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Why was the Katawaguruma more reminiscent of a brothel than a classy teahouse? It was opulent indeed, a grand red building in the streets bustling with other restaurants and teahouses, but it just gave off that feeling of decadence. In the deep and polished red eaves of the roof, the elaborate carvings and the glowing golden lights, there was nothing that spoke of the usual Eastern hospitality and modesty to Selene. Women that were practically painted ladies in revealing silks paraded themselves in flocks in the upper levels in front of slavering men whose eyes raked over exposed skin with lewd heat, and as she spotted how hands would touch and press into parts that were more intimate than appropriate, she sighed. She could feel Phynex's gaze on her as she turned to look back at him, knowing he knew she had seen it herself.

She said nothing, turning away and staring straight ahead. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen the disgust and unease in his eyes, knowing he felt it at the thought of those same hands or people ever treating her like an object. A glorified, sexualized object. And she would never want a repeat of what happened with Jet and Franco, that was one of the more dehumanizing experiences she had undergone despite how light it was compared to the injuries and danger she had faced. Or even how society sometimes saw her more as a weapon than a person that breathed and bled the same as them.

They settled into the cafe right across the grand teahouse, Selene seating herself beside Phynex silently, but not as close as they usually sat. She was seated on a separate chair instead, considering his snake form now took up a larger chair all by himself. On her other side, Crow stared at the large building with unease, shifting uncomfortably. The sight of the women in such revealing wear and flirtatious mannerisms seemed to fluster the apprentice sealer as he blushed belatedly after one such woman waved and winked at him before being snatched away by a burly-looking man behind her. The huntress could see a few other of the women giggling at seeing such an honest and innocent reaction from the young man, as if charmed by a rare sight in this part of Neo-Edo.

"It looks more like it belongs in the actual pleasure district than in a part of Neo-Edo catering to rich gourmets," Selene remarked with an ironic tone. There was a clear border between decent business and the... Pleasure district here, and it had never been so starkly obvious as it was here right before their eyes. Her eyes skimmed the faces in the far distance, the details clear even if it should have been impossible for a mere human to make out the finest details. A man in a black silk kimono and a red haori bowed to customers, while a lady in... Surprisingly covering kimono smiled and welcomed them in. They were clearly the staff who received guests.
 
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Returning with biscuits and small cakes for the group to share, they watched - or pretended to be distracted by something else while doing so - the teahouse across the road. They tried to look as natural as possible, with the two leaders trying to make light conversation with the foreigners with hushed voices, asking vague questions that didn't reveal too much about where they had come from in case of eavesdropping. Phynex answered their questions happily, and seemed pleased that he had the snakey accent and the change in his body movement. He explained that when he had been born, his limbs had been too weak to support his developing body. As a result, his earliest days required him to slither in order to move. However, demons grew quickly, and eventually he found the strength to walk on all fours.

He delightfully snacked on biscuits and drank tea, using the end of his tail to feed himself. The powerful serpent eyes honed in on every detail, and although his pupils seemed to be facing forward, he could still see the teahouse without turning his head. The way the ladies greeted their customers, the color of their clothing. Their language patterns - it was different from the way Tiger and Dragon spoke... and even somehow different than how the people of the Far East spoke - and their body language. The faces of their customers both male and female, the ladies on the second floor wooing potential passersby. A young youkai that looked like a delivery boy, whom the group studied extremely hard to see if he was a drug mule, only to lean back and silently sigh in disappointment when he was just a deliverer of normal vegetables for the kitchens.

However, one youkai stood out in particular. He arrived on a drawn carriage, and when he stepped out, memories of those wolf demons resurfaced and a chill ran through his elongated body. The fire demon - snake - flicked his tongue out, tasting the air and the youkai that had appeared before the teahouse. It was a wolf that stood up on its hind legs, not hunched over like a werewolf but bipedal like normal walking humans. It had a long wolfish snout and pointed ears, sleek black fur that shone in the light of the brothel that made it look glossy. His nose was wrinkled, causing his lips to be pulled back to show the faint gleam of his sharp teeth. He had donned on a simple yukata with the crest of the teahouse-brothel.

"Is he here?" the fire demon could hear his voice faintly, speaking to the lady who stood by the door welcoming everyone who entered. It was rough and low, not smooth like Jet or Franco but quite similar.

