the girl defends the demon, kind of

When Sionn had 'hired' her, from the way he watched her, it almost felt as though he expected her to break out dancing in joy or something. But she just mumbled a 'thank you'. Maybe she should've danced in joy or something. Since she hadn't, he merely said he would pick her up at the station, asked if this was her first time sharing a bed with a man, and actually laughed when she asked what was wrong with him.

The sun hadn't set yet. She didn't have time to go home, get a change of clothes, go to the community baths, clean herself, slide on clean clothes, go back home, get presentable, and then head to the tavern. Thus, she had to compromise. Had she truly worn the same clothes for five days now, or had they... never mind. Best not to know.

She had to go to the tavern one last time for... closure? To tell her boss that she had not become a snack?

Her former boss arrived two hours late and said, "REEEEM!" when he saw her. 

Reem sat on one of the wooden benches outside. "Hi. So, um. Yeah. I came to pick up my thi—noffhhh...!" Her former boss crushed her into a hug. "I'm stinkffhhh..."

By the time he released her, she'd begun to see a tunnel at the end. "I thought the demon lord had eaten you! I'm glad he did not. Unfortunately..."

"I know. I understand."

"I did think you were a goner," said the boss, "Or I would've waited for longer to get a new employee. What if I hire you for my coffee shop?"

"Hmm..." From what Sionn had told her, maids worked from sunset to sunrise, depending on the season, for four days a week... which meant she was available during the day. "...sure. Yeah. Thanks."

"Great! That one actually gets full sometimes, so I was thinking of hiring more personnel anyway. Let me write you the address."

As the boss walked into the tavern, as evidenced by their matching outfits, the new employee arrived. The buttons around her chest were holding on for dear life. She'd attract a lot more clients than Reem. She politely greeted Reem, too, knowing very well that she was being ogled. Must've been used to it. Must be nice. 

The boss took so long to write an address that the first client arrived: the boy in black.

After ripping off his job offer at the bulletin board to post a new one with a slightly less pathetic payment, he turned on his heels, after which he paused. "Hello?" Reem tried.

"Hello. Huh. I thought you'd died."

"I didn't. Are you really trying to kill Sionn?" A beat. "The demon lord."

The boy in black tilted his head. "So you commuted with him."

"Yeah... he's not that bad. I'm not sure why you guys want to kill him so much. He's living his best life."

"Kidnapping maidens?"

"Yeah. I know. I know. I'm just saying he's not that bad."

"Not now, maybe," said the boy in black, "but he could be."

"You mean because of the mark thingy? Eh."

She couldn't see the smirk, but she could practically feel it. "You don't know much about the curse, do you? It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, or whether you want it or not. Once you get the mark, you're a candidate to become what they call a 'demon king', which is like... the stupidest name for a monster with no sense of self that just eats and destroys everything in its path. And Sionn, as you called him, just so happens to have been certified as a lord and specializes in time-space magic of all things. He's a walking cataclysm."

To all of that, Reem's question was: "Certified?"

"In any case, I'm not trying to kill him, just capture him."

"What do you mean, certified?"

"They get a diploma or some shit. I don't know. Anyway, you should help me."

Reem laughed, humorlessly. "And why would I do that?"

"One, you'd get paid. Two, you'd be helping find a cure for the curse. Three, you won't die a horrible death once the new king awakens."

"Oh, reallyyy... I thought I couldn't do anything but clean..."

Silence.

"Apologize and I'll help," lied Reem.

Silence.

"Mhm, mhm, that's what I thought." She stood up. She couldn't see the glare, but she could practically feel it. 

Just then, the waitress emerged with a scrap of paper in hand. "Here you go!" She said. "That's the address. The boss wanted to give it to you personally, but he had to go to the bathroom. He says you can start tomorrow at eight past midnight."

"T-tomorrow?"

"Yup! Bye." The waitress left. 

Reem stared at the piece of paper. The shop stood across the street, twenty minutes away from the dump where she lived. She could maybe probably manage to show up on time, but that would mean no community bath... or sleep...

Having witnessed this exchange, the boy in black told Reem, "We should meet tomorrow."

"No. Go away."

"I'm sorry?"

He said the words like they were physically painful. Reem had already begun to drown under the logistics of her life now. Night job as a maid. Day job as a waitress. Getting herself ready on time. Thirty-minute nap (if possible). "...fine, yeah, whatever. But I better get a tip. You can show up at eleven past midnight, since that's a dead time for coffee shops, anyway. Nothing matters," Reem said, "Nothing matters." Then she began to walk.

She had enough time to go back home, get a change of clothes, go to the community bath, go back home, get herself presentable, and then head to the train station, so there was that. She wore her favorite outfit, too: a frilly white button-down shirt, a knee-length black skirt (also frilly), black tights, and a yellow ribbon. It didn't fit at all with this place's aesthetic, but neither did she.

It didn't take long to find Sionn at the train station. He was, again, disguised as a human. He was the sun, his demon self the moon. It was a trite comparison, sure, but nothing else was as accurate. His hair, eye, and even skin color were notably brighter as a human. Not having a creepy black eye helped. He sat near the train tracks on a bench, reading. 

Reem approached him. Her pulse raced for no reason, or perhaps as a leftover from the... attack. 

Reem sat next to him. 

Reem cleared her throat. 

Might as well get back at him for the random innuendo yesterday. "Hey, handsome," she said, lowering her pitch. "That neckline is very low, and I couldn't help but notice that, um. That." She covered her face. 

Halfway through that fiasco, Sionn had glanced at her from the corners of his eyes. "That?" 

"Aaaaaaaa..."

"No, no, go on. Finish that sentence."

"No... I-I can, but not if you look at me while I say it. Actually, never mind. Let's just go. Please." He was grinning again. Honestly, she kind of preferred the stoic Sionn... who had squished her cheeks against her consent. Never mind. Same soul, different package. "It doesn't count as harassment because you did it first."

"Ah," he said, "That's right. I am your boss now..."

Her new job was off to a great start!