Time Stopped for You

Dinner Party

"I still can't believe you," I pace back and fourth in the main room while Belial sets the table. Mephisto sits on the stairs watching me clearly amused as always.
"I don't understand you princess," he tilts his head to the side, he is wearing white pants and an anime t-shirt. "Am I not supposed to entertain your family?"
Amaimon stands at the top of the stairs in his usual garb hanging over the railing. Mephisto made him swear he would behave or no more playing.
"Quite honestly I would prefer you had as little interaction with them as possible," it sounds horrible out loud compared to in my head, however Mephisto seems unfazed and shrugs in response.
A knock at the doors and Belial runs off to answer, Amaimon creeps down the stairs until he stands behind Mephisto. Belial returns with my mom, friends and behind them stands Shura with a smug look.
She scoffs looking highly unimpressed, "Is this how you treat all your academy teachers?"
"Miss Kirigakure how delightful for you to join us," Mephisto remains in his place on the steps calm as ever. Meanwhile I feel like my insides have melted out. "Given the circumstances I do not see an issue inviting her and family into my home."
"Uh huh," she trots over bending down inches from his face. "And what's this dinner for? A congratulations? Is your plan really working for you?"
"Plan? As long as it yields entertainment I suppose this is working yes," he keeps a straight face as he stands up. Amaimon is watching her with narrowed eyes, I can tell their last interaction went fantastic. "Feel free to search for whatever it is you think I'm hiding."
She grunts backing off, I notice Rex is staring at her every move, not that I blame him. She stalks over to me if I could shrink into nothing I would, but I notice there's no anger in her eyes just annoyance.
"You better put on the best show of your life," she mutters just above a whisper before going past me towards the kitchen. "Hey clown, do you still keep your beer in here?"
She does not wait for an answer disappearing around a corner, bewildered doesn't even begin to sum up how I'm feeling.
"Harlow darling take our guests to the dining room," Mephisto does a little bow of sorts following after Shura.
"Right...." I beckon everyone to the dining room as instructed Amaimon making a point to stay at my side. He glares at everyone else until he sees the dessert Belial prepared. Nobody is talking and the silence is starting to eat at me.
Belial outdoes himself everyday, he prepared a very nice traditional Japanese spread save for the dessert. He sits everyone and serves them, I sit by Rex who sends me an apologetic glance.
Once Belial leaves us alone it's Cara who speaks up, "so this is awkward huh?"
"Are you fucking kidding me? Awkward?" I throw my hands up ignoring the hand Rex has on my leg. "What the hell did you guys do?"
"What we had to," my mom sighs looking down at her plate. "We don't lie to the Vatican."
Mephisto and Shura appear she carries a bottle in one hand and a can in the other, she raises it in my direction taking the seat next to Cara. Mephisto squeezes my shoulder before sitting on my other side, "Belial could you bring us glasses please?"
He does so quickly as he usually does everything before disappearing back to the kitchen. Everyone else starts to eat as Shura pours us all glasses of sake, even Mephisto takes one. Amaimon eats very little actual food having plucked a pocket full of cookies from the little tray Belial prepared.
Once everyone has finished and Belial has cleared the table, Mephisto leans back in his chair with his glass in his hand.
"I can sense the tension in the room, please do ask anything you'd like," he sips from his glass.
"What are your intentions?" My mom crosses her arms staring him down with narrowed eyes. Shura is watching clearly more interested that the sake bottle is almost empty, her cheeks are a little rosy.
"Personally I'm curious what you've heard to cause such a disruption of what normalcy your daughter has," he sets his glass down intertwining his hands to rest his head on them.
"That doesn't answer my question."
"No I suppose not," Mephisto closes his eyes before continuing. "Intent is based on feelings, desires I wouldn't say I have intent at all. There is no end purpose, I'm merely enjoying myself."
I feel small in the face of this conversation, not that it's something I haven't thought of, but because it is out of my control.
"Then you don't love her," Rex speaks up he squeezes my knee. I shake his hand off annoyance spurring up inside me, they do know I'm sitting right here right?
"What?!" Shura spits some of her drink out starting to laugh, "the clown doesn't love anything but himself!"
I glance at Mephisto he's wearing a tight smile watching Shura continue to laugh. I chug my glass of sake standing up afterwards, "I'll be back."
I leave the room with their eyes all on me, once I'm out of sight I run upstairs my annoyance borderline anger. My heart hurts that they all were talking like I wasn't there, they didn't need me there to torment me. I feel my tail thrashing behind me, I can't control it right now. I go to my room, fucking let them come find me.
