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Japan is a part of 
How To Deal With A Demon.
3 Characters Here
Molyneux [86] A Sour Demon
Eris Jones [86] A Reluctant Demon
Masaru [0] "Well, I'm here now."
Start Character Here »
- 86 posts here • Page 2 of 4 • 1, 2, 3, 4
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He pushed a creamy delight in her direction in that case, before reclosing the lid and holding it firmly. If there was potentially one thing that didn’t catch the half-demon’s fancy then it had to be cream; too sweet and puffy for his liking. Though there was a lot more that wasn’t to his preference he’d learned, not that the Council seemed to care as they use to force just about anything down his throat just to keep him alive. ”This is Chou’s home so he knows pretty much all there is to know,” Molyneux replied as they walked, ”though I wouldn’t call it my culture. I’ve just been here a long time, that’s all. The Council had a hard time placing me somewhere permanently.” He explained, frowning just slightly. The wind was picking up a bit and the man could already smell hints of the salty water close by, prompting him to turn to Eris. ”Maybe we should head back now before it gets busier and more crowded.”
The city was always busy anyway no matter what time it was, although there was always certain peak moments when it felt like even more bodies were around cluttering up the space. Molyneux was by no means claustrophobic however, he appreciated his space and didn’t like humans getting too close for comfort around him. Quite a few demons were like that, the good ones at least who didn’t want any bother or trouble themselves with temptation. ”Remember the way back to the station?” He asked, raising a brow. Leading the way nevertheless and making ways for the train station in question, Molyneux figured it be smart for Eris to start familiarizing herself around places and particularly the station, since that was a key mode of transport around the area. ”By the time we get back Lillian might’ve already written up a rota for you,” he mused in part to himself when entering the station, ”though perhaps next time Chou might be suitable at showing you around, he assumingly knows what you kids are into and whatever.” Molyneux remarked, boarding the train. It was quite crowded unsurprisingly, noisy as expected. Busy as usual. ”Still I’m actually amazed the Council haven’t intervened yet. You only came last night, I’m surprised they’ve trusted me with you this long.” Now wasn’t that the truth.
The city was always busy anyway no matter what time it was, although there was always certain peak moments when it felt like even more bodies were around cluttering up the space. Molyneux was by no means claustrophobic however, he appreciated his space and didn’t like humans getting too close for comfort around him. Quite a few demons were like that, the good ones at least who didn’t want any bother or trouble themselves with temptation. ”Remember the way back to the station?” He asked, raising a brow. Leading the way nevertheless and making ways for the train station in question, Molyneux figured it be smart for Eris to start familiarizing herself around places and particularly the station, since that was a key mode of transport around the area. ”By the time we get back Lillian might’ve already written up a rota for you,” he mused in part to himself when entering the station, ”though perhaps next time Chou might be suitable at showing you around, he assumingly knows what you kids are into and whatever.” Molyneux remarked, boarding the train. It was quite crowded unsurprisingly, noisy as expected. Busy as usual. ”Still I’m actually amazed the Council haven’t intervened yet. You only came last night, I’m surprised they’ve trusted me with you this long.” Now wasn’t that the truth.
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Eris mostly did, but knew her distraction at her surroundings had been at a high enough level that she was grateful enough to just be able to follow him back onto the train. "If he doesn't mind. Whatever is easiest, although I'm not sure if what the 'kids' are into around here are anything like what I'm used to, but I'm up for new experiences."
A rota? That could be interesting, who knew what the witch would require of her. Hopefully nothing too odd, but who knew? Maybe she'll have me find some eye of newt at the market. She smiled a little at her own thoughts, knowing full well the stereotype was likely quite inaccurate, but old superstitions were strong.
She paid more attention on the way back, and when they did finally get back to the bar, she felt confident that if she had to go back out on her own, she would be ok. Probably. Hopefully. So long as she paid very careful attention and maybe asked for directions a few times. She wasn't very geographically oriented, it was a flaw, but one her change had not seemed to fix at all.
The bar was still quiet and empty when they got back. Not surprising, as it was only just approaching lunch time, as Eris' stomach could attest. She was just considering what in the bar's pantry she could whip up for a quick lunch, as they walked closer to the bar, when another entered the bar, high heels clicking on the polished floor.
"Eris Jones?"
Eris turned around and examined the newcomer. Blonde hair was pinned neatly back into a bun, and black glasses helped to highlight elegant facial structure and stern eyes. She wore a thin pencil skirt and blouse, with very high heels, and she held a briefcase in her hand of expensively tooled weather. "Uh... yes?"
"My name is Ms. Dimitriou, and I have been assigned by the Council to be your Probation Officer."
"My--?!"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have a very precise schedule and you are not my only assignment." Ms. Dimitriou walked forward, wafting the scent of something reptilian towards Eris' nostrils. This woman was definitely not human, but what she was, Eris hadn't a guess. Almost as if she'd read her thoughts, Ms. Dimitriou looked around and announced, "As I see there are no mortals here, I can tell you that I am a Medusa. You probably don't know what that means, but let me be very clear; I am quite strong enough and fast enough to take you down, should you disobey any of the Council's strictures. And yes, I do mean any."
Opening her briefcase in one smooth move, she brought out a thin book and presented it to Eris. "Here are all of the relevant rules and guidelines." She looked at Molyneux as if she'd just noticed him and if there was such a thing as a pretty sneer, Ms. Dimitriou managed it. "Molyneux. What a pleasure."
She turned her attention back to Eris, who'd taken the book and was flipping through pages upon pages of minute, precise rules that the Council insisted upon. "In addition to following these rules, you will also attend a weekly meeting. There is a card in the back of the book with directions. Should you miss any of these meetings, I will be notified, and believe you me, I will not be happy."
Eris struggled for a response. If all of these rules weren't enough, weekly meetings as well? She had to balance that with a job, and patrol, and whatever other responsibilities she had yet to learn about. What did the Council think she had, unlimited time and no sleep?! "Ms. Dimitriou, I--"
"Molyneux," Ms. Dimitriou interrupted again, "you will attend at least the first meeting with her. You might remember that you, too, are technically supposed to be attending these meetings on a regular basis. I can't imagine what would keep you away." She looked around the bar, her eyebrow raised, and looked back at him. "As her boss and primary Warden, you will also be responsible for ensuring she obeys these rules. If she breaks them, the consequences will first fall upon you."
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When back at the bar Molyneux had settled himself on top of one of the barstools next to the bar itself, resting both heels of his boots on the small footrest that circled round the stand midway. With his elbow balanced against the edge of the surface of the counter, the half-demon just slightly tilted his gaze round when hearing a distinct clicking against the floor. Great. It was Kallistrate Dimitriou. He refrained from saying anything and tried to appear almost invisible with secret hopes to evade the woman’s sharp gaze that would no doubt pin him down at some point. Simply listening and with his back to the pair Molyneux faced the wall behind the bar for now.
The woman was busy giving Eris the usual patter about how one must obey the rules and blah, blah and blah! He had been given the same speech once some years ago and boy did it pain him to hear it again. He only dared look back when Dimitriou spoke his name and rather slowly if not reluctantly spun round on his seat to face her. ”Kalli,” he replied without bothering to give her full name. Council do-gooders were such sticklers who lacked an obvious funny bone, Molyneux had picked up on that ever since he first learned to read people. Naturally though such quality only came about through determined tampering from the Council themselves.
What little hope or contentment he held on his face was quickly diminished by what the woman had to say. ”Are you serious?” He remarked with a frown and hooked one leg over the other in supposed protest. Why did he have to go to those time-wasting meetings? Much less take the girl to one and suffer through it all again? No. That wasn’t happening again. He’d sooner just accept the consequences of it and get whatever punishment they’d serve him over with. ”The company would be a start; have you seen the sort that go to those meetings? Listening to them has a higher chance of making me flip.” It was true too. Molyneux was not the type to sit and share his feelings and give a day to day count over how well he was coping. More over actually forcing himself to listen to others giving out the exact stuff he wasn’t willing to share himself. Honestly, why?
Molyneux was certain by now that he was the best but baddest creature under the Council’s control presently. Good in that he kept trouble down within the city but terrible in that he rarely followed any form of protocol given to him. He huffed and rolled his eyes irritably. Needless to say he never appreciated her sudden surprise visits and really Molyneux wondered if the Council would ever send somebody else. ”Besides don’t you have other people to annoy right now?” The half-demon asked and emphasized his words clearly, if only to make his point known. It never made him feel any easier when having Council workers wandering through his property and sticking their business where it didn’t belong. ”I assume you’re only here about the girl. Can't think what else would bring you here?” He hoped that was the case. Last time Molyneux recalled he hadn’t caught up on his damned paperwork from the last job he did or thought to report anything he’d found and uncovered on his patrol. But who was really taking notice? Nevermind the sort of things he got up to in the bar behind the Council’s back. He was very guilty yet kept a cool poker face naturally.
The woman was busy giving Eris the usual patter about how one must obey the rules and blah, blah and blah! He had been given the same speech once some years ago and boy did it pain him to hear it again. He only dared look back when Dimitriou spoke his name and rather slowly if not reluctantly spun round on his seat to face her. ”Kalli,” he replied without bothering to give her full name. Council do-gooders were such sticklers who lacked an obvious funny bone, Molyneux had picked up on that ever since he first learned to read people. Naturally though such quality only came about through determined tampering from the Council themselves.
