[M] You and Me and the Demon Makes Three {Lyra & Midori-Hime}

[Lyra]

RATED M FOR POSSIBLE GORE, VIOLENCE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT.


▐║━━ LYRA :: ADAM (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b8/46/c5/b846c5819eb54c4abcbcb82265a8ce75.jpg?b=t) / DEMON (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6f/2f/83/6f2f8320f4837623121b0027a39c6296.jpg) / PRIMUS



Adam, the progenitor of the human race, and Adam, the scum of the earth, had little in common. Nothing worthwhile would come easy for the former and nothing worthwhile would appease the latter. One had made his choice, the other had no choice. Still, while the progenitor's purpose was to die, the other Adam found purpose in servitude and was, therefore, forever condemned.

He walked the realm of men in search of something lost, an object so precious that without it he risked oblivion. Finding it proved incredibly difficult, for whoever had stolen it, hid it and himself remarkably well. Adam would be impressed if the artifact wasn't important for his survival. The object in question, a beautiful block of immense power with shapeshifting properties, once belonged to Earth herself, but had since then been in the possession of many power-craving entities. The last in line was Adam's creator, a dreadful witch-demon. He was her first creation, an attempt to mock the absent human deity, the leader of her henchmen, but not her most powerful hound. Still, his scent tracking skills earned him this job and he intended to finish it before any of his other bloodthirsty siblings threatened to overpower him.

Today, he was headed to an antique shop downtown. The city he was in had become a hotspot for teeming demons and their business, all oddly attracted to it and unwilling to leave. He had his doubts why. The antique shop in question used to belong to an old witch who collected and stole trinkets from all realms. She was, as humans would say, a hoarder. Now, her shop was being run by her nephew, a lad who had no idea he had witch blood in him and who didn't need to know.

Adam rode into town astride a black and red Harley, wearing a leather jacket with a spiked collar and a muzzle strapped over half his face. Underneath his jacket, he wore a plain white Tee and belted leather pants and a pair of boots. On his fingers he had several rings, some had skulls attached to them. He was of an average height, but he had broad shoulders, toned muscles and incredibly handsome thighs. The amber color of his eyes flickered in the light as the wind sped through his ink-black hair, pushing it back. That was his human cover. And he enjoyed it. His demon form was far less handsome and it walked on four legs, not two.

When he pulled up in front of the shop, all eyes were on him. The passersby commented on the brass of his bike and the absurdity of his muzzle and his parking the bike against the regulations, which wasn't his intention. He just wasn't quite yet familiar with the rules. The last thing he wanted was to be overly conspicuous. Yet, he did play his part and didn't give a shit. He removed the muzzle and entered the shop smiling a distorted smile. It was a genuine attempt at being friendly, but since he wasn't accustomed to that, it just made him look creepy. Nevertheless, the shopkeeper smiled back, pulling his lips so wide apart that Adam thought he was faking it. The lad was a bit taller than him, but much slimmer and too lively. Adam inquired about any odd artifacts that may have come his way and even suggested he look in the back for anything that gave him unpleasant emotions. But the lad found his requests weird and didn't put in the right amount of effort. His nose wasn't picking up anything either but he was always the one to double check everything. In the end, he sighed and said in a low tone of voice,

"I'll do it myself, carry on," with a single flip of a finger, the lad did as commanded and carried on stacking some books on the counter. Adam went in the back, the supposed storage area and rummaged through the boxes. He found some genuine, magic-imbued objects but none was the one. He grunted in dissatisfaction, ruffled his hair, scratched his ear and returned to the store front, ready to look through the things in display, when the doorbell rang and announced another customer.

[Midori-Hime]

Who needed an alarm clock when you had cat who needed to be fed every morning at 8 O'clock sharp? Kieran groaned softly as the little paws kneaded at his chest, squeezing his eyes shut tighter, trying to ignore the little beast and his incessant purring. The cat then changed tactics, giving a little trill as he sensed his owner was waking up. Slowly he walked down Kieran's body, until a poorly placed paw landed on his groin, making the man shoot up in his bed. "OW! Damn, Erebus." The cat went flying, before running to his food bowl and meowing expectantly. "Alright, alright... I'm coming." Kieran slipped out of the covers and then stretched his back with a yawn before slipping on his glasses and getting up to his feet.

After filling the cat's bowl, with a stroke down his back, he began his morning routine. His one-bedroom apartment was littered with little stacks of books here and there, as all the bookshelves he could fit in his tiny apartment were stuffed full already. He grabbed a fresh button down shirt, white with a small, repeating geometric patterns in blue, and a clean pair of jeans. First a quick shower and then a well rounded breakfast of eggs, sausage, and most importantly, coffee. He sat the island at separated the kitchen from his living room, picking up where he'd left off in one of his books while he ate. After that, Kieran grabbed his leather messenger bag by the door, slipped into a pair of dark loafers, and then it was off to work.

Kieran didn't own a car, but since he lived in the city with plenty of public transportation, he didn't really need it. Owning a car was just more of a head ache than it was worth in his opinion. Small as his apartment was, it was enough and was in a good location so he could simply walk most places. Especially to work. He came to the old historic looking building, with large laticed windows in the front. Despite that, the inside was always dimly lit with dark, rich wood that carried the musty smell of old books and dust. But Kieran loved it.

Right on time as usual, Kieran unlocked the door to the book store and came inside, the rays of the morning light filtering in. The shop was cluttered in an almost endearing, cozy sort of way, filled with tiny walkways that lead to different rooms throughout. Of course the front was filled with the newer 'Best Sellers' But Kieran always felt that the books that were truly worth while were hidden in the depths of the shop. Of course he knew the owner kept some real treasures downstairs, but those things were not for sale to just anyone and there were even sections Kieran was not allowed access to. Of course, it only made him more interested to know what the old man kept hidden down there.

He got his things situated, making sure the paperwork and register were counted and ready for business, before he switched the sign on the door to 'OPEN'. Days like these usually went by quietly, with only a few customers who wandered in here and there, and even fewer actually bought things. But the shop did well enough and he enjoyed his job plenty. Though a few hours later he heard foot steps coming down the stairs before the old man popped out from the back door. "Afternoon Lad..." He greeted Kieran with his usual sly smile half hidden by a white mustache and beard. "I have a little errand for you to run. If you'd be so kind." He said, holding out a plain brown package. Kieran looked it over curiously as he set his book down on the open pages. "Yeah, sure." He said, before the man told him to take it down to the antique shop that he sometimes did business with. It wasn't an unusual request so Kieran grabbed his bag and headed out. "Use the money to buy yourself some lunch on the way back." The old man called after him before the door closed.

