in. At least their lodgings were decent. Though, Mew couldnât help but imagine that if Abadeer had worse rooms in his beautiful home, they would certainly be shoved in there. He was honestly surprised they werenât all just pushed into a closet together. Now that was a horrifying thought. Meu grinned to himself sleepily at the idea, too tired to really engage with the personal space issues that would come with that circumstance. To drowsy-him, it just seemed funny. He glanced up at the ceiling for a moment before letting his head fall to the side and his orbs focus on the outer room that lay beyond the doorway.
It looked like he was set up across from Erisâ room. It didnât matter how tired he may be, at that realization he prickled quite a bit. At least there was a sheet over her door. Hmm⊠that was right, he had noticed that earlier when Cyr was asking the little wrath demon about heating tea. Normally he might think of trying to get similarly creative, but honestly he didnât have anything to pin a covering to the wall with. How Eris managed to do it, he had no clue. Besides that⊠Myut wiggled poutily in his comfortable sheets; these were his. He wasnât about to give them up for a makeshift door that he likely couldnât make last anyway. Perhaps, if he was fortunate enough, it would not be that big of a deal. In any case, he was too tired to think about it anymore.
The little book Cyr had lent him was still clutched gingerly in Myutâs fingers, close to his resting form. He had originally been planning to read just a bit more before heading to bed, but the strength of his drowsiness had caught him off-guard. He didnât get the chance to put it away before sleep came to claim him.
Several consecutive hours passed before Myut stirred from his dreams. He winced slightly as something rough poked at his upper ribs, blinking sleepily awake with a frown. Shifting his arms enough to prop the sheets away, Meu glanced down to see who the offender was. He blinked again, seeing the small novel that he had been so taken with earlier. He didnât remember falling asleep with it though? Regardless, this was no way to treat a possession, especially a borrowed one at that. It luckily looked okay, but still Myut cradled it in a hand like an injured bird. He was very fortunate not to have squashed the poor novel while he slept â he couldnât imagine that would go over well with Cyr. He had been nice enough to entrust Meu with it, so it certainly deserved better than this.
Lifting his upper half from the mattress, Myut turned to stretch and lean toward the nightstand that was settled next to the somewhat large bed. Hooking a finger around the handle to the little drawer inset onto the piece of furniture, he dragged the nook open to safely deposit his newly-acquired â but just borrowing, he reminded himself â treasure. It wouldnât do to get his sin attached to it, because he had absolutely no clue what Cyr would want for it, nor what would be an appropriate trade for something he was only interested in a part of. Besides, Mew had a good enough memory. Maybe Cyr even had more like this one? He would have to ask to see some more of them, and soon, if the eager speed he figured heâd get through the pages was accurate.
Anyhow, now that Meu was up and it seemed rather quiet in the main room, he figured that he should maybe go look around a little bit. Taking a cautious peek out the door from within the depths of his room, the white-haired demon confirmed that there was no one else out and about. That was relief. He would have hated the idea of being forced into a late-night, or was it early morning now, conversation. If the very dull light coming in from the window was any indicator, it seemed like a new day was begun to dawn. Looked like it was five or six in the morning? Still too early, the very-recently-awoken Myut thought to himself. Heâd probably slink back to bed once he was done.
For now though, he wanted to see what, if anything, their abode might be hiding. Ideally some sort of hint as to what they were doing there, since Myut didnât have any hopes for a way to get out. After all, even if he did manage to find something, what would he do then? Get caught again, obviously. For better or worse, they were trapped here. Myut could only hope that today someone would bother to tell them what was going on. He couldnât imagine another day of sitting around, twiddling his thumbs with no clue what to do next, surrounded by all these strangers. Heâd rather they just get on with it and kill him if that was going to be the case.
Unfortunately, just as everyone else, Mew didnât find anything interesting whatsoever. He checked every corner and even eyed up the one door they hadnât managed to get into yet. He was almost tempted to try to pick it, but it would be far too troublesome, plus he didnât really have the proper tools to try. Myut was finishing up his fruitless search by where the front door was supposed to be, throwing a sour little look at the empty bookcase again. What was the point of having this piece of furniture here if it didnât have anything in it? What a waste of space. Abadeer could have put something interesting here, like a statue or something. Or even nothing. It really got on his nerves.
With a sigh, Myut abandoned any further attention to the bookcase, since it obviously didnât deserve any, and he started making his way back to his room. However, just as he was passing by Inoâs bedroom, something happened to catch his eye which caused him to pause. Ino himself seemed to be asleep, but there on his nightstand, laying all unguarded and massive in its glory, seemed to be a rather large tome of one sort or another. Myut had to stop himself before he suddenly walked right in to investigate. How awkward would that be? And inappropriate. Poor demon was sleeping, after all.
As much as it greatly piqued his curiosity, Meu would have to wait to ask Ino about it in the morning. He didnât even know what it was, after all. Luckily that also meant that his sin of greed wasnât absolutely smitten just yet, so Myut could manage to be gentlemanly about it rather than improperly enamored. Heâd just have to remember. No problem, right? Meu definitely didnât have a million other things on his mind already, and certainly he wasnât starting to fall asleep again after getting only a little bit of rest.
Meu returned to his bedroom and slunk back under the covers. Hopefully he would be able to pick up a couple more hours before everything became chaotic and confusing again.
Myut snoozed away deep under the covers of his bed. It was especially comfortable and he was quite warm due to his own body heat flourishing over the cool of his sheets once more via his bare chest. Meu did not hear when Val entered his room, and it was not until he heard the telltale noises of his things being rifled through that had him groggily opening his eyes and propping himself up to try to see what was going on. He found a naughty also-white-haired demon standing in front of his desk where his things were stashed.
This caused Myutâs pupils to narrow as his eyes adjusted to the light level and his mind processed through what was going on. It had him giving a low, sleepy growl questioning after what Valramir thought he was doing. He could see the silhouette of the other demon stiffen as the audio met his ears. It seemed to do the trick, more or less, as it seemed the offending demon was turning to face him. However, Meu had not been expecting the confident little sashay the red-eyed man did to the end of his bed. Val said some nonsense or other about worrying Mew was lonely, which had him raising an uncertain eyebrow, having him already question if he was remembering correctly what he had literally just seen.
Then little Val had the audacity to hop up onto his bed, crawling forward a little ways like this was his long lost, beloved childhood home and he was going to come in for a good reunion snuggle. Myut may have been half asleep still, but with the weight shifting at the end of the bed, it had little warning bells snapping at him in his mind. He would put a swift end to this, he hoped.
âNo.â Meu answered, voice especially deep with the sleep that still clung jealously to him. He made it clear that he didnât want Valramir hanging around for a moment longer.
It looked like Val was pouting, but it was a little hard to tell at this angle. The sloth demon said something or other about Myut being so terribly unkind. At the same time he reached to grab at Meuâs retracting leg, which almost had the greed giving a warning growl again. It seemed that he had made himself clear, though, as Val retreated off the bed and seemed to be leaving. Mew carefully watched the other with hesitant displeasure, ensuring that Val truly was withdrawing from his domain. The green-eyed demon simply gave a steady and somnolent look back at Val as the other demon turned back for one last glimpse.
"Night Meu meu~" Valramir sang, aiming a wave of drowsy vibes towards him. That singsong voice had caught him a bit off-guard, but Myut was more focused with the fact that Val was indeed leaving. So he didn't mind hearing the silly nickname. Val didn't have to put too much effort into lulling him back to sleep, for as soon as the effects of the Sloth demon's power touched him, Meu already found it very difficult to keep his eyes open any longer. He turned back onto his other side, nestling his head a little deeper into the pillow. His discontent and vague unease swiftly melted into fuzzy dream feelings, and he fell asleep once more.
