The Succubus's Plaything

Chapter 70: Art Supplies

"So.." Quickly running my eyes up and down Inesa, I try to figure out what she might want. "What's up?" 

"I wanted to talk. And you know.. Get to know you more. Like we discussed." She put her hands behind her back in a stretch, puffing her chest forward. 

"Alright.. Sure?" Still a bit in shock, over her uncharacteristic appearance, I blink a couple times. 

"So." She tilts her chin down and lets her arms down to rest by her sides. "Would you like to come over?" 

"Over.. Like as to your house?.." Images from the last time we were there flashes before my eyes and I can feel a blush coming on. 

A glint in Inesa's eyes suggest that she's noticed my cheek's change in hue. 

"Yup. Is that alright with you?" Inesa's tone is forceful and direct, as if she won't take no for an answer, but in a way that's weirdly inviting. 

"I guess. Yeah." I break eye contact to kick a rock that I notice is lying by my feet on the otherwise spotless tiled concrete. 

"Great! I do have an errand in town really quick though first. Will you accompany me?" Inesa formulates her sentence into a question even though she really doesn't mean it as one. 

I decide to bite the bullet and not resist. "Of course. What kind of errand?" 

"I want to purchase some art supplies." With a warm smile, Inesa grabs the end of my sleeve as if to signal that we should start walking. 

In response to her blatant and affectionate action, I immediately turn my head to both the left and right in order to make sure no-one is watching. 

But of course, in complete line with my luck, and to my complete horror, I make direct eye contact with Gabriel. 

He doesn't appear to have been watching for long, because when his eyes meet mine, his face immediately lights up with recognition, but when his gaze drops down to Inesa's hand holding my sleeve, his brow furrows from confusion. 

So first he heard rumors about me and Hina.. And now I've perfectly created another rumor involving myself, but now with Inesa.. I sigh quietly to myself. Looks like I'll have to put out yet another fire later.

"Come on, let's go!" Inesa giggles, abruptly yanking me away and towards the busstop. 

...

We arrive at the art supply shop, and I marvel at the shelves brimming with nearly every bright color imaginable, as well as every dull color, but those are less noticeable. 

"What exactly are you looking for?" I ask Inesa when I observe her intently inspecting the contents of each aisle. 

"Colored pencils." 

"Aren't there a bunch of them right here?" I ask while pointing at the shelf in front of us. 

"Yes. But they aren't all the same apparently."

"Apparently?" I tilt my head at her questioningly. I from how she had spoken previously I had assumed that she knew exactly what she was looking for, but her "apparently" makes it clear that she doesn't. 

"I watched a MeTube video that said that the lead hardness matters. Although I never learned what exactly that entails."

Continuing to observe the serious Inesa before me, I hold back the urge to giggle. This is an entirely new side to her that I haven't seen up until now. Although admittedly.. I probably haven't seen most of the sides to Inesa.. 

"Do you draw much?" 

"Not really. I have a project in mind for art class. Although it would be fun to learn. Do you draw?" Inesa answers, and then reflects the conversation back to me. 

"Not really. There was a time when I was younger when I used to doodle during lesson, but when my teacher noticed that was the end of it."

"Ah. I see." Once more Inesa turns away from me and towards the store shelf with her hand to her chin. 

After about ten more seconds of silence, Inesa makes her choice and swiftly grabs one of the cheaper pack of pencils, which in contrast to the other pencil packs, is packaged in a cardboard tube rather than a flimsy box. "Well. I think this should work. I mean.. Right? There can't be that much of a difference between different pencil sets?.."

I shrug, not really having anything constructive to input. 

Moments later and we are leaving the store, Inesa having acquired a brand new set of coloring pencils in a small plastic bag. 

...

"I'm home!" Inesa exclaims upon entering her house, and I likewise exclaim "Thanks for having me!" Although no-one appears to home to hear. 

With an impressive speed, Inesa removes her jacket to hang on coat rack, and takes off her shoes to place them facing the door. I follow suite, doing exactly like she does, but slower. 

"So, yeah.. Welcome. We can make dinner in the kitchen when we begin to get hungry, and we can either hang out in the living room or in my room."

Since this afternoon after school when Inesa invited me, I've been trying to figure out if she's "hungry" but she hasn't given me any clues to make me wiser. So far I'm leaning towards a no?.. But did Inesa really invite me JUST to hang out? Well.. "just" is a bit of a negative sounding word.. But up until now, being here with Inesa has always ended with me passing out and being saved and comforted by Valorie, who is frighteningly not present. 

"I.. Uhm.. I don't plan to do anything to you.. If you understand my meaning.. I really didn't invite you over because my fangs are itching.." 

Well that confirms it. I exhale relieved, but for some reason I feel a slight sting of disappointment? Does me developing feelings count as Stockholm syndrome?

Wait.. Feelings!? Shut up Hal's brain! Think properly! There is no way that I can develop feelings! This is undoubtedly a toxic relationship that I really shouldn't want to be a part of! 

My body however, once more like it has been for a while now, betrays me, warming my cold cheeks a bright red. 

"O-okay. Cool." I force myself to reply casually, but my words come out as entirely lame. 

"A-anyway." Inesa, who, considering how flustered she's been in the past on the mention of feeding, is surprisingly calm. "Don't just stand in the doorway. Come in." 

...

A/N

Greeting dear readers, and gomen. *Hal Lupus bows deeply* 

It's been.. A bit longer than I care to admit since the last chapter's release, and more that just a little bit too long, so.. gomenasai. *Bows again*

These past few months I've been pouring way more time into my irl life and my part-time job as a film/photographer's assistant and retoucher, which.. yeah.. everything combined has been eating up both my time and creativity, leaving me pretty unmotivated to write.. Which is sad because I really REALLY enjoy writing. 

But! On a more cheerful sidenote! Tomorrow, on the 4th of March, is my 21st birthday! I don't really have any plans, but it's a pretty cool milestone nonetheless. 

Thank you everyone who's continued to wait for me even after my long absence! It means a crazy ton to me!