What little hope or contentment he held on his face was quickly diminished by what the woman had to say. ”Are you serious?” He remarked with a frown and hooked one leg over the other in supposed protest. Why did he have to go to those time-wasting meetings? Much less take the girl to one and suffer through it all again? No. That wasn’t happening again. He’d sooner just accept the consequences of it and get whatever punishment they’d serve him over with. ”The company would be a start; have you seen the sort that go to those meetings? Listening to them has a higher chance of making me flip.” It was true too. Molyneux was not the type to sit and share his feelings and give a day to day count over how well he was coping. More over actually forcing himself to listen to others giving out the exact stuff he wasn’t willing to share himself. Honestly, why?
Molyneux was certain by now that he was the best but baddest creature under the Council’s control presently. Good in that he kept trouble down within the city but terrible in that he rarely followed any form of protocol given to him. He huffed and rolled his eyes irritably. Needless to say he never appreciated her sudden surprise visits and really Molyneux wondered if the Council would ever send somebody else. ”Besides don’t you have other people to annoy right now?” The half-demon asked and emphasized his words clearly, if only to make his point known. It never made him feel any easier when having Council workers wandering through his property and sticking their business where it didn’t belong. ”I assume you’re only here about the girl. Can't think what else would bring you here?” He hoped that was the case. Last time Molyneux recalled he hadn’t caught up on his damned paperwork from the last job he did or thought to report anything he’d found and uncovered on his patrol. But who was really taking notice? Nevermind the sort of things he got up to in the bar behind the Council’s back. He was very guilty yet kept a cool poker face naturally.
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Ms. Dimitriou--never Kalli, and Kallistrate only to the few people in the world she liked--looked critically at Molyneux."Whether or not you appreciate the opportunity of those meetings is completely irrelevant. You will attend one with Eris, and you will ensure that she is as integrated there as possible." Going back into her briefcase, she took out a piece of paper and laid it carefully on a table, almost lining it up, inasmuch as a square thing could be lined up with a circle.
Ignoring the provocation in his comments, she narrowed her hazel eyes at Molyneux. "Thank you for reminding me of why else I'm here," she said, her smile cold. "Here is a list of infractions against the Council's rules that I've observed over the last month. Please ensure that these errors are fixed. And unlike last time I gave you one of these, this time I will ensure that your liquor license is pulled if you do not comply. I will back back again to check up on you," she promised.
Triumphant, she turned again to Eris. "The Council will be keeping a very close eye on you, so I needn't remind you that any error in your diet, especially, will result in harsh measures. I will be seeing you again soon."
Looking around the bar again and nodding to herself, she smoothly turned and walked out of the bar, her heels again clicking against the floor, loud and sure.
Eris turned with wide eyes towards Molyneux."She's... uh... different. I really don't want to make her mad, to be honest, she seems worse than the Council members themselves. What's this meeting thing about?"
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Molyneux’s face soured permanently. The woman was more ruthless than some of the demons he’d come across and yet that wasn’t reason enough to not bicker with her. The thought of not having a liquor license though was just enough of a threat to keep his attitude at rest and instead settle with glaring awfully at Dimitriou. ”We can’t wait for your next visit.” He remarked sarcastically while contemplating whether or not to crumple up the piece of paper before his eyes.
He remained silent and glared at the woman all the way till she disappeared out the door and away from sight. Only then after did his attention turn onto Eris when she spoke to him, however his expression didn’t exactly falter. ”Thanks for that,” the half-demon huffed while spinning round on his seat and setting both elbows flat against the bar surface, quickly holding his head in his hands rather dejectedly. ”Now I'm stuck going to the meeting,” he sighed, annoyingly tapping a heel against the footrest. What could he say about the meetings? It had been awhile since he last attended one frankly. ”Their for the weak-willed and out of control... those who need help or whatever. Can’t say I gave it my full interest,” he answered somewhat.
”Is she finally gone?” A voice spoke. From out of the side door a familiar pink-headed ponytailed girl crept into the room and placed herself behind the bar near the pair. ”I hate that woman. A right busybody who should be helping her fellow supernatural, not harassing them and threatening to put them out of business. Honestly!” Lillian huffed and stood up straight. Her smooth hands balling into fists and shaking ever so slightly. Clearly Dimitriou wasn’t overly welcomed at the bar and not just from Molyneux either it would seem. ”Which reminds me Molyneux,” she spoke and eyed the man carefully, ”you better do what it takes to keep our liquor license, or else our customers are going to be stone-cold sober and then we won’t be able to mooch money out of them!”
She folded her arms over and leaned on the bar. ”Woo her for crying out loud! She's a woman right? Get into the Council's back pocket if you have to. Whatever it takes to keep us afloat. I don’t care what——Oh!” Just noticing the apparent scowl aimed her way from the half-demon, the witch made a sudden beeline for the cake box that sat further down. ”You got them, well done! I’m just going to go put these away and then find that coward Chou,” Lillian said when carrying the box in her hands, her eyes scanning over the place for the boy in question. ”I bet he’s hiding out back! He dashed off when smelling that woman approaching.” She said before heading for the kitchen and nudging the door open with her shoe.
Without turning to look Molyneux asked Eris, ”When’s the meeting? Don't tell me it's tonight.” From what he remembered they were usually held in the late hours, but that was about it. He didn’t really want to go to one evidently, but also believed this day couldn’t get any worse.
He remained silent and glared at the woman all the way till she disappeared out the door and away from sight. Only then after did his attention turn onto Eris when she spoke to him, however his expression didn’t exactly falter. ”Thanks for that,” the half-demon huffed while spinning round on his seat and setting both elbows flat against the bar surface, quickly holding his head in his hands rather dejectedly. ”Now I'm stuck going to the meeting,” he sighed, annoyingly tapping a heel against the footrest. What could he say about the meetings? It had been awhile since he last attended one frankly. ”Their for the weak-willed and out of control... those who need help or whatever. Can’t say I gave it my full interest,” he answered somewhat.
”Is she finally gone?” A voice spoke. From out of the side door a familiar pink-headed ponytailed girl crept into the room and placed herself behind the bar near the pair. ”I hate that woman. A right busybody who should be helping her fellow supernatural, not harassing them and threatening to put them out of business. Honestly!” Lillian huffed and stood up straight. Her smooth hands balling into fists and shaking ever so slightly. Clearly Dimitriou wasn’t overly welcomed at the bar and not just from Molyneux either it would seem. ”Which reminds me Molyneux,” she spoke and eyed the man carefully, ”you better do what it takes to keep our liquor license, or else our customers are going to be stone-cold sober and then we won’t be able to mooch money out of them!”
She folded her arms over and leaned on the bar. ”Woo her for crying out loud! She's a woman right? Get into the Council's back pocket if you have to. Whatever it takes to keep us afloat. I don’t care what——Oh!” Just noticing the apparent scowl aimed her way from the half-demon, the witch made a sudden beeline for the cake box that sat further down. ”You got them, well done! I’m just going to go put these away and then find that coward Chou,” Lillian said when carrying the box in her hands, her eyes scanning over the place for the boy in question. ”I bet he’s hiding out back! He dashed off when smelling that woman approaching.” She said before heading for the kitchen and nudging the door open with her shoe.
Without turning to look Molyneux asked Eris, ”When’s the meeting? Don't tell me it's tonight.” From what he remembered they were usually held in the late hours, but that was about it. He didn’t really want to go to one evidently, but also believed this day couldn’t get any worse.
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Weak willed and out of control? Eris didn't like to think that his description of those who attended the group fit her, but she supposed everyone had... issues. She liked to think that hers were under complete control, but didn't everyone have the occasional problem with urges, just every once in a while? She'd kept hers pretty much locked down, but she knew that if she ever lapsed in a major way, there could be real trouble.
Real trouble as in execution trouble. The Council didn't tolerate failure well, especially if it was in any way public.
Eris sat down and, as instructed, flipped through the book to find the card in the back, her face turning a little sour at even the glimpse of the many rules she was meant to follow. Once she found it, she took it out and read it over carefully, just in case. An address was listed, and a time, just as Ms. Dimitriou had said, but nothing more. The card was simple in design, and despite her fanciful imagination, had no funny quips about demon meetings. Like what to call a group of demons. An unkindness? No, that's ravens."
"Tomorrow night at 7, apparently. I don't think I would risk being late," she added with a wry grin. And I guess you're coming with me?" Eris knew that Molyneux wouldn't enjoy it, he'd said as much, but there was nothing they could do about it. Her new parole officer didn't seem to understand the meaning of life outside of the Council's confines, but she supposed that's why Ms. Dimitriou seemed so good at her job. And, given how expensively tasteful her clothes and accessories had looked, she must be paid well for it.
The idea of going to a group for the "weak willed" didn't exactly sound appealing, but a group of people to talk to about her problems, and hear about theirs in return, actually sounded nice. Eris knew she couldn't be the only demon struggling with their inner nature versus real world ethics, and being able to talk freely with others that ideally wouldn't judge her for them sounded like a real relief. Maybe she could even make more friends, people she could hang out with outside of work. Build a life for herself here.
