Embers (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Mu]

He yawned, before coming into an attentive rest, his eyes peeking up to look at the huntress. There was something soothing about her voice, he didn't mind even if she was telling him he might not understand. Phynex listened with rapt attention, about the dragons of the East, about how a man who was not a man loved humans even with their flaws. In the middle of the story, the fire demon looked almost about ready to fall asleep, but he kept himself awake, blinking drowsily. He was going to stay up until Selene fell asleep, so he could guard her and make sure she was safe. After all, that was the whole point of why he was here. "I want to go to the East one day," the fire demon murmured sleepily. "Father told me about it, he said it was pretty and demons and humans lived together happily, not like here..." he yawned again. Finding it hard to stay awake. He didn't even realise when he fell asleep, already seeping into dreams about the strange oriental East and a peaceful life with demons and humans.

It was strange how even though Phynex slept much earlier than Selene, she was still the first to wake up. The fire demon woke up alone, his side of the bed comfortably warm and smelling still smelling like the huntress. He sat up and stretched, not knowing what the time was but snarling at the line of sun honing in on his eyes coming from the curtains. He was feeling refreshed and happy, and seeing Selene's side of the bed empty and her shuffling outside of the room, he was even happier to see her alive. Phynex cleaned himself up in the bathroom, slapping water on his face to wake himself up further, before poking his head out of her bedroom. "Good morning, Selene."

Eating his breakfast, he looked out of the window onto the balcony. It was strange living in such a big city but not knowing where everything was. It was a big place, like Phantisamine but much more crowded. From the hunter's district, just peering over from the tallest buildings, he could see a beautiful green hill with a large tree sitting on top. It looked like a giant mushroom, the evergreen leaves swaying in the wind. "Does that tree mean anything?" he asked her, keeping his eyes on the tree. "Does it have a story?"

 

[Hana]

I woke up before him, and I didn't attack him... Good. Her body felt surprisingly well-rested as she sat up on her side of the bed. Blinking at the sight of the fire demon sleeping beside her, the girl stood up. She felt a tingling in her cheeks at seeing Phynex sleeping. Silly. You fell asleep before me as my 'protector'... He had been tired, unable to sleep well for the past week. It was no wonder he would wake up later than her. Silently, she let her room to wash up in the bathroom. Then she got started on preparing their breakfast. Toast and scrambled eggs, again? I need to go and buy more groceries again. I could teach him to pick out the products and give him a grocery list...

We could go out an buy those today... She was startled to realize they had just finished their work load for the week. There were no demons that she had to track down and kill. Usually, that meant she would go and get another list. But now this left her more time to focus on clearing the clutter that had built up in the apartment. Phynex should really learn to clean up after himself. And she usually gave Phynex one day off every week to take a break. Considering how worn out he was in the past weeks, she should have given it to him earlier.

Shaking her head, she finished pouring out the creamy scrambled egg onto the newly toasted bread, placing some fried tomatoes on both of their plates. She set it down on the dining table just as Phynex poked his head out of the room. "Good morning," she greeted back just a little distantly, distracted. Groceries, cleaning around the house, and giving Phynex a break. Alright. "Come over here, then." Nodding at him, she took her seat. She was quiet as they started on their morning meal.

"Tree?" Selene's brow was slightly raised as she saw him looking out of windows by the balcony. She set down her fork and knife, turning her head to face the balcony. What tree was he talking about? The one on that hill. It's probably the only one this noticeable from here. There were no high-rising buildings in the hunters' district, after all. Following his gaze over the taller buildings, she saw the green hill. There was no other tree sitting at its very top, only lush green grass and some flower bushes. The lone tree crowned the hill with its rustling green leaves and many branches, its trunk thick and sturdily supporting the large mass of leaves atop of it.

Glancing down at the fire demon, she noted the curiosity on his face. "No, I don't think so. But people don't often go there." Now that she thought about it, the hunters frequented other places in the area except for that hill. It was still a part of their area, but the only people who seemed to come up to that tree were children or the elderly people, who weren't hunters. "Phynex, you can take a break today, but do you want to come with me to buy food for next week?"

 

[Mu]

He looked down at the plate of toast, piled generously with scrambled eggs with fried tomato slices on the side. Waking up later than usual had made the demon hungry, the fire demon immediately picking up a fork and stabbing into the red slices, taking a bite out of the tomatoes. Breakfast was usually spent silent with Phynex quietly enjoying his food across from Selene, but today the two of them seemed chatty about his questions. He looked out towards the hunter's district, his eyes returning to the tree sitting on the hill. He had noticed that it towered over all the other buildings in the hunter's district, in fact none of the buildings in the district were as tall as the skyscrapers he was used to seeing in the busy centre of Nora. "I want to go there and see what the city looks like from that high," he murmured, taking another bite from the tomato and gulping it down. It looked like a large emerald floating in the sky, the greenest thing the fire demon could see from this far away, standing tall and proud over the city walls.

"Buy food? Yes, please." Phynex's eyes brightened up at the suggestion. Although to others it seemed like a boring chore, he found going to the market a very interesting and fulfilling experience. Compared to the demon world, there was so much food to be eaten and cooked, all sorts of dishes to be tried. It was hard for the fire demon to accept that so much food was present in a single location outside of a banquet. An excited expression crossed his face, doing more than just showing what he felt about going out to shop with the huntress.

Soon after eating breakfast, the two of them found themselves in the middle of the city, the fire demon looking down a long alleyway filled with stalls. Voices were surrounding him from all sides, yelling out numbers and prices and produce names, the smell of fresh fruit in the air. He could see crate upon crates of greens and other colourful fruits and vegetables jumping out at him on the way the supermarket at the end of the alley. Here, even Phynex could see that most of these were fresh, the fruits probably filled with juice. "Ah, young miss. We have some fresh dragonfruit! They're in season, come take a look!" He held up a strange bright pink-red fruit with long streaks of green, the shape unique and strange to the fire demon sticking close the white-haired huntress. It looked odd and so did the name. "What is a dragonfruit?" he asked her, "Does it come from dragon trees?"

 

[Hana]

A small smile curved Selene's lips at seeing the brightness in the fire demon's eyes, her eyes dancing slightly in amusement. She could always count on him taking interest in the most mundane of things, couldn't she? Seeing his excitement, the girl smirked to herself as they finished their breakfast. After cleaning up with him, the two of them headed out. With a basket on one arm and dragging an excited fire demon with the other, the huntress took him to the market.

Located close to the center of the city and outside of the hunters' district was a large and expansive market, stalls lined up in the wide expanse of street laid out for it. Under the soft blue sky of autumn, colorful cloth covers functioning as roofs shaded market vendors hawking their produce and stock, even more vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables laid out enticingly in trays and baskets. Selene tugged on the fire demon's sleeve as they passed by the stalls, taking a deep breath. The crisp and fresh scents of vegetables met her senses, before being washed away by the juicy and tantalizing scents of the fruits. Approaching one stall, she began to pick out the freshest vegetables she could see, relying on touch to feel out their firmness and freshness. Sometimes the vendors liked to put on display, among fresher produce, vegetables and fruits that were no longer as fresh. One had to be careful.

