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Pulling back with knowing eyes, Selene felt a stronger ache work its way throughout her at the look on his face. He looked flushed, red rising high up on his cheeks. Eyes bright and hazy, similar to the look he would get whenever he started to get tipsy. She raised a finger to run it across her own bottom lip as her eyes dropped to stare at his, feeling the place where he had lightly nipped. They were both becoming heated and lightheaded the longer they stared at each other, and she regained enough of herself to push away thoughts of pushing him further in this place.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she swallowed. He had just unknowingly let a curse rip from his lips, and it felt so damn good to know she had just affected him that way. She was warm all over, particularly between her legs, at the implication of his words. It was difficult to get her mind off of the mental images it aroused, or to block out the memories of his throaty growls and shudders. She caught his shoulders as he pulled her close, biting hard into her lip. He was almost unbearably hot, his pulse beating so strongly that she could feel it. And the way his shoulders flexed underneath her hands, as if he was straining to hold back...

Taking a few seconds to regather her quickly fleeing focus, she dragged her hands from his shoulders to his upper arms, kneading there. "As long as we're discreet, I think we can get away with a few things..." Selene couldn't quite wrap her head around being the one to propose this. But she didn't want him to stop, didn't want to stop what she had just started. It would kill them both to ignore this. She raised her gaze to meet his. "I just want to..." Daringly, she leaned in quickly to nip on his lip. "Show my appreciation for everything."

Because she understood what the ring stood for, and the promise it held. Despite the haze of lust, her eyes softened as she watched him. This perfect man. Even for all his worrying, he would suddenly just come out and surprise her with this. She stepped back, taking a deep breath of the cool night air to calm herself down a little, and offered her hand to him. "Besides, don't you think you'll have less of this until we are properly wed?" Knowing how it would throw him off-guard, she shot a teasing smirk at him as she pulled him along. She didn't know if he wanted to marry yet soon, but thoughts of it had come to her with the arrival of this night and his gift.

A longer park visit would have to wait until another time. They stumbled into the apartment soon enough after fumbling with the door and their keys, pushing each other inside with a renewed playfulness, eager to tease and coax the other. Crow was already in his own room, likely studying, when they rushed past his door. Upon reaching their room, she shut the door and locked it behind her before pulling the fire demon in for another kiss that quickly deepened until both of them were red and gasping.
 
"Very true," he teased, tapping the huntress on the lips. "We can play a fun little game, whoever makes the most noise loses." Now this would be fun, considering that they had an unfortunate third person staying in the apartment with them. That sense of adrenaline and power rushing through him at the thought was starting to get to the fire demon's head, and he could already start to think of images that would get in him trouble if he continued with them in public. At her playful nip, he couldn't help but smile. When she got like this, she would really start to act more and more like the fae. That fae blood in her made her alluring, a natural tease that made his heart flutter uncontrollably. A demon and a fae getting together wasn't completely unheard of - and less taboo than a human and a demon - but seeing her play him sometimes was incredibly attractive to him. Especially if it was Selene. "Then show me everything," he leaned down to whisper by her ear, tucking a lock of stray hair behind it.

Taking her by the hand, he brought it up to his lips to kiss it, eyes filled with mischief. He could see what was going to happen, and he was looking forward to it. But her comment made him pause and tilt his head in confusion. For a second, his expression was exchanged with surprise and horror before it melted back to the hazy and lustful look. "Sounds like too much effort," Phynex chuckled. "Don't say things like that when I'm getting like this." He wasn't content with seeing her share the same expression as his was, he wanted more and more. He was greedy and she knew that. The demon wasn't going to be satisfied until she was trembling and begging for something more. Phynex growled at those thoughts. Unlike Selene, who was trying not to think of memories like that until they got back, Phynex was indulging himself in them.

"God, you look so fucking beautiful right now." He almost seemed to be whimpering when his face softened. But his voice was getting thicker and thicker, lower and lower, eyes burning so dangerously dark. "I wish I could just take you right here," he teasingly whispered, trailing a finger down her jaw until it rested under her chin. "But I'll show you restraint... up until we get home."