Eris took a deep breath. She was getting too ahead of herself again, too optimistic. But in her point of view, it was better to at least try to look on the bright side. Too much of the world was dark enough. It was better to spend your time looking for the goodness in others and in your own life than to dwell on the bad in it, and on days that there was plenty of the bad, it helped her get through.
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”I don’t exactly have a choice in it,” he quipped back at the girl, ”did you not hear her?” Molyneux pointed out to the girl though the half-demon was hardly the obedient follower himself. For whatever reason he could tell the temptation to do just about the opposite of what the Council woman said always proved too good to ignore. But with Eris now here and his responsibility even though he didn’t ask for it, things were possibly a bit different. However he would still detest the very thought of returning to the meeting.
After all it didn’t make any sense to him. Being stuck in a room surrounded by demons with great power and only himself sat there with little ability. The reason why he never experienced overpowering urges was only due to the fact that he had no power and so did he really need to be there? Molyneux wasn’t entirely sure whether it was out of jealousy or the feeling of inadequacy that caused him to avoid the group. It wasn’t exactly an ideal scenario. Through attending the group Molyneux had undergone feelings that were entirely foreign to him, insecure and stomach knotting feelings, and the Council wasn’t willing enough nor in any rush to comfort the half-demon over it, much less mend what things they had fiddled with and broke and to a worse extent stole from the demon.
”I know where it’s held. I remember that much,” he told her. It almost seemed that no matter how long he evaded their presence and tried to feign ignorance to them, Molyneux just couldn’t quite rid his mind of that group. Of course he couldn’t fathom why, but he wanted to forget them nevertheless! He quietly sighed. ”I’m sure you’ll fit in nicely with that bunch, you seem like their sort I guess.” Molyneux remarked and sulked, hunching forward somewhat. Things were different in the bar compared to the meeting, he didn't feel as much out of place here as he had there and Molyneux was even better regarded here than there too.
Moments after Lillian resurfaced from the kitchen, this time slamming a piece of paper onto the bar in-front of Eris. ”Think I’d forget?” She questioned with a grin, appearing pleased with herself. Obviously the manager wasn't going to leave such tight responsibility in the hands of the boss. ”Look closely and keep this safe. I won’t be making you another understand?” The witch nudged the paper forward, revealing neatly written times and dates and accompanying notes that were all perfectly laid out in the form of a schedule. ”You’ll be working the afternoons behind the bar with Chou,” she began to explain to the girl, pointing a finger against the paper and tracing along its contents, ”and a few late evenings since we’re pretty busy with myself and Molyneux.”
The woman quickly tapped on the other end of the paper. ”I'll put you on a trial run for now. If you do well then I'll give you the weekends off,” Lillian went on to clarify, ”any questions so far?”
After all it didn’t make any sense to him. Being stuck in a room surrounded by demons with great power and only himself sat there with little ability. The reason why he never experienced overpowering urges was only due to the fact that he had no power and so did he really need to be there? Molyneux wasn’t entirely sure whether it was out of jealousy or the feeling of inadequacy that caused him to avoid the group. It wasn’t exactly an ideal scenario. Through attending the group Molyneux had undergone feelings that were entirely foreign to him, insecure and stomach knotting feelings, and the Council wasn’t willing enough nor in any rush to comfort the half-demon over it, much less mend what things they had fiddled with and broke and to a worse extent stole from the demon.
”I know where it’s held. I remember that much,” he told her. It almost seemed that no matter how long he evaded their presence and tried to feign ignorance to them, Molyneux just couldn’t quite rid his mind of that group. Of course he couldn’t fathom why, but he wanted to forget them nevertheless! He quietly sighed. ”I’m sure you’ll fit in nicely with that bunch, you seem like their sort I guess.” Molyneux remarked and sulked, hunching forward somewhat. Things were different in the bar compared to the meeting, he didn't feel as much out of place here as he had there and Molyneux was even better regarded here than there too.
Moments after Lillian resurfaced from the kitchen, this time slamming a piece of paper onto the bar in-front of Eris. ”Think I’d forget?” She questioned with a grin, appearing pleased with herself. Obviously the manager wasn't going to leave such tight responsibility in the hands of the boss. ”Look closely and keep this safe. I won’t be making you another understand?” The witch nudged the paper forward, revealing neatly written times and dates and accompanying notes that were all perfectly laid out in the form of a schedule. ”You’ll be working the afternoons behind the bar with Chou,” she began to explain to the girl, pointing a finger against the paper and tracing along its contents, ”and a few late evenings since we’re pretty busy with myself and Molyneux.”
The woman quickly tapped on the other end of the paper. ”I'll put you on a trial run for now. If you do well then I'll give you the weekends off,” Lillian went on to clarify, ”any questions so far?”
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Their... sort? Eris didn't know Molyneux well enough to guess what he meant, but it made her even more curious about this group. But at least Molyneux seemed willing to go along with it and come with her, it would be nice to have someone that she at least knew a little, to break the ice.
Eris looked closely at the list, impressed by how organized it was. Even the handwriting was precise, and the explanations were all clear. Lillian, it seemed, left nothing to chance. If Eris messed up on any of this, it was definitely her fault, because Lillith laid her expectations out very clearly.
"No, this is quite detailed." She looked up toward Lilith, radiating sincerity. "I'll certainly come to you with any questions that pop up, though."
Weekends off? That was more than she'd hoped for, and even if it was only some weekends, that was more time she could potentially explore Japanese food, patrol with Molyneux, even make a trip to the beach if the weather was good. Lillith seemed strict, but fair, and Eris knew she could work with that. Her expectations, at least, were less stringent than the Council's, who seemed to almost expect her to screw up.
Eris showed up a little early to her next afternoon shift. She'd already made herself breakfast and an early lunch, forced what food she could on Molyneux as well as any other employees who seemed hungry, and chosen the only outfit in her luggage that included pants. Granted, they were tight pants, matched with a top that was on the skimpy side and revealed more of her cleavage than she was used to, but it was manageable.
"Good to see you again, Chou!" She chirped as she almost bounced up to the bar in her excitement. Chou was definitely a potential new friend, and the afternoon was sure to go by quickly.
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It was a relatively quiet afternoon. The morning regulars had come and gone and now everyone was cleaning up and preparing for the afternoon crowd to come through at any minute. Molyneux was tucked away in his office for the moment though, taking care of this and that and what have you, while Lillian was out doing whatever it was the witch did on her afternoons. Most likely experimenting with spells and hunting for toads.
”Oh hey Eris,” the boy replied with a warm smile. He was already stood behind the bar and leaning an elbow against the till when the girl approached. ”You look nice today.” She was definitely one of the more quirky looking people he knew, though Chou didn’t know many people beyond the staff and few regulars that filled the bar during his shifts. ”So how you likin’ it so far?” He could remember what it was like being the new kid at the bar. Although Chou certainly wasn’t dropped off by the Council but rather somehow happened to find his way to the place some years ago; Lillian believing she had picked up some stray pup until it was discovered that the dog was in fact a shapeshifter.
Some customers had already began to flood in and get settled at some of the tables spread around the room, as well as a couple propping up the bar already. ”Have you worked behind a bar before? I can show you the ropes if you haven’t,” he offered and gestured for her to come round. It’d be nice having someone with him esepcially someone who seemed the type that he could get along well with. A lot of the other staff was such grumps after all. ”With any luck we’ll get through this shift in one piece,” Chou advised with a grin and even laugh a bit. Of course he was joking about it though there had been incidents in the past. Lillian was exceptionally good at handling them. ”Say I even heard that you gotta attend one of those meeting things later?”
”Oh hey Eris,” the boy replied with a warm smile. He was already stood behind the bar and leaning an elbow against the till when the girl approached. ”You look nice today.” She was definitely one of the more quirky looking people he knew, though Chou didn’t know many people beyond the staff and few regulars that filled the bar during his shifts. ”So how you likin’ it so far?” He could remember what it was like being the new kid at the bar. Although Chou certainly wasn’t dropped off by the Council but rather somehow happened to find his way to the place some years ago; Lillian believing she had picked up some stray pup until it was discovered that the dog was in fact a shapeshifter.
Some customers had already began to flood in and get settled at some of the tables spread around the room, as well as a couple propping up the bar already. ”Have you worked behind a bar before? I can show you the ropes if you haven’t,” he offered and gestured for her to come round. It’d be nice having someone with him esepcially someone who seemed the type that he could get along well with. A lot of the other staff was such grumps after all. ”With any luck we’ll get through this shift in one piece,” Chou advised with a grin and even laugh a bit. Of course he was joking about it though there had been incidents in the past. Lillian was exceptionally good at handling them. ”Say I even heard that you gotta attend one of those meeting things later?”
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"Why thank you, Chou," Eris said with a warm smile. She attempted a curtsey, wobbled a little on the high-heeled, lace up booties, but managed to stay standing.
"I'm liking it just fine. The pastries are great, the boss isn't too bad, and I'm hoping I can learn how to slide a bit lower below the Council's radar. Not holding out too much ope, but a little optimism is nice." And learning how to get on Ms. Dimitriou's good side, or at least the side she semi-ignored, was essential to that plan. Her parole officer didn't seem like the type to simply forget about a responsibility, but if Eris maybe stayed on her good side for a while, obeyed all the rules... maybe Ms. Dimitriou would be a bit more lax. It would be nice to be able to breathe a little, pretend like the Council wasn't watching everything she was doing, waiting for her to fail.
