Ugh… I feel like crap… I must be coming down with something…

Waking up seemed to take longer today, but Kim just slogged through her morning ritual, and put on her uniform, stopping to scowl at the skirt before she put it on, as usual.

Today I'm going to remember to ask Diavolo if I can wear pants, she thought, not for the first time.

Heading into her bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror, seeing the bags under her eyes, and frowning. I've been getting more sleep than normal, so why does it look like I'm not getting any? she thought. Definitely coming down with something.

Noting the time on her D.D.D. she realized that Mammon would be leaving soon, and she wouldn't have time for breakfast, but decided it was just as well, since she had no appetite. Thinking back, she hadn't really eaten anything yesterday either.

That's odd… she thought, but was interrupted as she came into the hallway and heard Mammon's voice.

"I've been waiting for this day… no, dreaming of this! So many times that I can't even try to count it."

Kim frowned, and moved forward quietly, wondering what he was talking about.

"All the time that we've been apart, and I never stopped thinkin' about you."

She peeked around the corner, seeing Mammon was pacing back on forth, and she realized he must be practicing a confession. It made her grin, but she moved back to stay hidden. She didn't want to miss this.

"You've just… wrapped me up around your finger, ya know that? I thought that I was strong… I'm a leader of the Devildom for cryin' out loud. But I just can't resist you, no matter how hard I try."

Kim's romantic heart sped up, just hearing the words. Whoever the lucky person was that Mammon would be saying these things to, she was slightly envious.

"I've just… fallen. Fallen, so hard for you. I hope you knew what you were doing when you cast this spell on me, because I'm yours now. There's no going back."

She put her hand over her mouth to stop from making a noise, but it was just so beautiful!

"Oh, my baby Goldie! My one and only credit card! I missed you so much!" Mammon suddenly shouted happily, and Kim's eyes went wide in shock.

There's no way… all that was… for his credit card?! She moved to peek around the corner again, and saw that Mammon indeed had his credit card in his hand, and was lovingly rubbing it.

"I've been so worried, but now you've finally come back to me, Goldie! Did that bastard Lucifer mistreat you?" He grumbled a bit, as he turned it over, checking every angle. "To think he stuck you in the freezer- the freezer! You must have been so cold, so lonely, so sad… You poor baby!"

Kim didn't realize that she had moved out into the entrance hall, her mouth agape as Mammon continued to say sweet, romantic things to his credit card.

"But you're back with me now Goldie, and I'm gonna treat ya right! We'll go shopping, and visit ATMs… over and over and over until you're completely maxed out!"

Mammon gave a happy chuckle, and then noticed the human that was walking towards him, looking confused. "What is it human? You look like you have something to say, and I'm in such a good mood right now, that I'll even listen!"

"All… all those beautiful words… were for your credit card?" Kim asked incredulously. "Did you hit your head or something?!"

Mammon frowned. "Hey, shut up. Also, I'm rubber, and you're glue! Bam! Now you're the one that's stupid!"

"I guess.. I didn't expect for you to be so in love…" she replied, shell shocked.

"Of course I am!" he boomed. "There are two things in this universe that I love more than anything else. Money, and my sweet baby, Goldie." He looked down at the card again, and Kim could see the slight blush on his cheeks. "I can't even explain it… just the way it feels when I touch her… and every time I take her out of my wallet- ooh... I get goosebumps!"

Kim could feel goosebumps on her own arm, but she was pretty sure they weren't for the same reason as his.

"Ah… anyway…" she said, shaking her head. She was the one that wanted to get to know him better, so she couldn't actually complain when she did. "So what are you going to buy?" she asked.

She followed him out the door, listening as they walked to school about the magnanimous Mammon, and how he would buy things anonymously for little human children that had nothing. She wasn't sure she believed it… but it was surely entertaining to hear.

It became even more entertaining, as they discovered Levi was behind them, when he suddenly called Mammon a liar, and the two of them started arguing.

She discovered that even Levi didn't have all the facts, since Mammon would correct him without thinking, but the truth seemed to be somewhere in the middle of everything. Hearing about witches that were using Mammon had Kim getting upset for him, but she was confused again when Mammon said they didn't get a pact with him.

So why is he letting them order him around? she wondered. That definitely doesn't seem like Mammon.