Myut awoke rather seamlessly, having felt especially rested (thanks to Val). He took a moment or two to stretch in bed before letting his feet hit the rug covering the floor around the bed. It felt like something had happened last night, but he couldnât quite recall what that was. He then stood, making his way to the little water closet attached to his room. After finishing in there and wiping his face with more cold water on his little rag - yay - he reemerged to come to a stop in front of the wardrobe. Myut pulled the wooden doors open and didnât think too much about what to wear. Probably something more comfortable over his fancier attire.
Donning a simple navy blue T-shirt with a large grey stitched âXâ against the chest pocket and pairing it with casual trousers, Meu swapped out his socks for a fresh new pair. Ah, unfortunately Mew didnât really feel or see the need to wear shoes, so his little foot stockings would be in full view. Which wouldnât be a problem for any normal demon, except Myut loved odd socks, delighting in them as his guilty pleasure, hidden behind footwear and pantleg cuffs. In this case, though, he didnât have anything comfortable to wear over them as he hadnât brought any slippers of any sort. Eh; no one would probably notice or care anyway.
The greed demon happily slipped on some striped sockies of a crew cut and made his way out the âdoorâ. They had bands of hot pink, black, cyan, and lime green colors. A cheery little pleasure, which honestly was very important in these sorts of situations. Speaking of little pleasures, as Meu emerged from his room, he found a surprise to his right.
He hadnât expected Ino to be set up against the wall between their two doorways, but as soon as Myut had crossed the threshold to his, there he was in all his small, refined glory. With his eyes raising in astonishment, Myut looked rather impressed at how lithe and flexible the little demon seemed to be. His own body certainly couldnât move in the same ways that Inoâs was.
Mew caught himself watching for a little while as the other skillfully arched his back, contorted his body, stretched his legs, and overall showed off rather impressive ability with his body. The greed demon gave a soft, subtle, and appreciative whistle as Ino finished off his yoga in a bridge position. âI wish I could get my body to move like that.â He grinned charmingly as he leaned against the door frame.
Ino opened his eyes to find Myut right in front of him, just prior to the tall demon commenting on his flexibility. He blushed a little, carefully lowering himself to the ground and sitting up, resting his hands on his knees. âIâm sure you could if you practised~â he answered, sweeping his eyes over Meuâs body. âYou look pretty strong already, you just have to work on the stretching part. Howâs your balance?â he stood up now, quickly brushing down his pants and tugging on his shirt. It was a little embarrassing to have been caught like that, but Ino hadnât been sure if his room would have enough room. Plus he had gotten so into it that he hadnât heard Myutâs footsteps⊠âHow long were you watching me?â he asked.
Myut tilted his head, bringing a thoughtful hand up to his chin. Ino was probably right, it he worked on stretching, he might be able to limber up a bit. As it stood now, though. âIâm just sturdy.â Meu chuckled, watching Ino as he brushed down and rearranged his clothing to sit properly against him once more. He certainly did have some nice outfits. âBesides my basic stretches, I wouldnât know where to begin.â
As Ino asked after how long he had been standing in his doorway, Myut crossed his arms comfortably while leaning a bit more of his weight into the door. âNot too terribly long, donât worry.â He flashed him a reassuring grin; Meu wouldnât know why the other demon would be particularly self-conscious, considering how gorgeous his lithe body was, but the purple-haired demonâs tone had sounded a bit uncertain.
âIno, was it?â
âI can show you, if youâre interested,â Ino offered casually. âAlthough Iâm not much of a teacher. But I know the basics⊠I was a beginner at one point.â It had all started with a form of dance Ino knew his mother would hate, but the flexibility had transferred over. But Ino hadnât fallen in love with yoga until heâd taken to sneaking into human classes, where he learned it was more than just stretching and contortions⊠though that was all a bit too intimate to tell to this virtual stranger.
As Myut reassured him that he hadnât been eyeballing him for too long, Ino gave a light-hearted response of, âHa, good~ I didnât mean to block the way, but I was hoping it was too early for anyone to need to come this way. And that guy-â he waved towards Cyrâs door, â-Was up later than me, so I think heâll stay sleeping. And yes, Iâm Ino. You are⊠Myut, yes?â
Meu nodded at Inoâs offer to show him the ropes, âSure.â Sounded nice enough, especially since it would likely come in handy in the future â overall it would be good for his physical health, so Ino had him on the hook. âWeâll have to find a time to do it.â They would have plenty of it, he was sure. He didnât mind the smaller demon, though. Or probably anyone in a more one-on-one setting, to be honest.
Mew blinked his understanding as Ino apologized for taking up the space along the wall, to which the exotic-looking greed demon shook his head. âYouâre not in the way.â He said simply; there was plenty of room to move around the little demon if need be. âDistracting, though, yes~.â His tone was hinting at playfully suggestive as the white-haired male flashed him a good-natured smirk. âYou must be more hardy than you look; how long have you been in practice?â Ah, and it seemed he had also remembered the otherâs name correctly. In turn, Meu gave the affirmative when Ino double checked his moniker.
Ino smiled back. âGive me a bit to think of some beginner-friendly poses. Are you interested in the controlled breathing and mediation-y kind of stuff too, or just the stretches?â he popped up onto his toes as he spoke. âWe could see if the beds and furniture are movable. Or maybe just host a yoga class for everyone out here. Ha~â he laughed, soft, picturing trying to convince the small angry girl to give yoga a try. He imagined if he uttered the phrase âit might calm you downâ, heâd end up on fire. He laughed again when Myut called him âdistractingâ.
âMy pleasure~,â he teased. âI do try~.â
He had to think about the answer to Myuâs question regarding how long he had been doing his stretches. âThe yoga is a fairly recent thing, only a few years,â he said easily. If Mew wanted more information, though, heâd have to ask for it.
Myut shrugged, not quite sure if he had a preference for stylistic choices. âI suppose Iâd be interested to try both, but I like the looks of the stretching much better.â That had been an indirect compliment to Ino, who made it look so appealing.
âMoving furniture would be no problem. Donât know how much help it will be though. Thereâs quite a bit of it.â Meu himself hadnât really felt too cramped doing exercises in his own room, but granted that was because his sets didnât require a lot of space. Or, well, probably because more-so there was no way in Hell heâd feel comfortable doing them out in the open with so many eyes watching. So he wouldnât complain about a lack of space regardless.
Myut simply nodded at Inoâs response on how long heâd been doing his contortions. Stretching an arm up and over his head, Mew gave a morning yawn as he straightened up off the doorway. âWell, let me know.â He shrugged before walking off to investigate the small little palm-frond looking tree in the corner of the room.
âOkay, Iâll teach you a bit of both. And also see about the furniture.â Ino told him, leaning back on the door while watching him go. Once Myut had walked off, Ino disappeared back into his room, as without his heels he was even smaller than yesterday, and he didnât quite like the feeling.
Once Meu neared the small potted plant, he grabbed a chair from the table and dragged it over so he could take a nice comfy seat while he analyzed the greenery. It looked to be an overworld plant, and he hadnât had the proper time to give to admiring it as of yet.
The tallest demon among them hadnât said his name, and Meu couldnât help but wonder the reason why. He himself had not been particularly inclined to share, but he still had. He would have to ask later, he supposed. But for now, he had to go through the rest of his stuff and ensure everything still remaining was accounted for. Remembering that something was already missing irked him into a particularly sour mood, and a hard look was plastered to his face as he meticulously picked through his bags sitting on the bed. Only a few moments passed before Mew decided to continue this further in the depths of his room. He settled onto the desk against the wall, properly angled away from the door. His greed side didnât like the idea of prying curiosities impertinently eyeing up his things without permission.
It took quite a while to go through everything with how slow and meticulous Myut was being, carefully examining each individual item with a trained eye, comparing each thing to what was on his mental list. By the time Myut had finished, he discovered two more objects missing. The guards had been very liberal with his things. A severe look that did not belong on his pretty features burned intensely on his face, fists clenched and teeth grinding under the pressure of his jaw. The second he got his hands on the dirty guards responsibleâŠ.