She walked behind the bar, leaning on it as well, facing Chou. "An informal one, but I could definitely use a refresher course." Eris had taken a good luck behind the bar when she'd organized it the other day, but looking at it as a bartender who had to know the most popular choices and keeping them accessible, as well as the bar's specific policies, was important. And Chou, as a friendly insider, would prove invaluable.
Eris laughed. "I have no doubt. The two musketeers will succeed!" She joked, looking around at the customers. A slow start to what might be a long shift.
She shrugged. "Yep. It's mandatory. I think they want to make sure I stay well-adjusted and don't go off the rails, or something." She clenched her fists, then consciously relaxed them. Being treated like an incompetent, dangerous child was really starting to get to her. Eris took a deep breath, then let it out and smiled. "Let's make magic happen, shall we?"
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Chou just kept smiling at the girl and made himself appear as eased as possible. ”The Council are a bit intense at times but you get use to it,” he told her softly, ”at least from what I’ve heard. I tend to just avoid them as much as possible, you know.” The boy was rather infamous for it as well. Ms. Dimitriou would have a hard time pegging him down though Chou was thankful that the scary woman wasn’t actually after him in particular, just poor Eris it seemed, and the boss. ”They keep hassling the boss every so often. One time someone came and cleared the whole bar out just so they could talk to Molyneux.”
Turning away from the counter Chou focused his attention to the many bottles and snacks that decorated the wall behind the bar to their side. ”Don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it,” he assured her, before going on to explain the different brands and flavours that hung on the wall. There was plenty to choose from but a lot to remember, Chou almost laughed when remembering his first time serving behind the bar. ”This should help you,” the boy gestured towards a laminated sheet with information covering it. Picking the sheet up and running his finger down each one he continued, ”It’s got every drink listed along with its price and so on.” A handy thing. Lillian had it made especially for all new staff members, since the woman got fed up of having to teach them every little thing over and over again.
”Fire extinguisher and emergency stuff is kept behind the bar in-case you need it,” he continued a moment after and pointed as he went, making sure Eris knew where to find certain equipment that might be need, ”Lily’s number is always found by the till, first aid things are in the cupboard down there, yadda yadda,” Chou yo-yoed up and down the bar’s length offering little bursts of information concerning this and that, basically what he thought the girl should know. ”Some customers can get a bit snippy so pay them no mind,” he said to Eris, ”it’s mostly easy-going during the day so I don’t think we’ll have many problems...”
”It’s the nights you gotta watch out for.” There was a reason why Lillian and Molyneux tended to the late evenings out of all the staff. They were probably the most qualified to handled them really. ”Oh yeah, you still thinkin’ over what colour to dye your hair next?” He asked, just remembering their last conversation. Just then another customer entered at that moment and made their way to the bar. ”Want me to handle this or you think you can manage it?”
Turning away from the counter Chou focused his attention to the many bottles and snacks that decorated the wall behind the bar to their side. ”Don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it,” he assured her, before going on to explain the different brands and flavours that hung on the wall. There was plenty to choose from but a lot to remember, Chou almost laughed when remembering his first time serving behind the bar. ”This should help you,” the boy gestured towards a laminated sheet with information covering it. Picking the sheet up and running his finger down each one he continued, ”It’s got every drink listed along with its price and so on.” A handy thing. Lillian had it made especially for all new staff members, since the woman got fed up of having to teach them every little thing over and over again.
”Fire extinguisher and emergency stuff is kept behind the bar in-case you need it,” he continued a moment after and pointed as he went, making sure Eris knew where to find certain equipment that might be need, ”Lily’s number is always found by the till, first aid things are in the cupboard down there, yadda yadda,” Chou yo-yoed up and down the bar’s length offering little bursts of information concerning this and that, basically what he thought the girl should know. ”Some customers can get a bit snippy so pay them no mind,” he said to Eris, ”it’s mostly easy-going during the day so I don’t think we’ll have many problems...”
”It’s the nights you gotta watch out for.” There was a reason why Lillian and Molyneux tended to the late evenings out of all the staff. They were probably the most qualified to handled them really. ”Oh yeah, you still thinkin’ over what colour to dye your hair next?” He asked, just remembering their last conversation. Just then another customer entered at that moment and made their way to the bar. ”Want me to handle this or you think you can manage it?”
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His instructions were easy enough to follow, and everything was placed more or less logically. It wouldn't be too hard to get into the swing of things, she thought, as she answered his question, "Yes. There are so many possibilities! But I'll make a decision within a week or two, at least just to choose something and be done with it." She was too impatient to let it go longer.
Absentmindedly, she wondered who had cleared out the bar to speak to Molyneux and why. Was it Ms. Dimitriou, or another Council representative? And what exactly had Molyneux done to deserve such a serious chat? It wasn't as if the demon seemed harmless, exactly, but he seemed civilized enough, and certainly enough that the Council wouldn't have to keep him closely watched, but he didn't appear to do too well with rules. Or with Ms. Dimitriou. Yet again she wondered what his species was, and resolved to look at her book before she went to sleep for the night and begin the search. Knowing that could help her know how to get along with him better, and the same could be said about Ms. Dimitriou.
Eris watched as the customer came in and made a swift decision. Better to keep herself distracted from the combined curiosity and worry abut the meeting rather than letting herself dwell on it, which did no good at all."I might as well start now," she said quietly, and turned a charming smile towards the rather unassuming man dressed in casual clothing that approached the bar.
"Hi, what can I get for you?"
"Just a beer, Asahi if you have it."
He and the other few customers that straggled in over the next few hours were easy enough, mostly bottled drinks and nothing fancy, a few snacks she was unfamiliar with but wanted to try when she got the chance. They didn't talk much, and the tips were only all right, but Chou's banter in between customers kept her entertained. And when she poured the first beer from on tap, one from a local microbrewery for what looked like a very trendy young Japanese man, she came to a decision.
When the customer turned to take his glass to a table in the corner of the room, she turned to Chou. "Ombre. Green with purple ends. I think that will be crazy enough for me for a while. I could do it myself, but a salon would be better. Do you have any you would recommend, or someone I can ask for a recommendation?"
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The boy carefully watched and refrained from intervening as Eris went about serving the customer, already seeming capable enough of handling it on her own. ”Not bad,” he offered compliment, ”better than how I managed on my first go.” The boy sniggered with the confession. Which was probably why Chou was kept out back most the time, until eventually needed to man the bar. He wasn't the greatest but the lad could keep the punters at bay. ”Well that does sound pretty crazy,” he amusingly grinned at her choice of hair colour, before having a good think. Out of everyone, he was typically the best bet for information regarding the area. ”There’s a place not too far that deals with hair that I’ve heard is good,” Chou offered while leaning against the bar and crossing both arms. Generally the area had plenty to offer for just about anything, not to mention the vast city just hanging nearby. ”Lily’s also handy at it. She’s always messing around with potions and products.” He remarked, trying to remember what exactly it was that the witch did with such things. ”She can also give advice on how to look more human. She’s known to help the local supernaturals with that.”
Not long after footsteps were heard coming down the stairs from the back, and soon after Molyneux appeared and casually took a seat up at the bar across from the pair. Although giving a quick glance over his shoulder first and looking about, he then turned and remarked, ”What? Nothing broke or damaged yet?” It almost sounded as if he had expected such and was nearly disappointed at seeing everything still perfectly intact. ”And we still have customers too?”
”Aw. Don’t be so nitpicky boss,” Chou chimed in, smiling at the older man. ”It’s all good!”
Molyneux continued to give an unsettled look to the boy, and a more doubtful stare at the girl. However saying no more about it he leaned back in his seat, hooking one leg over the other while lighting up a cigarette. ”It’s been a few hours so I figured I’d drop in anyway,” he spoke, puffing out a smoky breath. It always felt so nice having a good smoke at this time of the day, especially when knowing he’d need it before attending the meeting that he’d undoubtedly force himself to go to. ”Lillian should be arriving soon to take over from you two. Although... you sure you really want to go to this meeting?” He asked Eris, particularly.
Not long after footsteps were heard coming down the stairs from the back, and soon after Molyneux appeared and casually took a seat up at the bar across from the pair. Although giving a quick glance over his shoulder first and looking about, he then turned and remarked, ”What? Nothing broke or damaged yet?” It almost sounded as if he had expected such and was nearly disappointed at seeing everything still perfectly intact. ”And we still have customers too?”
”Aw. Don’t be so nitpicky boss,” Chou chimed in, smiling at the older man. ”It’s all good!”
Molyneux continued to give an unsettled look to the boy, and a more doubtful stare at the girl. However saying no more about it he leaned back in his seat, hooking one leg over the other while lighting up a cigarette. ”It’s been a few hours so I figured I’d drop in anyway,” he spoke, puffing out a smoky breath. It always felt so nice having a good smoke at this time of the day, especially when knowing he’d need it before attending the meeting that he’d undoubtedly force himself to go to. ”Lillian should be arriving soon to take over from you two. Although... you sure you really want to go to this meeting?” He asked Eris, particularly.
