The Fox’s Den

Yo wait okay how and when is the cinnamon roll being introduced? I never asked and my no sleep brained dragged it out of my memory
———

It seemed like it was a slow night for the killing, but otherwise he was rather busy. It didn’t take him long to single out a few that would make for a decent meal tonight. In terms of delivered meals, there was an odd lack of them. While the fact didn’t bother him, it had become a normal thing for people to bring in somebody they wanted to get rid of. Then again, it was entirely possible there was just a lull in this line of business - it was bound to happen at some point. Sure, it wasn’t ideal but a small part of him had expected it to happen eventually. With this in mind, he was also sure it would pick back up in no time.

As the night progressed, he took no notice to the new demons that seemed to be breaking up fights before they could begin, or the one who stayed with Lishan behind the soundboard. Truth be told, he assumed it was just another meal she’d picked up along with the man who seemed to be begging for what little attention she was granting him as she worked. It seemed lust demons were addictive. Then again, that was the nature of their existence, wasn’t it?

The hell hound only had one meal selected in reality, and it was the man that had invited himself up to come check her out. It was his intrusion on her space that immediately made him tonight lucky candidate for her dinner. He was all over, really, whining about how he wasn’t getting enough attention and asking when they could leave. It was cute in a very annoying way. The demon beside her thought it was amusing, being a demon of lust and pride he knew all too well how the night would go. Meanwhile, he was drinking in the controls as she worked around her new hindrance. It wouldn’t be long until he was no longer a factor, this much he knew.

I'm also down for whenever lol awe cute lil heathen hound
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By the time those who didn't fall into the category of food had been removed, Jiyeong had noticed a few things. There were faces he didn't know removing those that no long belonged regardless of whether they were kicking and screaming or simply too drunk to move on their own, the demon seemed to have a coherent companion at her side, and it seemed she'd accumulated more people than average for dinner. Those who'd been removing patrons retreated to the woman once their job was done, though it seemed the three were quickly redirected to one of the back rooms with most of the people she'd gathered for a meal. As it stood, she'd only kept two for herself, one of which was practically attached to her hip.

Lishan was well aware she was being watched by the foxes. It didn't stop her from directing her companions to eat in the room she typically made use of. It hadn't stopped her from tell them to come in the first place, and they'd be safe here if only for the night. Rather, once the door had closed behind them, she returned to the soundboard to finish shutting down for the night while the man she'd picked out very early in the night followed her like a lost dog.

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hi my brain died?? wild

he's doing his best
shhhh it's not gross and I'll fight about it
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As soon as she was done with her own job she'd joined those who had become like family to her in the backroom to eat. One of the three seemed satisfied with what they'd had to eat and the space they'd claimed for themselves in the room was already clean while the others tore into their corpses. Good. She made quick work of her own prey, taking great joy in disposing the first man she'd picked. It was always nice getting rid of annoying people this way. To her, it was also nice that clean up would be easy. After all, hounds left nothing behind. Most demons didn't, but bones were hard for them. For her, they were the best part.

While the two still eating occasionally growled and snapped at each other, Lishan left the room. They would never actually hurt each other, and there was one in there to keep the peace which meant she didn't have to. Closing the door behind her, she noticed one of the foxes approaching and was almost immediately reminded of the questioning from earlier. Right, she supposed they weren't done with that. As for Jiyeong who wasn't present at the moment, she could only assume he was still toying with his own catch. He was interesting like that, so put together until food was involved. She wouldn't exactly call him feral, or any less graceful, but it was definitely a different side of him. One that she liked knowing he had.

"Is it time for more questions?" she asked, finding herself refusing to move from the door she'd just closed. While she had reason too, she was also unwilling to leave them while being questioned. After all, part of her suspected there would be new questions pertaining to them.

But it was still good!!!
———

Of course it was more questions. She wasn’t dim, not always the brightest but never dim. Despite not particularly wanting to answer the questions she knew would come, she wasn’t the type to shy away from them. It was going to come out sooner or later anyway, so she supposed this was the best method. Though, when nothing immediately followed, she became more aware of the other’s absence. The two typically seemed to operate as a unit despite their abilities to act independently. It was interesting as their only connection seemed to be owning the bar. Still, they seemed rather fond of each other, and part of her couldn’t help but wonder how they met.

It was only moments later that one of the doors swung open and was shut just as fast. Jiyeong joined them easily, wearing that slight smile he always did. It didn’t tell much about how he was truly feeling, but he was rather satisfied with tonight’s meal. There were a few dots of blood on his shirt, and one very clear handprint. Aside from this, he was just as put together as he had been when they opened. “Sorry I’m late, seems I chose a fighter. Have I missed anything?”