It was like they had almost forgotten how to walk on the way back to the apartment. It was more of a speedwalk or a jog, eager to return home to fulfill their promise. It left them breathing a little heavier, their cheeks still flushed and hair tousled. He found himself laughing and chuckling along the way in between breaths, like he couldn't believe what was happening. The heavy weight of the ring was lifted off from his chest, and he felt so free. So free like he could just fly off with her to a place where worries did not exist.

Already fumbling with his belt when they pushed each other into the apartment and into their rooms, he was still laughing when she pulled him closer for another kiss.
 
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It was amazing how much younger she felt, both on the inside and on the outside with just simple words and actions from him to her. They were still frantically kissing at each other even as their steps meandered over to their bed, before they had to pull away for air. Selene could feel his laughter reverberating from him even as she pulled back, arching a brow at him and her lips twitching upwards. "Make more noises like that and we'll see who loses this..." She grabbed his arms, spun him around and pushed him to the bed, the fire demon's back pressed to her front. And grabbing his hair in her fist firmly, she pulled his head back to nip at his neck daringly, before giving one hard suck. See if he was still laughing then. "Fun little game you thought up."

He had already loosened his belt, and still gripping his hair in her fist, she ran her other hand over his front, teasing and exploring and eventually venturing lower...

---
Another rhythmic thud echoed through the wall of his room, making the half-tengu twitch on his chair and put down his brush. His ears burned red as another high-pitched moan sounded from the other room, as muffled as it was. Oh kami, that was Selene, wasn't it? How was he going to be able to face her in the morning tomorrow? Or her fire demon partner - was that a growl? - for that matter. And why were they back earlier than expected? He had sent them off on their merry way to resolve whatever had been dampening their mood earlier...

"But not like this, dammit!" He was tempted to pound his own fist on their shared wall, but he had a feeling the two on the other side were already far too gone to even notice. This was verging on indecent, especially as another muffled cry and the sound of laughter. And then Phynex speaking, though the words were nearly inaudible. He could hear the smugness in his tone even through the wall. Crow buried his face in his palms and peered despondently down at his unfinished work. He had been doing so well, too. Until he had noted that something was amiss.

It started with the sounds of laughter at first that he identified as the fire demon's, before the half-tengu, to his utter misfortune, had actually tried to listen closely. Until he recognized the sounds for what it was.

Now he couldn't un-hear everything.

Dragging his hands down his face, he shook his head and picked his brush up again. Just as a yelp, this time not from the huntress, suddenly burst out. It was followed by a sudden groan, and the huntress's speaking voice.

"What would Crane-shishou do in my place?" ... Walk into the others' room to tell them off? No, actually, his master probably wouldn't even bother them since she was likely more amused than embarrassed. "... Wait, didn't I learn something for privacy..." A stroke of genius! He perked up, before flinching as the sounds of rustling and struggling in the other room grew louder. "Better do it now." Grabbing his brush and ink bottle, he got a few spare pieces of paper. Now he understood why Shiruchishi liked those sound-silencing seals...​
 
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The demon shifted on the bed until he was more comfortable, head on a fluffed pillow and blankets wrapped tightly around him and his partner. He was red-faced and breathing irregularly, and he could swear the beating of his heart could be felt simply by laying down on the bed beside him. A little parched and tired, the demon snuggled closer into Selene, heaving out a tired sigh of relief. "I hope we didn't disturb Crow," he murmured softly before chuckling to himself. "Though at this point I don't really care, that was amazing." Phynex planted a kiss on her forehead, brushing aside the locks of hair that were plastered on her face. Their bodies were sticky and sweaty, but the two of them didn't seem to mind, preferring to relax with their limbs still entangled under the covers. "You're more than I could have asked for, Selene."

