The next day, I found myself down in the kitchen of the old boys' dormitory—the very same one which the twin sons of Satan lived—swinging my legs off the countertop like a little kid with a cup of coffee cradled in my hands. Sleep still clung to me like a comfortable shroud, inciting a yawn. I only bothered to cover my wide-open mouth because I wasn't alone in the room. Through blurry eyes, I managed to catch the amused smirk on my new principal's face as he watched me from his place at the center island.
"Oh my, still tired, dear?" He trilled in an upbeat manner, picking up a knife to get started on the boys' breakfast.
I shivered at the cool counter I sat atop of when I shifted to bring my legs to a crisscross seated position. My black shorts hiked further up my thighs at the action, but I was too tired to care about the exposed flesh. I could only nod in reply to his question, dragging my fingers through my wild curls to disentangle the pale knots. I even had to wipe away the tears the yawn had formed with the cuffs of my new gray hoodie emblazoned with the homunculus symbol from Fullmetal Alchemist on the back.
After Mephisto learned I was an anime and manga lover, he had taken to using my being there as an excuse to purchase more unnecessary things for his collection. I'd basically become the Demon King of Time's dressup doll...
"Is Ukobach really going to be okay?" I finally managed to push out through the beginnings of yet another yawn. Despite knowing what was to occur, I couldn't help but be concerned for the little guy. What if my mere presence here had upset things somehow? Time and space were tricky things and just as delicate as the intricate web of life. One miniscule thing could throw the entire universe here completely out of whack...
"Worried about my familiar now?" Mephisto drawled, chopping some onions. "Have you gotten attached to me already, Kitten?"
Heat flushed my cheeks a hot-pink as I gave him a feeble glare, a pout forming on my lips. He had come up with that nickname for me this morning when he'd come into my room to wake me up at an ungodly hour. Apparently, I was curled up like a cat to his eyes. Amaimon had pointed out that I rubbed at my eyes and yawned like one, too... The Earth Demon jerk had even gone as far as to search for a tail and ears of such an animal on my person, convinced I was some kind of demon familiar... Mephisto had gotten a grand old laugh at my humiliation...
"You're right," I watched the shocked expression overcome his tired-looking features with a smile. "Maybe we should start seeing other people," I finished with a smirk of my own. Upon hearing someone snicker, I glanced over to the shadowy alcove where Ukobach was still sulking. His back faced me but his small body quivered from the smothered laughter.
Smoldering green eyes turned to glare at the familiar, but, before Mephisto could chastise his demonic partner, a couple of new arrivals slammed open the doors to the cafeteria. The twins—Yukio and Rin—stood there panting, as if they'd run the entire way from their dorm upstairs...
'Ah! That's right. They did,' I thought to myself, recalling the scene where Rin had blamed his younger brother for eating their specially-made lunches.
"Director?!"
"Mana?!"
They both spoke simultaneously, causing Mephisto to turn around to greet the pair. "Ah! Morning, gentlemen!" He gushed, overly-excited and cheerful.
I shook my head at his energy. It was just unnatural to be that awake so early in the day. The man had dragged me out of bed before daybreak, so I was none too pleased with the entire situation.
"Come on, don't be rude, Kitten," Mephisto urged, his smirk only growing at my childish action of sticking my tongue out at him.
"'Kitten'?" Rin and Yukio repeated, the former's face starting to go red at the several implications running through his dirty mind.
"So what are you two doing here? And why are you with the director, Miss Feldman?" Yukio inquired with a puzzled expression on his face, his teal-colored eyes boring into mine. His brother, meanwhile, seemed to focus on something else entirely...
"Uh...you're wearing something underneath that...aren't you?" The teenage male asked, pointing a claw at me with one hand while the other held his nose. His words pulled the eyes of the other two men in the vicinity. Yukio—and, to my surprise, Mephisto—both began to blush at the way I sat on the countertop. Since my body had grown so thin and I had a small frame to begin with, the hoodie I wore concealed the fact that I had shorts on. The shorts themselves had hiked up high enough to reveal a good amount of my thighs, while the strap of my shirt feel below one scrawny shoulder—the hoodie was only partially-zipped. With my messy hair and lazy posture, it all definitely insinuated something that belonged in the gutter. It didn't help that the tanktop I wore had a plunging neckline so that the black cloth easily showed off the gentle swell of my breasts. Before I could say anything at all—or do anything—my keeper, of sorts, made an observation I wasn't expecting of him.
"Is that a pentagram?"
I followed Mephisto's stare at my chest. Inked onto the pale skin above my left breast was, indeed, the encircled star of supernatural lore. My fingers lightly began to trace the black outline out of habit, invoking the calmness the little action gave.
"Yes, to both questions," I said with a crimson blush, leaving it at that. I didn't understand what warranted their staring—I was an average girl with subpar looks. Hardly an interest to any guy, especially the handsome ones gathered in this world...
"Hm. Well, would you come down from the counter, dear? You're quite the distraction," Mephisto hummed as he spooned some of the bubbling concoction he'd created into a pair of bowls. I noticed the glare he gave the twins when he slammed the trays on the serving counter but shrugged it off.
Without a word, I slipped down to the floor. My head came up to the principal's chin when I stood right next to him, my short stature being forcibly reminded once again. Hopefully, I wouldn't pack on extra weight again during my stay here. My body had a tendency to bulk up with muscle and fat if I didn't watch every little thing I ate or keep up an intense cardio routine. Although I was smaller than the average American, I was far from the slender petite frame that my Asian counterparts were so privy to.