But another man approached them from behind. Turning around, Selene blinked at the sight of the brightly colored fruit the man was holding up. "You mean you're trying to sell them since it's autumn," the girl mused with a raised brow, but approached the man. The fruits were no longer exactly in-season. It was nearing winter and dragon fruit couldn't exactly survive in freezing temperatures, but otherwise they were available for nearly the rest of the year. Not being a native fruit, it was more expensive than other fruits being sold in Nora. She already had picked out a few mangoes, also not quite native here, apples, and oranges, which Phynex was carrying in another basket. The white-haired girl looked at the man inquisitively for a moment, before reaching out and touching the fruit. "It's still fresh and firm, but we've already bought a lot of fruits," she murmured, a hint of apology in her voice.

"But young miss, it's on sale for this season! As you said yourself," the man chuckled sheepishly, still smiling down at her. "We have to sell out all of these seasonal fruits before winter. It's down by... twenty percent, what do you say?" He led the pair to his own stall, where many more of the vibrant pink and red fruits were neatly laid out in trays. That's a lot, and you expect these to be all sold out. Hearing Phynex's question, she hid a smile, hearing the vendor himself laugh in clear amusement.

Tilting her head with one hand under her chin, she looked down at the fruits. "No, it doesn't come from dragon trees. Only the fruit is called the dragon fruit. Besides, it doesn't grow on trees. It is of the cactus species. You have read about those." Her eyes flickered up to meet Phynex's. Reaching for his hand, she took it and placed it on top of one of the dragon fruits. "This one is of the Hylocereus undatus. It's a red-skinned fruit with white flesh and is the most commonly-seen dragon fruit in these parts. I've heard that in other parts there is a sour type of dragon fruit, but this one is sweet. These fruits are also not native to this land, having been introduced to here centuries ago, it is said to have originated from the East." Her hand was still set on top of his, but the girl was calmer as she fell back into teaching Phynex. "When you buy fruits, don't just rely on how it looks. Touch it, you have to see if it's still firm, and if you can, also rely on your sense of smell."

"Mister, these are quite fresh. A twenty-percent off sale, you say?" The man at the stall looked quite amused, looking at her and Phynex. He nodded at her question. Selene blinked at him, before narrowing her eyes. Not in an unfriendly way, but she was going to start haggling with him for the prices, after all. "Thirty percent." The two of them went on back and forth on the price, before settling on a twenty-five percent off price. She wasn't about to pressure the man for a larger discount, he had his livelihood, after all. Afterwards, a fresh pinkish-red dragon fruit was nestled among the other fruits in Phynex's basket.

 

[Mu]

Phynex knew what 'in season' meant, though perhaps not in reference to fruit. Back in the Underworld, such a term was always about the status of demonesses when it came to the mating season, but the general idea must be the same. How certain things happened when it was time, though in the human world and their fruits it must have meant fruits grew in the different four seasons. He had yet to experience the cold winters of Nora. The fire demon had seen snow before in the horizon, but never touched it himself. It looked so white and so pure, so different from the rest of the Underworld, even if it was the domain of the Ice Witch herself where her malicious grudge caused so much trouble, it was breathtaking and new to the younger Phynex.

He followed Selene to the man's stall, seeing crates upon crates of the strange red fruit. They looked so colourful and unlike anything he had ever seen in the Underworld, where nothing was this plump or stood out. All the fruits barely had any flesh, almost no juice at all, and were grey and monochrome. Compared to the market outside where colours of yellows and greens and reds jumped out at him, any demon would have been excited. He listened to her explanation, blinking as he examined the dragonfruit. "A cactus?" he repeated, remembering the pictures he had seen when he had read through one of her books. It was a large plant that stood upright in the deserts of the human world, covered in spikes to protect themselves from the dangers in the outside world, sometimes blooming with flowers. "I want to try the sweet one," the fire demon pointed out, licking his lips in anticipation. He placed his hand over on the fruits, feeling the flesh of the fruit. Under the skin, he could feel that this one was a little soft, so he moved on to the next one where it was much firmer as if it was just about to explode. He brought the fruit to his nose, taking a deep breath to catch the aroma of the pinkish-red fruit. He was met with a very tropical, sweet mingle that made the fire demon sigh. Just by the smell alone he could tell it was going to be delicious.

While Selene and the man began to throw numbers at each other, much to the fire demon's confusion, arguing about the pricing of the dragon fruits, he pivoted to see the other stalls. Somewhere down the road was another stall of apples, fresh and red and glossy as they stood to attention beside another crate of pears. They had already bought apples, which were nestled in the basket he was holding, but the pears looked interesting to him. They were the most like the fruits he was used to in hell, though much skinnier and less appetizing. Big green watermelons sat on another stall, standing out due to their size. Phynex had tried the watery and sweet fruit as well, curtesy of Millia and her desserts, the taste and texture interesting to the fire demon. He was skeptical about the fruit at first, as it contained the word 'water', but he had underestimated the taste of the giant melon. Yellow lemons he had learned were extremely sour the wrong way were peeking from around the corner, sitting next to bunches of grapes. The smell of all the fruits brought joy to his senses.

As they walked out of the farmer's market, the supermarkets began looming over them, huge buildings filled with all types of food, thinking about it had been making the fire demon hungry and longing for lunch despite having breakfast not long ago. The two of them waltzed in, the demon looking around at the rows upon rows of food lined on shelves. Phynex tapped her shoulder, cocking his head at a display down one of the hallways near the chilled foods area where the freezers were. A lady stood behind a stall where small white cups were being presented, a small spoon sticking out of them., above her was a sign that said 'Samples'. "Samples? Samples for what? … What is ice cream?" he asked her, watching as the woman pulled out a box of ice cream and showed it to an asking passerby.

 

[Hana]

With a the basket Phynex was carrying already laden down with fruits and vegetables, they headed for the supermarket. It was conveniently close to the farmers' market for the consumers, a decently-sized building filled with all types of food ranging from the very same fruits and vegetables they had already bought, to frozen fish, poultry, and meat. Rows upon rows of canned foods, as well as fruits and preserves in jars, lined the shelves. There were many labels and brands, things that had continued unchanged despite the condition of the city. Many of these products came from the farms surrounding the outskirts of the city, but there were a few labels that were imports from the cities and towns in the distance.

The supermarket was cool as they entered, the blast of air conditioning greeting the two. Selene edged closer to Phynex at the cool temperatures. The air around him was still warm despite the lowered heat all around. They were looking through the condiments and spices section, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Once again, she looked up at him, before following his gaze. He was looking somewhere close to the chilled foods area, where there was also the frozen poultry and meat section. There was a stall where it looked like a lady was giving out free samples of ice cream. "Why don't we try it?" Ice cream in autumn?