When the lady responded, Phynex could hear the fear in her voice, she was literally quaking in her shoes. The demon narrowed his eyes at the stranger. He was important to the establishment. "Not today, sir. But we have-"

"Shush. I can smell it." With that, he moved aside one of the flaps that covered the entrance before stopping, his body stilling and stiff. He lifted his nose high in the air and took a whiff before his head spun to look at the five sitting with their food and drinks, but by then the group of scouters had already turned their attention elsewhere. After a few silent and tense seconds passed, the fire demon watched from the corner of his eyes as the canine shrugged and entered the premises.

Dragon looked up from the newspaper she had been reading. "That was an okuri inu. They only come out at night..." she looked up at the city sky. "But since it is always so dark here it doesn't make a difference."

"Did you hear that?" Phynex commented. "He ssaid he could ssmell it... the yangcao?" he assumed. Or any other dangerous drug for that matter. Who knew what sort of illegal substances they had stored away?
 
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Well, Selene certainly didn't expect to see a throwback to a certain wolf back in Nora while looking closely at the teahouse. She felt a twinge of irony as a wolf stepped out of the ornate carriage clad in the haori of Katawaguruma, his fur jet black and glossy. It clearly wasn't a werewolf-like demon as the wolf brothers back in the West had been, instead seeming more like an anthropomorphic wolf that could stand on two legs. She could tell by the shudder on one side that Phynex was feeling and remembering more unpleasant memories, and knew without a doubt that further cemented his conviction that she should never get into the second level of the teahouse. Not when there was someone that reminded him of Jet in there.

Even from this far the way the lady in the front door shook in fear was clearly obvious, the smile faked and sickly on her painted face. She almost looked like she was going to be ill from fear, as if she needed to sit down and take in fresh air. But not even her male counterpart dared help her when the wolf was boring down on them so intimidatingly. So an authority, and someone who struck fear into the workers there. Selene very much doubted it was because he was a strict manager or boss. There was a difference between fearing for one's job and fearing for one's life and safety, and the fear in those two was the latter.

Her eyes flickered away as soon as the wolf had sniffed at the air, the huntress looking for all the world disinterested in her surroundings as she stared down at her tea. It was startling how this wolf could so suddenly know to look in this direction, that the group had to pretend they were doing something else entirely. It wouldn't have been good if the youkai knew they were watching him. The canine demon stared at the group for a few more moments, eyes lingering on both the males and then the females, and then he shrugged.

"Check the notes we have gotten. He's one of the underlings in charge of circulating it through the teahouse and to customers, yes." Selene murmured in response to Phynex's question. She had wrung out the information from Soushin, it would be a waste not to memorize it. Piecing the information together was easy after she had gotten enough pieces. "Though it would be better if we observed him from inside the teahouse itself." That would just earn her a sharp look from Phynex, but it had to be said.
 
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Tiger peered up at them. "Soushin didn't say he was an okuri inu, but he did mention an okami." His eyes flickered down to the notes he had hidden behind his fan, "He said his name is Yakanhikou." The fire demon inwardly groaned at the name, what were the possibilities of this okuri inu and Jet being related? With a name like 'night flight', he was sure that a long time ago they must have had the same ancestor. Horrible memories didn't fare well with the fire demon, especially since he was trying to forget most of what had happened back in Nora mere weeks ago.

At Selene's comment, his head slowly turned to her, pupils sharpening into slits. His tongue flickered rapidly, displeased with her suggestion. God, she was never going to get it, was she? He had to talk to her before bed, that was for sure.

Thankfully, their office lady shook her head. "That will be for next time. I already have some of our employees drafting up the job applications. It has so much credit they cannot hope to resist giving us a chance." And they probably had forged these paper documents proving their worth as well, such as prior job experiences... or referrals. They would be other employees in disguise, picking up phone calls pretending to be the owners of other teahouses that may or may not exist. "We should leave soon," she whispered before returning to her book.

Without making themselves look suspicious, the group sat for another hour idly chatting and eating. That okuri inu may have been keeping an eye on them without them looking, so they pretended to be out on lunch together before returning to their ordinary looking car and driving off. They had collected plenty of information that the investigator was writing a report on already on their way back. "Well done," she complimented the trio. "We'll see you back tomorrow then, I'll have Tiger show you to the residence we booked for the three of you."
 
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Now assuming that the two investigators wanted them to work on request in Neo-Edo from time to time, the residence that was booked was probably a semi-permanent one. It was more wasteful to continuously book rooms at hotels and inns than it was to get a fully-furnished apartment, even if the unit was small. The two foreigners didn't mind if it was on the modest side, with only the bare necessities such as lights and utilities as well as a kitchen, since they would most likely be out more than staying in there. Crow it seemed would be staying with them as well, meaning it was either a two or three bedroom place. Considering Tiger and Dragon shouldn't know about her and Phynex, it was likely the latter.