The brothers continued as they went into RAD, and Mammon's D.D.D. rang. He looked at the screen, and went pale.

"Go ahead, I'll meet ya later," he said to Kimberly, and she nodded. She heard him mutter something about scary women, as he walked away.

She turned to say something to Levi, only to find that he had walked away too.

"I mean, it's not like I'm asking for much here, just some basic manners!"

Solomon smiled, as he wrote in an answer on their worksheet. The geography lessons of their human cults class was always the easy part for the pair of humans, and the most difficult for the demons. The pair usually ended up with time to talk as they completed the homework assignments, which they both enjoyed.

"Still not welcoming you, are they?" he asked her.

"No," she pouted, as she took the worksheet and wrote " North America," in the blank. "Asmo will speak to me, but only to give some wild propositions, or to tell me what Beel is wearing- which is weird. Satan still looks at me like a bug, and treats me like one too, especially when I go into the library."

She frowned as she continued. "Levi completely ignores me unless it's not possible, and then he'll insult me. And Beel just takes the food right off my plate, without speaking to me at all. And none of them will let me help with the cooking since that first night. I'm still not sure why."

He gave her a consoling look, and she felt bad for complaining.

"I guess it isn't all bad, I mean, Lucifer uses my name, and Mammon does now too, though only when I somehow make him, through the pact."

"Somehow make him?" Solomon asked curiously.

"Yeah, it's weird," she replied. Her head was swimming, and she crossed her arms and laid her head down on them. "I mean, it bothers me when they call me human- when they use it like an insult- but I never ordered him not to. I just asked him to use my name, and he refused. But then the next minute, he's trying to call me human, and my name comes out instead."

"Interesting…" Solomon replied. "How did you ask him?"

"Something like, Would you please use my name?!" she said, trying to mimic her frustration from the night it happened.

"Perhaps the forcefulness of your voice made it more like an order then?" he postulated.

"That makes as much sense as anything," she replied, giving a large yawn.

"Are you not sleeping well?" he asked, his head tilting as he smiled.

"No, I'm fine," she said, not wanting to get into how she was actually feeling. "Just trying to study for the demon test. I only have two days left, and I have no idea how to actually prepare for it."

"It's not as bad as you might think," he said with a wry smile. "They'll start you with a lesser demon."

"Since I've never been up against any demon, that seems daunting," she murmured, as her eyes slowly closed.

Solomon looked at her in concern, but decided she was probably staying up late studying. She just seemed tired, after all, and the nights in the Devildom took some getting used to.

"What are you doing, Kimberly?" Lucifer asked from the darkness, and Kim jumped. "Out for a stroll?"

She tried to still her racing heartbeat, as he walked over to her with an eerily mild smile on his face.

"I keep running into you here, don't I?" he asked, crossing his arms as he moved to block her way. "It seems you're very curious about what is at the top of this staircase."

"I guess I am," she replied, looking from him to the top of the stairs. "I'd apologize for being curious, but I wouldn't really mean it."

His eyes narrowed, and the smile was erased from his face as he looked down at her- and she still had to crane her neck back to look him in the eye. "Unless I am mistaken, I believe I told you that it is not a place humans have any business going," he said testily.

She could hear the underlying threat, and looking away sheepishly, replied, "You, uh, are not mistaken, no."

His features seemed to morph again into a more pleasant look, though he was still not smiling. "If you cannot sleep, then perhaps I should make you some tea? Something to help you get a good night's rest."

She looked up at him again, seeming surprised at his thoughtfulness. She would have sworn he was angry with her… he always seemed angry with her.

"Uh…" she started to thank him, when he leaned down more to get in her face, and his voice became very soft and forceful.

"You should probably know that it is a bit too effective on humans though. So effective that you may find that you never wake up again."

Kim took a step back, uncertain. She had no doubt that Lucifer would kill her without feeling bad about it. But, at the same time, he wouldn't hurt her because of his loyalty to Diavolo. It was hard to tell which side would win out at the moment.

"You get what I'm saying here, don't you?" he asked, as he straightened up again. "Go back to your room."

He stayed where he was, the eerie smirk gracing his face once more, and Kim knew she had no other option.

"Goodnight, Kimberly," Lucifer added in victory, and she frowned, seeing him enjoy her frustration at having to obey him.