They approached the lady at the stall, where the woman was cheerfully talking with the passerby, a small family of three. "I don't know... It's autumn, it doesn't sound like ice cream would be good." The mother stated uncertainly. But the ice cream seller only smiled. The lady had taken out a tub of icecream from behind the stall, displaying it before the customer. "It's on sale today," she coaxed the customer, "And you can also get a free tasting! If you like our products, now is the best time to get a tub of your favorite flavor." She handed the customer a small white cup. "Cookies and cream for your little boy?" The man accepted it gratefully, before looking down at his son with a smile. He handed it over to the little boy, who reached up with a delighted look at his father. As the little boy tried out the ice cream, the lady turned towards Selene and her partner.

"Do you want a free tasting as well?" The woman said, eyes gentle and friendly as she smiled at the two. Selene nodded, looking up at Phynex from the corner of her eye. "Cherry and vanilla, here." Accepting the cup, the huntress looked down at the frozen treat. It was nearly plain vanilla, except for the sweet pink and red glaze of cherry syrup, and then the small red cherries she could see peeking out from the white ice cream. "Phynex?" Then she took a small spoonful, lifting it to the corner of the fire demon's mouth. "It's cold, but you'll like it." She coaxed him to open his mouth, slipping the spoonful of ice cream for him to taste.

 

[Mu]

Phynex watched with fascination as they approached the booth, the fire demon cocking his head at the sight of the woman handing out small white cups to passersby who showed interest. Upon the young boy receiving a cup, his face lit up almost instantly with pure joy that made the fire demons smile as well. So this strange 'ice cream' must be something young children enjoyed. Looking into one of the cups, he spotted a small ball sitting in the middle, a spoon sticking out of it. Some of the spheres were brown, others were yellow, but most of them were white. From what he could see, the small cups seemed to be filled with snow. It was just as white, just as pure looking and breathtaking... in small amounts, from what he remembered. But the fire demon wasn't sure why the woman was selling snow out of all things. Was it because it was soon to be winter?

He blinked as Selene received a cup from the smiling woman, looking down at the small cup in her hands. "For me...?" Phynex repeated, watching as she scooped some of the white snow with a single streak of bright red liquid with the spoon and held it to his lips. Cautiously, he sniffed it and caught the scent of something sweet and milky. Brown eyes flickered to her as if he wanted to make sure, before closing his mouth over the ice cream and swallowing. The fire demon never really understood the meaning of the word cold, the feeling was non-existent to him... but the snow did feel cool on his tongue. Phynex was surprised at the silky sweet, milk softness of the snow, accompanied by something much sharper - probably the red liquid he saw earlier - making him lick his lips with a grin. "I never knew snow tasted so good," he murmured, smiling at the huntress.

"Selene, you have some too, it tastes delicious." Gently, he pried the spoon from her fingers and scooped a small amount of the ice cream with some sauce, bringing it up to Selene with a hopeful look on his face. Behind them, the woman was looking at them with an amused smile and an eyebrow raised, as if she knew a secret they didn't. She looked as if she was about to say something before stopping herself, replacing the two cups she had given out. Taking out a small tub filled to the brim with snow, the woman pulled out a metal rounded spoon object that had been chilling in a cup of water, scooping some into two cups before dousing it with the scarlet sauce from a nearby bottle.

Pointing at the tub, he turned to look at Selene. "Can we buy some? Please?" his eyes glowed and sparkled with excitement at discovering this new food and this new fact that snow was in fact, sweet. He had never known it, he was always too afraid to go near the snow because it melted in his touch into water, frightening the fire demon. But it seemed eating it was just fine, like many foods containing water in the human world.

 

[Hana]

As the fire demon sniffed the ice cream, his dark eyes flickering downwards at her, Selene suddenly found her attention drifting to where his lips had parted around the small spoon. His lips seemed to stay still, the spoon halfway into his mouth, and why was she noticing this all of a sudden? Forcing her eyes to look up at his, she could already feel the telltale warmth creeping up her cheeks. Her face flushed as she watched him close his mouth over the ice cream, before she pulled back the spoon and watched his face. Phynex's face suddenly lit up in surprised pleasure, a grin spreading across his face. "It's not really snow," she muttered at the grin he sent her, looking down. Why did I feed him when he could have done it on his own? Still, peeking upwards at the pleased look in his face didn't quell the warmth spreading in her chest...

"I'll have some too-" He pried the spoon from her fingers, and she blinked at where his hands had brushed hers. Then she watched as he scooped out a small ball of ice cream with the cherry red sauce, bringing it up to her face. Her eyes flickered upwards, further, to look at him. There was no winning with that hopeful smile on his face, was there? But that spoon... Shaking her head inwardly, she remembered that they had already done something similar back in Lumist. Feeding each other soup and other foods, they had already done such things. This isn't so different. Her eyes glanced down as she accepted the ice cream from him, closing her eyes to avoid looking at him. A mild, milky sweetness spread out on her tongue, followed by the more distinct taste of the cherry. "... it's good," she agreed afterwards with averted eyes and reddened cheeks, avoiding looking at Phynex and the lady looking at them.

She followed his gaze at where he was pointing at one of the tubs, blinking. "But it's autumn." The ice cream was nice, certainly, but the cooler weather wasn't exactly fit for it. But she then looked at Phynex, with his hopeful smile and shining eyes, and sighed. Then again, does he ever feel cold? Unlike her, the fire demon withstood a lot of weather conditions and came out not worse for wear. Heat didn't bother him, cold didn't bother him, it seemed only water could actually hurt him - and that was in his demon form. Sometimes she wished she had that same tolerance. "... Alright."

Paying the smiling lady for one medium tub of ice cream, cherry and vanilla, she left the stall with a smiling fire demon. The ice cream container was nestled safely closer to the girl, after she had taken one look at him, then felt the warmer temperature surrounding him, and had placed it in her own basket. "Now let's go and buy some cuts of chicken and beef," she muttered, walking past him. They would finish this trip with buying a few cuts of meat for Phynex, knowing how much he enjoyed it. Even if she could only make stews and soups at best, he still put up with it.

 

[Mu]

With the tub of ice cream nestled safely in the basket he was holding laden with vegetables and fruits, he found himself in high spirits as they moved away from the freezer section and the chilled meats. Phynex was still holding onto the small unfinished cup of the white snow in his other hand, the handle of the spoon sticking out of his mouth. Here, there was a wide variety of meat for the two of them to see and buy. Chicken breasts and legs wrapped in plastic chilling under the cool lights next to the long rows of beef. Scarlet packaged meat blinked up at him from the corner of his eye. Turning around he spotted a long counters where big slabs of fish with shining scales lined up on what looked like ice cubes. Thin slices of meat were piled on one side of the counter while cuts of fresh fish and whole bodies were on the other clearly separated. Standing between the chilled meats and the counter of fish was a stand, a metal object that glowed with heat, packages of ready-made whole chicken seasoned with herbs sitting on the heated metal surface keeping itself at a lovely cooked state in their bags. Phynex looked down at the wide selection of meat, what could they have dinner for tonight? He liked the taste of octopus but it didn't seem like there were any of those eight-legged creatures on display. He might have to make do with beef. The fire demon reached down for a generous slice of steak, poking at the delicate flesh with a finger. "What do you want to buy? You can choose, Selene." After all she was the chef who prepared all of their meals, she should have the right to choose ingredients.