It was an absolute insult, one of the highest offenses one could make against a greed demon. Losing these things set him off in a different way. A sharp ache reverbed somewhere deep within him. The fact that some plebian had purloined such precious things from him without anything in return⊠a dull but persistent gnawing grew slowly in intensity while Myut did his best to drown it out. It never worked, of course. He found his fingers trembling against the hard wood of the desk â when had they gotten there? A piercing pang knocked against his skull, causing his hand to shoot up in order to apply a counter pressure.
Suddenly, Myut remembered something. Dropping his attention from the desk and ignoring the creeping void of his sin the best he could, Meu came to stand by the side of the bed opposite the door, hands rummaging about on the sheets. Where had he put it again? Ah! His suit jacket. Fingers fumbled about in the pockets until they slid against cool smooth metal. He retrieved the object from the cloth confines and observed it carefully against his palm. The little necklace he had traded for earlier that day- well, it had been a while by now, hadnât it? Nonetheless, clasping the little object and feeling the reassuring shape and feel of it seemed to soothe the irritation a smidgen; Meu didnât know why, but it did. It was probably just the greed side feeling satiated where before it had felt emptiness.
In any case, the headache seemed to subside and Meu eased back enough to where the only thing remaining was the basic anger of his things being stolen. That he could work with. Depositing the cross back into a pocket (this time his trousersâ) Mew stretched his arms out, linking his hands together and popping his knuckles. Exercising would be the perfect way to take his mind off things and work out his frustrations. He should probably clear off the bed first, that way it wouldnât prove too distracting.
Once he had finished putting away his clothes, Myut stole away to the small respite that was the bathroom and its actual door. At least Abadeer had the decency to give them that much. It was rather cramped, though, so the greed demon had no desire to spend much time at all in there even if it had provided a barrier to the outside. Meu changed out of the wrinkled and dirtied suit he had been in, swapping out his fancy attire for a pair of rather plain charcoal grey sweats that were somewhat loose fitting and of a cotton-like blend. He matched it with a sleeveless, high-neckline black shirt that clung to his torso jealously, fitting just right in all the proper places.
Myut reemerged, taking a sidelong glance at the gaping hole that was the âdoorâ to his room. Tapping his left bicep idly with his right hand and pursing his lips a bit, the green-eyed demon sighed. He turned away from the doorway to stare at the opposite wall. It would be a little easier to focus this way if he were staring at plaster rather than the open unknown that lay past his door. People walking. Talking. Gawking. He almost shuddered.
He was still too pissed about his stuff, though, so it was time to get down and dirty. Mew would go down a list of the usual exercises he did, starting with squats and probably ending somewhere with arm and core strength implementations.
Meu had been busy exercising for quite a while now, and was currently doing pushups at the foot of his bed. Just as where he had started, he could not help but still be positioned enough to the side that he would be within view of the door. There just wasnât that much room to spare. He was still turned facing the far wall so he could better keep his count. At least there was a window to stare up at. His breathing was rhythmic and exerted as he pushed himself up and down off the floor, swapping between one hand to the other and interchanging to both at other times. His form was impeccable, straight as an arrow and carefully aligned so he could yield the best tension results from his muscles.
At some point Bez had realized that she had not seen Myut in some time; She'd been busy, of course, flitting from room to room, conversation to conversation, but she still made note. But with how ill at ease Myut had been when they had all gathered for a brief chat, there was no way she wouldn't check in. So that was what she was doing now.
When she came to his room, he was already in the middle of exercising. Bez watched for some time. She was enjoying the exhibition and felt no need to make her presence known just yet, content to simply lean against the wall. She had changed out of her ruined gala gown, now wearing a black shirt with pearl buttons and a brown belt across the middle. The shirt belonged to Cyr, of course, which meant it reached well past her mid-thigh.
Myut had been minding his own business and counting reps. He had felt the mounting suspicion that he was being watched, though. So, finishing his set, the greed demon turned to look at the door and was startled quite badly to see Bez leaning there. He hadn't actually expected anyone to be there. Good thing he had paused, or he may have been so caught off guard that he would have crumpled in the middle of an exercise.
It was just Bez though, which provided some small relief. Still, though. "Uhh, how long have you been standing there?" He took in her cute oversized appearance, sporting some shirt he had never seen before and, judging by the size, one that clearly did not belong to her.
Bez had been able to tell the moment that Mew started to suspect she was there, as the tension in his well-defined muscles changed ever so slightly. It had taken him several reps before he turned, though. Bez couldn't help the giggle that slipped out when he jumped. "Oh, not quite long enough. You can keep going," she flirted, motioning her okay for him to continue with a wink.
At this, Myut let his jaw slack open a bit as he gave an amused laugh of disbelief to how bold Bez was. "Alright then..." He grinned to himself before turning back to stare at the wall as he started a new set.
"You're alright, Bez?" He spoke in a soft but serious tone. "I saw what they did to you." He grunted, a bit of anger threading through his words.
"I mean, I know you're you. You can handle anything. But sincerely, how is this affecting you?"
"I appreciate the concern, I do. But it was honestly my own fault for fighting back. Should have known better. As for the rest, it's... unsettling. I wonder why they are taking so long to tell us what's going on." She talked low enough that it wouldn't carry easily in the main room, partially watching, partially just letting her eyes wander. She didn't let the neutrally cheerful look slip from her face, however, in case Myut turned around sooner rather than later.
Unsettling was an excellent word for the situation, and Myut could not help but agree over how long they â whomever that was - were letting the little group stew in mystery. It was wildly unprofessional, if you asked him. Perhaps Eris was right and Abadeer was just delighting in messing with all of them, pulling them together for his amusement and that there was no real reason behind them being all gathered. But Mew doubted that, especially after learning they had all gotten up to something or other.
"I was surprised to see you of all people suddenly chucked into the room. I can't help but wonder what sort of mischief you got up to Bez~." He pumped himself up and down on the floor, elbows bending silently as he pushed his own weight.
Bezzie laughed, strolling over to the bed and plopping down on it. Now, Mew would be able to turn and look at her, if he so chose. And of course, she had an even nicer angle of his full form.
"Oh? Wouldn't you like to know~? Well, here's a secret," Bez crossed her arms, set her chin down, and pouted fiercely, "I don't know either."
She traced a finger on the bed, wrinkling the sheets in a formless pattern. "I'm hoping the information I brought you wasn't what got you in deep? Did you get to find out what it was about?"
Meu could hear her padding deeper into his room, ascending atop his mattress and taking a dainty seat thereon. He tilted his head so he could look at her from the corner of his eye. He was glad that she seemed to be, for the most part, managing just fine.
He gave a wry chuckle at her severe pouting face. That was interesting, though: she couldn't think of anything in particular to pinpoint what had gotten her in trouble. That was not the case for Myut.
At her next question the greed demon couldn't help but laugh. "You could say that." Myut answered for both questions. He didn't seem particularly bothered by this fact, though. He flashed Bez a reassuring grin before elaborating.
"Yeah, it had to do with some content I was already looking into before you gave me that little tidbit, so certainly don't feel bad. It just egged me on all the more to get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, that led to some dark corridors and dusty shelves," Myut was also sure to speak in softer tones, not particularly endeared to the idea of anyone eavesdropping. "I ended up in the same kind of trouble as your Vivian demon." Meu smirked teasingly up at the little gluttony over how buddy-buddy she had been with the gorgeous demon. She certainly was having her fill.
"Well, that's two among us going where we weren't supposed to be. What, the gala didn't provide enough to keep you occupied," she teased.
Myut playfully scoffed in response, "I could ask you the same. After all, you're here too." He flashed her a charming, cheeky grin. "And why didn't you introduce yourself earlier? Don't tell me you already know everyone here~." Honestly that was likely the case, though. Bezabelle got around, so he wouldnât be surprised in the least.
"There are getting to be fewer and fewer strangers in Hell. I know a good amount of the demons at the gala as a whole, in some capacity or another."