For now… she thought, as she turned and made her way back to her room. Something is up there… something that is calling to me… and Lucifer doesn't want me to find out what it is… why? she became resolutely determined in that moment to discover exactly what was going on. Which meant, that something would have to be done about Lucifer.

"Hey Beel?"

Beelzebub looked over at the human, noting that he was in the middle of grabbing food from her plate, which took him by surprise. He hadn't truly noticed that he was doing that… it was just so close to his own.

That thought had him frowning, and looking closer. Her plate was pushed over to him, which didn't make any sense. He looked back up to her in confusion.

"Why don't we ever talk?" she asked giving him a timid smile. "I think we could be friends."

He heard a 'pfft' noise, and turned to see Mammon across the table, rolling his eyes at her.

"You've got to be kidding me," he stated, and Beel noticed the human turn to him with a frown.

"No, I'm not kidding, Mammon," she said with a pout.

"You just don't get it, do ya?" Mammon shot back. "Beel here," he gestured towards his brother with his fork, "is always eatin'. He's called the Avatar of Gluttony for a reason, ya' know?"

"Yes, I think I heard that somewhere," she replied sarcastically, and Beel wondered why she let Mammon talk all the time, when she had the power to shut him up.

"And to us demons, eating a human like you is a special sorta treat, you get me?" he continued. Beel looked over at the human, and nodded his head. That part, I completely agree with… he thought.

"Yet, here we are, eating breakfast instead. I mean, it's like having a premium- grade roast Iriomote musk hog right in front of us. Medium rare, cooked to perfection…" Beel could feel himself salivating at just the thought, and his stomach let out a growl.

"Exactly!" Mammon exclaimed, as if Beel had spoken to agree with him. "But we can't have it! Instead, we're having blackbelly newt legs… which are perfectly fine, I actually like them." He proved it by stabbing a few and shoving them in his mouth.

"Buh!" he continued, chewing as he tried to speak, and eventually swallowed. "Now- this big, juicy chunk of meat, is asking why the Avatar of Gluttony isn't talkin' to it?! I mean, you see how ridiculous that is, right?!"

Beel simply thought a moment, and then nodded. It made perfect sense to him after all, even if it had come from Mammon.

"Whatever, Mammon," he heard the human say as he finished her food and got up with his dishes, leaving the two of them behind.

"You should listen to me more," Mammon said, "because everything I say is not only truth, but will stop you from being such a dummy."

Kimberly pouted slightly at seeing Beel walk away without a word, but decided now was as good a time as any to ask about the stairs. If she could just find out what was up there, then perhaps her curiosity would be sated, and she wouldn't have to actually see it.

"So, what's at the top of those stairs by the library, anyway?" she asked, suddenly giving Mammon her full attention.

Mammon stopped in the middle of his lecture, looking confused. "What stairs?" he asked, flustered that she was staring at him. He thought quickly about what she meant, and frowned. "Are you talkin' about the stairs that go to the attic?" he asked, perplexed. "Why do you even care?"

"I just want to know what's up there," she replied, trying to act nonchalant.

"There you go again, sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," he muttered. "Look, that's not how you ask for information! You've got to offer money if you want something from someone, you should know that much!"

"It's not like I'm asking for Devildom secrets or anything," she said with a pout.

"Oh-ho!" Mammon crowed, looking at her with a sly grin, and understanding more fully the situation. "You tried to climb those stairs, didn't you? And Lucifer stopped you, right? That's totally it, isn't it?"

"And if it is?" she asked, haughtily.

"Well, then, there's something you really need to understand," he replied, sitting back in his chair with a smirk. "You think you can just offer Mammon here a little bit of money, and he'll spill the beans? Well, you're dead wrong."

"What? Why?" she asked petulantly.

"If I told you somethin' I shouldn't? Lucifer would beat me half to death," he answered, then thought better of it. "Actually, he'd probably eliminate me completely, and it'd take a good hundred million years to recover from that."

He pointed straight at her as he leaned forward across the corner of the table. "So the amount of money needed would be… two hundred million years worth of the money ever made in the human realm."

"So, basically you're not going to tell me," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Aw, look who's suddenly using her brain," he replied, giving her a grin. Seeing her suddenly grin back at him, had him sitting back, and wondering what was happening.