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"If she could just make the horns appear a little smaller," Erin said with a wry grin, "that might help a little. But I don't want to impose on her. Maybe when I've been here for a while, then I'll ask. I don't want her to think I'm trying to take advantage of her or anything, and it's certainly not been necessary so far." And strangely enough, she didn't want them to go away entirely, at least not all the time. She knew it would just be an illusion, a glamour of sorts, but as odd as they were, she had gotten used to them. And they had proven useful the few times that other demons had attacked her, or thought about doing so. They were a rather obvious indication of her species, which wasn't exactly picky when it came to meat sometimes.
Eris shrugged. "I like making new friends. And having people to talk to about... people like us will be nice. I really don't think it's necessary, but Ms. Dimitriou was insistent, so I don't really think I have much of a choice." She tried not to scrunch up her nose at the smoke, and ended up just moving farther away from him behind the bar, almost tripping over Chou.
"Sorry!" she said, returning a bottle that had started to slightly tip from her bump to the shelf back to an upright position.
Lillian strode in, a large personality in a small body. "You still here? You have a meeting to attend you two--and like I said, we really can't afford to make that woman angry. Shoo!"
Eris nodded, wiped her hands, and turned to Chou. "Good working with you, see you later!"
He waved and went off his own way as Lillian came behind the bar. Not wanting to make her angry, either, Eris looked at the card in her pocked and motioned to Molyneux. "I'll follow you, since you've been there before."
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He had a feeling that Eris would insist on going. Of course Molyneux knew they must if only to keep Dimitriou satisfied, though as well the half-demon couldn’t resist the opportunity to see if the girl would obediently follow or tuck tail and run. Needless to say she did the former, albeit wisely perhaps. With that in mind and going on with what his manager insisted, Molyneux merely gestured for Eris to follow as he made his way to and out the door.
”I can at least remember the way there,” he said, heading down the street. It had been a long while since Molyneux had last attended a meeting admittedly, but seemingly the way there was forever engrained on his mind. If anything the half-demon only wondered what the others were like now, since last seeing them. Perhaps a few of the members had gone now and maybe a few new faces would be there? Who was even leading the damn group now? So many questions for someone who seemingly didn’t care enough to go. It wasn’t like he had made any friends there; Molyneux hadn’t stuck around long enough for that, though he supposed the demons there were friendly enough from what he could remember.
The meeting was held in a place not too far from the bar. Well at least they could walk to it easily enough, which was likely why the Council had put Molyneux at the bar, assuming that the half-demon wouldn’t have had many issues getting to and from the meetings. Of course to save even fewer issues he just didn’t attend, in his opinion. Though the Council never was too keen on discussing his views on it. By the time they arrived it was already getting a bit dark outside and more so when making their way down the many alleyways that lead to the spot. It was rather dark and quiet and isolated, very out of the way from passing humans and the general beginnings of the early nightlife.
”This should be it,” Molyneux spoke, stopping outside an old withered door. The building it belonged to looked a bit unused and old and the sort that wouldn’t attract too much attention. Raising a hand he gave a quick knock on the door, before stuffing both hands into his pockets and taking a step back. He almost hoped deep down that nobody would answer, and that possibly they could make their escape even sooner than expected.
”I can at least remember the way there,” he said, heading down the street. It had been a long while since Molyneux had last attended a meeting admittedly, but seemingly the way there was forever engrained on his mind. If anything the half-demon only wondered what the others were like now, since last seeing them. Perhaps a few of the members had gone now and maybe a few new faces would be there? Who was even leading the damn group now? So many questions for someone who seemingly didn’t care enough to go. It wasn’t like he had made any friends there; Molyneux hadn’t stuck around long enough for that, though he supposed the demons there were friendly enough from what he could remember.
The meeting was held in a place not too far from the bar. Well at least they could walk to it easily enough, which was likely why the Council had put Molyneux at the bar, assuming that the half-demon wouldn’t have had many issues getting to and from the meetings. Of course to save even fewer issues he just didn’t attend, in his opinion. Though the Council never was too keen on discussing his views on it. By the time they arrived it was already getting a bit dark outside and more so when making their way down the many alleyways that lead to the spot. It was rather dark and quiet and isolated, very out of the way from passing humans and the general beginnings of the early nightlife.
”This should be it,” Molyneux spoke, stopping outside an old withered door. The building it belonged to looked a bit unused and old and the sort that wouldn’t attract too much attention. Raising a hand he gave a quick knock on the door, before stuffing both hands into his pockets and taking a step back. He almost hoped deep down that nobody would answer, and that possibly they could make their escape even sooner than expected.
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Eris' boots clicked on the dark streets, a soft echoing sound down the long alleys. She had given up wondering what to expect, and had instead turned to her favorite thing. Nibbling on a soft biscuit-like pastry, she watched as Molyneux knocked.
A small slot opened in the door, eyes peering into the darkness, and the door quickly opened after that. A woman, her grin wide in a soft, round face, her wrinkles multiplied by the cheer in her expression, and a glint in her eyes. The rosiness of her cheeks and the white of her hair made Eris think that perhaps the North Pole had relocated this year.
"Molyneux!" She said, her voice melodious but with a bit of a hoarseness to it. "I am so glad to see you again. Come in!"
She ushered them into a small foyer, a table with pamphlets of all kinds and a small bowl of hard candy. Beyond the foyer was a short hallway with a few more doors, but the largest door was at the end of the hall. This was where she led them, opening the door to reveal a group of no more than ten or fifteen people, all sitting in a circle. When they saw them come in, a few quickly stood up and urged the others to expand the circle, adding more chairs to accommodate Molyneux and Eris.
"Molyneux!" She heard several cry out in welcome. There was even waving.
Eris looked with a mischievous smile at her companion. Apparently he had been missed. She sat in one of the empty chairs, to her right, a large man who barely fit into his chair, who grunted at her. A greeting, she assumed?
The woman who had led them in sat in a chair on the other side of the circle, picking up a clipboard as she did so from the seat. "Welcome to our meeting. I am Iona."
"Hi, Iona," the group echoed with smiles. Iona laughed.
"Yes, that is how we generally do it. Why doesn't everyone go around and introduce themselves?"
The names were all sort of a blur, but the three ghostly tails that flickered behind a young man that introduced himself as Hikaru intrigued her more than anything. She tried not to stare, but they kept drawing her attention from her peripheral vision.
"I'm Eris," She said simply on her turn, and noted that no one seemed to look twice at her horns, save a quiet girl in the corner, who stared at them with wide eyes.
"As you can see," Iona explained, "we do not refer to each other by our species, for that is not what we are. We are more than that. We can aspire to be much more than that. But we also must be honest with ourselves about our struggles, and in sharing that honesty with others of this group, we gain the support we need to continue upon the right path."
"For our new member and for anyone who may have forgotten, I will go over our rules. They are very simple. Be honest with one another, share of your lives, and above all, tell no one about anything that happens in these meetings. The need for privacy is essential, not only because of what we are, but also because we must be able to trust that anything shared here will not be used against any of us in the outside world." Iona looked at her clipboard and at Eris, then back at her clipboard.
Pursing her lips, she looked up again to the group and smiled once more. "Does anyone want to share anything about their week? Or any updates from what we spoke of last week?"
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The sudden calling of his name caused the half-demon to flinch ever so slightly, and before he knew it the pair were herded through the door and guided towards the room where the meeting would be held. Molyneux was almost having déjà vu at one point when first entering the room and met with the all too familiar circle of chairs, never mind the bodies that occupied said seats and the overly friendly welcome that followed – Molyneux just wanted to turn and head out the door again, heavens know suffering the wrath of the Council was a bit more comforting than having to sit and listen to this bunch.
But that wasn’t an option. Instead he sucked it up and went and sat in the other empty chair, not even bothering to notice who was next to him just yet but instead, appear more casual and subtly attempt to slip out of attention while slumping against his chair. Maybe if he seemed lazy enough and kept completely still nobody would notice him? He hoped. However soon time came to introduce himself along with everyone else in the group, and once it was his turn and after a minor pause the half-demon merely offered a plain and rather simple, ”Molyneux.”
He listened as Iona went on to cover the usual rules and much of the likes, most of which he had heard before and seemed to recall more or less. Molyneux never thought to share the sort of things he’d heard within the group, but as well he never shared anything either. Say nothing, tell nothing. That was what the man figured. Sighing quietly, he eased back in his seat somewhat boredly, seemingly counting down the minutes.
“Oh, I would like to share!” A woman spoke up, leaning halfway out her seat. She was an attractive blonde who’d announced herself as Ayano, eagerly waving a hand delicately in the air seeking the groups’ attention. “Earlier this week I had stalked a human man for three days, but right when I was about to strike I just remembered what you always tell us Iona,” the succubus went on, “I took a deep breath and went through the steps, calmed myself and thought “I’m better than this” and left the man alone.” The woman seemed really proud of herself and even smiled warmly, sitting back in her seat.
Other members clapped and gave reassuring words of praise to the woman. Clearly she liked the attention though, even if it was from a self-helping group. “Also, I’ve been single for a whole week and a half now! I’m finally learning to not give in to temptation as much,” she added, thriving from the kind words offered by her fellow members.
Molyneux felt anxious for a brief moment, he didn’t have to say anything but at the same time he didn’t know what to say anyway, and avoided eye contact with mostly everyone as long as he could. Not long after another spoke up though, a young man with pale skin and visible fangs curving against his lower lip, known as Sho. Calmly he had raised a hand and once given a nod from the leader went on to say, “I’ve tried to stop viewing humans as food and instead turn to hunting animals in the nearby forests,” he spoke softly and continued, “I believe it has helped numb my blood urges somewhat.” Expectedly the members gave encouraging words to the man, expressing an underlined sense of understanding with his plight.