She wasn't really impressed with the fire demon's show of displeasure, pointedly keeping silent when she heard a hiss from him. His displeasure was made even more obvious in that new snake form of his, his eyes practically blinking neon signs for his mood and the sibilant 's' in his speech turning more pronounced if he spoke while he was angered. "Thank you, we would like to retire for the day in the meantime. If you could give us some advice on what are the closest places for food and for groceries, we would also appreciate it."

The drive back to the police headquarters passed by just as quickly as it had when they were coming to Katawaguruma, only this time Dragon looked even more noticeably pleased. After dropping the lady investigator off in her office, Tiger had taken up on the promise of showing them their new place. He was friendly outside of work, it seemed, if he thought it was prime time to try and melt the ice with Phynex and the huntress. It was probably better this way, Selene thought. The white-haired man would distract the fire demon from his irritations with her...

And now they could take these strange cloaking devices off as Tiger drove into the parking spaces inside of a simple twenty-story building, nodding at what was likely one of their inside workers or contacts who guarded the entrance. There were already many civilian cars and vans parked inside the parking lot beneath the ground level of the tall building, but no civilians yet to be seen. Most were likely up in their residential units already after a long day of work. The apartment building itself had a pleasant beige color, clean but not attention-stealing. There were balconies for every unit on the sides of the building, showing glimpses into other residents' lives with the signs of clothes hanged out to dry on clotheslines, or small potted plants. Sliding glass doors were discreetly covered with curtains by the residents for their own privacy.

Selene slipped the cloaking device off her wrist as she turned to get out of the car, stepping out first before Phynex. "I have no plans to go out tonight, only to read on the notes. You might want to get out more with Tiger and Crow to see the places down the street."
 
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As Phynex pulled off the machine from his chest, it let out a hiss akin to the puff of a train or some sort of steam contraption. The excess weight he had earned from being a snake disappeared instantly, and the fire demon tottered in his seat, almost falling over at the sudden change in his balance. As he straightened himself back up properly, he handed the machine back to their officers in charge, who stowed them away where the three of them could not see.

After Dragon had departed, the car ride was mostly silent. The white-haired man had his eyes closed, breathing lightly as if he was taking a nap. For a man who worked a lot, and seemed quite extroverted, the fire demon wondered how he kept up with the fast-paced world of Neo-Edo. He woke up just as their driver pulled into a parking lot under a tall building, a set of apartment rooms waiting for them. He had just planned on showing the three of them before taking the group to the nearest grocery store, pointing out the security measures they had taken to protect them, perhaps introduce them to the few undercover bodyguards that lingered around this area, as well as handing them their keys but... the police captain seemed to stare in confusion as the huntress left the vehicle.

"Don't be silly," the fire demon quickly answered the white-haired woman before stepping out himself, bending down to look back inside the car. "Crow is the better cook out of all of us, so he should be the one to go grocery shopping," he commented, shooting a thankful grin at the tengu and the police captain. "We'll wait for you two to come back."

Tiger seemed to blink at them, "Well... sure. Alright. Here are your keys, you're on the fourth floor. There will be someone to escort you once you get into the lobby, he's one of us. Your luggage is already there."

And with that, the fire demon closed the door behind him, watching the car drive off. Now standing alone - excluding the watchful eyes of the hidden guards - with Selene, he folded his arms. He exuded the perfect aura of a man who was about to start talking very, very soon.
 
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Why couldn't the fire demon just take the chance to go for a stress-free tour around the street instead? Selene caught sight of Crow's suddenly cantankerous expression as he was left inside the police car with a suddenly perked up Tiger, the half-blood tengu shooting the fire demon a slightly peeved and awkward look before the door shut. She said nothing as the car drove off, holding the keys in her hand. Even as the fire demon folded his arms, assuming the stance of someone about to start on a tirade. His eyes hadn't honed in on the huntress yet, and she turned away to start for the lobby. "Leave it until we're inside the unit," she murmured, tone purposefully bland.

If he was going to attempt the unreadable expression on her, the fire demon must have forgotten who was the better one with poker faces between them. Selene's face was a blank slate without emotion, even if she purposely hung back to wait for him to keep up with her as they walked from the parking area towards the lobby. Her movements were brisk; the fire demon would have to quicken his own strides if he wanted to keep up. She wasn't going to react to his suddenly somewhat aggressive movements to her with the same thing; so she might as well step aside every time he tried.