"Huh, that's funny," she said, as she stood up.

"What's funny?" he asked, though he cursed himself for falling for her trap, yet he stood up to follow her anyway.

"I guess I didn't realize that you were scared of Lucifer," she said as she walked out of the dining room.

"WHAT?!" he roared, as he charged after her. He grabbed her arm, and swung her around to face him. "What'd you just say?" he snarled. "You think I'M actually afraid of Lucifer?! Me! The Avatar of Greed?"

He pointed so close to her face that she thought he might poke her, but she schooled her features even as she cheered inside.

"It's okay, I mean, he can be scary, so I don't blame you," she replied, smiling internally at the look of shock that he gave her.

"Look, you obviously don't know who you're talkin' to! I mean, most of the time I don't let people see the full extent of my power! I'm not scared!"

"Okay, if you're not scared, then you'll have no problem telling me what's up those stairs?" she asked, acting innocent.

He narrowed his eyes at her, realizing what she was doing, but not wanting to let it go. "All right, fine!" he sneered. "But the joke's on you, because I don't know!"

"Huh?" she asked.

"None of us do," he said with a smirk. "It's Lucifer's private attic, so the only way to know, is to go up there yourself."

"Great," she sighed. "Now what?"

"You can't get up the stairs because Lucifer blocks the way, right? So you have to do something to distract him, to keep him away."

"Exactly," she answered. She had a thought, and glanced back up to him. "And being such an amazing demon, I bet you know the best way to do that, don't you, Mammon?" she asked.

He gave her a wicked grin, and held out his hand, telling her he would need something in compensation.

"I've got some cash, but it's dollars, not grimm, so it's not worth anything…" she trailed off as his eyes lit up. "It's about fifty bucks, but it's all I had on me when I got here. And it's yours if you tell me how to get past Lucifer." She thought it crazy that he'd want worthless money, but if it was what he wanted, she would happily part with it.

"Deal," he said, grabbing her hand, and pulling her back towards her room. "But I don't say a word until the cash is in hand."

She couldn't blame him for that, so she waited patiently until they had gotten back to her room, and she found the cash in her bag that was stuffed in the closet. She opened the wallet in front of him, figuring it was best to show him that she was truly giving him everything she had.

He gave a grin as the money disappeared into a pocket. "Well guess what, distracting Lucifer is as easy as pie! I'm only going to say this once, so clean the wax outta your ears, and pay attention for a change!"

Kim smiled. "You have my undivided attention, Mammon, sir."

"Hi Kim," Solomon greeted her, as he joined her and Mammon in the hallway. "Shall we head to class?"

"Hey Solomon," she replied, giving him a smile and a little wave. "I'm ready." She turned back to Mammon, wondering if he had seen Lucifer somewhere since he was now sporting a scowl. "I guess I'll see you later tonight, Mammon?" she asked him.

He rolled his eyes at her, even as he put his hands on his hips. "Did ya hit your head again? I gotta walk you home, don't I?" he said, put out. "Otherwise some demon may decide to have a snack, and Lucifer will kill me."

Kim smiled. "You're free of responsibility for today," she reminded him. "Solomon is coming over today, so he'll walk me home." She gestured to her friend, and Mammon gave him a quick distrustful glance.

"Yeah?" he asked, though he sounded disgruntled rather than happy, and Kim wondered what was going on with him.

Her head tilted in confusion as she gazed up at him. "I mean, you can stay if you want…" she offered, and he snapped straight.

"You kiddin?!" he laughed forcefully. "If ya got another babysitter, then I'm outta here, of course! THE Mammon has more important things to do then watch over some human!"

She frowned at him, and he laughed again, leaning down to face her. "Everyone is sad without me around, but you just have to get used to the disappointment!" he said with a cackle.

She continued to frown after him, even as he turned and strutted off down the hallway. She sighed, and turned back to Solomon, who looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"Sorry about him," she said with a roll of her eyes. Solomon gave a chuckle now, and she turned to look up at him. "What's so funny?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing," he replied, giving her a charming smile, and gestured forward with his hand. "Shall we?"

Kim nodded, and started walking in the direction of their classroom. "So I was wondering if you were spending all evening with Levi, or if you would have time for some last minute cramming?" she asked.