Myut gave a wry whistle at the revelation of the female demon knowing so many. He gave Bezabelle a half glance as he let his weight fall with gravity before pushing against it again. "I don't know how you've done it, Bezzie. I can barely handle three people at one time, let alone a whole party of 'em." Myut turned his gaze down to the floor as he rested his forearms against the carpet, shifting his weight so that he was lifting his lower half and suspending it in the air for a bit in order to work on his core and arm muscles.
"I'm having such~ a great time so far." Meu spoke derivatively and sarcastically, tone otherwise rather quiet as he focused on keeping himself upright.
Bez's brows raised a fraction, surprised as Meu held his entire body weight on his forearms. Impressive!
"Liar~ it's not supposed to be a good time. Otherwise they wouldn't have taken us from the gala. On the bright side, you don't have to deal with a whole gala. Just me and five others. And there's a nice little tidbit I think you're missing."
"That's true." Myut had a bad habit of always looking on the lesser side of things. Just five strangers, rather than a whole castle of them. âŠMyut would prefer the castle. At least then they wouldn't be bursting at the seams in their little cage.
He stopped, suddenly lowering himself all the way to the floor before getting up fully. He dusted off his hands, closing the gap of a few steps between he and the bed. "Oh?"
As Myut approached, stopping just before where she lay near the foot of the bed, Bezzie rose to a partial sitting position. Her right leg was tucked under the left, and her left leg swung over the edge of the bed to brush Meu's lower thigh. She leaned back to rest her weight on her arms, looking up at him.
"I wonder," she started, once again pulling her favorite tease with Myut, "what would you be willing to give me for the information?"
Meu leaned forward on the bed, resting his knuckles on the mattress with his arms in a wide stance. As he let out an involuntary chuckle at Bez's words, his chin dropped ever so slightly until he was looking down at her leg. He shook his head with a grin. Even in this situation; Bez was always a little businessman. She must have taken after him at some point during their unusual friendship.
"Depends. I don't have a whole lot on me right now, but you're free to look through my trinkets if you'd like." He motioned towards one of the bags laying on the desk, a few items spread out onto the surface of the little table-like structure.
"Unless you're looking for something else~."
When Myut had leaned over her, his arms on either side, Bez took a moment to just enjoy the closeness. She watched his face, his lips as he spoke.
"Oh, I suppose I can take it easy on you for now. Just this."
With how close he was, all she had to do was lean forward. Her kiss was lingering, hungry, and ended too soon. Bez stayed close, her voice low so as not to carry.
"By my estimation, you have at least half the demons here at a disadvantage. You hold the cards, my dear Mew."
Bez almost did him a great disservice by only asking for a little kiss. To some extent he certainly enjoyed their time together, oft uncommon as it tended to be, but, perhaps this was for the best. This wasnât really the time for this sort of thing. As her soft, delicate lips did their best to ravage his in a few passes, Myut couldn't help but grin, lifting a hand to cup the back of her head so his fingers could slide against the silky but somewhat mussed texture of her currently red hair. He could gladly pay this sort of price with Bezabelle.
There was an ever so gentle pressure behind his palm, making a tiny attempt at encouraging her on, but for the large part his fingers were loose and gentle so she could easily pull back when she had decided to take her 'fill'. It didn't really seem to be enough for either of them, leaving more to be desired, but that was how it was with the gluttony sin. He was far from immune to its effects.
The kiss had almost distracted him out of their current situation and into one reminiscent of somewhere far more comfortable and intimate. Almost. It was good that it was just a short kiss. Myut was admittedly still very uneasy, and as much as he was tempted to feed little Bez a bit, he would not have been comfortable doing so. Besides, if he wasn't careful, he would have to deal with a jealous Vivian. Now that would be uncomfortable.
In any case, Bezabelle had promised him some secrets, and that was what he was most interested in. After all, he wouldn't want to distract Bezzie from letting the cat out of the bag.
However, when she said that he was holding the cards, Myut responded with a half-hearted but playful scoff. "It certainly doesn't feel that way to me. ...But I will admit that the vote of confidence makes me feel leagues better than I had been doing." Meu chuckled, using the back of his index finger to gingerly trace his touch over the rise of Bezabelleâs cheekbone, an appreciative look taking up residence in his attractive facial features.
Myut then broke any built tension by ruffling her hair, messing it up again with a cheeky grin. A serious tone juxtaposed it as he spoke quietly and sweetly back to her, "Come and find me any time you're in need, for whatever matter, however small." It was the least he could do for a friend.
Bez leaned into the touch, enjoying both the sensation and the attention. Then, wrinkled her nose as he ruffled her hair like a child's.
She tsked at him before tussling her own hair back from her face with an impatient sweep of her fingers. "Only if you promise to take advantage of your situation here." She pushed off the bed, turning when she was halfway to the door. Her eyes glimmered with mischief that she didn't feel; a small use of her powers, but she felt it necessary. "After all, you never know how long the game will last."
Her reaction only seemed to delight Meuâs humor more, but the smile dropped from his face as he watched her retreating from his bed, surely off to cause some more trouble. His aura remained congenial, however, feeling somewhat reassured by the mischief he could see gleaming in her eyes. At her final words Myut simply gave a playfully dismissive wave of his hand and a halfhearted shrug. âIâll promise to try my best, at least.â That would be the best he could offer on that regard. He gave Bez a final wave as she disappeared out the door, though whether she saw it was of little concern to him.
It had been a nice little break, but Meu wasnât feeling quite satiated yet. He still had a set or two left and far be it from him to miss out on his full normal routine.
By the time Myut was finally wrapping up, the rooms had descended into darkness. He hadnât quite registered the passing of time or its extent other than the windows, but it was properly dark now. It didnât bother him in the least â he had done what he set out to do, regardless of how lost he had become in it.
Myut tilted his head this way and that, relishing in the cracks that followed. He had worked up quite the sweat and luckily had also blown off all that pent-up steam. Physical exertion was definitely something that always helped Mew to get out of his own head, and it had proven especially effective this time around. Prior to exercising, his mind had been a jumble, but now it was feeling just blank. It would be good to continue to fill his time and mind with some more distractions, just to be safe.
Mm⊠finding something to read sounded particularly appetizing in that moment, but none of the books he had brought with him were really calling out his name. If he remembered correctly, there had been a bookcase by the front door? He hadnât taken that good of a look beforehand, but it wouldnât hurt to investigate into the matter further. And what better way to sit down and enjoy a tome than with some tea?
As he pulled one arm in front of him with the other in a stretch, Meu gave a little teary-eyed yawn. His body felt good, but he had been at it for a while. It would be good to sit back and relax. Grabbing a small bag from the desk to his left, the tall white-haired demon took a few steps from where he had been standing. He tossed the bag onto the bed and came to a stop at its side, leaning his lower back against the mattress.
He stood in clear view of the door now, one hand rummaging through the dark pack while the other lazily fell to the flattened line of his stomach, fingers gripping the black cloth of his shirt. He peeled it off his lower abdominals in order to lift it up and absentmindedly wipe his face down. Once he was done, it fell back into place against his torso and the greed demon fully turned to better angle himself before the bed.
It did not take long for Meu to find the little tin hidden within the depths of the sling he was searching, and he swiftly pulled out one of the little bags of cinnamon tea therein. To go with it was a rather intricate and delicate looking Chinese porcelain cup. Disappearing from view of the doorway, Myut found his way into the bathroom again. He was not paying much attention as he let the mug fill from the tap, resting neatly in the sink bowl. A sudden but not unfamiliar discomfort irritated at the skin below one of his pecs, and Myut tried to adjust the now-drying sweaty shirt he wore in attempts to allay the itch.
No matter what he tried though, nothing seemed to do the trick.
A look of severe irritation harshened his features before Myut suddenly ripped the shirt up over his head to toss it harshly against the doorframe of the bathroom. That felt a little better, at least. Far less constricting. Mew loosened his waistband just a bit to match. He would have to figure out a way to clean himself down later now that he was a sweaty mess, but that was a problem to figure out once he returned with a book safely secured in his grasps.