There was a cheeky glint in his eyes and a boyish grin to his face. The demon was high off joy and pleasure, and it would have been a lie for him to say that he did not enjoy himself just then. Their breaths had mingled and it had begun to tell which way was up or down, especially when the two tried to gain the upper hand multiple times. Flailing arms and legs, they were surprised they did not end up kicking something at the end of the day. As for their little game... it seems both of them lost. Their worn voices were the proof of that, but Phynex couldn't care less.

He took the huntress' hand and stroked the ring he had given to her, feeling the band around her finger. It fitted perfectly, and it looked good on her pale skin. It made the demon flush even more when he knew that it meant so much to the both of them, and that she was willing to wear it. "Just so you know, I plan to have plenty of fun before I propose to you." He laughed, "After that, I'll show you my restraint. Just think about what might happen after..." the demon winked at her, the passion not yet having left his features.
 
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The huntress huffed out a tired scoff in between deep breaths, her lungs still working overtime. She rolled on top of the fire demon's body, letting her breaths flow across his flushed skin. "You'll know in the morning." She couldn't even muster any strength to her voice, which had a breathless and wispy quality to it. He had just about worn her voice out, though she was pleased to say she had done the same to him. It was unlikely that Crow didn't hear anything at all considering everything that had gone on in the room right beside his. Now she just felt... Loose and shivery, and a little thirsty. Tilting her head as his fingers brushed aside the hair that clung to her damp skin, she quirked a small smile at his kiss. "That a good or a bad thing?"

She lowered herself to press lazy, open-mouthed kisses along his jaw, tasting the salt of his sweat on his skin with curious licks. His hand was on hers again, his thumb stroking around her ring finger. She returned the gesture by upturning her own hand and lacing her fingers through his, squeezing back, but didn't stop her slow path down his neck. There were several lovely little bruises decorating his neck and shoulder. Merely seeing them and remembering how she made those marks brought a wicked smile to her face, one that didn't fade as her eyes flickered at his words. "Oh?" He was going to propose, and that made her breath almost hitch to betray her reaction.

His reward for his cheekiness was a suck and then a bite on his shoulder, the huntress tightening her grip around his hand. She licked at the new mark she made and leaned back, propping herself up on his chest with a delicately arched brow. "Interesting..." A faint smirk appeared, before she lowered her lashes, leaning in to kiss him. "Are you sure..." She murmured against his lips. "... that you can keep that restraint?" Just the memory of the horrified look on his face, as brief as it was at her joke earlier, made her want to laugh.
 
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"'Oh'?" he echoed, a smirk appearing on his face. "What, you didn't expect me to one day propose to you?" The demon chuckled, amused as he tucked the woman closer, the arm he had put behind her head idly stroking her mussed hair. "I already asked people about it, what did you expect?" He had managed not to mention her father outright, as it was a sensitive issue right now. She was so far away from home now, away from the man who had raised her - even if he had been distant due to her mother's death. Phynex knew that she must be worried, possibly frightened - though she would never show much of it. Selene wasn't that type of woman and sometimes it irked him, but he had grown to know that she was probably bottling it up all inside. Her job was not one where emotions should be shown, not when it could be taken advantage of in the face of demons.

His breathing was starting to return to normal, and the pleasure trickled down into a soft ebb, replaced with a calming fatigue. He was tired and relaxed at the same time, beginning to become drowsy. Curling up and snoozing away until he was going to be forced awake seemed like heaven right now. Not the last bit, but that was his daily routine anyway. Even if Selene slept in with him, no doubt Crow would try to find a subtle way to wake them up. Sighing when he returned her soft kiss, he smiled. "Mm... I'll keep it alright. But you're not allowed to tease me." Phynex yawned and stretched before sinking deeper under the covers, closing his tired eyelids. "... That's cheating."
 
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Laughing at his words, she scooted off of his chest and landed beside him on the mattress with a similarly tired but sated fatigue coursing through her limbs. The huntress tucked her head against the crook of his neck. "It's not cheating if we're both doing it," she mouthed against his skin with a light scoff. He could tease back just as well as she could if he wanted, and he knew it. He just lacked most of the self-restraint the huntress had in most situations, but how could she forget how the earlier three years of their relationship had worked? She certainly wasn't the one doing the playful flirtations and tempting back then.