"Oh! If it isn't Phynex and Selene!" He turned around to see the familiar of Namah... except there was something that made him look different. He was clutching a paper bag to himself with a tanned arm, the fire demon blinking at the sight of the incubus without his trademark jet black skin. Thinking back, he had only ever seen the incubus inside the cafe were he felt welcome and carefree, letting loose his boundaries and showing the world what he truly was - an incubus, something he looked to be proud about. But in the supermarket were there were no neutral zones set were only the wary eyes of demons and humans casually going about their own business. His pale hair still remained the same, as did his features, but everything to Phynex was both foreign and familiar at the same time. Namah approached them, flinging his spare arm around the fire demon's shoulders, looking down at the contents of the basket. "That's a lot of food... you two going on a food date soon or something?" The incubus pointed at the tub of ice cream, his eyebrows raising at the vanilla and cherry flavoured ice cream. "Sharing ice cream on a romantic evening?" he chuckled, before slapping the fire demon's back playfully. "I'm joking~"

Phynex snapped at him playfully, wisps of smoke drifting out from between his lips in slight irritation. He closed his eyes and sighed, he needed to relax more around his friends. Perhaps it was his protective nature that didn't allow him to befriend an incubus easily, even if Namah was somebody who was very good-natured and carefree, with a dash of flirtatiousness to match. "What are you buying?" the fire demon asked him, glancing down at the plastic baskets the demon was carrying, supplied by the building itself. "Just some fruits, you'll learn that fruits are particularly good for men." There was a glint in his eyes that made the fire demon shudder, a mischievous one that told him that Namah wasn't telling him the whole story. "Well, I best be off. I need to head out with Kit soon."[/imga]

 

[Hana]

"I wish I knew more about cooking fish..." Selene murmured with a slight frown, standing beside the fire demon. She didn't know much about cooking seafood beyond roasting it above a fire or just simply frying it. Glancing at her partner, she could see his eyes roaming the many selections of meat laid out in rows. He had momentarily looked over at the seafood section, where fresh slices and cuts of fish were laid out on long counters. Remembering his reaction to the octopus, she wondered if he was seeking out that particular food. But there wasn't any of that available, and Phynex wasn't as fond of fish as he was of octopus. As he reached for a slice of steak, she realized she hardly knew anything about preparing steaks either. Why am I thinking of this? Her father had served mostly fresh produce, fruits and vegetables on the table when he remembered, along with some meat, but he had rarely ever prepared much beef or pork. "I guess I could try preparing steak...?" That came out more as a question, her voice rising ever so slightly at the end as she glanced up at Phynex. Some part of her wanted to see how he would feel about her trying to cook something new for him. Time to read on how to cook steaks... Maybe watch some instructional videos...

Before Phynex could get in a reply, however, a familiar, cheeky-sounding voice interrupted the two. Selene turned slightly to see Namah approaching them. She could already tell who he was from the sound of his voice, the sheer distinctive smooth and amused tone a trademark of the incubus. But upon actually seeing him, the huntress stared. Gone was the jet black skin that the group of hunters and demons had grown used to seeing in the cafe, replaced by tanned skin closer to her partner's own. Only those impishly smiling emerald green eyes, tousled mess of light-toned hair, and his features remained the same... Along with the feeling she could only describe would belong to an incubus. After being exposed to Adulio, who blatantly tried to draw all women in, Selene had grown attuned to noticing similar auras. And Namah was an incubus. His aura was of course different, but she couldn't deny that there was a strange pull about him. It made her shift slightly on her feet, eyes watching him intently. "Namah." They hadn't yet known if Namah and Kit had heard of the full account of what happened in Southmount, with Belinda.

But it seemed like her partner had come to nurse a dislike for incubi. She watched irritation flare in Phynex's eyes at the incubus' friendly approach and teasing, shaking her head slightly. Namah was still the fire demon's friend, no matter how badly their experience in Southmount had gone. Then the rest of Namah's words caught up and Selene blinked, staring at the incubus before looking away with a slight flush. There was no way she didn't understand that, not with how blatantly Namah had used that word. Thankfully, her own partner didn't seem to catch up on it, instead asking the incubus about what he was doing in the supermarket. Even then there was a strange note in Namah's voice as he answered, something that she didn't quite understand. Selene shook her head once again, looking down. Do I even want to know? "See you," the girl murmured, tapping Phynex on the shoulder. "Steak?" She moved ahead and picked out choice cuts of beef, before paying and letting the clerk package it.

 

[Mu]

Phynex sighed, turning away from the disappearing back of his incubus friend to look at Selene and the long rows of packaged beef and other meats. He turned to look at her, his expression turning apologetic. "I do not know how to cook fish either... apart from grilling it." Phynex glanced over at the array of seafood, his nose scrunched from the smell wafting from the cut meats. It smelt of brine and stink, something that wasn't appealing from something he was coming to accept into his diet. At first the idea of such a thing had put him off but in time he had realised that it was just small animals living in the vast ocean, could be caught and cooked and presented beautifully and tasted delicious and soft and buttery or salty soaked in broth. And fried or roasted fish with the crispy skin and soft white flesh that he could easily sink his teeth into turned out to be more delicious than he had thought. But he still was wary about the creature, delicious or no, simply because of its association with the sea. He and the vast ocean were not the best of friends. Thinking back to the brief period he and Selene had stopped by the sea, where he caught a glance at the biggest body of water he had ever seen past the crunchy and white beach sounds, he had panicked and ran back to the huntress for comfort. But octopus, on the other hand, was a delicacy he had never had before, the chewiness and how it tasted so good when it was covered in sauce... his stomach grumbled at the thought. Looking at the glass, he didn't see anything similar to the dish he wanted to try. The two of them had to make do with that they had, he looked down at the steak Selene had picked up, his eyes brightening up at her suggestion. "Yes, steak sounds good." Phynex grinned at her, taking the packages and loading them into his basket, before taking it to the register where the clerk greeted them with a smile before scanning their items. "Do you like steak?" he asked her, cocking his head at the huntress curiously as he loaded the plastic bags of their food into the basket.