His cup was now full enough, but only as a broad hand wrapped around the cool porcelain did it suddenly occur to him that the material was indeed cool. It was not hot. A slight look of exasperation tugged his lips along with a raggedy sigh â no hot water, of course. How much worse could this get?
There was no way in Hell he was letting the precious little teabag go to waste. That went against his very principles as a greed demon. Perhaps he could see about heating it near the fireplace or something. In any case, it was time to go see about that bookcase. So Myut emerged from the depths of his room, cup of tea water in one hand while the other lay in the pocket of his now lower-hanging sweatpants.
His chest was completely bare and free from the obstructed view of any pesky shirts, and it would not be difficult in the slightest to get an eyeful now that he was under the brighter artificial lights that hung on the wall of the main room. Strong shoulders, built arms, defined pecs, tight abs, and flat stomach were paired with a teasing trace of the deep V that hid below the waist of his sweatpants.
Meu didnât seem bothered by the change in air temperature as he re-entered the main room from the comparative stuffiness of his own. He moved to the fireplace without thinking it through too much and stood before it, enjoying for a moment the warmth that brushed against his chest. He was running several glances between his cup and the fire, eyes narrowing a bit as he tried to calculate a way in which he might be able to actually produce tea. Nothing was worse than tea that hadnât actually been steeped, and while Myut would drink it if he had to, heâd try everything he could to avoid vaguely flavored cold water.
It seemed that while he was making his way over to the hearth, he had attracted the attention of another. Cyr watched intently as Myut passed, bringing with him an aura of body heat and exertion. He slowly shut his book and stood, glancing around before strolling over to stand by the demon in front of the fire. âUnless you have fire-proof gloves,â he said, âI wouldnât do that if I were you.â
As Myut gazed into the swirling flames, he gave a low chuckle at Cyrâs comment, suddenly finding the demon standing beside him. Now that it was growing later into the night, the white-haired demon seemed to be a lot more comfortable since there were far fewer people milling about. âYeah, I was thinking the same. Was hoping for maybe a set of tongs, but I wouldnât dare risk the fine china.â Meuâs lips adopted a disappointed little pout, dark brows scrunching as he ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair. He wasnât quite sure what to do. He looked despondently down at his cup; it was looking like he was going to be out of luck. He should have thought this through a little better, but how was he to know Abadeer would cut off their access to heated liquids?
âMmm,â Cyr mused, glancing back at the sheet-draped door to their right. âYou could always ask the little wrath demon, perhaps sheâd heat it up for you?â he suggested, giving the cup a sympathetic look.
At this suggestion from his olive-skinned companion, Meu stiffened ever so noticeably, fingers tightening around the little handle of the cup. While it was true that wraths did have power over fire⊠the idea of the rabid little squirrel chomping her fangs at him was certainly not ideal. Myut gave a shudder at the very imagery, hoping to pass the motion off as perhaps being from a cool draft of air. âAhâŠâ He trailed off, not quite sure what to say in response so as not to give away his utter distaste for the pocket-sized demon thus far. She had seemed to have calmed down a bit, at least. Or he hadnât seen or heard from her in a while. Maybe. It could have been that he was tuning any of her noises out.
He hated the idea of interacting with her, though. Especially to ask for a favor. But⊠was it worth it? Do it for the tea? He looked down at the sad little bag just floating around in his cup of cool waterâŠ.
Cyr turned his head to study the other demon, a small smile playing amused across his face as he saw Myutâs predicament. âShe is a piece of work, isnât she,â he said lowly, holding out his hand. âIâll ask her for you, if youâd prefer. Then at least youâll be there to pull her off me if she goes for a stab, huh?â
With this offer, a reaction of surprise took up residence on Myutâs face as he quickly turned to look up at the taller demon. He needed to confirm with his own eyes that he had heard and understood correctly. He had not been expecting the black-haired demon to offer to ask for him. A soft swirl of emotions tumbled around in his chest in that moment. Namely uncertainly. Was this guy being serious? After a quick glance-over, it didnât seem like this demon was ingenuous in any way, shape, or form â and Meu couldnât help but like his shape and form. The man had an easygoing and confident little smile to his face, seeming amused himself at the idea of how they would go about heating the tea. But he also seemed to take the wrath demon with a pinch of salt, as proved by his following words.
Cyrâs comment elicited a genuine laugh from Myut.
âYouâd do that for me?â Mew gave Cyr an impressed and semi-meaningful, semi-humored look as he handed over the cup. âDonât break it.â Myut teased, but there was a bit of a serious thread to his words. Though, somehow, to him that non-threat sounded hollow to his mind. What did that mean? The idea of Cyr breaking his precious cup⊠actually didnât bother him that much. That was a bit new. The green-eyed demon was extremely grateful at the idea that Cyr would go ask in his stead, so he supposed that was a sort of trade in itself.
Perhaps his tea would have a chance after all.
âIâll keep an eye on you.â Meu flashed him a fanged grin, tilting his hand to indicate for the tall demon to lead the way. Myut would hang by.
Cyr grinned. âAnything for you,â he teased with a wink, cupping both hands to take the china from the other demon. âIâll guard it with my life,â he teased back, but he did hold it with care. That wouldnât go over well, would it. He quickly turned as the white-haired demon grinned at him, swallowing back a wistful sigh. Damn he was hot. But now was not the time.
Tentatively, Cyr tapped on the wall next to the small wrath demonâs door. Or, at least he assumed she was a wrath demon. What else could she be? It took a few attempts at knocking before a small head, her cheek smeared with paint, poked out from behind the sheet. âWhat do you want,â she snapped.
âOh,â Cyr said, putting on a winsome smile. âWe were wanting to make some tea, but thereâs no hot water. Since youâre the strongest one here, we were wondering whether youâd be able to heat it up for us?â
Eris glared at him. âDonât patronize me,â she snapped, but then seemed to reconsider. âI suppose it wouldnât hurt.â she said after a beat, holding her hands out for the cup. Cyr gingerly passed it to her, and within a few minutes he carefully took the now quite hot cup back, presenting it to Myut proudly. âHere you go,â he said, setting it down on the table. âJust for you~.â
Meu had cocked an eyebrow when he saw the angry demon poke her head out, face covered in paint. What had she been up to in there? He blinked a couple of times before changing his gaze back over to Cyr as he spoke with her. Myut didnât want to attract her attention, after all, and if he was caught staring he was sure to get an earful. Or to lose an ear. Likely the latter. No thanks.
Instead, he occupied himself with gazing over the dark, messy locks of the other demon, tilting his head ever so slightly as he mused silently to himself. It wasnât long before Cyr was returning, though, and a very, very hopeful look filled Meuâs face, like an excited puppy. He was swift to take a seat at the table, pulling the little cup to his spot and delighting in the fact that steam was now rising from the surface. A very comforting, rich smell of cinnamon filled the air around them, and Myut carefully wrapped his hands around the mug as soon as it was cool enough to do so. He relished in the warmth filling his hands, closing his eyes halfway and giving Cyr a distracted, dreamy smile.
âI owe you.â He purred, eyes fixating on the tea as he lifted the rim of the cup to his lips to blow a few soft breaths of air to aid in cooling the liquid before taking a sip. As soon as he had swallowed, though, those same pearlescent green orbs flickered back up to meet Cyrâs golden gaze. With a self-assured grin, Myut voiced proper appreciation. âThanks.â His gaze was already gone in the next instant as he looked over toward where the door was supposed to be, suddenly remembering his original quest. His eyes sought the bookcase.
A look of horrified distaste filled his face as he stared at the bookcase, utterly empty. Mew pushed himself back in his chair, angling his head back in disbelief and frustration as he tilted his elbows up into the air, covering his eyes with his hands and inhaling a sharp breath. âAre you serious,â the white-haired demon growled.