She hadn't wanted this... Disagreement, or whatever it was, to escalate into anything further. They could have just dismissed the whole thing as unpleasant, and she could have just agreed not to do anything he didn't want her to do. As they entered the lobby, which was just the same pleasant generic style as the rest of the building, she took care not to look his way. After politely greeting the receptionist and the building staff to show them to their housing unit, Selene walked ahead without a look back.

Thankfully, there was such a thing as Eastern politeness and discretion. The staff who had come to escort them was quiet, only pointing out the different things they can do in the apartment building. A common area, a gym at the uppermost floor, and even a conference or meeting room that people can reserve for events. There were vending machines on all floors for the inhabitants' convenience. Selene made a note to take a look at the in-house gym, if they were going to stay here for the meantime they had to keep up their training somewhat.

"Here's your unit, number 410. It's already fully furnished, though you will have to stock the kitchen to suit yourselves. We welcome you to the apartment and hope to see you around in the common areas." The man quickly excused himself afterwards, leaving the two to stand in front of an unopened apartment door.
 
He had quietly trailed after the huntress and the staff member, easily keeping up with them even though he was behind them, and listened to whatever the man had to say. The fire demon perked up a little at the mention of a gym. He could work at his own pace, or work out with Selene - something he didn't do often these days because of everything happening around them - and it would be far safer than going out into the city to find a gym they could be regulars at. There could be criminals in disguise there, in such a big city.

Once the man had left them, he drew out the key he had been given - all three had a copy - and unlocked the door, stepping past Selene and peering inside. It wasn't too small like he had expected, but it wasn't as spacious as the homes they were used to in the Far East. It could comfortably nest Crow, Phynex and Selene, but it was nothing like the apartment he and Selene had once shared. Clean, tidy and well furnished. There was the front entrance where slippers had been provided, or they could go barefoot if they wanted to, that lead into a lounge room with a connecting kitchen. A television in front of a coffee table surrounded by plush sofas, a smaller dining table pressed against a wall, leaving room for three chairs that could accommodate them. Tossing his keys into a small basket that sat on top of a shoe cabinet leaning by the front entrance, he removed his shoes and allowed Selene just enough time to do the same before taking her by the wrist and into one of the bedrooms and he presumed - if things went well - they were going to share.

Phynex closed the door behind him with a gentle click, looking at her with calculating... somewhat pained eyes. She probably expected him to explode at her, get angry and fiery like he was famous for. It was the burning eyes that became his signature sign of boiling frustration and anger, but today there was none of that. That wasn't going to get him anywhere. "So, what exactly were you thinking to suggest going in a sex house in front of me- not even that, even if I wasn't here you shouldn't say those things." He took a step away from the door closer to her, eyes focused but not flaring. "For work or no, I don't want to see a bunch of strangers and perverted men laying their hands on you, not after that ordeal with Jet. I hope you understand that."
 
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At least Phynex was willing to listen to reason... Though for a moment, the huntress was almost a bit suspicious of what the fire demon was going to say or do once they got inside. She knew very well the gestures he did with her when he was unhappy or disagreed with her about something, and she knew how he could very well just blow up in private. And as his partner, and yes his lover, she had already known she was going to be his listener even if he ranted and vented. Selene had a temper as well, though it was most of the time hardly ever stirred and almost always hidden. She tended to just let him shout or run out of steam before inputting her own opinion, or trying to calm him down.

And so Selene watched the fire demon out the corner of her eye as she stepped in after him, not breaking the silence. She was always aware of him, though she was half-ready to look behind them at the door as it clicked shut. The huntress had come a long way from feeling uneasy about being cornered or trapped, but she was watchful. He wasn't going to hurt or harm her, but all the same... What was he going to do or say? It was a niggling curiosity, since he seemed not at all ready to growl at her.

She had half-predicted it when he took her wrist in his hand, pulling her down the hallway after she had deposited her own shoes at the front. The huntress glanced down at his hand, and then looked back at his face. It wasn't an uncomfortably tight grip, but it was firm enough to keep her from moving. He had accidentally held or gripped her too tight in the past, and he had always apologized for it. Phynex, when he wanted to assert something or talk, always held her by the wrist instead of taking her hand. It was part of his body language.

When he led her into the room, she stepped inside before him, still keeping her silence. The door clicking shut caused her to lock her gaze on his face intently. She looked into his eyes, searching for any anger and found none. Some part of her relaxed enough at that, and the huntress's cold expression softened. "I was in a mindset for working when I said that," it had to be pointed out. Her voice was just as quiet, mirroring the low tones he adopted. "I've done this sort of work before in the last three years, so pardon me if I'm quite desensitized..." It would hurt him to know of that, but she had to let him know eventually. It was usually Azalea who took on that sort of work, but Selene had the looks and the body to do it as well - even if she rarely did it. And not quite as brazen as Azalea would have been able to pull off.