It was only a 20 or so minute walk to the shop. There was always interesting characters wandering around this part of town. Kieran was always the type to be wary of such places, yet for reasons he couldn't explain, he couldn't help but feel drawn to it. Maybe he was crying out for excitement, even if he felt completely content with his life as it was. Then again, was he really?

Kieran shook away such thoughts once he saw the antique shop up ahead. The familiar bell rang as he entered the stop and immediately Kieran looked to the clerk. "Hey Tristan! I got some thing here for your Aunt." He said, holding up the box before he stepped over. He didn't notice the two ladies who were gawking about his unique eyes and tall, lithe frame. His bright blue, almost indigo colored eyes always got him a lot of attention, not that he really seemed to notice any of it. Though it did puzzle him when people often asked if he wore contacts... while he was clearly wearing glasses. Tristan, the young man behind the counter nodded. "Hey Kieran, yeah... She left a note with the money right here. Good to see you." Tristan said as they exchanged the package for the money. "Yeah, you too. Hows the business?" He asked, the two making brief small talk before Tristan had to assist a customer. Kieran counted out the money before placing it safely in his bag. Now then, what to have for lunch?

[Lyra]

Adam did not pay any mind to other customers lurking about, and by masking his presence, he made sure they didn't notice him either. He focused on inspecting the objects at display, on the shelves, counters, and in glass containers. The first thing that caught Adam's sharp eye was a small, round mirror with a gilded, scalloped frame that stood on one of the shelves at eye level. An emerald eye stood at its top and it gleamed when he passed by, revealing a not so favorable image. The face that stared back at him from the mirror was ugly, it had huge teeth, a strong jaw, grey skin and a pair of blood-red eyes but it didn't frighten him or make him disgusted. It was a familiar face, his own. The mirror must have been enchanted to reveal one's true nature, he thought. He placed the mirror face down and moved on to a set of knives, and then an old, engraved urn with a lid the shape of a bird. When he opened the urn, a vile smell emerged and made him squeamish. He nicked it when he tried to put it down. For a demon, he was a bit clumsy, but unbothered by it.

He was becoming more daunted by the moment, for nothing he touched felt like the real deal. Most of the objects were clearly fake, some were enchanted, but none emanated any kind of magic that could bring down a city. He was about to put his muzzle back on and leave, when his nose caught a faint, but familiar scent in the air. It wafted through like a breeze and brought forth a sudden, undeniably exciting chill. Could it be? His amber eyes gleamed red and his dog tail emerged out of the blue, slithering about and coiling around his legs before it disappeared again. It was a sign, he was reacting to something. He followed the scent, feeble as it was, to the counter where he saw a tall, lanky man with striking sapphire blue eyes one could get lost in. The man wore the scent of what Adam longed to find, it tickled his nostrils and made him feel invigorated. But the man was ordinary. He saw no demonic aura around him or any traces of shapeshifting. The man hadn't even noticed him. Still, he was a diligent demon, he had to make sure.

He browsed the shop quickly for something made of pure iron and found a box cluttered with rings of different designs. He rummaged through it to find genuine iron rings and once his skin came in contact with one, he began feeling discomfort which slowly turned into pain which he held back, gritting his teeth. For most demons to touch pure iron meant he'd surely wince back and cry out in pain before the iron began burning his skin. Adam took possession of two such rings, similar but different when it came to the pattern design. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold them on his bare skin for long so he fetched one of the jewelry pouches off the counter and placed them there. He approached the man, who was busy counting money, with a quizzical expression on his face. He had even put on a slight smirk, saying,

"Ah, excuse me," he sounded quite friendly. He practiced a lot in the last few days. "I'm supposed to get a gift for someone, but I can't decide. Would you mind weighing in? They both look quite interesting close-up," Adam said, stretching out the hand that held the pouch and the rings towards the man while pointing at them with his other one. He took the change to properly check him out but he looked even more ordinary up close, except for those eyes.

[Midori-Hime]

Once Kieran had the money tucked away, he turned to head out of the shop when a surprisingly pleasant voice addressed him. Kieran turned to see if someone were truly talking to him, when he met the most startling, yet intriguing pair of golden eyes. Kieran was stunned, so much so that he stared blankly for a few moments until he suddenly realized the man had asked him a question. "O-oh... uh-" Kieran muttered, managing to pull his gaze away to look down at the two rings laid out on black velvet. "S-sure." Kieran could feel a bit of heat touching his cheeks at the sudden, and a bit unusual, request from this slightly intimidating yet alluring stranger.

Reaching out Kieran gently took up the rings in his hand and let one rest in his palm while he inspected the other. As he looked over the designs curiously, a sudden chill went through him, his body giving a visible shudder. The timing was a little odd, but he didn't think much of it as one of the customers had just left and he most likely caught a draft from the door. Kieran then switched the rings, looking over the designs of the second. However, he could feel the handsome stranger's golden eyes on him, as if they were boring into him, piercing the very core of his being. It was rather unsettling and yet, at the same time, almost... thrilling. Kieran was suddenly aware of how hard his heart was beating and he quickly passed the rings back to the man. "This one..." He replied, holding out the second ring, though he couldn't quite bring himself to meet this stranger's eyes again. "I suppose it depends on their style... But I think the design of that one is more interesting and-" Kieran went on, finally daring to meet the man's unique gaze, "Eye-catching."

Kieran was caught off guard by how anxious he felt in this man's presence. Sure, he was attractive, hot even, but it was something more than that. There was just... something about him that Kieran couldn't even attempt to put into words, but he knew he'd never felt like this before. Now that his heartbeat was starting to return to normal, Kieran drew his eyes away finally. "Well, a-anyways... I hoped that helped. I have to get going now, but good luck with your gift shopping." Kieran said, offering a small smile. And with that, he turned and headed out of the shop, the bell ringing on his way out. Once he was out in the open air, he took a deep breath to clear his head and started back towards bookstore, though his mind was slowly being swallowed up by thoughts of that strange man.