But that wasn’t an option. Instead he sucked it up and went and sat in the other empty chair, not even bothering to notice who was next to him just yet but instead, appear more casual and subtly attempt to slip out of attention while slumping against his chair. Maybe if he seemed lazy enough and kept completely still nobody would notice him? He hoped. However soon time came to introduce himself along with everyone else in the group, and once it was his turn and after a minor pause the half-demon merely offered a plain and rather simple, ”Molyneux.”
He listened as Iona went on to cover the usual rules and much of the likes, most of which he had heard before and seemed to recall more or less. Molyneux never thought to share the sort of things he’d heard within the group, but as well he never shared anything either. Say nothing, tell nothing. That was what the man figured. Sighing quietly, he eased back in his seat somewhat boredly, seemingly counting down the minutes.
“Oh, I would like to share!” A woman spoke up, leaning halfway out her seat. She was an attractive blonde who’d announced herself as Ayano, eagerly waving a hand delicately in the air seeking the groups’ attention. “Earlier this week I had stalked a human man for three days, but right when I was about to strike I just remembered what you always tell us Iona,” the succubus went on, “I took a deep breath and went through the steps, calmed myself and thought “I’m better than this” and left the man alone.” The woman seemed really proud of herself and even smiled warmly, sitting back in her seat.
Other members clapped and gave reassuring words of praise to the woman. Clearly she liked the attention though, even if it was from a self-helping group. “Also, I’ve been single for a whole week and a half now! I’m finally learning to not give in to temptation as much,” she added, thriving from the kind words offered by her fellow members.
Molyneux felt anxious for a brief moment, he didn’t have to say anything but at the same time he didn’t know what to say anyway, and avoided eye contact with mostly everyone as long as he could. Not long after another spoke up though, a young man with pale skin and visible fangs curving against his lower lip, known as Sho. Calmly he had raised a hand and once given a nod from the leader went on to say, “I’ve tried to stop viewing humans as food and instead turn to hunting animals in the nearby forests,” he spoke softly and continued, “I believe it has helped numb my blood urges somewhat.” Expectedly the members gave encouraging words to the man, expressing an underlined sense of understanding with his plight.
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Eris was fascinated. A vampire, and another demon that fed on humans? How interesting!
The large man next to her raised his hand, and when he was motioned to, he spoke in a deep, gruff voice. "Hi, I'm Ibaraki." Everyone said hello in return. "I was going to smash a man yesterday who cut in line in front of me. But I didn't go back to my car and get my club and pulverize him into so many pieces that they would never be able to identify him. Instead, I walked outside and shattered his car windows."
There was soft applause before Iona glared at the offenders, putting a stop to that. "Simply because you did not hurt him, does not make breaking his property acceptable. It is laudable that you did refrain from beating him, but this is not an age where such retaliation goes without notice or without reprisal."
"But--!"
"We will speak about this later, Ibaraki. For now, I will remind you that violence only brings out our most savage selves, and puts all of us into danger. Have you been volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, as I suggested?"
He grunted.
"Excellent. Carpentry skills are still in demand, and perhaps your goal might be that, by the end of the year, you are ready to apply for a job in construction?"
He grunted again, this time with a sneer. "And work with humans? No thank you."
"You have been working with humans at Habitat for Humanity, how is that any different?" Iona responded patiently.
"I don't have to do what they tell me to. And why should I? These mortal creatures would fear me, try to kill me if they knew what I was, and the idea that one of them could boss me around like some kind of slave makes me sick."
Iona shook her head, and turned to Molyneux. "Molyneux has worked at a job that serves humans for some time. Molyneux, please remind Ibaraki and our group how this is an important part of the process."
Eris blinked. What in the world is Molyneux going to say? He doesn't like humans either, and he's never seemed at all excited about his customers.
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When the large man raised a hand to request their attention, Molyneux watched with mildly curious eyes, wondering what the figure would say. He didn’t seem as friendly as some of the other members within the group and without a doubt shadowed most of them too with his sheer size, including the half-demon possibly, quite. Molyneux couldn’t help but size the man up somewhat, as if debating that matter in his own head. But shoving the issue aside for now and listening to what they said, he hooked one leg over the other and slouched more, trying to get a bit more comfortable in his seat.
It was almost amusing as some dared to applaud the hulking mans efforts, though the half-demon kept both hands snuggly in his pockets. He figured that it must’ve been nice to feel such rage and loathing towards humans, and enough to act upon such emotions, if only in some minor way. Molyneux couldn’t recall the last time he had felt so strongly about something. The Council had broken him long ago and while the discontentment was still there it only came in rationed amounts, it felt like. But he didn’t dwell on the thought and instead focused on what was being exchanged between the man and woman.
He froze somewhat when Iona directed all the attention onto him suddenly. Molyneux wasn’t the shy sort by any means but just reluctant more than anything else, which was apparent in the glare he aimed at the woman quickly after. He didn’t like to talk and she knew that, and besides he couldn’t care enough to lie, but didn’t feel enough want to be honest either. ”I don’t know if I’d say that it’s all that important,” he spoke after a small pause, ”it’s not like I wanted to do the job in the first place.”
“But Molyneux,” the vampire spoke up, raising a hand slightly. “Haven’t you ever come across a human that utterly filled you with immense displeasure and resentment? How do you cope, if you don’t mind the likes of me asking?” Immediately it felt as if most the group inched forward in their seats, awaiting his answer.
The half-demon gave a cautious stare at the group. ”You don’t have to break a bone to hurt a human, being discreet speaks volumes actually,” he answered simply. There was a lot to be said for opting to spit in someone’s drink as opposed to ripping their arm off frankly. Or going one step further and having all your staff spit in their drink before serving it with a smile. ”Though I’ve also found that if you successfully threaten a human once then there is little need to act upon it later.”
“Ooh, what do you mean exactly?” The succubus asked keenly.
”Instill complete fear in someone and they’ll never trouble you again.”
“So are you suggesting that we should be more intimidating?” The vampire questioned.
”If you break someone emotionally then you’ll never have to hurt them physically.”
“Uh, if we’re scary enough then... humans would know not to bother us again?” The kitsune spoke.
”The Council wouldn’t be any the wiser and you’ll seem as if you’re making progress.”
There was a couple more “oohs” and “ahhs” that followed, some members even seemed to be scribbling down notes in their books for safe keeping. Though Molyneux didn’t show much feeling in his expression, almost as if he hadn’t said anything wrong. That’d also show Dimitriou for sending him back here.
It was almost amusing as some dared to applaud the hulking mans efforts, though the half-demon kept both hands snuggly in his pockets. He figured that it must’ve been nice to feel such rage and loathing towards humans, and enough to act upon such emotions, if only in some minor way. Molyneux couldn’t recall the last time he had felt so strongly about something. The Council had broken him long ago and while the discontentment was still there it only came in rationed amounts, it felt like. But he didn’t dwell on the thought and instead focused on what was being exchanged between the man and woman.
He froze somewhat when Iona directed all the attention onto him suddenly. Molyneux wasn’t the shy sort by any means but just reluctant more than anything else, which was apparent in the glare he aimed at the woman quickly after. He didn’t like to talk and she knew that, and besides he couldn’t care enough to lie, but didn’t feel enough want to be honest either. ”I don’t know if I’d say that it’s all that important,” he spoke after a small pause, ”it’s not like I wanted to do the job in the first place.”
“But Molyneux,” the vampire spoke up, raising a hand slightly. “Haven’t you ever come across a human that utterly filled you with immense displeasure and resentment? How do you cope, if you don’t mind the likes of me asking?” Immediately it felt as if most the group inched forward in their seats, awaiting his answer.
The half-demon gave a cautious stare at the group. ”You don’t have to break a bone to hurt a human, being discreet speaks volumes actually,” he answered simply. There was a lot to be said for opting to spit in someone’s drink as opposed to ripping their arm off frankly. Or going one step further and having all your staff spit in their drink before serving it with a smile. ”Though I’ve also found that if you successfully threaten a human once then there is little need to act upon it later.”
“Ooh, what do you mean exactly?” The succubus asked keenly.
”Instill complete fear in someone and they’ll never trouble you again.”
“So are you suggesting that we should be more intimidating?” The vampire questioned.
”If you break someone emotionally then you’ll never have to hurt them physically.”
“Uh, if we’re scary enough then... humans would know not to bother us again?” The kitsune spoke.
”The Council wouldn’t be any the wiser and you’ll seem as if you’re making progress.”
There was a couple more “oohs” and “ahhs” that followed, some members even seemed to be scribbling down notes in their books for safe keeping. Though Molyneux didn’t show much feeling in his expression, almost as if he hadn’t said anything wrong. That’d also show Dimitriou for sending him back here.
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Iona shook her head. "I'm surprised at you, Molyneux. Intimidation is a tool that can be used, yes, but it is a short-sighted choice. Humans, if nothing else, are extremely adaptable, and fear only lasts for so long. Repeated exposure to the source of such fear, especially when there are no consequences to your threats, will dull their effect. The next step is apathy, then the possibility of anger comes in. Humans vastly outnumber our kind. There is a reason that the Council insists on secrecy, and it is not just because it makes things easier. There have been long periods of time where demons of all kinds were hunted, and the divisions between our species and our much fewer numbers left us easy targets."