With the sun still high the sky, the two of them slowly made their way home with Phynex holding lovingly onto the basket of food hanging from his arm. Every now and then he would stop and stare through a window, asking Selene to come and explain what he saw. The two of them walked quite quickly, weaving in and out of passersby easily heading back to Selene's apartment. As they were walking on one side, the fire demon passed by a pet store, halting his tracks. Peering through the window, his eyes met the round, adorable ones that belonged to a strange small animal. It was furry with pointed ears and a tiny little tail, its pink paws pressed against the windows as if it was trying with all its might to reach him. Phynex poked back at it through the glass, chuckling when he saw it bare its mouth open, a tiny pink tongue sticking out as it mewled at him. "Selene, what is this little thing?" he asked her, continuing to poke at the glass and watching as it tried to paw back, mewling all the while. His heart felt warm seeing how innocent this creature looked and how adorable it was rolling around in what looked like a small bed surrounded by paper clippings, Phynex couldn't help but to express his warmth with smiles and chuckles. But he knew he couldn't stay there for long, shaking his head and waving goodbye to the creature almost sadly, they continued on their way

As they walked, he caught himself looking down at the contents of the basket, suddenly recalling a day in Millia's cafe were Belinda and Golem had mentioned attending a family 'picnic' of sorts. And he remembered it was a large gathering of people and food all in one place, sharing together. Phynex blinked at the large amount of fruits they had, a bag or two of freshly baked bread with meat, he wondered if they could have their own picnic. He paced up to the huntress and tapped her lightly on the shoulder, pointing at their treasure box of food. "What is a picnic?" he asked her gently, "Can we have a picnic? With everyone, with friends?"

 

[Hana]

After they had finished what they had set out for - buying their groceries to last them for the week, which was actually a lot considering who her partner was - the young contract pair made their way home. Before commuting through a taxi, baskets and bags of food in hand, to walking back on foot to their apartment, the two of them happened to pass by a certain store. Selene had seen them throughout the city before, there was even one close to the hunters' hidden district. Upon noticing Phynex stop, the girl turned around with a raised brow, about to ask him what the matter was. Her eyes caught the curious look on his face, directed towards a cat displayed by the window of a pet store. With luminous, round pale green eyes and soft light orange fur, the animal looked like it was drowning in its own fur, with its body small and frail. The huntress took one look at the enthralled, inquisitive face of her partner, before sighing and walking to stand beside him. "That's a cat... You've already seen cats around the streets before, you know," she pointed out, watching him poke the glass. She watched him smile and grin down at the small creature that gave a soft mewl, poking back with its paws at the glass. Selene never really noticed the humans' pet animals. They were adored and a favorite of the civilian humans, but the hunters were never quite caught up on the practice of taking care of pets. Perhaps the richer families could afford it, but most hunters chose practicality. They had to put food on the table for their own children and families, and having to feed an extra mouth that didn't do anything was frowned upon. If the animal wasn't useful to them, or could be a companion in hunting, why would they need it? But cats were admittedly quite clever animals. Selene wondered if the fire demon ever anticipated what kind of cunning creature the kitten could grow up to be one day, from the small and innocent looking creature it was now. In a way that was what she could relate about with cats. Independent, inquisitive but careful. Good hunters of their prey, though the way they tended to play with their smaller prey was unnecessary.

Pursing her lips, she listened to Phynex chuckle gently at the kitten, a warm smile on his face. Her eyes were set on the fire demon himself instead of the small cat, watching and studying him. His face was incredibly expressive. From happy and satisfied, to annoyed and snappy, to furious and dangerous, she had seen a lot of his expressions. Then there were the softer expressions... Soft smiles, meant to comfort... And the occasional amused and cheeky grin he gave her... Phynex smiled a lot. Though she also noticed that he also could frown hard and get quite angry, he smiled a lot. As the fire demon sadly bid goodbye to the cat, Selene smirked to herself, letting out a barely audible sigh. I wonder if it takes much more strength to smile like that so much than it does to keep face in every adversities you face.

On the way back to the apartment, the fire demon suddenly spoke up again to his quiet partner. Eyeing the hand on her shoulder, Selene blinked. "People bring food outdoors to share it with each other, usually in parks or in open spaces," she then lifted her gaze to his at hearing his next question. Where had he heard about a picnic again? Up to now, even months after he had come to the human world, there were still some things he hadn't experienced firsthand. I've never gone on a picnic either... Wait. Belinda mentioned a picnic with her family and Golem... She was a little befuddled, looking away as they neared their street. "I... You can ask them," she murmured. If he was referring to the contract hunters and demons, she was sure they would agree to come anyway. Phynex would probably like those sorts of gatherings, after all. "They would most likely agree." It was obvious that she didn't know much about picnics, either, wasn't it?

 

[Mu]

"We can ask them when we get home," he murmured happily, a smile on his lips. "Food tastes better when it is shared by everyone, right?" With the sun bearing its heat down on their backs, the pair slowly wound their way through the city streets, clinging to the shadows cast down by the stores and buildings. With the basket hanging off his arm, the two of them stopped at a crossing, patiently waiting for the lights to blink green to signal it would be safe to walk. Amidst all the cars and motorbikes that roared past, a strange horse-drawn carriage clopped their way down the street, a black carriage with symbols etched on the sides. Peering through the scarlet curtains were bright but bored eyes, looking down at the road below them. Upon seeing the vehicle pass, Phynex realised a few of the people around them relaxed their shoulders, having tensed up when it had slowly moved past. Though the fire demon was confused, he didn't say a word, instead sticking close to the back of his partner, heading towards her apartment.

It was a relief for the fire demon to finally unhook his arm around the basket, placing it on the kitchen counter. He helped her unpack, carefully placing the separate bags of vegetables on the top shelves of the fridge and the packets of meats at the bottom. The box of ice cream was stuffed into the freezer below, and there was a look of satisfaction on his face when he stepped back to admire the fridge stacked with food from top to bottom. Having been handed Selene's phone, Phynex retreated to the sofa with a crunchy, washed apple in his hand. Over the months, despite not having a phone of his own - he really had no use for it - he was taught the basics of how to handle one just in case. Using her flip phone to help him, learning how to make calls by memory was something he committed to his mind. Even if the idea of using technology was strange to him, Phynex quickly learnt how to use her phone in case of emergencies. Texting, on the other hand, seemed to be a difficult task for him, as someone who did not know how to write in the English language. One by one, the fire demon began calling their friends to ask them about the prospect of a picnic together. He contacted Belinda and Golem first, who agreed after checking their schedule and finding it free, telling them that they would be bringing healthy herbal drinks. Ra and Delilah were ecstatic to come, arguing about what to wear and 'picnic fashion' to a confused Phynex, who listened to the bickering women for a few moments before hanging up. Namah and Kit did not have any missions planned as well, accepting the outing with a happy tone and the promise of filling sandwiches. It seemed Jared and Orion could also make it. Calling Millia next, she seemed surprised at the proposition and the mass invite. But after hearing the demoness laugh and planning what sort of mini cakes to bring, the fire demon seemed satisfied that she could come as well. Scrolling through Selene's contact, he frowned at the missing numbers of Aimee and her partner, having had thoughts of inviting them, but there was nothing to be done.

He finished the apple, gnawing all he could off the core, before standing up and placing her phone on the table. "Everyone said they could come next weekend," he grinned at her, tossing the apple core away. "Millia is bringing cakes, Belinda is bringing herbal drinks, Ra said she's bringing something for us to sit on and Kit said she will be making sandwiches." At the thought, Phynex was already salivating. "What are we bringing? Oh... and what is for dinner?"