She was about to say something, when her words were interrupted with a creaking yawn before they could even come out. Knocking her forehead against his neck, she gave up on forming words and slung her arm over Phynex's form. Words could wait until next morning when they were both awake and sated from this night's activities. There was going to be work tomorrow, despite tonight's happy little accident.

... Likely, with a side of embarrassed Crow at the breakfast table.

-
Breakfast was more or less as expected, but the awkwardness was all but missing from the pair of them. Only Crow looked vaguely disturbed upon catching sight of them emerging from their room, the fire demon with typical mussed hair and sleepy eyes, the huntress a serene sight on his arm and by his side. The half-youkai took one look at them before escaping to the kitchenette, the couple not missing the redness of his ears just before he turned away. It prompted a laugh from her partner that she half-heartedly poked him in the ribs for.

"Good morning," she announced to the room evenly, unlatching from Phynex's arm and floating - walking with a sway to her hips that the fire demon would be unable to miss - up beside their poor beleaguered housemate. Before going out of their room, she had at least tried to look more put-together than they must have looked the night before - that is, hair a mess and clothes missing. ... Looking down, she mused that she must have put on the fire demon's shirt by mistake, but she wasn't pantsless. That was always very important. Kit would walk out sans pants on missions after a very telling time with Namah in their room, and she wasn't going to be like them.

Crow twitched like he was undergoing some very painful emotional turmoil on the inside, and flicked on the switch for the rice cooker with forced calmness. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Selene-san, and Phynex-san. I hope you two had a pleasant night out."​
 
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Phynex yawned and stretched before taking his seat by the table. Anyone would be able to tell that he was positively glowing, like the sun shaped into a man, walking with a permanent smile etched onto his features. The warmth radiating off from him was a little more comforting than usual, and it was hard to miss. Donning a plain black shirt that clung to his figure and sweatpants he had hastily pulled on before being dragged into the bathroom to make himself presentable by Selene, he eased into a relaxed position as he watched Crow move about in the kitchen.

"It was great," he chuckled. The fire demon had already figured out that the half-blood knew what had happened during the night, having caught the embarrassed turn of his head, looking away from the couple when they entered the room. Though he was amused, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed himself - at least Crow probably wasn't able to hear what the two had whispered to each other while they were in the middle of their passionate love-making.

He ran his hand through his hair, visibly a little impatient with his food. Standing up suddenly, the demon paced into the kitchen, "I'll help." Along the way he passed Selene, who was adorably wearing one of his shirts. It covered her nicely, and it looked good, Phynex wished he'd see her wear his clothes more often when they were at home - she looked like she was more comfortable then.

The cheekiness from last night had not yet subsided, "So, Crow. When are you thinking about getting a girlfriend?" the demon grinned, probing at the youkai for some juicy details.
 
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THUMP.

There was a loud discordant noise as Crow dropped a (thankfully) wooden bowl. He opened and closed his mouth a few times like a breathless fish on land, eyes popping out. "W-w-what?" He spun around and sent the sort of look a man would send to someone who looked as smug as Phynex at that moment. Someone who had just gotten a good night in bed. With someone special. While he was alone and disturbed on the other side of the wall. "Teme, you are lucky, but don't rub it in my face." He grumbled after shooting Phynex one more embarrassed glare.

Selene reached over to lazily flick the fire demon's ear in reprimand when he passed her by, rolling her eyes. "Crow will find the right one in his own time. Perhaps his mentor can help him." She passed a sly look towards Phynex at that, knowing fully well how much Crow looked up to his master. "We're grilling some more salmon with soy sauce and sake, you've seen me and Crow do that last night. Now it's your turn." And her work here was to prepare the miso soup, which was frankly the easiest procedure.
 