He glanced over and raised his eyebrow at her choice of words. "You're still worried about the test tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah…" she admitted, making a face. "It's more that I have no idea what to expect, and trying to prepare for anything can be exhausting."

"Well, you actually seem more rested today," he said, relieved that her eyes looked clear and alert, the bags under them just about gone.

"I got a lot of sleep yesterday," she said, embarrassed that he had noticed. "I fell asleep right when I got home, and slept straight through dinner even."

He chuckled again, but was glad to hear it. He had been getting concerned that she wasn't taking care of herself. "Studying until you make yourself sick won't do you any good," he warned.

"Yeah, sorry," she replied, as they walked into the classroom, and went to the back table. She pulled her supplies out of her bag, and sat down. She decided to not tell him that it was actually the stress that was causing the illness. That morning she hadn't been able to keep down her breakfast, and her stomach had been cramping all day in retaliation.

Nothing I can't handle, she thought. At least I'm not dizzy like yesterday.

She settled in, hunching over her notebook as she took notes, to cover that she was holding her stomach through the class. No point in getting everyone worked up because I'm stressing out. It will go away once this test is over with.

Solomon wasn't as oblivious as Kimberly thought he was, but he wasn't one to push either. She obviously didn't want to speak of it, but he could tell that something was wrong- he just couldn't figure out what exactly was the problem.

He could tell as they walked to the House of Lamentation that she would have moments of pain. She would make a small noise, and her face would scrunch up against the feeling until it passed. She would act as if nothing happened, so he followed her lead. He knew there was a common problem that women faced every month that would give them pain, and by her lack of communication, he assumed that that was all it was.

Most women he had known were more than happy to complain about it, but he could appreciate that Kim just suffered in silence. After all, she was the type to not want to burden others.

Perhaps if I help distract her, he thought, and cleared his throat. "So, what did you want to go over tonight?"

"Hmm, I suppose ways of combating demons?" she replied, and he looked surprised.

"Do you see yourself fighting them?" he asked with a smile. "I doubt that is what Diavolo had in mind for the test."

"Agreed, but I don't think it's a written exam either," she murmured. "Lucifer said something about resisting them, and Diavolo said that I'll be given help since I don't have magic, like you." She looked over at him with a sardonic look on her face at the thought of his magic. "So I feel like there will be some sort of confrontation- me against a demon… somehow…."

"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense, though I don't know how that will happen." He looked down at her again. "Didn't you say something about being able to use the brother's powers?" he asked, keeping his voice low in case they passed anyone.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Diavolo said they put it in my D.D.D." she pulled out the device and looked at it apprehensively.

"And do you know how to access it?" he asked, pointedly.

"Uh… no?" she replied, giving him a defensive look. "I'm still not sure that magic like that even exists! How can I use something I'm not sure I believe in?"

He gave a sigh. "Kim, magic surely exists, believe me."

"Okay, say that I take that at face value," she argued. "just saying magic exists, doesn't exactly explain it! What kind of magic? I mean, it's obvious to me that the demons here have greater abilities than humans do. They are stronger, faster, immortal, etcetera.." she counted on her fingers as she listed items.

"But is that all it is?" she asked. "Back home, magic was an illusion, Solomon. There was always an explanation. I guess I'm wondering if the magic here is similar. Not that it isn't real-" she added quickly to stop him from saying anything. "But that humans call it magic, simply because we don't have those abilities?"

"Hmm," he hummed, as he thought about her words. He glanced at her, seeing the look of pain on her face again, as she rapidly turned her face away to hide it. He let it go, though he couldn't help but wonder if he was right in his earlier assumptions.

"I suppose you could think of it as greater abilities," he concluded. "Magic involves hard work, and time, yes, but there is power as well. It is not merely that a person has power and with a wave of the hands, something magical appears."

"Aha!" she replied, nodding smugly.

"That's not to say that those with the power cannot do so," he added, returning her smug look. He held out his hand in front of her, letting her see it was empty. He gave a quick incantation under his breath, and she gasped as a bright light appeared in the center of his palm. He let it sit there for a few moments before releasing the spell and dropping his hand.

"Wha…?" She had stopped, and was gaping at him.

He laughed at her shocked look, and patted her shoulder. "Sorry, but I figured you needed to see it to believe it."