 

[Hana]

Upon hearing his cheerful reply, Selene tilted her head and looked at him. Soft violet eyes blinked at Phynex for a few seconds, focusing on the happy smile on his lips before she looked away. "Maybe," she replied quietly, shifting her own bag of groceries on her arm as they continued down the streets. She wouldn't mind going on a picnic if it was with him, but she wasn't sure if she would even consider the very idea if she had never known him. Going out and socializing with people was either something she had to tread carefully on, or something that she never had the chance to do. But over the past months she had met him and those contract hunters and demons, and all of a sudden there were a lot more faces she saw with some regularity in her life. Poring over thick texts and flipping pages while seated next to Orion. Brushing away Jared's teasing remarks, flustered. Then listening to Golem and Phynex laugh with each other over something while she and Belinda contentedly nursed their own drinks and watching the people pass by their table by the side of the street. "... I guess it would be nice," her latter words were more quietly spoken than before.

They reached a crossing, standing amid a few other people. Selene recognized one or two of the people standing patiently with them to be hunters, people she had passed by in the hunters' district at least once. There was also a certain sharpness to the way hunters dressed, a formality that while never quite reaching the lavishness and elegance of Nora's wealthy, still imbibed a certain old world fineness to their clothing, which was usually in dark, subdued colors. While outside the hunters' district, the hunters never tried to stand out, most often wearing discreet clothing in neutral colors. The more youthful hunters sometimes tended to stray into the more colorful and standout clothing, but they also learned when they couldn't stand out. Turtlenecks and pants, or a simple shirt and pants. Layered clothing as the season grew colder. The two male hunters also glanced at her, recognition in their eyes before looking away. But the three hunters that had come across each other in the crossing immediately felt a shift in the air as their eyes spotted the dark, horse-drawn carriage make its way along the street. Selene was quiet, breathing even even as her eyes tracked the carriage with the intricate, spider-like carvings glinting in the light, before she drew her gaze away and looked up at Phynex. He looked confused, but as they continued along their way, didn't ask the silent huntress as they finally commuted some distance to the hunter's district and reached their apartment.

As soon as they reached home, unpacked and put the groceries in the right places, Selene handed over her phone to Phynex and picked off a few titles off her bookshelves in the small library, before heading out and sitting by the table near the small kitchen. She cast one glance at the smiling and laughing fire demon who chatted with their contacts on her phone, even as he sometimes looked at it with a befuddled expression. Shaking her head, she looked away and flipped open a book she had been halfway through the last time she sat down to read. '"All that, he would have owed to my friendship. Oh, what a splendid reign!" he repeated several times, then paused, drew from his pocket a gold snuffbox, lifted it to his nose, and greedily sniffed it... "What a splendid reign the Emperor Alexander's might have been!"... He looked compassionately at Balashev, and as soon as the latter tried to make some rejoinder hastily interrupted him. "What could he wish or look for that he would not have obtained through my friendship?" demanded Napoleon, shrugging... ... ... After his interview with Pierre in Moscow, Prince Andrew went to Petersburg, on business as he told his family, but really to meet Anatole Kuragin whom he felt it necessary to encounter. On reaching Petersburg-

She blinked up at the fire demon as he placed her phone on the table, pushing the book aside. The focused look in her eyes was replaced with something more bemused as she listened to him. Selene leaned her chin on her palm, gaze flitting away for a few seconds at his question, before looking back at him again. Seeing the hopeful look on his face, she sighed. "I'll try to see if I can make chicken wraps and fresh salad," she murmured, but paused. "Though we could also grab some of those meat buns to bring along. And for dinner..." She looked down and bit her lip. Buying a lot of that food meant they had to actually schedule what to make, using up the ones that had an earlier expiration and keeping for later the longer lasting ones. "Steak." She could always just read those cookbooks she had somewhere in her small library, or watch some videos on the rarely used laptop she had in her room.

 

[Mu]

Phynex could tell he was going to enjoy spending an evening with his friends, as he always did. Even in the cafe, surrounded by strangers and other customers that minded their own business, he felt safe with Millia and the other employees. Golem, his closest friend and confidant and his female partner were the ones he had grown used to, even closer after the adventure in Southmount. Upon learning he had been the one to raze the flower field to the ground, neither of them said a word both negative or positive, only congratulations for their successful assistance in the mission. He sympathised with Golem, who felt the same protective and guardian-like feelings Phynex did, but for the young healer. They always helped each other even outside of missions, passing on many bottles that were cures for the smallest things like a hangover to heavy fevers and sickness. Namah and Kit's antics weren't so appreciated, but even the incubus had a sense to know when to stop, and loved to socialise. He had common sense, despite being an incubus, knowing when and when not to display his usual behaviour.

He was a little saddened at the fact Aesma and Aimee might not be able to come, with their numbers missing from Selene's contact book. He wasn't even sure if they were on a mission, or whether or not Aimee was safe. Then again, would Aesma even be willing to come with them after the incident in the cafe? Storming out in a fit, Selene's words having angered him, it must have been the first fits in a while judging by the other's reactions, but certainly not the first.

The fire demon cocked his head at the huntress curiously, brown eyes blinking at her, alight with bright joy even evident with the smile on his face. "Chicken wraps?" he repeated after the huntress. They had brought plenty of chicken and beef from the market, plus Selene had always been quite tight on adding greens and vegetables to his human diet. Surprisingly for plants, they tasted quite good. He remembered seeing the beef wraps the Sandwich Man had as alternatives to those delicious bread buns he had, thinly rolled out and wrapped around the meat at the vegetables, sometimes with a sweet and tangy sauce dripped onto the chicken and soaked into the leaves. "Can I help you?" he asked her, blinking at the huntress with a hopeful expression. "I will try not to make a mess," he said after a moment of silence, twiddling his thumbs nervously. But the fire demon also licked his lips in anticipation for the promise of steak for dinner, the hopeful and joyful expression in his face growing even more. He looked down at the book she was reading, the front cover was written in an elegant script, rendering Phynex unable to decipher the name of the novel she was reading.

 

[Hana]

With a soft exhale, Selene reached over and snapped her book shut, rustling the pages slightly. "Yes, chicken wraps. Pieces of chicken and vegetables that are then wrapped up in a thin sort of bread with some kind of sauce." Sometimes, living with Phynex made her wonder how she had become so complacent with him. He was a lively, and loud, contrast to how she would have quietly spent her day. Always peppering her with questions about what humans would take as the most simple or trivial things, things humans took for granted. He was also too exuberant, much more enthusiastic about going out to her work with her than her. Of course, she knew that as much as he said he didn't mind being left alone at the apartment, he didn't like being alone. Loud and very, very animated? That was Phynex. And was he loud. Even with her teaching him to try and learn to prowl with a soft foot, it never quite took to him being quiet in the apartment. Hearing him - well, not stomp - go around the place, his footsteps pattering and his movements just blatantly obvious to her unless she shut herself in her room only kept on reminding her that she was no longer alone and free to spend her time just reading quietly.

