Oath

Late Night Contemplation

It was the middle of the night.

That's all she could deem as she stared up at the ceiling with the fan swirling, blasting air down onto her. Not much was on her mind besides the demon within the recesses growing bored of not doing anything, scouring through her mind just to find something worth killing time. Thus forth a reason why Janet was up.

"When aren't you bored, for fuck sakes? I jus' wanna sleep."

"Saw somewhere in here that you're a night owl or insomniac. Must be fun being up through the night."

"It ain't," the brunette replied, stretching herself out towards the bookshelf that was a feet or so too close to her bed. She then pulls out a book; not much about the hardback novel besides it being about some girl coming of age realizing she's a god and some shit. The summary itself makes her wonder why in the hell she would buy a paid fanfiction novel from her early years of not-so troubled adolescence.

"Oh? Then what makes it fun?"

"Besides sleep, of course," she began as flipping through the pages, "probably reading. Or just thinking of stuff...certain things, y'know. The usual. At least I have company now than I ever will."

"Company? I never knew you felt...alone."

"Yeahhh. Having an uncle that rarely pays attention to ya can leave some scars if you're a person so typical of needing human affection and validation-why am I even talking about this?!"

Janet imagined that demon gave a casual shrug, not like she could blame it. Human confusion, from an emotional standpoint, is a bizarre thing beyond the demon. But this is a dream demon, a demon that prowls upon your inner subconscious ideas, fears, and imagination. Yet again, the brunette wonders how she's even comprehending this at fucking one in the morning when that comprehension is necessary for tomorrow.

"But yeah...It's not like I'm alone! I could never be, haha!"

"I did forget to tell you that I'm a memory scavenger, huh?"

"...Oh for the love of God, let me sleep."

Etsera just gave her a mischievous enhanced snort. Somewhere within her-rather, both of them-this only bonded them closer. Janet herself didn't know how to feel about this; however, the demon knew it would be vital to either of them in the days to come.

Whether or not they liked it.

---

"What do you need me here for? I...I didn't do any wrong-"

"I should have known you'd say that. Child, you do know why."

She did and didn't, a combination of fear and confusion painted on her pale complexion face. On one hand, it must've been with the fact that she summoned a demon instead of a spiritual guardian or angel; on the other? She couldn't put her finger on it.

More or less, the blonde didn't want to.

"I do not...father," she breathed out as ignoring the glares from not only the interrogator but also a woman to his left, pursing her lips into a thin line of distaste. "I don't know why I am here in your meeting of all places, and I prefer that knowing in the unknown."

"Understandable enough for a peon to accept. Dearest Priscilla, why would you summon a demon on school gr-"

"It was beyond my control! I was forced into doing so!"

"Forced? You very well could have summoned a soulsucker and finished them off, child."

The bickering drowned itself into a drivel of quarrel between the man and Priscilla. She was shaking, gripping onto the ledge of the laminated mahogany table with her knuckles becoming white. The rest of courtsmen continued their silence, watching as the argument continued on into a fray of discord.

Soon enough, the woman beside the blond male shushed them. Her violet eyes stared down at Priscilla with vexatious disgust before making implying, "She is simply an amateur, sweetheart. An amateur child that's just trying her best at this cult."

"Minerva-"

"If you want an opinion, she shouldn't be involved with your works, your legacy."

She felt betrayed in a way-this was her choice by heart to be a summoner. Maybe the mother was right about that, regardless of what perspective she looked at it. She just couldn't be involved in the cult this early in her life, even if it's by her own notions of being closer to father just once more.

"Minerva's right, Vince. Let the gal have some freedom to herself in the real world! She's still younger than us!"

The blond simply sighed in defeat at the other's interpretation on this. Even as his child, it's a necessity to be in touch with the world now than later. "All of you aren't wrong. My fault, Priscilla. You may leave for tonight."

And so she did, walking out in nonchalance before bursting into sprint once the doors closed.

"Noel," he hissed in irritation, "you weren't granted permission to speak."

"Oh I know! I jus' decided to say something before Minerva's evident hatred caught on to her."

"My hatred? How juvenile of you to say such a thing."

"Do mothers look at their young like a mangy street rat needing food? No! So, I'm right, you're wrong. Case closed!"

The woman groaned as pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. She would very well ask why did they even sway a millennial of all places to their cult, yet again the persuasion of one person to sway an entire generation kept her at bay. "Very well, Noel, you read right through me."

"I guess that's also why you recruited me? To see through other's emotions and intents?"

"...When the hell are you wrong?"

"Never."

Vincent glanced at the door once more, with the source dimmed light cracking through the catch underneath the wood. He knew soon enough that she would know that it's not her father and attempt some sort of rebellion against his will and his legacy.

He was so far into the plan, so in deep of no return to apologize for what has happened now.