Felt like many this extra, short chapter.
House of the Hearth
"And so, there you go Mister Aether. A brief idea of what happens here."
Aether's talking with Arlecchino and Lumine. "Nice." But then he had something to ask, something that's been bothering him for the last few minutes. "Uh, question."
"Okay."
Aether then turned and pointed at one particular individual. "What is that thing?"
The person in question was a child with white hair, wearing a white coat with pink sleeves. The child was casually dancing to herself, and humming happily. When she heard herself being called a 'thing' she stopped, taking great offense to that. Putting her hands on her hips, she huffed, "Hey! Paimon isn't a 'thing', Paimon is Paimon!"
Aether stared at her, deadpanning. "What is a 'Paimon'? Is that some kind of digital monster?"
When Paimon ignored him, Arlecchino shook her head, and explained. "We don't really know. She just showed up one day. Looks like it's up to us to take care of her..." Arlecchino said that last part with a sigh.
"Huh." Aether looked Paimon up and down. "What is it's purpose?"
Paimon let out an annoyed, "Hey!"
"Emergency food." Arlecchino bluntly said, not missing a beat. This got an immediate reaction out of the child.
Paimon stamped her foot several times, "No, no, no! Paimon is not emergency food, Paimon is Paimon!"
Arlecchino chuckled darkly, suddenly brandishing a knife. "Oh come now, Paimon. We keep you around in case we run out of food. Don't you want to be useful?"
Lumine jumped in as well. Drooling, and advancing menacingly with fingers wiggling, she said, "Yeah, let me at those little legs. I'd like some Pai-kabobs."
Paimon let out a girly, high-pitched scream, hands out in front of her. "Ahhhhh! Paimon knew it wasn't safe here!" And with that, she ran off, much to everyone else's amusement.
They gave that poor girl the scare of her life.
*Shrugs*