Shobek leaned back against the bedroom door. He hadn't left to find more soup. And frankly, he wasn't going to. Not since he was half-naked. He listened closely to what was happening inside the room and waited patiently for things to fall shockingly quiet. He slowly peeked his head inside and noticed Kasey curled up on the bed, her breathing soft and steady. He watched her for a moment longer before slipping into the room and closing the door. His steps were quiet as he walked to the wardrobe and pulled out a plain shirt. His eyes watched Kasey carefully as he slipped on the white, long-sleeved shirt. Afterward, he quickly left the room.
Next time, I'll try to hold back a bit more on the drinks... Shobek thought as he walked down the hall looking for the best cure for his head.
Four hours passed before Shobek started to make his way back to the room. His steps were lighter than they were when he first left the room and a soft tune was coming from him. He never knew sailor songs, but he was pretty sure that a few would now be haunting him for days. Regardless, the weight on his shoulders had miraculously been lifted and he was glad for it. Strolling into the room without knocking it took him two minutes to register what he was seeing.
Kasey had strolled out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and yelped when Shobek came through the door. He stared at her eyes wide, his body frozen in mid-movement.
"Do you fucking mind???" Kasey finally shouted, Shobek finally jumped and spun around, quickly exiting the room while repeating "sorry" until the door was firmly shut between them. "Jeez! What the fuck is wrong with people??"
Kasey stomped over to the wardrobe and threw the door open. She quickly pulled out matching white panties and bra. After sliding those in she looked carefully over what they prepared. Her eyes glared at the girly dresses that were hanging up. "And what the fuck is this??"
Shobek stood outside the door, cursing at himself as he tried to bury the image. Her voice was muffled threw the door but he could tell she was angry. He finally leaned back against the wall and covered his face. He was ashamed of the fact that he walked in without knocking, but what was worse, was the fact that seeing her look like that almost made him pounce on her like a god damn animal. A loud crash sounded in the room and he looked at the door warily before knocking on it. "Do...Do you need some help..?"
"Fuck no, you asshole!!" Kasey shouted back, she glared at the pile of women's clothes she took out of the wardrobe and tossed onto the floor. Afterward, she looked through the men's wear and pulled out one of the shirts. After another five minutes passed, she was finally dressed in some black leggings and a long men's shirt. She kicked the women's clothes aside before stomping over to the door and flinging it open. Shobek looked at her warily as she glared at him. "Next time, knock!!"
Shobek scowled slightly after Kasey had turned back to the room and had marched over to the couch. "I'm sorry."
He glanced over her outfit and fought a smile off, "what are you—"
"This boat is sexist." Kasey sat down and crossed her arms and legs.
"How so?" Shobek glanced over at the pile of dresses and finally let his smile show.
"Not every woman wears dresses!!" Kasey snapped at him before continuing her small tantrum in silence.
"I see." Shobek chuckled and walked over to the pile to clean it up. In his opinion, the dresses would look cute on her, but saying that may lead to him losing his tongue. So, to stop himself from commenting on them, and to help get her mind on something else, he changed the topic entirely. "We should be landing soon. In the next few hours, anyway."
Kasey looked at him, "really?"
"Yes. This ship's enchantment lets it not only sail faster but also teleport for short bursts. And since it's a common feature in his ships, no one will suspect a thing. But when we land, no matter what, you have to stay beside me. We have to pass through Asmodeus's land before we officially reach Limbo."
Kasey frowned and watched Shobek curiously as he put the clothes away, "whose Asmodeus?"
Shobek closed the wardrobe once he finished and turned to look at Kasey, "He's known as the demon of lust."
Kasey made an "oh" face before looking away.
"Though in my opinion, he's just a narcissistic whore."
Kasey looked at him with her eyebrows raised, "oh? You've slept with him?"
Shobek scowled as he recalled a memory before turning away and shaking his head. Kasey watched him doubtfully but chose not to say anything.
"Anyway, you must not leave my side. There are many Succubi in that area and they will be able to tell you are human right away."
"I thought Mammon said I wasn't human anymore." Kasey instantly recalled the encounter and the agreement they made to talk on the ship.
As if also recalling the agreement, Shobek winced and slowly turned to look at Kasey. "We're gonna do this now...?"
"Yup. So sit your ass down and start explaining." Kasey pointed to the armchair and glared at Shobek as if she could stop him if he ran. To her surprise, he reluctantly sat down.
"Go ahead and ask." Shobek laid his head back and stared at the ceiling. Hopefully, he can give a satisfying answer without giving her the cold truth. If he plays his cards right, this can be over without her hating him.
"A-Alright... Firstly, what did he mean by becoming more like you?" Kasey sat forward a little, her focus strained on Shobek.
"The longer you are here in hell... The more... you tend to be like us." Shobek's brows scrunched up a bit as he tried to come up with a better way to explain it. "Like if a kitten was raised by a dog, they would act more dog-like than cat-like." He turned to look at her and tilted his head, "does that make sense?"
Kasey slowly nodded and frowned, "but how can I become demon-like?"
Shobek looked away and frowned a bit, "well, you have demonic power for one, you can see partially what we see, and you eat our food and breathe our toxic air. Not to mention, you are slowly picking up how to act around other demons."
Kasey frowned, "But that doesn't matter. A cat is still a cat even when raised by dogs. It can't change into a dog just because it acts like one."
Shobek smiled slightly and nodded, "True, but you also have the powers of a demon that course through your veins. We demons have... I suppose what you can call a core that our magic dwells in. And it's not a physical thing. But a spiritual one. Humans, though they do have the core, it is mainly empty. But you, you were born with one that had magic.
"Before you even came here, you were more like us than you were as a human."
Kasey stared blankly at Shobek, his words were being processed, but for some reason, she couldn't seem to understand.
Shobek watched her quietly, waiting for her next question. After another moment, she looked away, a troubled look sweeping across her expressions.
"W...Why?" Kasey's question came out soft and empty. Her body turned loose as she stared emptily at the floor.
"I don't know. I couldn't find the reason." Shobek watched her fall silent. Wanting to comfort her he slowly stood and sat beside her, his hand gently touching her arm. "That's something I haven't fully come to understand..."
As if his touch flipped a switch, her body became tense and she built a wall around her emotions. Her gaze became hard as she pushed on to the next question, "why did Mammon say I was targeted because of you?"
Shobek slowly pulled back and stood back up, he slowly walked to the other side of the room, his gaze dark and regretful.
Kasey watched him, opening her mouth to ask again he finally turned partially to glance at her.
"It's because I wasn't careful," Shobek replied. His gaze had that same look he had last night when she asked him why he loved her. A look of regret.
Kasey opted to let both sides think carefully over what was said. She didn't want to hear anymore anyways. The more she got into it, the deeper she felt herself fall into her insecurity. She might not have known who she was, be she had at least known WHAT she was. Until now, that is. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.
I wish I was old enough to drink...