[Lyra]

Adam stared at the blue-eyed man with riveted attention while he waited for the telltale signs. The man touched the rings but there was no reaction. No sizzling, no smoke, no wincing in pain, no demon. He sighed in disappointment, breaking the stare. He was about to turn and disregard the man's input into the rings' style and design when his ears perked up and he noticed an unexpected, erratic change of the man's heartbeat pace. He became optimistic once more, doubting the man's humanity and assuring himself that he must pursue this further. The rings might have failed, but he could not be deterred so easily. There were other ways.

"Thank you," Adam said politely in a disembodied voice. He still hadn't got used to the etiquettes but he'd be damned if he let himself be fooled by the man's peasant smile. He watched carefully as the man left the shop and decided to follow him, tossing the rings over to the counter and letting them roll off it. He kept his distance and masked his presence so only those with extremely keen senses, bordering on supernatural, would be able to notice him. He summoned a hell blade, one that only injured demonic entities but mentally scarred others, and placed it in his back pocket. He planned to follow the man and ambush him in an alley, perhaps tweak the knife into his skin to make sure.

On his way out, he noticed a man in a blue uniform and a funny hat circling around his bike and trying to write something down on a notepad. He got curious and approached him, not too happy with having anyone touch his ride.

"Be careful, it bites," he warned the man, dispelling the aura around him so the man could see him. The man quickly turned to him, and with a frowning face, retorted in a stern voice,

"Is this your vehicle, sir? You have parked it illegally, not to mention that you don't even have a license plate. I will need you to identify yourself," the man droned off, clearly upset, holding onto the shaft of his baton quite firmly. Adam didn't understand what he had done wrong but he was sure he wasn't trying to look intimidating. The man, on the other hand, seemed quite disturbed and even scared of him. Adam didn't have time for any distractions. The blue-eyed man was quickly leaving his line of sight, so he decided to answer the man's question hoping he'd be left alone.

"My name is Adam, Maescia's hound." he spoke genuinely, witnessing the rapid growth of confusion on the man's face. "I must go." he said, turning around and walking away. The man was stunned, mumbling about a 'police' and 'towing' but Adam paid him no mind. When the man turned towards the vehicle, he could not believe his eyes. The bike was gone, it had disappeared right there, in front of him. And when he looked back at the man, he was gone too. He huffed and puffed and almost fainted, but that was of no concern to Adam.

Adam hurried down the street, stalking his victim. He had to rely on his nose and take in that dangerously sweet smell so he'd stay on the blue-eyed man's tracks.

[Midori-Hime]

Try as he might, Kieran's thoughts kept wandering back to the golden-eyed man from the antique shop. He'd seemed like your typical 'bad boy', all dark and rough around the edges. The type of person Kieran always tried to avoid but in the end he'd always get mixed up in thier company. But this time felt different... and Kieran couldn't begin to guess why. No matter how many times he tried to think of something else, his thoughts kept getting pulled back to the dark, mysterious stranger. "Ugh! Forget it!" He grumbled aloud to himself, raking a hand through his dark hair. "It's not like I'll ever run into him again... and that's probably for the best." He told himself under his breath, affirming that there was no point to continue pondering who the stranger had been and where he was from. If his instincts were right, the man was probably no good anyway.

He was nearing a little sandwich shop and just decided to stop there for lunch, ordering himself a large hoagie, knowing he could save the other half for his dinner. Though as he stood in the shop, waiting for his order, Kieran felt like someone was watching him. However, when he turned sharply to look out the large front window, he didn't see anyone. Only a man walking by, who was too wrapped up in his phone to notice anything else. Slowly Kieran turned back around, just in time to grab his order and leave. Suddenly he was eager to get back to the bookstore, starting to head back briskly.

It was only a ten minute walk and soon enough he'd entered the bookstore, coming over to the counter and setting down his lunch. "Thanks again, m'lad. You know my legs aren't what they used to be." The owner said, getting up from his chair slowly and patting his knee for emphasis.

"No problem. I don't mind at all." Kieran said as he handed over the money with a warm smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He just hadn't been able to shake the strange feeling he'd gotten from the man in the antique shop. "Everything go alright?" The owner questioned, raising a brow at Kieran's drawn expression.

Kieran blinked. "O-oh yeah, everything went fine. I'm good... Don't worry." He said, brushing off the old man's concern. Kieran was thankful he didn't press the matter any further and simply thanked him once more before heading back upstairs. With a sigh, Kieran unwrapped his sandwich and began to eat, his eyes unconsciously flickering up towards the windows every so often. Yet he never noticed anything odd, despite the weird sensation he felt. Like someone's eyes were constantly on him... However, eventually the sensation faded and Kieran went on about his work day at the store. Finally 6pm rolled around and Kieran quickly packed up, flipped the sign to 'closed', and shut out the lights before he started home for the night.

[Lyra]

Adam followed after the man closely waiting for his chance, but there was so much happening on the street that it was hard to focus. The street was bustling with many people who wore funny clothes and behaved rather strangely. He had never quite experienced human behavior up close but he did find it amusing. At one point, his gaze strayed from his target and fell onto a group of young men performing tricks with some kind of board on wheels. He halted for a moment, taking in the sight and observing their aura. They felt thrilled even though they were falling and hurting themselves. He found that baffling. He reprimanded himself for getting distracted and scurried along after his prey.

The man entered a shop that sold human food. Demons had no need for such biological restrictions. So far, the man was nothing but ordinary, which displeased Adam gravely. Alas, he was not going to give up his pursuit. This was his first solid lead in months, he had to press on. When the man turned to him, Adam almost thought the man had noticed him. He even stiffened a bit when those blue eyes pierced right through him, but naturally they didn't see him. Or did they? His face contorted into a grimace. What if the man was making a fool out of him? Oh, he must be laughing at him inwardly, Adam suspected, feeling a low growl escape his strained throat. He almost went for him right there and then but decided against it. The shop had quite a few customers and causing a scene was far from beneficial. He decided to stalk him further and wait for a moment to strike.

But the moment never came. The route the man was taking was far too crowded and had too few alleys one could lead his victim into. That was when the man came to a stop and entered another ship, this time a bookstore. Adam waited outside and observed carefully, waiting for the man to finish and exit. But it seemed he was not going anywhere for a while. Could he be doing what the humans referred to as a job? Adam pondered, tapping his foot off the pavement impatiently, arms folded on his chest. There was another man inside, rather old. Perhaps he worked there too. Like the blue-eyed man, he too showed no signs of abnormality, but Adam had to be prepared for anything.