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Phynex cackled, only pausing to make an amused face at Selene at her flick. "I am lucky," he chuckled before moving to do the task he had been given with clear vigor and an energized attitude. Whatever had happened the previous night had affected the demon greatly and left him in a very good mood, the best he had been since he arrived on foreign shores and possibly even better than he had been for the last 4 years. He was almost humming as he followed the instructions he remembered from Crow yesterday. Oil, taking out the pre-marinated fish, placing it skin down for it to get crispy and crunchy for a few minutes before flipping it around and adding a drizzle of the soy sauce and sake mix for extra flavor.

He remembered how Crow had moved last night, like he was used to making meals, probably for the master that was far away helping out with the chaos in the West. It reminded him of someone else, Crane's musician colleague, and how the little Old One bustled about the house despite her well-known and also infamous status and social ranking like their second mother or an overbearing older sister and waking up early just to cook for them. "I can see Crow as a Kimyotake," he noted with a grin. "Who has yet to find his Arashi."
 
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Already mixing the ingredients and cups of water onto the pan, Selene shot the fire demon a look. Bringing up Kimyotake and Arashi was amusing, but now that he pointed it out... She glanced at the half-tengu, with his apron and all. It was really hard not to compare him to the female Old One, yet the half-youkai was quickly reddening once more. He turned to look at her work on the soup with a growl. "I find it disturbing that you want me to get an Arashi. He is fucking terrifying-" He sucked in a breath at having uttered a careless curse before shaking his head determinedly. "I don't like brash women, dammit. A female version of him would just drive me nuts!"

"Indeed." Nodding sagely, Selene took a look at the mixture on the pan again, dashi stock first before the miso... "Perhaps he likes men instead. I know a happy couple." ... Except she didn't know if Orion and Jared were happy now, but the huntress pushed the thought away with a grim determination. She chuckled lowly at Crow's responding spluttering noises before he pushed her aside to look at the miso soup himself.

"Both of you get to the table! I'll take care of this, get a room!"

"But we just had a room last night-"

"OUT!"
 
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"I didn't actually mean go and find a girl Arashi-" the fire demon laughed. He couldn't even imagine it, a female Arashi would be terrifying. A red-skinned loud-mouthed female... he imagined the oni wielding one of their classic spiked clubs, she would definitely still frighten the soldiers that worked and trained in the palace. "It was figurative!" Phynex was suddenly a little glad the kitchen was a bit more friendlier. Away from work, away from stress, they were free to act like themselves. The demon tired of business-like atmospheres, but he knew he had to keep up a different face when it came to work. He represented his country along with Selene. An exile, but still a representative.

He shook his head playfully at Selene's suggestions. "No way, just listen to the way he talks about his sensei." The admiring tone was obvious to anyone who would lend an ear to listen to the half-youkai. And Phynex always made an effort to, he considered the boy a friend... and he wanted to be kind to him, considering his status in this world. A half-blood was considered a disgrace and he understood how they felt as a lower-high demon.

Quickly placing the medium-rare salmon aside, he allowed himself to be pushed out of the kitchen, not even the least bit ashamed by his teasing. "Oops," he chuckled, winking at the huntress. It looked like his mood wasn't as contagious as he thought. "Alright, let's set up the table then."
 
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Shrugging at Crow's demand, the huntress quirked a brow at Phynex as they were pushed outside of the kitchen. "You're in a really good mood this morning." Good was an understatement considering the smugness that radiated off of him. He wasn't usually this fee with smirking, yet the grin on his face was more often than not alternated with a smirk. It made the fire demon look like a cat that got the canary. Away from the half-youkai's sight now, Selene allowed herself to share the selfsame smirk. That night was far too memorable and pleasant for either of them to be embarrassed much about. "Who should you thank?" Stepping in front of him, she dragged her finger down his chest with feathery, ghosting lightness, and cocked her head to smile at him.

The motion let both of their gazes momentarily rest on the ring that rested on her finger now, winking in the light. He had come so far to be able to use magic to make lasting material like this, a material that couldn't be found anywhere else in this world except from his very own hands. Despite her usual neutrality for such adornments, she admired his ingenuity. "Since when did you make this?" She hadn't been able to ask him the night before.
 