“We haven’t even started,” Lishan answered, watching as be readjusted his sleeves. Even like this he was quite the sight to behold. His eyes lit up slightly, and she couldn’t help but assume this answer was ideal for him.

Nodding slightly to himself, the fox placed his hands on his hips, eyeing the demon. It was odd to find her just in front of the door, though what was more interesting to him were the sounds that seemed to be coming from behind it. Ah, but there were other things to be addressed first. “Right. So, you’re a product of sin but nothing special, is that right?” He got a slight nod in response, which would suffice for now. “And I assume we all understand that this is impossible yes? So, what’s the reason you won’t just tell us what we want to hear? I don’t see the point in denying it.”

The demon only shrugged, leaning against the door slightly as she took a moment to listen to them. They were getting aggressive - hopefully they could sort themselves out. “Neither of you have asked a straight question - I’ve answered each question as asked.”

“Are you a hell hound?”

The question was nearly snapped, asked as soon as the last word had left her mouth. It was clear that he was tired of waiting for her to simply tell them, which she thought was fair in a way. Still, the irritation hidden just below the surface was obvious to her, and the look she was currently receiving told her that this was her last opportunity to fess up about her identify. “I am.”

He had to admit, he liked this demon. It was rare for him to take a liking to any lesser creature, but she was admirable in a way. In the presence of not one but two people that could eliminate her existence without much hassle, she failed to be intimidated. She didn't back down or shy away, though she did seem to have her own methods to try and avoid giving out certain answers. Still, it was interesting that she showed no signs of worry or stress over the possibility of being killed. It was a certain kind of confidence he didn't see often once people understood what he was and what he could do. It was refreshing, nice even.

But that was something to think on later. Now, he got to focus on what would lead to the next set of answers he wanted. As she spoke, black eyes shifted just so to the door she stood in front of as if guarding it from them. He could hear them, her companions, though likely not as well as she could. It was muffled, and they weren't sounds he was familiar with. Still, it was enough to confirm that she'd brought people in tonight.

Lishan looked to Hyeon-u as she asked another question. 'Who's with you' was rather vague. She could say anything at that point. Friends, family, extra snacks fighting to see who would get her attention first. She raised an eyebrow, through a much more clear question was quick to follow. They hadn't exactly followed, rather she'd coaxed them into coming here. Convinced them to follow her lead and break out, join her at the bar to at least regain their strength. "They did. Is that a problem?" She knew better than to pick a fight, but she wouldn't leave without one if that's what it came down to.

"We'll see. Bring them out here."

Right. Bring them out here. Easy. Without turning, she slammed her fist against the door which elicited three very distinct yelps. Of course it did, why wouldn't it? To her, it only meant that nobody had been keeping the peace liked she'd asked. Opening the door, she leaned in slightly, immediately unamused by the sight. Two of them had shed their human visage in favor of their more hellish form and had clearly been wrestling, and the one meant to be keeping the peace was trapped under them. "I asked y'all to behave, not to fight over food. Get out here." Stepping back, it was only a moment later two two-headed hounds let themselves out of the room followed by a man no taller than five foot eight.

Pulling the door shut, she turned to look at the two fox spirits once more. "This is us. Those two make for good bouncers and crowd control, and this one can help me out. He's also good for ideas now and then," she said, motioning to the hounds and lightly bruised demon respectively. "By the way, where do you dispose extra parts? Aneth told me she thought there was a lesser hound looking for food in the area."

They weren’t as trusting as she was. Well, that, or they were scared. It’d taken her the better part of her three day trial to convince them to follow her lead. She has to admit, bringing them into this environment wasn’t the best idea but it was all she had. Even now, they looked at her a bit expectantly, not too fond of being in a building that seemed to just be a glorified feeding area for gumiho. It was fair, and she understood, but with a few days work they’d grow comfortable and get into the swing of things. For now. However, she was the only thing keeping them attention. The two hounds were siblings, and she had to take a guess she’d say they were fighting over a femur. The man beside her lacked wrath in his mix, which made him a bit less of a fighter. Still, dinner time had always been a struggle for them whether it was not getting enough or not eating at all - she should’ve expected this.