The mention of Jet caused her to fall silent, eyes flickering downwards, the huntress folding her own arms in front of her as he moved closer. "I do understand. You don't have to see those things again." Well, Phynex was either talking about the time that demon groped her in front of him, or the time Jet nearly killed her... Or both.
 
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"... You have?" The hurt and the surprise was evident in his voice. Image he'd rather not see flashed in his mind, the fire demon mentally shaking the thoughts away. He... didn't know what to say. Hands that were not his roaming her body, and her face trying to fake the hazed and heated expressions of a woman of that nature... he shuddered. It was not pleasant. He sighed incredibly heavily, the shudder almost wracking through his body. Hurt was evident. Well, it wasn't as if he had been entirely faithful, either. Had he, when he had toyed and played with Cornelia to get what he wanted? She must have felt hurt when he had told her about that as well, separated and desperate to find some sort of path when they had been flailing helplessly when their pillars of support disappeared from their grasp so suddenly. Phynex felt immense guilt for what he had done.

But he knew that he had to move past that. The world would move on without him, with the Spider Queen jailed or taken away and the huntress having accepted him back into her life. The guilt would do no good gnawing at him like that. The fire demon took another step closer until she was within arm's reach, suddenly pulling her into a tight hug. She had her arms folded, so they were pressed against his chest rather uncomfortably, but he could barely feel it. "I'm sorry as well," he whispered. Without context, those words made no sense. But he had a feeling she knew what he meant. And he did, he was guilty. He had been unfaithful despite how proudly he held up his morals and his monogamous beliefs.

Phynex was lucky. "But, I'm happy you understand now. I just don't want you to get hurt, you know, you're someone I want to spend the rest of my days with." He leaned to kiss the top of her head. The couple was almost rocking in their intimate embrace, like the demon was leading a silent dance. "We're together now, we shouldn't do these things anymore. For the sake of us both."
 
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"..." She hadn't even uttered sorry aloud to him, but the silence was enough from the likes of the huntress. It was going to and would have hurt him sooner or later to learn about it, but then again he probably shouldn't have been so surprised. If he had seen her dress as she had during Cornelia's party, showing more skin than he would have liked around other men, that was already a clear indicator that Selene was no stranger to such undertakings. What was he thinking or imagining about her now? She hadn't been as lewd or falsely wanton as the women he had seen earlier, but from the shudder that wracked him it was as if he thought she would do that.

Selene blinked as he suddenly stepped forward and hugged her tightly despite her closed off posture, a murmured apology in her ear. She stared at his shoulder for a long moment, contemplating his apology. Well, perhaps they had both been wrong in some ways. He was apologizing for something she had already recognized as past, even if the idea of it had admittedly been nauseating to think about. It made her sick, but it was over. After a second's pause, she uncrossed her arms and returned his hug. He looked like he needed it more, considering what was probably running through his head. She wanted to clear that with him later.

"Alright. I won't mention it again." How long he planned on rocking them in this embrace, she was content to let him do as he wanted for now. "I do understand, and I think that we've both done some things similar to this." It wasn't as if she was going to hold it against him that he had been with Cornelia. She thought he was dead during those three years, and she had been able to set aside her feelings for work. Sighing softly, she nodded again to affirm her words. "I'm sorry as well."
 
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Phynex had fallen silent, still rocking the two of them gently in the dim room. The fire demon was still shivering slightly, but her words had comforted him somewhat. His grip on her loosened, but he rested his cheek against her forehead and sighed, relaxing into the huntress. He was content like this, holding her this intimately when normally he wasn't allowed to, not as her bodyguard. Millia had probably orchestrated this in order to pass someone who had been exiled as a diplomat, serving under the huntress who was the figurehead of this mission. The fire demon was grateful, but he was also wary. He did not know what the forgotten princess of the demons had in stall for him. But if Selene was with him he did not have to be so afraid.

When he finally pulled away, there was a pleased expression on his face. There were still signs of his earlier irritation, but they would disappear as the hours would roll on by. It was lucky that he had picked their room out of the three that had been offered, spotting their luggage sitting by the side of the room under the window. Crow had not yet come back, and Phynex could not hear the familiar throttle of the car they had ridden here in the distance. "Next time," he began, the corners of his mouth curving upwards, "you're coming grocery shopping with us. He doesn't know what to get you," Phynex pointed out.