Cyr sat down, leaving a chair between them, and affectionately watched Myut enjoy his tea. That soft smile⊠Cyr wanted to see it more. How could he be so fit, but still have such a cute face? Cyr sat on his hands so he would keep them to himself. He was being polite now. âItâs no problem at all,â he replied, unable to tear his eyes away from the otherâs mouth. âIâm happy to help,â he said, flicking his eyes up just in time to meet the otherâs.
Cyr looked away quickly, feeling warmth creeping up from his throat. They quickly flicked back when the other let out an anguished sound. âWhatâs wrong?â he asked in a soft voice, holding out a hand to soothe him, though it lingered in the air between them. âIs there something else I can help you with?â
âThat,â Myut began, gesturing widely at the bookcase off against the wall, âIs a crime against humanity and devildom.â The well-muscled demon crossed his arms, still leaning back against his chair with a slim pout. Tilting back forward to the table and resting his chin in his hand, propped up by his elbow, Myut gave a foiled blow of air from a puffed cheek, quickly seeking solace in his tea again. He looked back up at Cyr when the other demon voiced his concern, finding himself surprised once again. This demon offered his help so simplyâŠ. What did Cyr want in return?
âI had been hoping to find some new material.â He tilted his head momentarily in the direction of the bookcase to gesture over what he was speaking about. His fingers flexed out of response to that familiar ache for material desire.
âOh,â Cyr said, glancing over at the bookcase. He hadnât even noticed it was empty. âWell, I have a few books if you want to borrow them?â He suggested. âI donât usually bring any with me, but I guess Iâm lucky that I did this time.â He got up and returned with a small satchel of books. They were all soft-backed, with well-loved pages worn from years of being thumbed through. Cyr flushed a little. âTheyâre not really that great, but I like to read them when Iâm bored.â
Some were human fiction, and others were demon, but they were all adventure romance stories, involving mystical creatures and suave men with big swords. âThey pass the time alright,â Cyr said, sheepish now.
Myut still looked wickedly appreciative. Man, this demon just kept hitting homeruns on catching Mew off guard. The tall demon had momentarily disappeared to return with a little plethora of written treasures, which Meu eyed with great interest. This guyâŠ. Meu gave a very fulfilled little cat-like grin, pawing through the offered books with a languid though critical eye. Force of habit.
They werenât exactly his favorite genre of books, that was for sure, but he was desperate, and besides that he found himself⊠strangely interested in what Cyr read. Myut squinted at this discovery and blinked for a moment before his expression brightened, hand carefully cherishing the tome he had picked out at utter random. These had seen some extensive use, which perhaps spoke of quite a bit of sentimental value. And Myut was all about value.
âMm, at this rateâŠâ He trailed off for a moment. âLet me know if I can be of any service,â he promised, allowing his thumb to gently tread through the softened pages as he revered them with the utmost care. He didnât seem to take note or mind any sort of the embarrassment that came from the other demon â everybody liked what they liked. The fact that heâd share with Meu in his time of need was more than enough to gain the greed demonâs respect and good-will.
âAnd what can I call my dear hero?â Myut asked, not looking up from the pages he was leafing through.
Cyr couldnât help but feel a little pleased as the other flipped through the books, looking interested in them, at least. In retrospect, he probably should have pruned out the ones heâd written in when he was younger, but ah well. Now he was too distracted by watching Myutâs hands thumb the pages. They were long and dexterous, but firm⊠Cyr didnât tune back in to completely catch what the other was saying. âReally, donât worry about it. Iâm not keeping score,â he said softly, and as Myut asked after his name, Cyr gave him a warm smile. âYou can call me whatever you like~â he flirted teasingly. âBut my name is Cyr.â
Mew gave a nod of recognition as Cyr finally got to introduce himself. âCyr~.â He voiced, liking the way the otherâs name rolled off his tongue. âWell, Cyr, thanks. Truly.â Myut looked up at him, tipping the book he held in his hand at the other dark-skinned demon. And with that, Meu took his little cup of tea in one hand and tucked the book carefully under the other sideâs muscled bicep. As he rose, he gave Cyris a final nod before he turned and walked back to the quiet and kind-of privacy of his room.
At hearing his name slip past the lips of the other demon, Cyr couldnât help but turn a bit pink as he stared up at Meu, managing to catch his gaze once more as he tucked one of his precious novels under an arm and turned to leave. Cyris watched him slowly walk away, tongue poking out to swipe his bottom lip.
Cyr waited until he was back in his own room, tucking his books back into his suitcase, before grinning to himself, overwhelmed at just how well that had gone~. They were stuck in some shitty hallway thanks to the Prince, but at least Myut was there. Cyr couldnât help but imagine their next encounter. How would it go~ he rubbed his face with a hand, trying to compose himself again. He hadnât realized how fast his heart had been beating throughout that. It had been a long time since heâd wanted to impress someone that badly.
Heâd need to figure out what else this demon liked so he could give him more gifts.
Myut returned to the darkness of his room, terribly happy to have his little cup of tea to enjoy with a new book. To be sure, the content of the book was certainly not his favorite, what with it being fantasy, but it had come from Cyr, so, he would still appreciate it for that reason. It was also new â something that he had never read before. Therefore, it wouldnât be an absolute waste of time. Not like he had many options here, anyway. Maybe being stuck here with this as his only reading route would give him a new appreciation for the genre. Myut couldnât spend his time researching or discovering, so this would be as good a time as any to try something new.
Before he could delve into the book though, Meu decided it would be good to wipe himself down and clean off the residual sweat left from his workout. That certainly wouldnât be very comfortable, especially if he was going to be getting into bed eventually. So the greed demon placed the book and his still-hot cup of tea on the edge of the desk where his other things were and proceeded into the bathroom, which he closed the door behind him. He would be quick about it so as not to waste the precious hot water that Cyr had procured for him.
Meu glanced around for a moment before finding a small towel to use. He turned the faucet on, looking displeased as, oh yes, that was right, there would be no hot or even warm water to do this task with. A grumpy look filled the greed demonâs face, but he resigned himself to his fate, running the towel under the cold water before ringing it out and then smoothing it against his skin. He realized halfway through that he should probably grab a change of clothes again, and he paused to toss the rag in the sink and make a pitstop at the wardrobe outside the bathroom.
He grabbed from there a pair of sleep pants which he had been using the past few nights, so it wasnât new but it wasnât dirty either. Myut didnât bother to select a shirt, figuring that would be a waste of time; it would be easier to dry off without one. Returning to the bathroom and ensuring the door was securely closed, Myutâs deft fingers untied the string that fastened his sweatpants around his waist, letting the clothing drop and stripping himself of any remaining coverings. He retrieved the rag from the sink and resumed his ministrations.
The cold certainly was very unpleasant, so Meu was very ready to return to his hot cup of tea now that he had finished with that task. The warmth of it spreading in his hand made him shudder pleasantly, and he scooped up the book with his other hand, using his foot to hook a chair leg and pull it away from the desk. He took his seat, pulling the book open and beginning.
It didnât take too long for Myut to discover something very interesting, however. As per usual, the content wasnât extremely engaging and Myut could only enjoy it to such an extent. But as he smoothly progressed through the first handful of pages, something caught his eye. On the margin of this page here, there was a cluster of words scribbled in neat handwriting. Oh? Mewâs eyes widened with curiosity as he suddenly straightened from his previously slouched and semi-uninterested position against the back of the chair.
Now, what was this? While Myut couldnât care less about the romance genre, seeing as he had never experienced romantic inclinations himself, viewing what he could only imagine was Cyrâs fine handwriting making comment to the passages was entirely new and fascinating. Was this how most entities viewed romantic relationships and experienced pining? What sort of demon was Cyr, actually? From the little snips and tidbits he was finding, he supposed maybe envy? Or perhaps was he akin to gluttony, like Bez? No⊠he seemed far too regal and reserved to fall to the whims of that sin, at least from what Myut had observed thus far. He really just didnât have any good guesses. Cyr was becoming more and more the riveting puzzle.
In any case, getting to see and experience in a secondhand sort of way the manner in which these emotions affected a person and their point of view gave Myut a renewed appreciation for this genre. Perhaps he would be able to do some research and discovering after all?
