Behind the Canvas

1

Exploring the studio first hand was different to seeing through a filter of someone else's eyes. Things felt familiar but they knew it wasn't because they had experienced it. Walking away from Shawn's office the reflex to walk out of Heavenly Toys and down the stairs to the lobby to exit the studio and head home was starting to kick in.

'Yes, let's go home. We don't need to go looking for trouble.'

Nex knocked the side of their head harder than they should have with the palm of their hand. The sudden force hushed Shawn for the time being.

"Everything alright, Nexis?"

The baritone voice took him by surprise. They had been trying to clear away Shawn's thoughts to replace them with their own. "Fine," they said quickly. "Just getting used to things." They rolled their shoulders and reached for their neck to rub it a little to release some tension. They didn't know whether to take the concern Dark was showing as something for them or for Shawn. Strangely enough the demon was quick to understand the situation. They would have guessed it would have taken some getting used to. They themselves still need to get used to the fact that they now shared a body and could switch. Though getting used to hearing Shawn in the back of their mind was still something to come to terms with.

"You seem very comfortable with what's going on," they pointed out bluntly as they stopped at the top of the stairs of Heavenly Toys. Looking around, ink was smudged everywhere as if someone, or something, had put up a fight in here.

'More reason for us to get the hell outta' here.'

Nexis responded out loud, "Weren't you the one that wanted to search the studio for other employees?"
They were frustrated already with Shawn's back and forth attitude. One minute he was begging them to save the others. Now he wanted to run away and get out of the studio.

"Excuse me?" Dark asked confused.

Nexis pointed to their head and rolled their eyes.

Dark merely nodded remembering that while Nexis was in control Shawn could still be heard by them. He watched as Nex spoke to Shawn out loud. They seemed to be arguing over something.
"Problem?" His deep voice interrupted whatever conversation they seemed to be quarreling over.

Nex looked over at Dark with a coy smirk on their face, "No problem. None."

Dark could tell that they were lying but didn't press them further. He shrugged his shoulders and began to make his way down the stairs. As he walked away he heard Nex following behind him.

"Dark!' They called after him.

He stopped mid step and slowly turned his body to face Nex. With a raised eyebrow he gave them a look insinuating that he was acknowledging them.

Nex stopped short of colliding into Dark by quickly recovered and regained their composure by using the stairs handrail. The silence between them encouraged Nex to fill it with their inquiries of the man that helped plant more desires into their host to suppress. Again they repeated what they had told him before, "You seem to be very comfortable with what's been happening."

Dark made no effort to respond. His face remained emotionless but kept his gaze focused on Nex. To Dark they just seemed to me stating the obvious.

Annoyed at this point, Next asked, "Why?"

"Why, what?" Dark questioned back. Nex tended to demand answers and get upset when they weren't given. Turning the table on them always had different results. They tended to fight back with riddles or ignore the question all together. Dark took the opportunity to play with this new creature before him.