He could not enter though, for the door was closed. If he were to open it, his presence masked, the man could get suspicious. After all, as he understood, doors did not open by themselves in the human world. There was even a bell attached to it. He decided to inspect the outside of the shop then, to check whether any protection spells had been cast. His once amber-colored eyes flickered and turn a malicious red as he scanned the perimeter, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. When he touched the building, all he felt was how cold the wall was.

He continued to wait until the man was finished with work. It was incredibly boring but nothing he had not been through already. The man closed shop and headed home, unaware he had a demon as a shadow. Adam planned an attack as it was getting dark but out of nowhere, the old man from the store approached the window and taped a sign on the glass which read 'Help wanted, ask inside.' Adam had a choice now. He could follow the boy, attack him and find out nothing about the whereabouts of the artifact... or he could befriend him and act accordingly thereon. He opted for the latter. With a crafty smirk lingering on the edge of his lips, he made his presence known and knocked on the glass, pointing at the sign and then at himself.

[Midori-Hime]

Kieran's walk home was usually quite enjoyable, but as the sky gradually grew darker, his paranoia was slowly taking over. He kept looking behind him, his sapphire blue eyes searching the shadows, even though the sensation he'd felt earlier this afternoon was long gone. "I'm losing it..." He then muttered to himself with a sigh, fixing his glasses on his face. It wasn't long before he was making his way inside and up the stairs to his apartment. As usual, the moment Kieran opened the door, Erebus came running, meowing and arching his body against Kieran's legs. He couldn't help but smile, giving the cat a few strokes. "Did you miss me?"

Once he'd gotten his shoes off and his bag set down, Kieran got himself a bottle of beer and grabbed the rest of his sandwich. He then took a seat on his couch, sitting back with his beer and a book to read while he ate. Though it seemed he was just reading the same lines over and over again, as his thoughts just kept wandering to that pair of golden eyes. Finally Kieran snapped the book shut with a sigh and swallowed a mouthful of beer. "What's wrong with me..." He mumbled, dropping his head with another heavy sigh. Erebus seemed to sense his distress, precariously climbing down from the back of the couch to land in his lap. Kieran pet his head, his other hand resting over his mouth well he recalled their interaction from the shop one more time. "Mmm... He really was gorgeous though."

Finally deciding to call it a night, Kieran cleaned up and got ready for bed. Despite his earlier distraction, sleep came easily enough. However, that night he would dream of a wolf. Or at least that's what it seemed to be... With glowing golden eyes that shined through the darkness. It circled slowly, disappearing from view before suddenly appearing closer... and closer... Until it lunged.

Kieran woke with a start at the abrupt chime of his alarm. He let out a heavy breath, before he realized just how behind he was. "Ah, dammit!" Kieran hopped out of bed, grabbing a pair of clothes quickly and tossing a bagel into the toaster that he could eat along the way. Deep down he knew the old man wouldn't care much if he was a little late, but he was still bothered by the idea. Once he'd smeared some cream cheese over his bagel, he grabbed his bag and poured some food for Erebus before hurrying out the door. He took a few bites of his bagel as he walked briskly to the bookstore.

[Lyra]

There he was, on the morrow, ready to take up work. He wasn't quite sure what he had to do, the bookstore owner wasn't as specific as he'd hoped, but the main idea was for Adam to do whatever was asked of him. He reckoned he'd be good at that, having been created with such a purpose in mind. He was never averse to his maker's original plan, but sometimes he wished he could escape her clutches. Unlike his rowdy siblings, who often riled up against their maker, Adam weathered his subordination well.

He wore what he wore yesterday, though he looked freshened up. He parked his bike on the store's designated parking spot, as instructed by the old man who welcomed him on his first day and led him inside. The bookstore gave off a cozy feeling, but at the same time, he could feel something was off. Many odors mixed together and blended beyond recognition, which made him kind of dizzy, but he got used to it soon. The old man, bent at the knees and with a gruff voice, showed him around and explained the order of business. The shop sold books of all genres and traded in all things antique. There were rows and rows of shelves and narrow aisles, even shady nooks, and there existed such a thing as a cash register. He did not know how to operate one but he was told he needn't worry, for the other employee would take care of it.

He wondered when the other employee would show up and even inquired about him but the man directed him elsewhere. His first task was to carry in some heavy boxes from the driveway, unpack them, and arrange all the new copies of a book he'd never heard of on a display in the center of the store. He was told to make it look appealing. He got right down to work and carried in those boxes without a sweat. For him, the boxes were as light as feathers, the owner was impressed, but then Adam remembered he had to act human, so he pretended he could feel them weighing him down. He even stopped to catch a breath before giving the old man a thumbs-up. The man just laughed and brushed him off, telling him to carry on. He'd be in his own personal office.

The next task was a bit difficult. He opened up the boxes and took out one of the copies. It smelled brand new, he heard the hardback crack when he opened it and flipped through the pages. The cover was black and white, rather eerie too, with a picture of a man standing upside down and the title which said 'The Outsider' by Stephen King. He found the title relatable and chuckled briefly.

"Who's got time for books..." he mumbled, heaving a sigh. "You do, you've got all the time in the world, demon," he tackled his own complaint, in a mocking, rather childish tone of voice. He began stacking the copies on the table in front, but he didn't adhere to any kind of stacking rule. It was like he was just piling them up. One of the boxes even had a cardboard cutout of the author whose smile was nothing more than creepy.

[Midori-Hime]

Kieran couldn't be more than ten minutes late, but for Kieran that was much too long. However, to his surprise, the shop was already open and someone was already inside. Had the old man opened shop for him? Now he felt even worse about his tardiness. He jogged the last few steps to the door, rushing inside only to pause at the young man stocking books. "Uh, Hello? Can I help you with something-" He started to ask, until the young man turned and revealed himself as the golden-eyed stranger he'd met yesterday. "You! A-ah, w-what are you doing here?" He stuttered, at a loss for words.