At the question, she merely raised an eyebrow. How much did they know about hounds? They’re soul existence was to work, it was why they learned to easily. “Aneth, make sure nobody’s hangin’ around outside. Kiran, go scare off the stray, no blood. Mar, finish off whatever they left then get all the chairs on the tables.” One by one the three demons took to their new tasks, first the two hounds, then the one who had stood beside her. The hounds turned to smoke and left under the door while Mar let himself back into the room he’d just come out of. Meanwhile, she herself hadn’t looked away from the foxes, knowing what she’d asked for would be done. “I’d say they listen rather well. Please understand that dinner is the most laid back time of their day.”

The woman had hardly reacted until Hyeon-u last statement. A low growl built in her throat at the mere insult, but she managed to swallow it down. Right. They had something to prove, still. And yet... “You misunderstand. We don’t leave anything behind to dispose, I’m asking where you dispose of extra parts,” she clarified, looking at the two in turn. “I don’t personally tolerate strays around a place I reside. We’re a territorial type of demon.”

Jiyeong had been listening quietly until now. The hounds were interesting to see so close, though he wouldn’t go as far to say he was impressed. Intrigued, maybe. Still, it was clear they’d put up more of a fight than any common demon. It would be interesting should things go bad, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. No, it now seemed they had something more to deal with. A stray hound... interesting. He hasn’t heard of those. Quite frankly, he didn’t think there could be strays if they were so desirable. “Bring it to me if it comes back tomorrow night. I want to assess it before getting rid of it.”

Lishan frowned a little. “Are you sure? Strays are unpredictable, though he looked a little more docile... you really want it in here?” What she was really asking was if she truly had to be civil with this thing. It didn’t radiate the same energy as she did - it had seemed more like a house pet than anything.

“Did I stutter?” The fox asked. When he received a slight shake of the head, he continued. “We have an understanding, then. I’ll locate a better place for any future disposals by the week’s end. As for the pack,” he murmured, looking at his companion. “I feel as though we should give them the same deal. It’s only fair, and there’s no sense in losing another worker. If she can learn, I have a feeling they can as well.” Despite how much he had been against hiring lesser creatures, he was unwilling to lose their newest employee to the pack mentality.

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Shout to to me creating a logical way for the cinnamon roll entrance. I didn’t plan any further than this

Honestly those are both adorable I already know I’m going to love him
———

Given the time she knew they needed to adjust, the three would make good additions to the bar. She was very confident in thinking this. The current problem only lies within the fact that they were uncomfortable. They were in a territory that wasn’t really theirs surrounded by those who truly owned it. Hopefully it would only take the three days they would be granted should the same deal be put into place. As for the street hound... well, she wasn’t happy about it. She didn’t want the thing in here, nor did she want to act civil towards it. Still, she had a feeling she knew what would happen if she didn’t act in a specific manner once it was here. “Three days?”

“Three days,” Jiyeong repeated, glancing at Hyeon-u. It would be interesting to have the whole pack around, to see just how well they worked. She was right to be slightly more guarded. After all, it seemed they would have problems keeping to themselves with food and he had a feeling anything other than direct commands would be twisted, as was a demon’s nature. Still he supposed he could work with that. If they kept up, that is. There was no reason for him to think of how he was going to dish out tasks if they couldn’t behave well enough to stay. And he would admit, at the current moment, he had little faith they would meet the standard Lishan had set. He didn’t have much faith in their abilities.

She nodded, glancing towards the locked doors as Kiran returned. When he materialized, it was clear that he was much larger than her, both in height and build. He was a wrath and pride demon, differing from mar only in strength and fighting style in terms of skill. “I took care of the stray, Aneth is still outside doing a second round.”

“Good - you’ll be outside tomorrow when the bar opens. If the stray comes back bring them in.” This received an odd look, one that was surprised and confused at the same time, clearly unsure of what he heard. The demon only gave a slight nod which seemed to be accepted by the other. “Take care of what’s left in the other rooms - I want them spotless.” Kiran nodded and was off once more as Mar came out of the door behind her to stack the chairs on the tables.

Looking to the foxes in front of her, Lishan raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”

Take your time my dude! c: today and tomorrow are mostly focused on an essay because oof

Thanks! I’m going to procrastinate for an hour because a friend of stood me up even though I literally made time for her when I could’ve been already working on my paper!

I’m about to cause she does the crap she complains about all the time
Cause this isn’t the first time in general but it’s the first time she’s done it to me

Exactly!! Now I’m just salty!!
I’m still sitting in the car despite getting home ten minutes ago!

I’ve finally made it inside
I really need to start this draft
I just don’t want to now

I know
I haven’t even pulled out my laptop yet lmao
I really don’t feel like doing this

Yuh I’m about to like I just can’t right now
I’m so tired