Not that it was a bad thing. Even she could admit that he made her days more interesting. And it was just, all in all, annoying but nice. How that worked was beyond her, since she knew she was quite disapproving of him leaving his clothes or his belongings scattered about. Some days she would startle upon realizing she thought his clutter already belonged to their place, seeing the clothes she would sometimes have to take care of for him in his laundry basket or catching a glimpse of his shirt somehow ending up in the living area, draped on the back of a chair. Walking to the bathroom and seeing another set of bottles on the rack, clearly soap and shampoo for a grown man. Or that toothbrush just by hers. And why did just realizing that he had just been in the bathroom, once she goes in and seeing that he had just used the shower make her feel so uncomfortably aware that they shower in that very same damn shower? Was it the scent of his soap lingering?

"Help me?" Arching an eyebrow, Selene pretended to think upon it more as she looked away, holding him captive in silence as he blinked at her. Still, having those brown eyes somehow continue to look at her hopefully, she ended up looking back at him. "I guess you could help me prepare." Maybe it would be good if he found something to occupy his time with, like cooking. But she liked cooking now, somehow... Since when find herself beginning to enjoy it? Glancing at Phynex, she picked up her book, holding it to her chest. "Let's prepare it around 6:00. I'll be in my room reading, if you need me." She was on her way to her room, back to the fire demon, when she cursed to herself as she remembered she had to get actual cooking instructions. Having never prepared a dish like that before, she wondered why she wanted it so much to come out well - even perfect. I'll get the book a little later.

The huntress spent the rest of the afternoon reading, lying flat on her stomach on her bed. That wasn't her normal posture, and felt oddly self-indulging, but at least she had the privacy of her room. The one space where she somehow felt oddly shielded from the presence of her partner. She wasn't afraid of him, but... There were just times she needed time to herself. Then again, he was already coming sometimes to her room just to sleep in her bed. Was it even right of her to let him slip into her bed with her? She shook her head. Hadn't she already gone over this? While trust was a foreign word - even more after she couldn't trust herself not to hurt him, how she had felt when she had tried to choke him back in Lumist upon waking up - she trusted him not to hurt her. That somehow went a long way... And now her thoughts ended up straying back to him again. Selene only went out of her room once, picking out a book from the small library, and then carrying over the slim electronic she hardly ever used. A gift from her best friend, she should probably use it more. But it didn't really appeal to her outside of using it for research or to keep herself updated, and she already did a good enough job of that with her line of work. With a sigh, she opened it and settled it on her lap as she sat on her bed, booting it up. Phynex would enjoy this more than I would...

~----~
​

6:00 pm.

Selene had let her partner do as he pleased in the time before they had to prepare their dinner. But as the clock had started marching time closer to 6, she had gotten the ingredients and kitchen tools out. After reading and looking up on the different ways to cook a steak on her laptop that was rarely used, she felt she was prepared enough. Just follow the instructions and she would manage, like she always had when she was following an actual recipe. Cooking wasn't like baking, anyway, where she had to be exact with all the ingredients and measurements, and timing.

Laid out on the kitchen counters were the meat that had already been thawed earlier, rich pinkish-red, and marbled, slabs that she would cut up once they began. Since the beef was already cut suitably to make steaks, it wasn't like she had a lot of work to do aside from cutting off any undesirable parts. In the different cups and saucers were the spices and the condiments she had found while looking through what ingredients she had in her kitchen. Knowing her partner, he probably would have been happy with a very basic steak. But as this was the first time she would have him cook with her, how would it turn out?

He was a fire demon, and he had looked incredibly interested in how those beef sandwiches he often had were made. Grilled on top of a sizzling charcoal grill, where that middle-aged man carefully watched over how the once vibrant pinkish-red slabs slowly browned and turned into the meat that Phynex liked.

As soon as Phynex had come into the small kitchen, the girl looked up at him. Her hair had been pulled back from her face, tied back into a ponytail that kept most of her bangs back. "Phynex? Wash your hands first." Taking up the kitchen knife, she nodded at him to move over to the sink. "... This is my first time making steak, so please listen and follow my directions carefully."​

 

[Mu]

With a book in hand, Phynex retreated into his room for the time being. There was still some time to waste before 6 o'clock. The fire demon had picked out one of the books the huntress had in her many bookshelves, lined from the roof down the floor. It was an impressive collection for a human. The largest library he had seen himself was the Infernal Library in the capital of the Underworld, where the royal palace resided. And that was one open to the public, Phynex couldn't even imagine what the royal library would be like. They say that it housed some of the rarest books in the world, both human and demon worlds. The fire demon was a little envious, as books were the only media that he had learnt most from, with his own experiences the other one. It was a shame he could only read in the general demonic language, as he had found plenty of other books in strange dialects from different states of the Underworld that he did not understand. Books about native plants and demons and whatnot, the fire demon never tried to learn other languages. Basic English his father had taught him, but the fire demon was surprised at his sudden fluency when he first came to this world.

He sat down on the bed, flipping open the book. It was a collection of stories from the East, fairy tales that were told by mouth or written in story books for little children and often contained morals that people should follow. Violent stories of bloodshed and betrayal, stories of undying love that spanned across centuries, the East's way of storytelling was unique and intriguing. They seemed to love their creatures, when compared to the West and their hooded young girls and dwarfs and witches. Phynex sighed, reading a book about fairy tales wasn't as interesting as he had thought, if Selene wasn't reading it to him. Thinking back to those days spent in the infirmary resting up after their battle in Lumist, with the huntress clutching a leather bound book of Western stories with intricate pictures. Without Jared, the only voice he could hear was her soothing one, filling the room as she told him about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves or Red Riding Hood.

A few months ago, Phynex would have never expected him to be so close to a human being. Was it normal for a contract to go this smoothly? He didn't know much about how the magic behind it worked. He would have never thought he would work with a human, much less be able to live with them, sleep beside them and care for them as they cared for him. Nor would he have expected to meet the demons that were so hated by the denizens of the Underworld, branded as traitors and filth for working with the enemy. Yet, they didn't seem as bad as they sounded. Delilah, Namah, Golem... they were all so kind. He felt alone at first, but now he was surrounded by friends all around.

Phynex smiled, reminiscing old times and reading the book he had opened up. The story of a spirit raccoon dog who made its way into a teapot... it sounded so unrealistic, but what would he say about these sorts of beliefs. They also say that Celestials, the opposing faction of demons, existed somewhere in the world. But Phynex in all his life had never seen one and he did recall a time where his father told him his experience with an angel either. Were they real? Was there really a heaven up there? A Paradise and an Underworld... well, it was the general 'religion' most demons took faith in. Where there angels in the human world as well?