Before he could reply however, the owner of the shop suddenly joined them. "Good morning Kieran! I see you've already met the new help." He said, coming over. Kieran just looked between them, completely baffled by what was going on. "Kieran, this is Adam... He'll be your 'apprentice' of sorts." Kieran turned to look at Adam once more, his mouth hanging open but he had trouble finding his words. "B-but, wha-..."

The old man simply chuckled. "I know I've been working you rather hard lately... So I thought you could use an assistant to help you around the shop. He'll need some training of course... but a strong, young lad like him will come in handy." Kieran pouted a little, as the he couldn't help but think that the owner was implying that he was neither of those things anymore. "And look! He's already brought in this morning's shipment." Kieran did look, though he couldn't say he was impressed with the haphazard way the books had been placed on the shelf. But it was the owners decision to make, so he would do his best. Still the idea of working with this man, training him, made him anxious.

"Well then, I'll leave you to it." He said, giving Kieran a pat on the shoulder before heading back upstairs. Kieran stood there awkwardly, looking to Adam now that they were alone, unsure of what to say to break the ice.

[Lyra]

It wasn't long before that familiar, alluring scent wafted into the shop and alerted him instantly. The blue-eyed man, a possible demon and his co-worker and supervisor, was here. Adam turned around and greeted him with a smile before he feigned surprise at seeing him there. "Oh, hello, we meet again," his surprised facial expression was rather stiff and needed some practice but he was used to playing a weird fellow. He placed the books at the edge of the table, about to be cordial and well-mannered with a handshake and formal introduction, but the old man showed up and introduced him instead.

The blue-eyed man, this Kieran as the old man called him, seemed not so pleased with having 'help'. He must be hiding something, Adam reckoned. Perhaps him being here, lurking about, would disrupt the man's plans. His reaction made Adam even more suspicious and determined. When the old man left and they were left alone, he realized he didn't have much left to say. He wasn't great at picking out the right words or stirring up chit-chat. In fact, more often than not, he would put his foot in it and incriminate himself needlessly.

"I didn't follow you here. I mean-," he paused, biting down hard on his lower lip, reproaching himself inwardly for sounding like a stalker. "It was an accident. Thank you for helping me out earlier. I'm Adam," he reached out for a handshake, a bit wary, convinced he would feel some kind of chill or sensation that would scream demonic activity. "I am not familiar with your book work," he pointed at the misshapen book display and added, "please take care of me." He had put on a warm, wide smile but his eyes were dreadfully cold and fixated on Kieran, a stare of keen caution and watchful prudence.

[Midori-Hime]

Kieran couldn't help but raise a brow at Adam's peculiar phrasing. Yet despite the man's strange and somewhat intimidating demeanor, Kieran found himself thinking that he was also kind of adorable, the way he bit his lip like that... 'No, no! Stop it!' He immediately scolded himself. "Ah, it was no problem." He muttered then, looking down the man's hand before taking it in his own and giving it a brief, but firm shake. A little shiver went through him at the contact, almost of excitement, and he quickly dropped his hand afterward. "Nice to meet you." Kieran said, offering him a slightly wary smile. He had to admit, it was kind of a weird coincidence. However, Kieran simply brushed it off.

Kieran was already distracted as Adam pointed out the disheveled book display and tried to hide a grimace behind an awkward smile. "Well, I suppose that's my job now, to teach you..." He said. Even if he couldn't understand the owner's need for a second worker, he was entrusting the man's training to him. And Kieran was suddenly determined to turn Adam into a model employee. "Here..." He said, stepping over to display and began to shift the books around until they were all in perfect, level rows. "Like this. You see? You want to make sure they are all in straight, even stacks." Kieran gestured with his hand.

"You want to catch the customer's eye from the window, draw them in..." He added, before looking up into Adam's brilliant golden eyes. His gaze lingered there for a moment too long and quickly Kieran turned away, grabbing the empty box. "Right then... How about a tour?" He suggested, leading Adam to the counter were the register was and then through the door behind it, that led to the private office. There was another door from the office that lead upstairs to the owner's home. Adam was instructed that he was not to go up there for any reason, unless of course there was some sort of dire emergency. The office was a bit cluttered, but not necessarily messy.

He left the box there for now and then continued, leading Adam back out into the shop to show him around the many different sections of books. It seemed that the shop had once been an old home, but now the rooms were all filled with different genres of books. He pointed out the small half-bathroom along the way, before continuing down the narrow hallway, showing Adam in which rooms the different genres could be found. Finally he came to a small windowless room in the back that was filled with books about philosophy and more occult subjects. He noticed the room was a bit dusty and looked over to Adam. "Heh, you can see we don't usually get many customers wandering this far..." He admitted sheepishly. "But I guess that's pretty much it. Do you have any questions so far?"

[Lyra]

Adam expected a sort of seismic disturbance when their hands clasped together firmly, but there was barely any kind of reflex. Kieran was good, very good. Exposing him wasn't going to be easy, but Adam was ready to take up the challenge. The man's wary smile gave him confidence. He watched carefully as he explained the complex rules of book stacking. As it turned out, it wasn't complex at all. Adam was just disinterested and thought it to be tedious. Who cared about such things, there were more important matters at hand. Still, he feigned surprise and embarrassment.

"Oh yes, that makes sense," he said with a hint of a smile, trying to come off as pleasant and engaging. "Thank you." The words were mechanical, well-practiced. Then their eyes locked in a stare. The man's piercing blue orbs against Adam's malicious, golden marbles. As he stared more deeply, his brows drew together into a line. He expected to see some kind of clue flicker in the man's eyes, something that would give him away, but there was nothing more but the illusion of wonder. Kieran broke away too soon, there must have been something he was hiding, Adam reckoned. A low growl settled in the back of his throat.

"Alright," he agreed and followed Kieran closely. He listened carefully but he paid more attention to how the man carried himself, how he minded his surroundings, more than which door led where. Soon enough they found themselves alone in a secluded part of the store. There were no windows and no witnesses, just rows and rows of dust-covered books rarely anyone read. He quickly skimmed through the titles printed out on book spines. Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue., The Necronomicon, The Church of Satan, Compendium Maleficarum, among others. Had the man brought him here on purpose? Was he about to show his true colors in one vicious attack? Adam braced himself, balling his hands into fists, his knuckles white.

Alas, he was only met with a question. There was nothing ominous in the air.