"I… I don't …." she muttered. "Holy frijoles, Solomon… you have magic…"

He laughed again, enjoying her reaction to something that had simply always been a part of his life, as far back as he could remember. "Yes, or you could say that I simply have greater abilities…"

She gave him a dry look now, then shook her head as she chuckled. "Well, you succeeding in putting me in my place, that's for sure." She doubled over with a groan, causing Solomon to lean over in alarm.

"Kimberly? Are you all right?" he asked worriedly. She held up her hand, asking for a moment, and he wondered what he should do. Maybe summon some help, or try to get her back to the school to see Diavolo? he thought. Deciding, he crouched down next to her. "We should get you back to RAD," he said quietly. "Diavolo or Lucifer will be able to help."

"N-no," she stammered, panting through the pain. "I'll be all right in just a moment," she added.

"This is obviously not normal," he argued.

"I know it seems to have come out of nowhere, but the stress over the test and the lack of sleep have simply taken their toll," she explained. She pulled herself together, managing to stand with only a small groan.

"See?" she said, taking a deep breath, and letting it out as she stood tall. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he disagreed. He crossed his arms, as he looked down at her. "You need more rest at the very least, though you should probably see a doctor."

"I promise I'll rest, once we get to the house," she waved off his concern. "As long as you promise to help me study later tonight, I can let the worry go for now."

He eyed her, knowing that something was amiss, but decided not to push. "All right," he agreed, deciding the House of Lamentation was the next safest place for her to be.

Perhaps I should ask Asmo to send word to Lucifer about her health issues. If she wouldn't take care of herself willingly, Lucifer was certain to see it done, even if only to ensure the success of the exchange program, he thought.

He decided to wait until they reached the house, and see how she fared then. Perhaps she was right, and she had simply made herself ill.

He was much more attentive to her as they walked on in silence, determined to discover the scope of her affliction.

Kim looked over at him, giving a small smile. It was obvious that he was concerned, but she wished he wasn't. She was used to this type of thing. True, it hadn't been so bad before as to include stomach cramping, but she was always saying she would give herself an ulcer one day. It looked like the stress of being in the Devildom along with the constant threats of death had added to the strain on her system.

Not to mention not eating in the last two days, and trying to find out what Lucifer is hiding upstairs, she thought, glad she hadn't told Solomon about either of those problems. But he doesn't need to worry, feeling bad to have burdened him so. I'll be just fine in a day or so, once this stupid test is done, and I have the chance to distract Lucifer.

She smiled at him again, hoping it would ease his tension. The last thing she wanted to do was show how weak she was to the brothers. They already thought her to be pitiful… she wanted to prove them wrong, not right.

"Here we are," she announced, as she and Solomon faced Levi's bedroom door.

"Thanks Kim, but I knew where I was going," he said with a crooked smile.

"I thought you hadn't been here before," she said with a frown.

"No, but Levi gave me pretty detailed directions," he admitted.

"What, did you two stop somewhere?"

The pair turned, to see Mammon leaning against the wall nearby.

"Were you waiting for us?" she asked, giving him a grin.

"O-of course not!" he sneered. "But I got home ages ago, and you two just barely walked in!"

"How would you know if you weren't waiting?" Solomon asked innocently.

"Shut up," Mammon muttered, moving closer to Kimberly. "Did something happen?" he asked her suspiciously.

"Nope, just talking," she answered, giving Solomon a look so that he would follow her lead.

Solomon said nothing, and eventually Mammon stepped back with a mumbled, "whatever."

"If you don't mind, I had something I wanted to ask Levi," Kim told Solomon, and he gave her a go ahead gesture. She turned, but before she could knock, she heard a scoffing sound from behind her. She glanced back, giving Mammon a glare.

"What?" he sneered. "Don't go thinkin' everything's gonna go your way just 'cause you want it to. Levi's not gonna help, ya know?"

"No, I won't know, not until I ask," she snipped back, missing his roll of his his eyes when she turned back. She raised her fist and rapped on the door.

Instead of opening, she heard Levi through the door. "Would you two do me a favor, and NOT stand outside my door? I'm in the middle of watching the best scene of The Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl."

"The human has something to ask you, Levi," Mammon said loudly back to the door. "So get off your ass!"

"No."