She looked each of the group in the eye as she spoke, in turn, attempting to impress the seriousness of her words upon them. "The Council made us strong by giving us alliances, and in turn, we all agreed to keep our existence a secret from humans, at any cost. As I said, intimidation can be used, but it is much more valuable to cultivate friendships among humans, to become like them as much as we can, in their eyes. Friends will defend us against suspicion, keep us away from awkward questions. Many demons even marry humans, becoming that much more a part of their society."
"I don't mean to lecture, but this is an important point. I am not telling you that you need to cultivate human friendships or marry one, that is up to you. But even remaining cordial but distant will keep you that much more invisible than a lot of outright intimidation and disdain. A human that dislikes you and fears you might look for a reason why, might investigate more than is safe into our lives. But the vaguely friendly neighbor down the street, why, who would think twice about him?"
Iona turned to Eris. "Eris, I have heard a little bit about you. Would you like to talk about your own experiences with humans, and living among them?" She didn't want to reference anything specific, but given the files she'd read she thought Eris' view would make a good contrast to Molyneux', for the sake of the group discussion.
Eris' eyes widened, surprised at being put on the spot. "Uh... well, I wasn't out among them for very long," Not as a demon, anyway, "but it wasn't too hard to blend in. For obvious reasons I got a job in the underground goth scene, told everyone my horns were just a body modification. No one really questioned it."
"And did you have human friends?" Iona asked, trying to draw her out.
"Yes and no. I had quite a few that I was friends with, but I didn't have enough time to get really close to anyone. And... being what I am made it difficult to let anyone too far into my life."
"Understandable. I am so glad you were able to join us here, the Council is indeed wise. Who knows what might have happened if you had been left without support or proper guidance." Iona turned to the group. "Can anyone else tell us about their relationship with humans, how it has worked out for them for good or ill?"
Eris listened, but only with half an ear. Iona seems nice enough, but she's just yet another person who thinks that the Council can do no wrong. I might not be perfect, but does that mean I don't deserve freedom?
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She shouldn’t have been surprised. What was Iona honestly expecting from Molyneux? He had ditched the group long ago and was only here due to being forced. The man was there under protest. Yes, that was it. He wouldn’t be shy in making that obvious if it came to it however, that wasn’t to say he was desperately seeking some sort of outlet for his disdain right now. Not overly, but there was a spark just waiting to be ignited.
After another member had spoken, Ayano fidgeted in her seat somewhat. “While I have never married a human though I too have had some relationships with human men,” she said while in half a thought, “some treated me nice enough, it was great for the most part. Perhaps I even forgot I was a demon while around them, but then there were few who treated me horribly. I was almost glad to be a different species, admittedly, and I really wanted to hurt them.” Everyone was quiet as the succubus told her story, seemingly invested in it as much as she herself was. Of course they had all been attending the group for a while now and so really it felt more like confessing to friends than mere strangers. “Sometimes I struggle to understand why it’d be so bad to harm a human... some deserve it I think. Humans can be just as bad as us, it’s not really fair... but I guess the Council knows what’s best?”
Nobody uttered a noise, clearly in half minds over it. But that wasn’t all too surprising. The Council was always a difficult subject to approach with demons. Some struggled to tell whether the Council was truly good, while others didn’t seem to mind being lead by them. And then you had Molyneux, who seemed to be in a situation entirely unique to himself. He wasn’t given a choice, but then maybe he needed to be controlled and rightly, have that right taken from him. Heck the Council wouldn’t even allow the half-demon to die if he wanted. They rather persistently kept him around.
“Um... I use to have human friends when I attended school, but I had to move around every few years since I didn’t age quite like my classmates,” the young vampire man spoke shortly after, “but one time I accidently bit a friend – I was always told to never smile, that way nobody would see my fangs. But it just happened and I had to move away the next day. I guess in my experience making friends isn’t that hard but... keeping friendships is. It’s hard not to feel lonely sometimes.”
Molyneux moved round and sat sideways in his chair, leaning his face against a hand and looking mightily sullen. He was still a bit hung up on getting told off, it reminded him of being with the scientists that worked for the Council; getting punished when doing something wrong, then getting praised when doing something right. He didn’t need that in his life again, and so whenever in any doubt he’d do what he always did, and sulked.
“Iona, don’t you ever struggle?” Ayano asked, raising her hand. “Don’t you ever have bad days, like us?”
After another member had spoken, Ayano fidgeted in her seat somewhat. “While I have never married a human though I too have had some relationships with human men,” she said while in half a thought, “some treated me nice enough, it was great for the most part. Perhaps I even forgot I was a demon while around them, but then there were few who treated me horribly. I was almost glad to be a different species, admittedly, and I really wanted to hurt them.” Everyone was quiet as the succubus told her story, seemingly invested in it as much as she herself was. Of course they had all been attending the group for a while now and so really it felt more like confessing to friends than mere strangers. “Sometimes I struggle to understand why it’d be so bad to harm a human... some deserve it I think. Humans can be just as bad as us, it’s not really fair... but I guess the Council knows what’s best?”
Nobody uttered a noise, clearly in half minds over it. But that wasn’t all too surprising. The Council was always a difficult subject to approach with demons. Some struggled to tell whether the Council was truly good, while others didn’t seem to mind being lead by them. And then you had Molyneux, who seemed to be in a situation entirely unique to himself. He wasn’t given a choice, but then maybe he needed to be controlled and rightly, have that right taken from him. Heck the Council wouldn’t even allow the half-demon to die if he wanted. They rather persistently kept him around.
“Um... I use to have human friends when I attended school, but I had to move around every few years since I didn’t age quite like my classmates,” the young vampire man spoke shortly after, “but one time I accidently bit a friend – I was always told to never smile, that way nobody would see my fangs. But it just happened and I had to move away the next day. I guess in my experience making friends isn’t that hard but... keeping friendships is. It’s hard not to feel lonely sometimes.”
Molyneux moved round and sat sideways in his chair, leaning his face against a hand and looking mightily sullen. He was still a bit hung up on getting told off, it reminded him of being with the scientists that worked for the Council; getting punished when doing something wrong, then getting praised when doing something right. He didn’t need that in his life again, and so whenever in any doubt he’d do what he always did, and sulked.
“Iona, don’t you ever struggle?” Ayano asked, raising her hand. “Don’t you ever have bad days, like us?”
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Iona smiled, but it was almost as if the twinkle in her eye dimmed for a moment, a shadow passing over the sun. "I've lived a very long life. I've seen many centuries of humans come and go, some more worthwhile than others. I've protected many families in return for very little, found their cattle, helped their crops to grow, all sorts of little things to help them thrive. But those that angered me, that broke trust with me, I have been... unkind."
She spread out her hands and shrugged. "I have no excuses for my actions, and have paid penance for them many times over. In time, I learned, just as you all will, that for good or ill the humans are not going anywhere. They can outbreed us, they are exceedingly adaptable, and in time, I truly believe it will be in everyone's best interests to reveal our true nature to the world and work together towards a greater future. And it is toward that goal, towards that eventual unity, that I urge all of you to learn how to not only blend in with the humans around you, but to gain them as allies."
"Heh. That seems unlikely." Ibaraki grunted. "The day the Council actually goes public is about as likely as Molyneux marrying a human."
The group laughed, even Eris. Molyneux marrying a human? Ridiculous.
Iona spoke again, redirecting the group back to its purpose. "We are just about out of time for tonight, so I would like to send you all away with an assignment for this week. As is appropriate for our discussion tonight, I want each of you to have an in-depth discussion with a human this week. Friendship takes longer, so I will not go that far, but a meaningful conversation with a human will be enough. Please be prepared to come back and share about your experience next week."
The group stood, but only a few left. Many remained, snacking on the odd selections of a long table by the wall and drinking from small paper cups.
"I'm Hikaru," a voice said behind her. "It's nice to see demons from other parts of the world join our little gathering."
Eris turned to see the young man with the tails from earlier, and noted that this time, a pair of pointed ears had appeared on his head. "Nice to meet you as well. Have you traveled much?"
He shrugged. "Here and there, but mostly in this part of the world. My family likes to visit the temples and holy places, and learn from priests. We even fight off the evil demons on occasion, when the situation calls for it."
"You mean, when your family gets paid." Ibaraki grunted from a corner of the room. Given the sour look on his face Eris had no idea why he even remained, but she turned to Hikaru for confirmation.
The young man--if young he was--grinned. "I can't really deny that. We do like to get paid." His tails flicked. "But Iona is trying to teach me that good is better done out of the kindness of your heart, not for compensation."
Ibaraki grunted again, and thought that sufficient.
Eris nodded. "It is better to be kind without expecting anything in return, yes, but there is also making a living. Having a family isn't exactly cheap."
Hikaru nodded. "That is exactly my point. But I must admit that I feel shame, now, for when we walked away from those who needed us, simply because they were poor."
"They deserved their fate."
"Ibaraki." Hikaru rolled his eyes."You will be a grump to the very end. His wife left him, you see," he whispered. "Left him for a human basketball player. He still hasn't gotten over it."