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"Aren't you, too?" the demon chuckled back. The night had been exciting, and he wasn't going to just bottle up those feelings inside of him. He was bad at doing that, and his happy emotions just wanted to be shared and exposed to the world. He felt like he could climb the tallest mountain and yell out, let all of his worries free. Everyone would turn their heads and stare, but Phynex really couldn't care less. The heaviest weight had been lifted off from him, the weight that had been slowing him down and crushing him was gone and he felt so free. As for who he had to thank... he dashed in for a quick peck on her lips, pulling back with a laugh as his tongue ghosted over his lips as if to taste her from just that whisper of a kiss.

He winked at her. "The lovely goddess, of course." It was true, he did not exaggerate calling her a creature of high order. "The lovely goddess makes everything possible for me. I like it when she smiles down upon me," Phynex smiled. "Like the happiest man on earth." Looking down at the band of solidified magic - his magic - around her finger, the gleam in his eyes danced with joy. "She gives me enough power to forge a ring, too. Over the course of days, the gallant demon tried to win her heart by trying to piece it together for the last few days behind her, hoping she wouldn't notice..." he sighed dramatically. The demon must have really been in a good mood if he had the mind to tell stories.
 
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She snorted lightly at his words, ignoring the faint flush of pleasure it brought to her cheeks and shrugging. "You are incredibly cheesy sometimes, but I suppose I do love that about you." Lovely goddess? Gallant demon? The goofy grin on his face made her crinkle her nose and chuckle quietly under her breath. "Except you already won my heart so long ago, and from the words you said last night, sounds like you were trying to corrupt this goddess." Selene sounded amused about calling herself like that and pulled away. "I'm impressed you managed to hide this from me, truly." Quirking a brow, she turned to head back towards the cabinet that held the bowls and trays.

Crow was ignoring them with diligence when she came up behind him, looking far too absorbed in watching the soup simmer in the pan for it to be true. "Did you use silencing seals last night? Good thinking." If he hadn't, she could predict that he would have turned up with dark bags underneath his eyes and even twitchier than he was now. He shot her a look at that, finally looking over his shoulder as she moved around him to get the correct dining wares.

"... Is that an engagement ring?" He finally asked, changing the subject with a softer tone than she expected. His eyes were fixed towards the ring on her hand. The half-youkai looked unsurprised, and even was smiling slightly.

"No, it's a promise ring." He looked confused at her, unfamiliar with the concept. The Easterners likely had more different courting and proposal customs, and he only knew engagement rings from his traveling with his master in Nora. Selene smiled faintly. "It's a promise between us, but not yet an engagement."
 
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He chuckled in response to her words, winking at her as he followed her to collect the utensils, picking up the correct amount of chopsticks and spoons for the table's setup. "Maybe it's not as bad as I thought, dragging Celestials down from their cloudy thrones," he hummed with curiosity. "Even if you were one in reality, it wouldn't stop me." Not even if the golden iron of the angels burnt his skin, or if the Aspects descended on him like furies baring their teeth and their wide glowing white eyes focusing on what they considered cockroaches of the earth. What an image... the demon jumped back into reality, turning his attention away from what most demons would consider a dream they wanted to bring into the real world. But those visions disappeared from him ages ago, back when he was a child... when his father told him that was not what he really wanted to fight for. And those visions never visited him again once he had met Selene and become contracted.

The ultimate betrayal, the demons called it. But Phynex called it a gift from the heavens, smiling down upon him at last, and given him a lick of fortune in his crumbling world.

And now, he had gone into new territory. The sparkling ring on her finger, the jumping and pounding heart in his chest... these emotions he had never felt to such an intensity before.