After a few minutes of trying to calm down to no avail I creep down the stairs some so I can at least hear if they are talking.
"I know the real reason she was chosen to come here," my mother sounds very upset. "It was in her files you knew."
"Regardless of what her files say she was the best fit for my position that needed filled, perhaps she was a unique choice on my part to make things more interesting," Mephisto is talking now clearly sounding bored.
"What are you doing?"
I jump away from the railing noticing Amaimon standing beside me, how did he creep up the stairs?
"Listening," I humph quietly resuming my place, he steps up beside me dangling his arms over the railing.
"For what?" He looks down with me, we can't see anything, though I can imagine the expressions going around the room. "Brother told me to check on you."
He pokes my arm after a few seconds when I don't say anything, "Are you ignoring me? Brother asked if you're ok?"
I clench my teeth biting back an unkind remark, it's not Amaimon my anger is towards even if it would be convenient.
"I'm fine," I grumble it's no use with him here I'll never hear a thing. "Tell him I'm fine."
"Mm I would if I thought you weren't lying, he said you might." He pops a piece of candy in his mouth, "he told me not to play with you at first because you're family was murdered, is that lady not your mother?"
I shut my eyes, "no she's not."
"Humans are strange, I do not understand why brother is so fond of them," he sighs sitting on the floor crossed legged. "He's fonder of you than most that's why I haven't tried to fight you, but I think it would be fun."
Of all things to ease some of my nerves, who knew it would be Amaimon.
"He is?" I sigh more to myself than him. "I guess I have to go back down huh?"
"Do you?" He starts to dig in his pocket for more candy, "you can bring me more snacks."
I roll my eyes heading down the stairs, "fiiiine."
It's silent all but Shura giggling when I peek in the room, Mephisto sits in the same position as when I left his eyes still closed. Rex is tapping the table while my mom and Cara argue about going home.
"I wondered if you were really coming back," Rex snorts looking over at me he pulls his phone from his pocket. "Do you think I could afford an apartment?"
That makes Cara stop full argument with my mom, "you're moving?!?"
"Yeah I am," he grins tossing his phone my direction. He's looking at apartments in Kamakura, it's a little over an hour away from Tokyo. Knowing Rex he could pull it off if he is really serious.
I scroll through some of the ones he favorited, a few of them are pretty nice. Definitely better than a dorm room would be.
"I think we need to go," My mom stands up motioning for those two to follow suit. Cara does and bows without saying a word, she gives me the signature I will be getting a very long text about this look of hers and goes to stand outside. My mom gives me a quick hug and thanks Mephisto shortly who just nods.
"I'll take Shura home," Rex waves those two off helping her up.
"You better be taking me home too no tricks," she tugs on the neck of his shirt before flicking his nose. Mephisto opened his eyes for that one and hides a chuckle.
I give him his phone back following them to the door, Rex does give me a real hug for the first time since he's been here.
"You can thank me for saving you from extended awkwardness later," he waves leading Shura to his little rental car.
"I see that boy of yours has made up with you," Mephisto creeps up behind me as I shut the door.
"When it comes down to it he can suck just about anything up," I slink past him to grab Amaimon his promised snacks.
"I see," he watches me run up the stairs and drop the load off to his impatient little bro.
I walk down a couple steps and decide to slide down the railing instead, that outta get a kick out of Mephisto. The prick of a smile appears by the time I'm at the bottom, I hop down as gracefully as I can my tail flicking as I do.
"I think that will be the end of having guests over don't you?" I look down, this whole night has felt weird. My mom doesn't act like that and I do not know what made her and Cara so weirded out.
"Perhaps for awhile," he admits solemnly. He comes over taking both of my hands. "And if what they brought up was true would it bother you princess?"
"What part exactly?" This too feels weird, a part of me feels like this is a scene in a movie where things just start to fall apart, but you don't quite know it yet. I really do not want anything else in my life to fall apart.
He smirks knowing I know, "love is a human emotion such things are foreign to me."
"Sorry, I just can't believe that," I shake my hands free of his sliding my arms around him. "And if it is no harm done for you at all if I say it or don't."
"Say what exactly darling?" There's no doubt he's enjoying this way too much, as he drapes his arms over my shoulders.
I stand on my toes, I kiss him. It's quick and a little clumsy cause I'm still a little shorter, but it's enough to surprise him. I can't fucking believe I just did that. What was I thinking?!?!
He stares at me looking stunned, I take the opportunity to flee upstairs before he can make ANY comments.
"Night I'm really tired!" I yell down and shut my door he can ponder over that for the night.