Eris looked sympathetic. "That would make me pretty grumpy as well."
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Oh ha. Molyneux huffed at the joke with his pouty expression. That's what it was, right? He could barely grasp the funniness of it though as everyone else shared a chuckle. However on the other hand it couldn’t have been more apparent just how relieved he was when things seemed to be coming to an end; though it was entirely debatable over how much of Iona’s words he took in and how much value he placed on them. After all how much meaning could one put into a conversation with a punter? It rarely stretched beyond asking them what they wanted to drink and honestly that was about as much as Molyneux felt to discuss.
Regardless he had served his time here. And shortly after when everyone had risen from their seats Molyneux instinctively felt keen to join the handful that opted to leave at that moment. But of course there was Eris to think about, who was over talking with the boy with the tails, he noticed, when glancing over his shoulder. She seemed to be hitting it off with a few of the members which was a good thing, he reckoned, as now Dimitriou couldn’t complain about it and perhaps, if only possibly, the woman wouldn’t be too in a hurry to shut his bar down now.
He made an uncomfortable face when observing a few of the members consuming the food on offer and gulping down what drink was made available, but Molyneux almost always declined is seemed. His eating habits never escaped him and especially here, as the snacks didn't quite agree with him. But possibly the half-demon was slowly, very slowly, very very slowly getting better with that. If only through the fact that Eris cooked a lot and there seemed to be plenty thrown his way whether he approved or not.
“Oh. Leaving so soon?” Ayano grinned when passing the man, gaining his interest. “This was certainly an interesting night and I sure hope that you consider coming again, we've really missed you.” She was quite a forwarding woman as expected from a succubus, though Molyneux didn't entirely appreciate having his space invaded so boldly as she hooked one slender arm around his own, petting it in an assuring and almost comforting manner with her other hand. “Just like old times. Hm?”
Molyneux only sighed while reaching into a pocket and pulling out a cigarette, to which she then cheekily asked, “So how is your business fairing? You run that bar, don't you? Fancy giving an old friend a discount sometime?~” She urged in a sickly sweet voice to the man and leaned on her tiptoes, clearly pushing her luck.
”Not really,” he huffed plainly, slipping the smoke between his lips. ”It'd kill my profits at the rate you drink.” Molyneux remarked and wriggled free from her grasp. As the small group made their way out through the door and headed outside, he dug out his lighter and was swift in setting the end alight when eventually reaching the cool air. Iona hadn’t entirely approved of his habit indoors from the last time he remembered, but honestly he’d use any excuse just to get out and away for a few minutes.
“Hope to see you next week then,” a member urged behind him followed by some encouraging sounds. Ayano quickly caught up, following Sho and some others as they took their leave. “See you next time~” The blonde said afterwards as the few members offered waves at the half-demon before heading off down the alleyway.
Molyneux only watched, surprisingly half tempted to raise a hand and wave back if only very briefly, but the latter of him won out and he stood, simply watching them fade off into the distance. As much as he’d like to follow them down that path he would instead wait for Eris until she was done. Maybe the horned-girl would do better without him around, who knew. She seemed to be making herself very welcomed there with the others from what he could tell. But still for now he'd enjoy his smoke for a moment.
Regardless he had served his time here. And shortly after when everyone had risen from their seats Molyneux instinctively felt keen to join the handful that opted to leave at that moment. But of course there was Eris to think about, who was over talking with the boy with the tails, he noticed, when glancing over his shoulder. She seemed to be hitting it off with a few of the members which was a good thing, he reckoned, as now Dimitriou couldn’t complain about it and perhaps, if only possibly, the woman wouldn’t be too in a hurry to shut his bar down now.
He made an uncomfortable face when observing a few of the members consuming the food on offer and gulping down what drink was made available, but Molyneux almost always declined is seemed. His eating habits never escaped him and especially here, as the snacks didn't quite agree with him. But possibly the half-demon was slowly, very slowly, very very slowly getting better with that. If only through the fact that Eris cooked a lot and there seemed to be plenty thrown his way whether he approved or not.
“Oh. Leaving so soon?” Ayano grinned when passing the man, gaining his interest. “This was certainly an interesting night and I sure hope that you consider coming again, we've really missed you.” She was quite a forwarding woman as expected from a succubus, though Molyneux didn't entirely appreciate having his space invaded so boldly as she hooked one slender arm around his own, petting it in an assuring and almost comforting manner with her other hand. “Just like old times. Hm?”
Molyneux only sighed while reaching into a pocket and pulling out a cigarette, to which she then cheekily asked, “So how is your business fairing? You run that bar, don't you? Fancy giving an old friend a discount sometime?~” She urged in a sickly sweet voice to the man and leaned on her tiptoes, clearly pushing her luck.
”Not really,” he huffed plainly, slipping the smoke between his lips. ”It'd kill my profits at the rate you drink.” Molyneux remarked and wriggled free from her grasp. As the small group made their way out through the door and headed outside, he dug out his lighter and was swift in setting the end alight when eventually reaching the cool air. Iona hadn’t entirely approved of his habit indoors from the last time he remembered, but honestly he’d use any excuse just to get out and away for a few minutes.
“Hope to see you next week then,” a member urged behind him followed by some encouraging sounds. Ayano quickly caught up, following Sho and some others as they took their leave. “See you next time~” The blonde said afterwards as the few members offered waves at the half-demon before heading off down the alleyway.
Molyneux only watched, surprisingly half tempted to raise a hand and wave back if only very briefly, but the latter of him won out and he stood, simply watching them fade off into the distance. As much as he’d like to follow them down that path he would instead wait for Eris until she was done. Maybe the horned-girl would do better without him around, who knew. She seemed to be making herself very welcomed there with the others from what he could tell. But still for now he'd enjoy his smoke for a moment.
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"I'd better get going. I have an early job tomorrow," Hikaru said, and he bowed slightly before he, too, left.
Ibaraki said nothing, simply followed him out the door, and Eris, noting that not Molyneux had left, thought it was time for her to leave as well.
He stood outside, smoking alone, she saw as she went through the door and closed it behind her, waving to Hikaru and Ibaraki as they walked through the narrow alleyway away from her. Hikaru waved back, but Ibaraki pretended she didn't exist.
"They all seem nice," she commented quietly. "I still don't think I need something like this, some of them make me seem perfectly well adjusted, but at least it won't be torture."
She paused, tugging at a long curl, and shrugged. "I guess you don't like it because you and Iona differ with how you like to treat humans? Or do you just not like being forced to go somewhere and talk about your innermost feelings?" Molyneux really didn't seem like the type to enjoy that sort of sharing, and the fact that Iona had managed to get him to talk at all made Eris even more impressed with the woman.
"By the way, and I know it's kind of cheating to ask, but what species did we have in there? The vampire was obvious, but I'm pretty lost about everyone else."
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Molyneux slowly turned to the girl as she emerged waving at the pair that passed by moments before. ”Whatever I feel is my own business and not up for discussion,” he sighed out in one smoky breath. Clearly whatever innermost feelings he did have were not going to see the light of day anytime soon. ”Iona can preach all she wants to us but it doesn’t mean we’ll become better demons by the end of it. Some of us don’t desire to be good and some were never meant to be, you should mind.” They were demons after all and only a handful at most was ever originally good to begin with. Most were typically bad and only came into existence due to some ill cause or another. And no amount of good hearted words could change that internal programming.
”The blonde was a succubus,” he answered a moment after, dropping his cigarette and stomping it out on the ground. ”You’re tailed friend is a kitsune and the big guy was an oni. Our little leader though is just a brownie,” Molyneux remarked, before listing several other species that formed the majority of the other members. He didn’t entirely know for sure what most the species were, but from what subtle emotions he could sense from the members, Molyneux could offer surprisingly near-perfect assumptions on what species of demon someone was. Certain types expressed certain feelings, to put it simply. Though not many could understand that and the half-demon’s power wasn’t what it used to be. So he could be forgiven for miss-guessing one or two.
”You could probably find their species listed in that book you got,” he mentioned to the girl, and then took a few steps forward. It was beginning to get late and it’d be wise to return to the bar before too many humans appeared, Molyneux figured. ”We should get going anyway.” He quickly urged and changed the topic, leading the way down the alleyway like the many others had travelled down. He’d only be settled once fully removed from the area and tucked back up in the more comforting surroundings of the bar.
”The blonde was a succubus,” he answered a moment after, dropping his cigarette and stomping it out on the ground. ”You’re tailed friend is a kitsune and the big guy was an oni. Our little leader though is just a brownie,” Molyneux remarked, before listing several other species that formed the majority of the other members. He didn’t entirely know for sure what most the species were, but from what subtle emotions he could sense from the members, Molyneux could offer surprisingly near-perfect assumptions on what species of demon someone was. Certain types expressed certain feelings, to put it simply. Though not many could understand that and the half-demon’s power wasn’t what it used to be. So he could be forgiven for miss-guessing one or two.
”You could probably find their species listed in that book you got,” he mentioned to the girl, and then took a few steps forward. It was beginning to get late and it’d be wise to return to the bar before too many humans appeared, Molyneux figured. ”We should get going anyway.” He quickly urged and changed the topic, leading the way down the alleyway like the many others had travelled down. He’d only be settled once fully removed from the area and tucked back up in the more comforting surroundings of the bar.
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