"I didn't know what that was at first," Phynex said. At the first mention of it, the demon had cocked his head at the idea, confused and puzzled. Engagement rings were not in demon traditions... but he did understand the basic concept. Delilah seemed obsessed over how humans bound themselves to each other with these vows and sayings. But how could they possibly follow through with it? 'Till death do us part? Was that really something humans could say, with their fragile lives and how they often committed taboos in relationships like infidelity?

Now he understood what all of it meant. "Yup, it's a ring that symbolizes commitment. Nothing too heavy like an engagement ring... but it does hold meaning." Phynex smiled down at Selene, "A lot of meaning indeed."
 
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"... Huh. Interesting," the young half-tengu didn't look like he understood it completely, eyes darting between the two. "So is it a promise to one day propose to her, or is it a promise for another thing entirely?" He offered a half-smile to Selene at that, a warm expression on his face as he regarded the way her eyes sought out the fire demon's face. When one knew what to look for, there was nothing that could come close to the way she looked at him. The smile the couple shared was a bit too intimate and embarrassing now, but suddenly, a thought - an idea - formed and took shape in Crow's mind. "Some traditions here involve giving certain symbolic gifts to a woman. Perhaps..." He averted his eyes, cheeks reddening a bit in embarrassment. "Phynex-san would like to learn them. Would suit you two very well, I think."

Crow couldn't be talking of the yui-no gift giving tradition, could he? Arching a brow, Selene shared a glance with Phynex before speaking. "I thought those traditions would require members of our families to agree on something." Considering where her father was and how he was indisposed, and how Phynex's parents were both deceased, they really only had each other now.

A huff from the young man with them caused her to turn towards him again. "Kimyotake-sama was technically friends with the Naberius-sama, as are the rest of the Old Ones, and they could stand in as aunts and uncles. As for you, Selene, have you forgotten some people back in Nora?" He looked equal parts amused and put out with the blank stare he gained for that. "... Your best friend. He is like a brother to you, isn't he?"

"Even if he ain't here, you've got Arashi-sama's favor. He and Kimyotake-sama can be quite the formidable pair together." He rolled his eyes. "You two will be fine." He was working on preparing the food even as he spoke, and after finishing something set it on the counter. "Actually, they have been betting on when Phynex-san was going to take the initiative. I think Shiruchishi-san won the bet."
 
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"Yui-no?" Phynex echoed, shaking his head. "I thought that was for engagements, I'm... not ready for that just yet." He smiled politely, a little flush on his cheeks, but thoughts raced at the speed of light in his mind. He had thought about it many times before and he was sure every demon who befriended a human would have shared the same experience with Phynex. He was many times older than Selene when it came to age. Although the human equivalent made him just a year or so older than the huntress, the truth did not lie. One day, he would outlive her. It hurt when he thought about it, but he found himself wondering what he could do. Dabbling in forbidden and secret magic was not his forte, nor did Phynex know where to start. He had heard of rumors before, magic that could turn a demon into a human. Or magic that could turn a human into a demon, and essentially make them as long-lived as a creature of the Underworld. What to choose? If the fire demon was honest with himself... he didn't mind changing into a mortal, if it meant he didn't have to go through that gut wrenching pain of losing someone.

He had already been sitting in the shadow of the pain before, and he was not going to do it again.

The dark thoughts must have reflected onto his features for a second, the demon having become quiet. Realizing he may make the situation a little more awkward, he snapped himself back to reality. "Kimyotake has really been like an older sister or a mother to me," he admitted, coming back just in time to hear the mention of the Old One. "Even though I'm an exile, she made sure I was really comfortable. Not everyday you meet a demon with a personality like hers."

The demon laughed a little at Crow's comment, curious as to why the couple would even take a gander like that. Why would they bet with, as according to Kimyotake, the man who was never wrong? Shiruchishi, the legendary kirin would could predict every outcome? Ever since the rising of the Reimei Empire and the ceasing of war, he was apparently always correct with his guesses. Along the way, the dragon Old One had told him many stories of his ability, and how dangerous yet fascinating it was. "... If we were to get married," he began, his eyes flickering to Selene's. "Would you like it here in the East? Or back home?"
 