Myut sat at the desk for quite some time, glued to the little book in his hands. He wasnât quite sure how much time had passed, but his back was growing a bit uncomfortable pressing against the chair like he was. Carefully rising from his seat, Meu did his best to try to discipline himself to stop looking at the little pages and actually focus on what he was doing and where he was going. He slid the seat of the chair back under the desk, and gave a big, involuntary stretch as he finally straightened from his crunched-up position. He also didnât remember when he had finished his tea, but he was glad he hadnât forgotten about it while being so engrossed in reading Cyrâs notes. It would have been a shame if it went to waste.
It was growing rather late, though, and Mew was admittedly backlogged on needing to catch up on his sleep. Was it nearing almost forty-eight hours since he last dozed? While it wasnât unheard of for the greed demon to binge on occasion in his library back home, this situation was an entirely different animal. And Myut admittedly liked his sleep. The stress of the day suddenly weighed down on him, and he dragged his feet back to the bed that he was calling home for now. What a sad notionâŠ.
Sneaking under the plush covers, Meu gave a mopey look at nothing in particular as he snuggled in. At least their lodgings were decent. Though, Mew couldnât help but imagine that if Abadeer had worse rooms in his beautiful home, they would certainly be shoved in there. He was honestly surprised they werenât all just pushed into a closet together. Now that was a horrifying thought. Meu grinned to himself sleepily at the idea, too tired to really engage with the personal space issues that would come with that circumstance. To drowsy-him, it just seemed funny. He glanced up at the ceiling for a moment before letting his head fall to the side and his orbs focus on the outer room that lay beyond the doorway.
It looked like he was set up across from Erisâ room. It didnât matter how tired he may be, at that realization he prickled quite a bit. At least there was a sheet over her door. Hmm⊠that was right, he had noticed that earlier when Cyr was asking the little wrath demon about heating tea. Normally he might think of trying to get similarly creative, but honestly he didnât have anything to pin a covering to the wall with. How Eris managed to do it, he had no clue. Besides that⊠Myut wiggled poutily in his comfortable sheets; these were his. He wasnât about to give them up for a makeshift door that he likely couldnât make last anyway. Perhaps, if he was fortunate enough, it would not be that big of a deal. In any case, he was too tired to think about it anymore.
The little book Cyr had lent him was still clutched gingerly in Myutâs fingers, close to his resting form. He had originally been planning to read just a bit more before heading to bed, but the strength of his drowsiness had caught him off-guard. He didnât get the chance to put it away before sleep came to claim him.
Several consecutive hours passed before Myut stirred from his dreams. He winced slightly as something rough poked at his upper ribs, blinking sleepily awake with a frown. Shifting his arms enough to prop the sheets away, Meu glanced down to see who the offender was. He blinked again, seeing the small novel that he had been so taken with earlier. He didnât remember falling asleep with it though? Regardless, this was no way to treat a possession, especially a borrowed one at that. It luckily looked okay, but still Myut cradled it in a hand like an injured bird. He was very fortunate not to have squashed the poor novel while he slept â he couldnât imagine that would go over well with Cyr. He had been nice enough to entrust Meu with it, so it certainly deserved better than this.
Lifting his upper half from the mattress, Myut turned to stretch and lean toward the nightstand that was settled next to the somewhat large bed. Hooking a finger around the handle to the little drawer inset onto the piece of furniture, he dragged the nook open to safely deposit his newly-acquired â but just borrowing, he reminded himself â treasure. It wouldnât do to get his sin attached to it, because he had absolutely no clue what Cyr would want for it, nor what would be an appropriate trade for something he was only interested in a part of. Besides, Mew had a good enough memory. Maybe Cyr even had more like this one? He would have to ask to see some more of them, and soon, if the eager speed he figured heâd get through the pages was accurate.
Anyhow, now that Meu was up and it seemed rather quiet in the main room, he figured that he should maybe go look around a little bit. Taking a cautious peek out the door from within the depths of his room, the white-haired demon confirmed that there was no one else out and about. That was relief. He would have hated the idea of being forced into a late-night, or was it early morning now, conversation. If the very dull light coming in from the window was any indicator, it seemed like a new day was begun to dawn. Looked like it was five or six in the morning? Still too early, the very-recently-awoken Myut thought to himself. Heâd probably slink back to bed once he was done.
For now though, he wanted to see what, if anything, their abode might be hiding. Ideally some sort of hint as to what they were doing there, since Myut didnât have any hopes for a way to get out. After all, even if he did manage to find something, what would he do then? Get caught again, obviously. For better or worse, they were trapped here. Myut could only hope that today someone would bother to tell them what was going on. He couldnât imagine another day of sitting around, twiddling his thumbs with no clue what to do next, surrounded by all these strangers. Heâd rather they just get on with it and kill him if that was going to be the case.
Unfortunately, just as everyone else, Mew didnât find anything interesting whatsoever. He checked every corner and even eyed up the one door they hadnât managed to get into yet. He was almost tempted to try to pick it, but it would be far too troublesome, plus he didnât really have the proper tools to try. Myut was finishing up his fruitless search by where the front door was supposed to be, throwing a sour little look at the empty bookcase again. What was the point of having this piece of furniture here if it didnât have anything in it? What a waste of space. Abadeer could have put something interesting here, like a statue or something. Or even nothing. It really got on his nerves.
With a sigh, Myut abandoned any further attention to the bookcase, since it obviously didnât deserve any, and he started making his way back to his room. However, just as he was passing by Inoâs bedroom, something happened to catch his eye which caused him to pause. Ino himself seemed to be asleep, but there on his nightstand, laying all unguarded and massive in its glory, seemed to be a rather large tome of one sort or another. Myut had to stop himself before he suddenly walked right in to investigate. How awkward would that be? And inappropriate. Poor demon was sleeping, after all.
As much as it greatly piqued his curiosity, Meu would have to wait to ask Ino about it in the morning. He didnât even know what it was, after all. Luckily that also meant that his sin of greed wasnât absolutely smitten just yet, so Myut could manage to be gentlemanly about it rather than improperly enamored. Heâd just have to remember. No problem, right? Meu definitely didnât have a million other things on his mind already, and certainly he wasnât starting to fall asleep again after getting only a little bit of rest.
Meu returned to his bedroom and slunk back under the covers. Hopefully he would be able to pick up a couple more hours before everything became chaotic and confusing again.
Myut snoozed away deep under the covers of his bed. It was especially comfortable and he was quite warm due to his own body heat flourishing over the cool of his sheets once more via his bare chest. Meu did not hear when Val entered his room, and it was not until he heard the telltale noises of his things being rifled through that had him groggily opening his eyes and propping himself up to try to see what was going on. He found a naughty also-white-haired demon standing in front of his desk where his things were stashed.
This caused Myutâs pupils to narrow as his eyes adjusted to the light level and his mind processed through what was going on. It had him giving a low, sleepy growl questioning after what Valramir thought he was doing. He could see the silhouette of the other demon stiffen as the audio met his ears. It seemed to do the trick, more or less, as it seemed the offending demon was turning to face him. However, Meu had not been expecting the confident little sashay the red-eyed man did to the end of his bed. Val said some nonsense or other about worrying Mew was lonely, which had him raising an uncertain eyebrow, having him already question if he was remembering correctly what he had literally just seen.
Then little Val had the audacity to hop up onto his bed, crawling forward a little ways like this was his long lost, beloved childhood home and he was going to come in for a good reunion snuggle. Myut may have been half asleep still, but with the weight shifting at the end of the bed, it had little warning bells snapping at him in his mind. He would put a swift end to this, he hoped.
âNo.â Meu answered, voice especially deep with the sleep that still clung jealously to him. He made it clear that he didnât want Valramir hanging around for a moment longer.