Time passed so quickly, in a blink an of eye the digital clock beside his bed blinked the number six at him. Not wanting to keep the huntress waiting, he emerged from his bedroom with the book, swiftly returning it to where it belonged. The huntress didn't like it when he misplaced her precious books, or ruined her book collection. It was best he treat it was gently as possible. The fire demon walked into the kitchen, blinking at the spread of ingredients. The slab of pink meat, marbled, gleamed up at him. Phynex felt his stomach rumble in protest. "It is strange remembering the times I ate raw meat," he murmured, moving to the sink to wash his hands. "Cooked meat is so much better."

 

[Hana]

Selene eyed him as he approached, pretending not to notice the way Phynex's stomach had rumbled as he veered closer. "Would you like it tender for tonight?" The huntress asked, tilting her head to look at him better. "I don't have much to soften the meat with in the kitchen now, but if you like it, I'll buy some next time." She had looked up the different ways to make the meat tender, but then she had remembered how Phynex had enjoyed tearing into the beef sandwiches with his teeth. "I'll teach you how to make these cuts," showing it to him, the huntress started slicing through the pink, marbled, meat with deft movements, knife gleaming as it moved back and forth. Afterwards, she started giving shallow slices on the surface of one cut in a crosshatch pattern. A few more cuts and adjustments, taking off some tough parts and then she showed him the completed slice of steak that she then lifted and placed on a tray. Selene then washed her hands in the sink before setting the knife down.

"There's another knife for you," she motioned for him to get it on the counter. As she spoke, she grabbed a cup of lemon juice and honey, pouring an amount on the finished cut and beginning to knead the mixture into the meat. "This is to soften the beef." The huntress wasn't showing her nervousness, but having Phynex watch her cook and having him in the kitchen with her made the back of her neck prickle slightly. Purple eyes merely stayed set on what she was doing, only straying to catch the fire demon's brown eyes before flitting away quickly. She didn't even have to really watch what she was doing with the knife earlier, knowing how she was doing instinctively, but she had been unusually set on the task. "Go on. Try and make a cut, I'll watch and then add this," she lifted the lemon juice and honey, "To it."

Finally, she turned and looked at him, watching him expectantly. She had demonstrated to him what to do, and she knew he caught how she had cut through the meat earlier. If he made a good cut, she would make him continue until there were two more, so they had four. If not, she would just put him to work on making the mashed potatoes side dish - it would be simple enough for him to mix the mashed potatoes into a bowl with the spices and cream. It was Phynex's type of meal, a meat dish and potatoes. She had already chosen her own cut and washed vegetables served on a plate.

 

[Mu]

Phynex cocked his head as he watched the huntress move, the knife gliding along the meat. He was no stranger to knives, he wielded a giant sword himself and he wasn't afraid to butcher the corpse of demons to survive when he was younger. A smaller knife for a smaller slab of meat... it made sense. Making small cuts along the surface of the steak, not slicing all the way through but deep enough to notice. Phynex had seen this technique before but not know the reason why, as demons were simply used to just taking chunks of flesh using their jaws. With fascination, his eyes tracked her every movement, his elbows resting on the table and chin resting on his palm, as Selene kneaded the citrus and sweet mixture into the meat. "Oh," he said, blinking as she explained.

Now all he had to do was copy her. He confidently picked up one of the spare knives. Phynex knew if he put his mind to it, he would do a good job, at least to Selene's standards. She had even once said that he was a fast learner. Let the knife do the work, just simple guidance is enough to make a cut. He guided the knife down the steak, mirroring what he saw from his partner, faint lines creating a crosshatch pattern. Taking every step from memory, this part of the steak with these cuts, criss crossing and letting the knife just dip into the meat but not all the way through and slicing it completely. Deep enough for the citrus and sweet liquid to seep into the steak and make it tender and soft, as she said. "Like this?"

He looked at her for guidance, releasing the tension in his body and exhaling. He normally didn't help Selene when it came to cooking in the kitchen, as it was a mostly foreign concept to him with all these tools. Phynex had grown up with a fires fueled by firewood, random chunks he had torn out speared with sticks roasting by the fire. Or berries and edible plants. Or fish, whatever he could find. At least he wasn't a picky eater, whatever the product was from this process, he would eat it anyway.

 

[Hana]

"That's right, keep going..." The huntress guided Phynex quietly, watching his tanned hands affix the meat to the board and begin making different cuts. She smiled a little as she noticed how he almost mirrored the way she had cut and sliced into the meat earlier. The fire demon seemed a bit nervous, she could tell by the faint crease on his brow. It looked like she wasn't the only one who felt strangely nervous, and Selene wondered why. As Phynex began making finishing touches with the shallow, crosshatched slices on the surface of the cut, she murmured, "Correct. You can make another, and I'll handle the last one." She had changed her mind about leaving him to make the last two. It looked like Phynex still took well to instruction, though honestly, she thought he might get bored. If it weren't for food, he probably would have been.

She took up one knife again and moved over to stand next to him, swiftly cutting up and slicing to make another cut. Selene kept an eye on her partner's work as she prompted him to also make another slice, setting aside the finished slices on the tray again so she could begin adding the tenderizing mixture to the meat. "Now let's add the honey and lemon to the meat we just cut." The girl once again showed him how she had poured the mix into the meat after washing her hands, kneading the honey and lemon juice into the meat. The fluid seeped easily into the pink meat, the crosshatched slices on the surfaces making it easier to soften it.

"Can you continue this for me?" She pushed the tray and the container to him, moving over towards the neglected potatoes that she had already skinned. She had started on boiling it in a pot on the stove already and after it was finished she would mash the potatoes. But first... Selene had moved on to oiling the non-stick pan they would be cooking the steak on, making sure the oil was even on the flat surface. She started up the stove, heating the oil on the pan and waiting until it started to separate. "You can cook steak on this while I make the mashed potatoes." Ushering him to stand beside her, she slipped the first cut of steak onto the pan. It immediately began sizzling on the hot oil, Selene then beginning to press it more on the pan using a spatula.

As she did so, she started adding some more of the honey and lemon juice onto the sizzling meat, watching the juices trickle out as she pressed with the spatula. She waited a little, checking the underside of the cut to see if it had browned and gotten crisp at the edges by lifting it at the edge. Once one side was done, she flipped the cut again, adding more of the softening mix. "And that's how it's done. Just wait for it to brown, I think you can tell if it's cooked." she lifted the now finished steak with a spatula and placed it on a readied white plate. "Think you can do it?" She handed the spatula to him and pointed to the pan, the oil still sizzling slightly on it. "Add oil as needed."

Mashing the potatoes in a bowl with a pestle, she started adding the light cream and spice mixture she had prepared. Then she pushed the contents into a until the end result was a soft-textured, creamy dish, ready to be scooped onto a plate beside a finished steak. It was after this that she realized she was quicker to cook with Phynex helping her, and her preparing the ingredients for the dishes while she just guided him along. "You should come here and help me more often," Selene commented off-handedly, voice soft. "I could make more food for us quicker if you're with me."