The bed was big and looked comfortable, large enough to fit the both of them if Selene did not mind spending the nights with him. He blinked at the mattress, it looked warm and inviting. "Do you mind if I sleep with you? Or would you rather..."
 
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The huntress let the seconds tick by in silence, feeling the fire demon's tension seep out of him in time. As the 'master' between the two of them in the East, she might have been able to force her own decisions regarding work. But Selene knew that would just be damaging for him, especially now that she had a look inside his head. Even if she was attempting professionalism in this setting, no success was worth hurting what they had, after all. "You think too hard when it's about me," she murmured, when finally, he relaxed against her, his grip loosening enough around her waist to let them both breathe. There was no heat in her words, though she ended them with an inquiring lilt, not quite a question. "But you surprised me today."

As he pulled away, Selene cocked her head at his words, and shrugged. "Pick out whatever ingredients you'd like when we go. I'd make what you want for you here." She had no preferences on what to get, and admittedly, Crow knew how to prepare dishes with the local ingredients here better than she could. "That's if you want Western food every now and then... Though I'll learn how to make dishes from here." They just didn't have the time to do that yet, what with them being housed at Kimyotake's. The Old One refused to let her guests really cook for themselves, the ways of Eastern hospitality remaining steadfast in someone as longlived as her.

"Are you sleepy this early?" She queried in an amused tone, approaching the bed. "You can nap while we stay in here. I want to read." He was eyeing it like it was one of the bigger temptations nowadays. The carriage ride must have been wearying for him. "Or you could see if you can draw a bath to relax. We haven't seen the bathroom yet."
 
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"I should. You mean a lot to me," the fire demon said, smiling a little. He did look incredibly tired now that the weight was off of his mind, and laying down on a proper bed - not a futon - seemed like heaven right now. At Selene's invitation, the demon trudged towards the bed and threw himself on top, embracing the warmth and softness of the quilts and blankets. "I'll take that as a yes, then. I'll share your bed," the demon winked at her. It would have been embarrassing if she had kicked him out and into the other room. He was unabashedly used to dozing off beside the huntress or holding her. Or have her hold him.

He yawned before curling up, "Yeah... I miss steak," he closed his eyes and murmured. Staying with Kimyotake had been an experience, when it wasn't Crow cooking it was the ancient dragoness who did that task. She seemed to be proud of her work, and often boasted about how the other Old Ones liking her cooking as well. She knew a lot about foods to keep oneself warm and strangely, alcohol. The Old One had never been able to hold her alcohol well, from what Phynex had heard. Her stewed meat was delicious, but the fire demon missed the feeling of buttery steak, the mouthfeel and the taste... was there any of that in the East?

Phynex patted the bed beside him, inviting Selene to come join him with her reading material. He wanted her to help him doze off.
 
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It felt a bit odd to consider this new apartment as a new place they had moved in, especially since... Well, neither of them had been the one to painstakingly and carefully pick out each and every article of furniture inside this place. Selene remembered the time when they had been the one to choose and move their belongings into what they called home for three years, a wispy memory that slowly became clear, a memory from six years ago. She remembered Phynex and Golem's laughter the clearest, oddly, along with the low murmurs and chatter from Delilah and Ra. The helpful suggestions from Belinda. There had been a housewarming 'party' with the other hunters who helped them. The fire demon and his friend had gorged themselves on slices of sticky, unhealthy yet tasty pizza, and the younger huntress had been bombarded by the other girls who were eager to help her.

She had never felt so much older until she looked around the unfamiliar room, remembering the past. Selene had been six years younger then, and she was much shyer and naive than she was then. Her fifteen-year old self would have been disdainful of being called naive, thinking she had already seen and experienced a lot to jade her, but the following years would prove her - and the fire demon - wrong.

And Phynex. He hadn't changed much in his face, he still looked the same as the 'young man' as she had first 'met ' in that alley. Only his eyes and how he carried himself now much more carefully, and the scars she knew still lined his back, told a different story. She shook her head, going to gather her notes and some books from their belongings. "I remember you liked Rayochi-shi's 'quality beef'. It might be interesting to make a steak from something of that quality," she absently murmured, gathering her things and approaching the bed. He had already made himself comfortable on top of it, hugging pillows and sprawling himself on top of the soft quilt.

Sitting down at the edge of the bed, she regarded him for a moment longer. "Well, I'll start reading now. How would you like to lay your head close beside me?" He looked expectant of something from her, and petting and stroking his hair while she read would help him fall asleep.
 