"Uhm, well..." he sounded a bit confused as his body relaxed. Was he reading the wrong signs? Were there any signs at all? "Not really, I think I'm ready to start. What should I do first?" He inquired, bobbing his head to one side. Right then he heard the door bell ring, it was faint but his hearing was impressive. "Oh, is that what you call a customer?" He also heard muffled giggling and excited squealing. Could it be? The most dangerous type of human he'd been warned about... teenage girls.

[Midori-Hime]

Kieran blinked, noting how confused he seemed and simply offered him a warm smile. "I know it's a lot to take in all at once, but you'll learn over time." He said, wondering if the man had never worked a job like this before. Surely it couldn't be his first job? Though as Adam's head tipped to the side, Kieran couldn't help but think that he was really... kind of cute. As much of a badass as he appeared to be, the man actually seemed to be pretty naive and clueless. He looked away suddenly, adjusting his glasses to sit higher on the bridge of his nose. "Hmm... well, let's see-" He said just before the bell at the front door rang. Kieran looked to Adam suddenly. What a weird way to phrase that, he thought. "Most likely. Perfect timing though... Let's go greet our customers." He suggested, gesturing for Adam to follow him.

He made his way through the winding hall to the main room of the book store. The second the pair of teenage girls laid eyes on Kieran, their giggling went silent. "Oh. My God." The blonde whispered, leaning in closer to the other. "He's so hot." She gushed, and while the other seemed to agree, the brunette replied, "Yeah, he's not bad... But my type is more like the dark, badbo-" She started to mutter back until Adam stepped in behind him. Both girls stared blatantly at the mysterious golden-eyed male. "Good morning ladies... Is there anything we can help you with? Are you looking for anything in particular?" Kieran asked with a pleasant, cheery smile.

"A-ah, no! We're just browsing~" The blonde replied and turned to look at a shelf of books to hide her embarrassment. "Just your numbers." The brunette then muttered as an inside joke to her friend, both of the girls snickering quietly.

"Alright, just let us know if you need anything." Kieran said before looking to Adam, explaining the importance of greeting the customers whenever they entered the shop. Meanwhile the girls took every opportunity they got to check out the pair, blushing and giggling as they quietly chattered among themselves. "Ugh, so fucking hot~ The things I'd let him do to me..." The brunette whispered as she looked Adam up and down, biting her lip. "You're awful!" The other girl giggled, swatting at her friend, but she seemed to share the sentiment.

[Lyra]

Adam had no particular interest in dealing with anyone else but Kieran, but he followed the man faithfully towards the store's front. His penetrating gaze was fixated on Kieran, hoping to notice any kind of slip-up and jump at the opportunity to destroy the man's elaborate cover. Alas, as soon as they arrived at the counter, a sweet, pheromone-induced scent hit his nose and made him lose focus. His gaze darted to two young women giggling and whispering to each other and then ogling them both.

He blinked once, and twice, and then realized the women were clearly aroused. Perhaps even under the influence of a succubus. Lust was not a foreign emotion to demons. In fact, they might as well have invented it, but Adam was never the type to jump at any given opportunity, especially not with humans. Their muffled words didn't affect him and their presence quickly faded from his sight. He focused instead on Kieran, pretending to listen to him explaining a rule called 'customer is always right'. He didn't quite understand what the man was implying but before he could say anything one of the women, with long dark brown hair, beady green eyes and pursed lips, approached him, undoing a few buttons of her shirt.

"Excuse me," she said in a low, seductive tone of voice, tapping Adam's shoulder while her friend cheered her on. "I'm Julie," she added, biting her lower lip and thrusting out her hip. Adam remained unfazed as he turned to face her, staring at her cleavage. She took notice and moved closer, saying, "I work nearby, maybe we could grab some coffee sometime, get to know each other better." Adam had no intention of wasting his time with her, he had more pressing things to deal with. However, the woman gave him an idea. He ignored her entirely and turned to Kieran as the woman's smile turned into a frown and she grunted a dissatisfied 'hey'.

"I want to grab some coffee with you. Is now okay?" He asked, moving closer to the man, staring directly into his eyes. He had no buttons to do, albeit he would have, but he did have an alluring smirk he could pull off, and he did, although it was slight.

[Midori-Hime]

Kieran was in the middle of explaining the importance of greeting the customers with a smile and always being ready to help them to the best of his ability, when one of the young women suddenly approached them and tapped on Adam's shoulder. He quickly turned his attention to the girl with a smile, though he quickly realized she was not there to ask for assistance, but rather to flirt with his new associate.

She was obviously coming onto Adam hard from the looks of her body language and the way she let her chest hang out. And yet none of it seemed to phase him in the slightest. Adam openly stared at the girl's cleavage, but not out of interested, Kieran noticed. He couldn't quite explain it, but Adam almost seemed to look at her like he was analysing some alien creature, and not just some flirty teenager.

To both Kieran and Julie's surprise, Adam suddenly turned to him instead, blatantly ignoring the girl's advances. Kieran blinked at the question, taken aback by the sudden suggestion that Adam seemed to steal from the young woman. "A-ah, Adam..." He glanced to thier customers warily before being captured by the man's piercing golden gaze once more. "Now isn't the best time. We're working r-right now, we can't just leave the store. Especially while we have customers." He explained, though he wasn't really sure why he needed to. It seemed like common sense to him... but maybe Adam was just really new to this sort of service job.

The longer he met Adam's intense gaze, the more he could feel his cheeks starting to grow warm. "L-look... Maybe we could go during our lunch break, Okay?" He suggested then, slightly disturbed by the fact that he was finding it so hard to say 'no' to the other male. The blonde carefully slid over next to her friend and took her arm, ushering her away from the pair. Though she glanced back at them over her shoulder, finding the whole interaction a little odd. "I wonder if they are gay..." She whispered to Julie with a pout. The other girl sighed heavily, glancing back at Adam with longing. But her friend did have a point, noticing how the man with glasses blushed. "Ugh! Why is it always the hot ones?" She lamented to her friend.

[Lyra]

Adam was so convinced Kieran would take him up on the offer there and then that confidence oozed out of him. Alas, when Kieran listed the obstacles, Adam finally grasped the meaning of the rules of 'work'. He pouted like a dog denied its favorite treat. Had he been showing his tail, it would have slumped almost instantly. He had much to learn about social conventions, having spent so little time mingling with humans. Demons were easy, they spoke their mind even at the most inconvenient of situations and acted on their impulses even with an unfavorable endgame in sight... well, most of them did. Adam was mellower.