My stomach growled for nutrition and I could already feel the ache beginning to stir in my limbs. I'd gone far too long without a proper meal. I suppose my priorities should focus on "healthy" rather than "pretty" since I'd need the strength to survive in this world.
"Someone's hungry," Mephisto teased, slipping a piece of bacon between my lips when I was about to deny it. "Your plate is on the counter. Go eat." I watched him walk out of the kitchen to loom over the boys and their demon oatmeal before heading over to a lone dish to partake of my own breakfast. Only half-listening to the conversation they were having about Ukobach and who would normally cook their meals, I found myself pondering on what my life had become.
This all felt like a dream...or a nightmare. Time will tell on which. Either way, I still hadn't a clue why Mephisto had brought me here nor why Amaimon had said he'd "understood" yesterday. That in and of itself was a growing mystery. Amaimon had given me my own temptaint, enabling me to see other demons. I'd expected that, of course. Perhaps even encouraged him to do it so that I wouldn't be at such a disadvantage without one. What I had not been expecting was the uncharacteristic display which had occurred afterwards.
My eyes fell on the three in the cafeteria as I bit into American-style toast. I was very out-of-place in this school. No, in this world. Outrageously so... Not only would I have to avoid accidentally getting killed, I would have to learn how to convince Mephisto to take me back home. It may be a boring world and a struggling situation I was in, but it was the place I, technically, belonged in and, more importantly, my sister was there. The one person I cared deeply for and had to return to.
Speaking of whom...
With downcast eyes, I noticed I had finished my food. My body felt sated, but my heart ached for my younger sibling's presence. She would know how to handle this situation. Jen had a knack for interacting with others and managing to do what needed to be done with very little effort. Mephisto should have chosen her; not me...
"Something got you down, Kitten?"
Speak of the devil...or devil's son, in this case.
"Where'd the boys go?" I looked around, avoiding the question posed to me. The cafeteria was void of life. The only sign either of the boys had been there were the two trays on a table. One still full with simmering oatmeal while the other lay empty on the floor.
"To their day classes," Mephisto answered simply. "And that didn't answer my question." Narrow green eyes stared down at me in an unnerving way. The atmosphere of the now-quiet dorm seemed to darken and grow heavy, weighing down on me so much I could barely breathe. I had to physically bite my tongue to keep from lashing out at the demonic entity before me. Being toyed with and not understanding the situation...neither sat well with me; and, here I was, cuaght up in both. I'd watched the anime, but I hadn't read much of the manga for Blue Exorcist. The Demon King of Time's personality was a wild card, as were his intentions. He was the one character I couldn't understand and that mere fact alone shook me to my core. Ulterior motives ran beneath the surface of that goofy grin and otaku persona. He was not one to take lightly much less strategize against.
A master manipulator.
"Why am I here?" I finally relinquished to his staredown, lips curved into a frown. It wasn't the thing making me depressed, but it was the main question plaguing my mind for the last twenty-four plus hours. I expected him to laugh, to change the subject, or even do as every trickster I'd read about would do—twist my words to mean something else entirely.
What I got, instead, was the answer I'd been seeking...but definitely not the one I wanted to hear...
Mephisto grinned, suddenly, stepping closer to me until my back was against the counter I'd been sitting atop of previously. His hands rested on the table on either side of my hips, effectively trapping me. My cheeks burned at his nearness, heart slamming against my ribcage at the sight of his tongue licking his lips like I was some extravagant meal he couldn't wait to sink his fangs into. Even though I should have been terrified—disgusted, even—I couldn't help the searing-hot excitement churning in my belly at the director's daring. Faintly, in the back of my mind, I realized I'd felt similar emotions with Amaimon and even Rin...
It was not normal behavior, especially for me...
"Why, for a game, of course," he whispered directly into my ear, his warm breath against my skin sending shivers down my spine. His purple hair tickled my cheek when he moved back only to shoot forward abruptly. My eyes snapped open from their half-lidded state when I felt a pressure against my mouth. Seeing Mephisto's shimmering green eyes as he kissed me sparked something inside. The heat in my belly intensified a hundred-fold when his lips moved expertly against mine, threatening to overwhelm me until the reality of the moment came crashing into me.
My teeth came down hard on Mephisto's tongue when he forced his way into my mouth, prompting him to pull back. Being a demon, he didn't bleed—my human teeth too dull to do any real damage—but he didn't appear too happy either. Amusement still danced in his eyes despite the frown on his face after he stepped away from my flustered form. I growled softly in the back of my throat, brown eyes blazing with agitation at what he had just pulled. I smothered the sound with an embarrassed cough at the smirk my actions caused to appear on his pale face.
"You are a feisty one, aren't you?" Mephisto teased but refrained from touching me further. I felt sick by the fact that my body craved his hands on me still and for the attention to have continued. In retaliation for the betrayal of my own self, I started yelling at the chortling demon.
"What the hell was that?!" I complained, upset and careful to maintain my distance. "Seriously? First, Amaimon and, now, you! What is going on?!" My emotions spiraled dangerously inside me, threatening to snap and cause as much destruction as possible. A strange tingling sensation trailed over my skin, originating from my tattooed pentagram. Before I could check it out, Mephisto put his palm against it. The feel of his warm hand against my cool skin had an instant calming effect—the exact opposite of what I'd expect of myself as someone who greatly disliked being touched.
"Believe me, I wasn't expecting to get involved in this bet myself," he explained with a grin, revealing his elongated fangs. "But your pull is greater than any I've encountered before. You've just surprised me, Kitten." He brought a hand to my chin, lifting my bewildered gaze to his. His eyes seemed to glow in the little light of the kitchen.
"Wanna make a bet?"