"Alright." The fire demon moved to curl up beside the huntress, bringing half of the quilt to drape over him, wrapping the demon in a cocoon of warmth. Nestling deep within, only the top of his head popped out, tufts of warm brown hair peeping out of the roll he had created. He didn't particularly like to sleep alone. After all, that was what he did when he lived alone in Phantisamine. Others may have considered him childish, especially as he had brought this undesirable standard along with him to the land populated with humans, but the huntress never seemed to mind. He was curious if Selene felt the same as well, that fear of being lonely... or was she used to it?

He closed his eyes. Selene had always taken good care of him, he was considered a foreigner in this world. Even more so now, in the world of Easterners where demons were considered even more barbarous than the hunters. She never tried to push him too hard, but she always encouraged him to try new things. And help him indulge in the things he liked. Like the beef, his lover had just offered to cook him up steak - which he remembered a long time ago she was not very efficient at - just because he had said he liked it. There was a warm flush to his cheek, hidden in the darkness of the quilt. Phynex was lucky, and he knew it.
 
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Grabbing her books and papers and pulling them close to her chest, Selene settled herself onto the bed more comfortably. She sat with her legs bent in front of her on the mattress, leaning back against the headboard for support, and looked down at Phynex. The fire demon's head barely peeked out of the soft blankets, only the telltale locks of soft brown hair sticking out. He looked like a childish man now, what with how he was curled up on himself. The lump of him under the covers was already rising and falling steadily as if he had drifted off to sleep the moment his head hit the pillows. "You are a grown child," huffing in silent laughter, she shook her head and reached under the covers to stroke his hair, running her fingers through the surprisingly silky strands. She let herself indulge like this for a few more seconds before her smile faded, and she turned to the books on her lap.

In spite of how well the investigation into the Yangcao operation was going, she was still somewhat unsettled with a thing she couldn't put her finger on yet. The captive drug mule, Seishin, had given them a gold mine of information regarding names and locations, and even one of the hearts of this many-headed hydra - the Katawaguruma. Maybe she had seen a familiar face somewhere? But there was a strange feeling of... Deja vu, almost, as she saw the passing faces. It could be any of the women there, or any of the men. But she remembered faces well, and if she recognized a face she wouldn't be feeling like this. As if she was forgetting something.

Rifling through the papers again, Selene looked through the names of all the female staff. She had agreed not to do anything that would hurt Phynex, but if Dragon was able to get a hold of one of these women - that would be a good entry into the hornet's nest. The beautiful and decorated women of the second level of this teahouse were perfect informants - if they were given enough incentive or even bribery. But they were afraid of that okuri inu. Subservient and submissive to the teahouse's orders, they were made more to be seen and admired, or touched - but never heard or heeded. Thre was a high chance that they knew pieces of information about the Yangcao - unless the drug mules and agents were too careful and secretive. But a lady's honeyed tongue and her appearance had ways of letting even the tightest of secrets slip out of the strongest man if he wasn't careful.

Narrowing down the names and the people she wanted for this took the better part of half an hour, but by the time she was done, there was a satisfied look in her eyes. She had listed it on another paper, also jotting down her own comments and suggestions alongside the names. Plans on how to enter the teahouse, outside of just acting as employees. Now she had to just wait and see what they could do once they signed up for 'work' there.

Phynex was still blissfully knocked out in sleep, but he had shifted positions from that comfortable curl of earlier. Carefully setting down the books and papers on the bedside table, Selene sighed. He really had surprised her today with that show of calculation instead of anger. And now she would just wait to see what else he would do... If this was the sign of whatever resolve he had come to terms with. Raising the covers, the huntress slipped in beside the fire demon, and lay on her back to stare up at the ceiling. Sleep wasn't going to come yet, but she might as well rest until Crow and Tiger had come back.
 
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Phynex was roused a few hours later at the unfamiliar sound of the door outside opening and closing, as well as the murmuring of two male voices. It took a while for the fire demon to focus in, still drowsy from sleep, before he realized Tiger and Crow had returned with groceries. They sounded like they were trying to unload the groceries into the fridge, but from the muffled voices the fire demon almost heard the awkward tone they were using to speak with each other. He knew the two men had known each other before, did they happen to have something between them?

With a groan, the demon sat up and rubbed at his face and eyes, blinking down at Selene's sleeping figure. Her books and notes had been neatly stacked to the side, presumably all read through thoroughly. He leaned down to give the huntress a small peck on the lips, before getting up to shrug on a jacket to greet the tengu. A shift in movement behind him told Phynex that he had accidentally woken his partner up as well. He sighed, turning around to offer the sleepy Selene a smile as a greeting.