Still, the proposal that followed brought back a smile. It seemed less practiced and more genuine now, but it still bore that overwhelming intensity that went with his unnerving stare. "Lunch break? Perfect then, and when is that?" He hoped soon. The fact that Kieran proposed an alternative made him hopeful once more. Perhaps he was testing the waters, too. Perhaps he wanted to execute whatever plan he was cooking in his mind during this lunch break. If so, Adam was ready.

As the young women were taking their leave, Adam couldn't help but perk up at the word 'gay'. He'd heard it many times before. It was a word humans used to label an otherwise common occurrence in the demon world. Adam was aware of the stigma surrounding it, but he had no clue of its extension, so he said in a low tone of voice looking their way, "Men, women, it's all the same to me,"

He turned to Kieran and added, "What will you have me do till lunch time?"

[Midori-Hime]

"Uuuhhh..." He paused at Adam's question, managing to break away from his intense gaze long enough to glance at the clock. "We can take a break at Noon. Is that okay?" He said. It was only an hour and a half from now, though Kieran couldn't fathom why Adam was so eager for lunch. And more specifically, lunch with him. It almost sounded like Adam was trying to pick him up... But no, that couldn't be. He quickly shook off that thought.

He was too busy with his own thought, that he didn't catch what Adam had said. And before he could ask, Adam was already asking him for more work to do. "Well, I have some boxes of 'new' books that can be put out on the shelves." He said, waving for Adam to follow him into the office. Most of the books in the store were lightly used books that were carefully chosen, though occasionally, like earlier this morning, they would get shipments of new best sellers.

Kieran guided him over to a few stacked boxes in the corner. "I've already marked each box with which section they belong in. So all you have to do is take each box to their section and put them on the shelves... in alphabetical order of course." Kieran explained. "If you have any questions, just let me know. Oh, and if any are too heavy, he have a hand jack right over here-" He pointed to a small closet in the room.

[Lyra]

"Yes," he answered shortly with a smile and followed Kieran closely listening to his instructions half-heartedly. As soon as Kieran turned around, Adam's smile dropped and a serious, almost unnerving expression took over. In that moment, as they were moving further into the shop, alone, Adam was thinking of the ways in which he could jump him and force him to reveal his true nature. But the goal wasn't to vanquish the demon; it was to retrieve the much wanted artifact. So Adam breathed deeply and resolved his inner conflicts. He hid his twitchy tail and masked the bloodthirst in his eyes.

Once they were in the office, he noticed a bunch of boxes he apparently needed to unbox and arrange their contents. It was a small, easy matter to a demon of superior physical strength but to a common man this task would be time-consuming so he needed to act accordingly. It was a good thing his humanlike appearance seemed to give off the air of a strong, muscular man. One who didn't need to know how to operate a hand jack or how one looked. He took off his spiked leather jacket, placing it on an idle chair nearby and cracked his knuckles. He was indeed a bit rugged, brawny and plenty of sexy.

"Got it. Worry not, I shall not disappoint." He picked up one of the boxes with ease, although he did remember to stutter and make it seem the weight of the box strained his muscles. The box he had picked carried the label 'ROMANCE'. Briefly scanning the titles and the covers of the books placed on top he noticed that most had erotic undertones. No doubt it was one of the most popular genres. Humans and their heavy, sexual inhibitions. He picked up the box again and exited the office in search of the romance section of the bookstore, leaving Kieran behind to tend to the administrative part of running a shop. "See you soon," he said with a hint of a devilish smirk and disappeared between rows and rows of books.

The romance section was by far the biggest one. Each bookshelf served to be filled by different subgenres of romance, ordered alphabetically, and some authors even had their own shelves. To reach the top shelves one either needed to perch up or use the stools randomly lying around. All he needed was a bit of his true self. He checked around the room to make sure he was indeed alone, there were no cameras or fancy spying equipment, so he let himself loose. In a matter of minutes, everything was in its place. Demons were much faster than humans and better coordinated. He would jump where he couldn't reach and hold onto whatever was sturdy enough to support him. He would use his immeasureable speed to fill all the empty shelves as quickly as it would take his long, demonic tail to grab a new book from the box. When he finished with the romance genre, he moved onto the next ones.

He found the fantasy aisle better suited to his taste and was even surprised to see demons written as protagonists. He took his time with the last box and all the classics it contained, having noticed that barely more than a half an hour had passed since he started. The classics were not so favorable to the demonic, except for a few authors who had a close encounter with many a trickster throughout centuries and were so driven to ascertain that the Devil was an angel too.

When he was finished, he picked up all the empty boxes and carried them back to the office. On his way back to Kieran, he made sure he breathed heavily as if he had just rolled a rock up a hill, although there was barely any sweat visible on his person.

[Midori-Hime]

Kieran turned back to Adam, his eyes moving from the spiked jacket to Adam's figure that had been hidden underneath. "Uh... Y-yeah..." He replied, sounding a bit distracted, before quickly turning to grab some paperwork. Not that Kieran wasn't a strapping young lad himself, but man, Adam made lifting boxes of books so effortless. He stared in awe for a moment and then simply cleared his throat. "Yeah, see you soon..." He muttered, then took his seat at the sales counter, looking through numbers and other such things to begin placing orders for next week.

It was especially frustration today however... Kieran must have counted the same line about ten times now, yet his mind kept wandering to the golden-eyed stranger that was now his coworker. He'd immediately scold himself and tap his pencil on the pad of paper, as a gesture to remind himself what he should be focusing on, yet a few seconds later, his mind was wandering again. Wondering why Adam was so eager to ask him out to lunch. He wasn't... interested in him, was he? No, that wasn't possible, was it? Was it really just a coincidence that Adam started working here? What if he was some weirdo stalker? He definitely seemed like he could be the type-

"Dammit..." Kieran hissed, practically throwing his glasses down on the counter and rubbing his eyes. A heavy sigh left him and he glanced up at the clock. A little more than an hour had passed and he'd barely gotten anything done. Hearing Adam coming back towards the office, he quickly cleaned his glasses off with a corner of his shirt and then slid them back on as he turned to Adam. Kieran flashed him a small smile that seemed to say, 'keep up the good work' and then immediately did a double take, quickly realizing that Adam was carrying the entire stack of empty boxes. "Y-you finished all that already?" He asked in disbelief. Though suddenly, Kieran was wary of what condition his perfectly organized books might be in, if Adam had gotten that many boxes stocked that quickly.