It looked like Val was pouting, but it was a little hard to tell at this angle. The sloth demon said something or other about Myut being so terribly unkind. At the same time he reached to grab at Meuâs retracting leg, which almost had the greed giving a warning growl again. It seemed that he had made himself clear, though, as Val retreated off the bed and seemed to be leaving. Mew carefully watched the other with hesitant displeasure, ensuring that Val truly was withdrawing from his domain. The green-eyed demon simply gave a steady and somnolent look back at Val as the other demon turned back for one last glimpse.
"Night Meu meu~" Valramir sang, aiming a wave of drowsy vibes towards him. That singsong voice had caught him a bit off-guard, but Myut was more focused with the fact that Val was indeed leaving. So he didn't mind hearing the silly nickname. Val didn't have to put too much effort into lulling him back to sleep, for as soon as the effects of the Sloth demon's power touched him, Meu already found it very difficult to keep his eyes open any longer. He turned back onto his other side, nestling his head a little deeper into the pillow. His discontent and vague unease swiftly melted into fuzzy dream feelings, and he fell asleep once more.
Myut awoke rather seamlessly, having felt especially rested (thanks to Val). He took a moment or two to stretch in bed before letting his feet hit the rug covering the floor around the bed. It felt like something had happened last night, but he couldnât quite recall what that was. He then stood, making his way to the little water closet attached to his room. After finishing in there and wiping his face with more cold water on his little rag - yay - he reemerged to come to a stop in front of the wardrobe. Myut pulled the wooden doors open and didnât think too much about what to wear. Probably something more comfortable over his fancier attire.
Donning a simple navy blue T-shirt with a large grey stitched âXâ against the chest pocket and pairing it with casual trousers, Meu swapped out his socks for a fresh new pair. Ah, unfortunately Mew didnât really feel or see the need to wear shoes, so his little foot stockings would be in full view. Which wouldnât be a problem for any normal demon, except Myut loved odd socks, delighting in them as his guilty pleasure, hidden behind footwear and pantleg cuffs. In this case, though, he didnât have anything comfortable to wear over them as he hadnât brought any slippers of any sort. Eh; no one would probably notice or care anyway.
The greed demon happily slipped on some striped sockies of a crew cut and made his way out the âdoorâ. They had bands of hot pink, black, cyan, and lime green colors. A cheery little pleasure, which honestly was very important in these sorts of situations. Speaking of little pleasures, as Meu emerged from his room, he found a surprise to his right.
He hadnât expected Ino to be set up against the wall between their two doorways, but as soon as Myut had crossed the threshold to his, there he was in all his small, refined glory. With his eyes raising in astonishment, Myut looked rather impressed at how lithe and flexible the little demon seemed to be. His own body certainly couldnât move in the same ways that Inoâs was.
Mew caught himself watching for a little while as the other skillfully arched his back, contorted his body, stretched his legs, and overall showed off rather impressive ability with his body. The greed demon gave a soft, subtle, and appreciative whistle as Ino finished off his yoga in a bridge position. âI wish I could get my body to move like that.â He grinned charmingly as he leaned against the door frame.
Ino opened his eyes to find Myut right in front of him, just prior to the tall demon commenting on his flexibility. He blushed a little, carefully lowering himself to the ground and sitting up, resting his hands on his knees. âIâm sure you could if you practised~â he answered, sweeping his eyes over Meuâs body. âYou look pretty strong already, you just have to work on the stretching part. Howâs your balance?â he stood up now, quickly brushing down his pants and tugging on his shirt. It was a little embarrassing to have been caught like that, but Ino hadnât been sure if his room would have enough room. Plus he had gotten so into it that he hadnât heard Myutâs footsteps⊠âHow long were you watching me?â he asked.
Myut tilted his head, bringing a thoughtful hand up to his chin. Ino was probably right, it he worked on stretching, he might be able to limber up a bit. As it stood now, though. âIâm just sturdy.â Meu chuckled, watching Ino as he brushed down and rearranged his clothing to sit properly against him once more. He certainly did have some nice outfits. âBesides my basic stretches, I wouldnât know where to begin.â
As Ino asked after how long he had been standing in his doorway, Myut crossed his arms comfortably while leaning a bit more of his weight into the door. âNot too terribly long, donât worry.â He flashed him a reassuring grin; Meu wouldnât know why the other demon would be particularly self-conscious, considering how gorgeous his lithe body was, but the purple-haired demonâs tone had sounded a bit uncertain.
âIno, was it?â
âI can show you, if youâre interested,â Ino offered casually. âAlthough Iâm not much of a teacher. But I know the basics⊠I was a beginner at one point.â It had all started with a form of dance Ino knew his mother would hate, but the flexibility had transferred over. But Ino hadnât fallen in love with yoga until heâd taken to sneaking into human classes, where he learned it was more than just stretching and contortions⊠though that was all a bit too intimate to tell to this virtual stranger.
As Myut reassured him that he hadnât been eyeballing him for too long, Ino gave a light-hearted response of, âHa, good~ I didnât mean to block the way, but I was hoping it was too early for anyone to need to come this way. And that guy-â he waved towards Cyrâs door, â-Was up later than me, so I think heâll stay sleeping. And yes, Iâm Ino. You are⊠Myut, yes?â
Meu nodded at Inoâs offer to show him the ropes, âSure.â Sounded nice enough, especially since it would likely come in handy in the future â overall it would be good for his physical health, so Ino had him on the hook. âWeâll have to find a time to do it.â They would have plenty of it, he was sure. He didnât mind the smaller demon, though. Or probably anyone in a more one-on-one setting, to be honest.
Mew blinked his understanding as Ino apologized for taking up the space along the wall, to which the exotic-looking greed demon shook his head. âYouâre not in the way.â He said simply; there was plenty of room to move around the little demon if need be. âDistracting, though, yes~.â His tone was hinting at playfully suggestive as the white-haired male flashed him a good-natured smirk. âYou must be more hardy than you look; how long have you been in practice?â Ah, and it seemed he had also remembered the otherâs name correctly. In turn, Meu gave the affirmative when Ino double checked his moniker.
Ino smiled back. âGive me a bit to think of some beginner-friendly poses. Are you interested in the controlled breathing and mediation-y kind of stuff too, or just the stretches?â he popped up onto his toes as he spoke. âWe could see if the beds and furniture are movable. Or maybe just host a yoga class for everyone out here. Ha~â he laughed, soft, picturing trying to convince the small angry girl to give yoga a try. He imagined if he uttered the phrase âit might calm you downâ, heâd end up on fire. He laughed again when Myut called him âdistractingâ.
âMy pleasure~,â he teased. âI do try~.â
He had to think about the answer to Myuâs question regarding how long he had been doing his stretches. âThe yoga is a fairly recent thing, only a few years,â he said easily. If Mew wanted more information, though, heâd have to ask for it.
Myut shrugged, not quite sure if he had a preference for stylistic choices. âI suppose Iâd be interested to try both, but I like the looks of the stretching much better.â That had been an indirect compliment to Ino, who made it look so appealing.
âMoving furniture would be no problem. Donât know how much help it will be though. Thereâs quite a bit of it.â Meu himself hadnât really felt too cramped doing exercises in his own room, but granted that was because his sets didnât require a lot of space. Or, well, probably because more-so there was no way in Hell heâd feel comfortable doing them out in the open with so many eyes watching. So he wouldnât complain about a lack of space regardless.
Myut simply nodded at Inoâs response on how long heâd been doing his contortions. Stretching an arm up and over his head, Mew gave a morning yawn as he straightened up off the doorway. âWell, let me know.â He shrugged before walking off to investigate the small little palm-frond looking tree in the corner of the room.
âOkay, Iâll teach you a bit of both. And also see about the furniture.â Ino told him, leaning back on the door while watching him go. Once Myut had walked off, Ino disappeared back into his room, as without his heels he was even smaller than yesterday, and he didnât quite like the feeling.
-
Once Meu neared the small potted plant, he grabbed a chair from the table and dragged it over so he could take a nice comfy seat while he analyzed the greenery. It looked to be an overworld plant, and he hadnât had the proper time to give to admiring it as of yet.