Outside, Tiger had been unloading all of the meat they had brought into the bottom half of the fridge, and from what he could see they had picked out a generous amount and of different cuts. They had steaks too, but they were noticeably smaller than the portions in Nora. There were Eastern vegetables that Phynex had never heard of, drinks with foreign characters written on them, bags of what looked like dried medicinal plants and ingredients for stock... he saw dried kelp and small fish, dried out tiny prawns curled into pink and orange rings - strong flavors for an umami broth. Bottles of spices and herbs and condiments, they had really went all out when they shopped at the local store.

"Oh, sorry. You must have been sleeping, didn't mean to wake you up," Tiger commented, looking at the demon from behind the fridge door. "I won't stay long, need to go back to the office and handle some work. We'll come and pick you up tomorrow morning, we just handed in the application forms we forged. Hopefully they respond soon." He closed the door, the fridge huffing out a puff of cold hair. "If you need anything just call the front desk. This is an APA residential area, you don't need to be scared of spies or anything. Only active policemen live here."
 
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An familiar but not unwelcome softness against her lips alongside the sounds of movement outside the room were the huntress's wakeup call from an unexpected slumber. As the warmth moved back from her, Selene's eyes snapped open just as the fire demon had turned away, the huntress sitting up herself on the bed. She hadn't planned on falling asleep, so the other two who they had been waiting for had probably taken longer than they would have thought. The sight of Phynex shrugging on his jacket caused her to give him a raised brow, meeting his eyes as he offered her a smile.

She swiftly stood up from the bed, brushing off the drowsiness and grabbing her own coat, which had been left draped on a chair. Wearing it inside the apartment wasn't even needed, but Selene took the time to carefully hang it up from a small knob among others in a row by the closet. The fire demon would have to go first while she took some time to come out to greet Tiger and Crow, though the latter probably knew that the fire demon had stayed in the same room as her for the past hours. A glance at the ticking clock on the bedside table told her it was already well past early evening, the hours having passed by them quickly.

Selene let the men outside the room converse for a bit longer, hearing their voices through the closed door well enough. Along with the chatter came the clattering of objects, most likely the new groceries and items they had shopped for being put into their proper places. Tiger wasn't going to linger around for longer, but had stayed behind to talk some more with Phynex.

"I'm going to prepare something quick for dinner. How does some onigiri with plum to take back to Dragon-san sound? Takeout for dinner like you two usually do should get old sometimes," she heard Crow suggest, just as she pushed open the door and stepped out. The half-tengu stopped talking, having heard the door open and close, and had half-turned to look at Selene as she emerged into the lounge. The huntress nodded politely towards the police officer.

"You don't have to stay for long to have some tea or coffee with us. It took two hours for you two to finish your shopping, you must be parched." The huntress's tone brooked no argument for Tiger. She moved past the lounge, checking on the newly added groceries. "While Crow makes a quick dinner for you to take with you on your way to Dragon-san, wait a while in the lounge with Phynex and get a drink."
 
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At first, the white-haired man seemed to reject the idea. "No, no. We're good. We don't really have the time to cook... but takeout is fine," he chuckled awkwardly. "It's still delicious." But after the huntress insisted, the police captain gave in to their request and made himself comfortable on the sofa, sending a quick text to his partner before sitting down. Phynex made himself a host by passing along a glass of cool water, which the man quietly sipped on watching Crow and Selene unload the rest of the groceries and move around the kitchen making food. At times, he looked jittery, looking at his phone constantly as if to check the time, his hands always moving - tapping his leg, tapping the glass of the cup, running through his hair, checking his sides for what Phynex presumed were his weapons... the fire demon noticed Tiger was the type of person who found it hard to stay still.

The two men found topics to talk about, about how long he had worked in the force with his partner - how they were childhood friends who always wanted to lend a help to stop crime in the city they grew up and loved - and how he went about his daily life. He was an interesting person, but aside from his history with Dragon, Tiger did not appear to like talking about his past. Despite how friendly and opened he seemed, he was also closed off and secretive. There were many things he did not like to speak of, and Phynex knew not to poke. Everyone has their own secrets.

After a while, it was time for the police captain to be curious about the foreigners. He knew about Crow, but not much about the people across the sea. "So what is it like working with a demon, Selene? To be honest, I've never met any. Everyone says that they're cruel and barbaric, but Phynex doesn't seem so bad." He laughed, "He's just like any youkai. Have the rumors just been exaggerated?"
 
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