But then he supposed there was no point in worrying about it right now. His eyes darted to the clock and he shrugged. "Well, I guess it's close enough... And there's no customers. Want to go get lunch then?" He suggested. Kieran stood, stretching for a moment before grabbing his bag. "I'm sure the owner won't mind if we both go out this time. Since you're new and everything... Let's just try to get back soon, alright?" He then went to the door, flipping it to show customers that they would be back shortly. "Was there some place specific you wanted to eat?" He asked, waiting for Adam so he could lock up the shop behind him.

[Lyra]

Adam smiled a nervous smile, thinking that perhaps he should have taken more time to complete his task to avoid suspicion. He leaned against the counter and running his fingers through his tousled hair, he parted his lips to utter an excuse but nothing came to mind. He could say he was fairly motivated to relieve himself of such a tedious task, but he didn't want to seem... too eager. He had to play it cool, and as humans would say, less creepy. "Whatever you say," he said briefly, in a low tone of voice, donning his jacket and dusting off his jeans.

He watched Kieran closely as he flipped the 'be right back' sign, leaning against the counter with his elbow. The blue-eyed man still carried the alluring scent of the artifact, he had to double check by taking a whiff. He sized him up from head to toe, checking whether he wore any kind of jewelry but nothing was out in the open. Perhaps he carried it in his pocket. He would have ti find a way to make sure. He followed after Kieran and strolled out of the shop, but as he waited for the man to lock up, he was asked a question he wasn't sure he had an answer to.

"Ah, well," he stumbled for words, scratching his cheek and pulling his lips into a sour smile. He had no particular appetite for anything, since demons had no food cravings. Alas, they still possessed taste buds. Most enjoyed bitter coffee and booze, rarely was there any inkling towards anything food-like apart from human souls. Most demons thought that the human biological need to eat made them even more inferior than their lack of physical strength. They were lucky they were not bound by such earthly things. Still, Adam had occasionally indulged into the human world of flavor with a Gula, a gluttonous demon, though he was sure it was of his own accord, or the Gula's influence.

"How about pizza? It's been a while. Do you know any good pizza places?" he asked, sauntering over to the parking lot. "If it's far out, we can drive there," he said, pointing to his bike, smirking a little. His bike could only be ridden by one demon, and that would be him. It was not harmful to humans, because it couldn't sense them properly, but if Kieran was truly a demon, his bike would throw him off.

[Midori-Hime]

Kieran waited patiently as Adam thought it over. "Pizza?" he repeated and then nodded. "Yeah, there's one place that's not too far from here. I think they have the best pizza in the area," he suggested as he followed Adam, and then he froze. He was clearly intimidated by the idea of riding a motorcycle. As far as he knew, they were pretty dangerous, and often so were the people that rode them. Yet at the same time there was something oddly alluring to the idea, something drawing him over to the bike, willing him to give it a try.

He licked his lips, looking the bike over slowly, hesitantly reaching out to touch the seat. "D-do you have another helmet though?" He asked, obviously a little hesitant still. But he still hadn't rejected the idea outright.

[Lyra]

"Great," he commented briefly, flicking a smile. "Pizza it is then," he decided, leaning against the cowl seat, stroking it gently as he felt his bike purr almost lovingly at being touched. Of course, the vibrations were so designed that only a demon could sense them and he was eager to see how Kieran would fare astride it. He observed the blue-eyed man carefully, waiting as he plumped a hand and touched the bike which instantly let out a warning growl. It wasn't as intense as Adam had hoped it would be, but there was still a chance he was right.

He smirked when Kieran asked for an extra helmet. He reached out and took the only one he had and gave it to Kieran, saying, "Take this one, I'm good," it was a black, sturdy helmet with painted, spiraling flames enveloping it. He rarely ever wore it, it was scarcely an accessory. Instead, he reflexively pulled out his muzzle, which he had held strapped to his belt loop, and began to fashion it on. It was a habit into which he had been beaten, forced to remain quiet and do as he was told. It hadn't occured to him it might be odd to wear it around humans but it did go well with his bad boy persona. Before strapping it on, he mounted his bike, legs astride. The engine turned over and started to idle as he kicked up the kickstand and revved the engine so his bike roared thunderously, attracting attention and instilling fear.

"You tell me where to go, I'll steer," he said, adding with a smirk, "Hop on and hold tight," when he finished talking, he fastened his muzzle, and grabbed the handles, welding himself and the bike into one person, eager to race down the street and feel the wind beat at his face and the adrenaline rush jolt through him whenever he risked to crash into something or someone.

[Midori-Hime]

Kieran blinked warily as he took the helmet in his hands. "Are you sure-" He started to ask, but Adam simply brushed off his concern. His fingertips traced over the spiraling flames before he glanced back up at Adam, raising a brow at the strange sort of mask he put on over his face. Was there some sort of purpose for it, he wondered, or was it just some sort of strange accessory? Either way, he thought that it suited Adam somehow, even if he'd only just met the guy. His eyes wandered over the mask, noting the eerie fangs in the design, before they moved to meet his eyes.

It was almost... kind of... sexy the way Adam straddled the bike, though Kieran quickly scolded himself for that thought. He flinched as the bike suddenly roared to life and he turned his gaze downward to the helmet in his hands. Was he really going to go through with this, he asked himself. But then suddenly Kieran heard Candice's voice in his head, telling him to stop being such a tight-ass and live a little. He had to admit, the idea was oddly compelling... Maybe Candice was right?

Indigo eyes darted back up to Adam's face and Kieran bit his lip in one last moment of hesitation, before pulling the helmet onto his head. He fidgeted with the strap under his chin for a moment and then stepped closer to the bike, trying to swing his leg over as gracefully as he could. Though that didn't stop him from losing his balance and falling into Adam's back slightly. Immediately he blushed, muttering an awkward apology as he righted himself on the seat. He looked down, finding the rests for his feet and with a hard swallow, Kieran put his hands on Adam's waist. "Just head south on this road and then make a left at the second stop light." He told Adam, shouting a little over the roar of the motorcycle.