"See?" Mammon said gleefully, leaning back against the wall again. "Told ya."

She thought for a moment, wondering how best to appeal to him. Then figured the best thing would be the truth.

"Hey, Levi? I was just wondering if I could borrow your TSL soundtrack, beca-"

"No."

Mammon started laughing. "Yeah, 'cause he'd do it out of the goodness of his heart! He's a demon, you dummy!"

Kim pursed her lips, trying to think of what to do when Solomon said, "better than a certain demon that let a human find out his greatest weakness and exploit it, and was then tricked into forging a pact."

Mammon laughed. "What demon was that? He must be a total numbskull! Ha ha, what an idiot!" He laughed a bit before noticing that Solomon and Kimberly were giving him pointed looks. "… wait, you're talkin' about ME!"

"Well, since that didn't work, I'm afraid I'll need to try my own luck," he said, as he knocked lightly on the door. "Levi? It's me, Solomon."

"What's the secret phrase?" came the response.

"The second lord…" Solomon said, and paused.

"...attempted to steal the Lord of corruption's platypus, which could lay golden eggs…" Levi continued from the other side of the door.

"...having incurred the wrath of the Lord of Corruption for this misdeed…" Solomon added.

"... it was ordered that the second lord would be forever dubbed the Lord of Fools. Secret phrase authenticated. You, Solomon, may enter, but only you."

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Solomon said, as he gave the two of them a little wave. "I'll just come by your room later, shall I, Kim?" he asked as he stepped forward and grabbed the door handle.

"Yeah, thanks, Solomon," she replied, feeling discouraged. She looked to Mammon. "I guess you were right," she told him. "It's not going to be easy to borrow that soundtrack. I'll have to find something that Levi wants and trade him for it."

"Trade him for it?!" Mammon asked, dumbfounded. "I thought you were learning how things worked around here!"

"What do you mean?" she asked, as she started walking to her room, and Mammon followed her.

"It's obvious, ain't it?" he said with a sigh. "If you find something a demon wants, you make a pact to get what you want!" Payback's a bitch, Levi, he thought maliciously. You push me into a pact… and you'll get the same back at ya!

Kim frowned, as she thought it over. "But I have a pact with you, that's all I need, isn't it?" she asked seriously, and Mammon gaped at her. He couldn't help but be flattered, and couldn't help but agree with her statement, but he needed his revenge.

"Well, yeah, normally that's true," he admitted as he walked proudly. "But I'm not saying you need a pact with Levi, I'm saying… it's the only way to get that record," he nodded at his own words, pleased that he was able to sound so convincing.

She frowned again, thinking it over. "You don't think he'll just trade me for it? Even if I'll give it back?"

He gave her a deadpan look. "This is Levi we're talking about here! Super otaku and collector extraordinaire! He's sooner part with a limb as something from his collection- especially of the seven whozits."

She giggled, "I think you mean the Seven Lords," she replied with a smile. She stepped up to her room, and turned to him with a happy look.

Mammon stepped back, wondering why he suddenly felt like he had been running- his heart started galloping in his chest every time she smiled like that at him.

"Hey, I had an idea," she said conspiratorially, and leaned forward. "Since Solomon knew those quotes from the Tale of the Seven Lords, wouldn't Levi be more willing to talk to me, if I knew the story, and could talk to him about it?"

"Hmm," he said, taking a step back nonchalantly. "I guess it could work," he admitted begrudgingly. "BUT! You can't just know the story better. You'd have to become as big a nerd about the seven whatzits as he is, in order to stand a chance."

She smiled, wondering if he was saying it wrong on purpose, unaware that his wicked smile meant he had an idea of his own brewing- an idea that would get Levi right where he wanted him. He'd have to make sure the human could remember the important bits of the show, but that shouldn't be too hard.

"We should have a TSL marathon then," he declared, much to her surprise.

"We should?" she asked, surprised.

"Well yeah, no time like the present, right? You need that record, don't 'cha?"

"Yeah, I do…" she said, wondering where all this excitement was coming from. Then realizing she didn't care, she was just glad that he was the one suggesting they spend time together. "Okay, I'm in!" she affirmed. "I'll get the popcorn!"

"I'll get the dvds and meet you back here," he said with a smirk. This was going to be perfect.. he thought.