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The huntress studied the fire demon intently from the peripherals of her gaze, eyes following the soft red warmth pooling in his cheeks with a responding heat in her face. She said nothing, merely keeping her eyes on his face, the half-smile on his lips that moments later faded. The shift in the mood wasn't unlike him, yet in the bliss of the moment it was an unwelcome ripple in the pond - one that made no sense. It lasted long enough to cause a small disturbance in the air. Selene's frown was so faint it was unnoticeable as she witnessed the darkening of his eyes, and from the way their third companion looked at him expectantly as well, Crow had also caught on.

But the dark thoughts that must have been swirling inside his head were wiped from his face before either of them could comment upon it. Selene watched the darkness in his eyes lighten once again, but resolved to understand what it was that awoke such a troubled look in him. "It is a little disquieting to know our relationship is keenly observed by the Old Ones," she speculated, but with little disquietude in her face. "But I am happy that Phynex has... Taken initiative." Closing her eyes, she tested the word on her tongue gingerly, a slight furrow appearing in her brow. Was that really the way to put it? Did either of them have to 'take initiative'? Taking initiative meant taking a step forward in their relationship for something, but what was that? "Though I would be happy to do so myself if I have to."

But it wasn't the time to cleave such an opportunity right out of the fire demon's hands. She had seen the happiness such a thing had given him yesterday, the satisfaction following him even now. "Marriage?" Her eyes opened a tad wider than normal to meet his warm brown gaze. Selene had teased him lightly about this yesterday, laced her words with dainty little implications of marriage, but when faced with the question of it as if it was a tangible thing in the future she found herself taking her time. "I told you I would be happy to form a life with you here if we cannot in Nora..." Though nevertheless, she still had a desire - a strong one - to one day return to her homeland. "The thought still stands," as it always would. She held his gaze carefully before breaking it and grabbing the things they had come here for in the first place - the bowls and the small containers for food.
 
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The demon smiled a little. "Taken initiative?" he repeated with a quizzical lilt. He placed the utensils down, sorting them out on the table so that they rested in their positions. One set on one side of the table and two on the other for Selene and himself. "I'm curious what you would have done if you had taken initiative," Phynex chuckled at the thought. He had seen movies of proposals before, all done by the men, never the woman. Selene wasn't your typical woman, but the fire demon would have thought it was embarrassing if the huntress had given him a promise ring or an engagement ring, even if she was strong and nothing like a demure and purely submissive woman.

He slid the chair aside to sit in his seat, sighing as he rested his chin on his palm. "I want to see what Eastern weddings are like," Phynex murmured. How different would they be from the West? And if he was to follow through with where his heart was leading him towards, how was he to behave? Demons rarely married, not like humans did. It was just simple mating for offspring and strong heirs to carry their name. Even his father did not 'marry', as humans called it. He was a demon, a monogamous one but a demon nevertheless. Sometimes the fire demon wondered what his father would have thought of him now. Proud, he hoped. Phynex wanted to make his father feel proud of him even though they took completely different paths.

As for a wedding... "Do you know anyone who's going to get married soon?" he suddenly piped up. "Oh, but it would be kind of weird to just barge in. Are Arashi and Kimyotake married?"

Just then, the telephone by the door beeped twice, a familiar voice echoing through down the hall. The electronic voice that mimicked Tiger spoke without invitation, though surprisingly the usual energetic and carefree attitude of the man seemed to be translated through the telephone with ease.

"Good morning! Just called in to let you know what's going on. Congratulations, Selene, you're now ready to head off to an interview at the best broth- I mean, teahouse, in the district! We'll meet up after and talk about the specifics, okay?"

Dragon's voice bumped in, a hint of pride in her voice that followed the man's. "I told you those applications would be irresistible. I'll put together some nice suitable clothing for the both of us. Once they give us the tour and hire us, which I am sure they will, we can do a smooth infiltration. Until then, you'll just have to wait until you can get in, Phynex. See you later!"
 
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