Very early the next morning, when the moon was still out, Melody came out of her room and into the kitchen, navigating in the dark. Her eyes shone slightly as she went to the kitchen and began mashing some herbs that came from her room before mixing them with some water. It didn't smell great, but she added some salt to it and began drinking it. She had almost forgotten they had a guest on the couch and was debating heading off for a bit. She slowly let out a breath. "No... I can't hunt him down and prevent other women from taking him... he left me. He is free... I just need to go to the bank and sort this today before my cart opens..."

"Please stop.... the negativity is.... intoxicating... like scent of poisonous flowers..." The demon is right behind her. He seems to be forcing himself to not get any closer.

She looked at Lukas and made herself smile. "Sorry... It's instincts. It's fine." She turned to him. "Can I get you something to drink? This is my daily herbal treatment. I doubt it's something you'll want." She walked to the fridge and looked inside for the juice. "Oh, we also have some milk too." Melody was using an elven technique to force down the emotions. She just had to believe it would all be fine.

"You suppress, but that just makes stronger when leaks... Milk is fine... contents under pressure are more dangerous."

"I don't know what else to do. Not if I want to keep from hurting him physically." She poured some milk and handed it over. "I'll be like this for at least a while. He didn't realize I guess but I had already taken him as a mate... the wedding was a formality." She drank more of her brew. "Is there anything else I can do you think?"

"Suppress not good.... express. You do pretty art. Focus not on what can't do, but what can do with emotions.... If angry, say 'I'm angry' and make angry art... If sad, do sad art. When jealous, show it with your art.... Put it in things so not in you anymore. So much condensed negative is tempting lure for many demons. Objects can't make contracts...."

She stood there a moment, looking at her drink. "...I don't ..I don't like my art when it's like that I..." She started to cry a little. "I need to get things done today... I'll just head out early... so you aren't tempted. I'll try what you suggested tonight." She rubbed her eyes and headed back to her room to get changed for the day.

That evening when she returned, she had various supplies. Stone, wood, paints... and a talisman to help take them all into the back yard. The fellow roomies saw her setting up some sound dampening runes around the yard to where her talking couldn't even be heard. While her back was to them, Lukas could suddenly feel the shift in her. Primal. Raw emotion. She almost seemed to get taller, while her size and mass didn't change. The blood curdling screams couldn't be heard but it could be felt. She jumped on the stone slashing at it with her hands and nails. Bob had previously assumed they were painted black rather than having the full goblin claws. As she turned to attack the stone and wood from other angles, her eyes had gone completely black. Bob looked to Lukas. "If she had gone after her ex... they wouldn't be able to put it on her because there wouldn't be enough scraps left to identify the body..."

"If she had gone after him, I wouldn't have been able to resist helping her. She wouldn't have needed it, but since she's the one who summoned me, that much negative energy would have drawn me to her instantly."

Bob eyed him. "Don't try anything. With no contract, I can banish you if need be. Frankly I'm not convinced this isn't some sort of game for you." Melody slowly stopped. Objects that looked like a half destroyed home, a crib, a destroyed heart were in view. She fell to her knees sobbing. It hurt. It hurt too much. She wanted the hurt to go away...

"I do not wish to go back. I do not plan on doing anything that would cause that to happen. Still, one can only suppress their nature so much. Right now, though, my summoner is hurt." Lukas took cautious steps towards her.

She didn't move, she let him come close. Her eyes were slowly returning to normal. She was still hurt, still angry. But it had toned down a bit. Her calm rage had the feel of an orc or goblin. She was mentally preparing herself to suppress what was left for now so she could go back in.

"Songbird, I can move more of it into them if I may keep that one." He pointed to the heart. "I would do without if payment was not required. Still, I like that one most so it is fair trade."

She looked at him. She was tempted. It hurt so much. But... "No... neither of us need that temptation." She slowly got up. looked at him and suddenly hugged him instead. "You can have it if you can just hug me for a while..."

He wrapped his arms around her. "That is something I can do, Songbird."

After a while she slowly let go. "You keep calling me songbird... why? Like giving nicknames?" She smiled a bit. Some positive was returning to her.

"For demons, using real names is bad. True names have power.... Songbird sounds right, like it is you."

She smiled more. "Well then, Luk. Come on... let's go inside... I'm sure you're hungry. Thank you..." She started walking in. She had more to do tomorrow involving him, but at least she felt a bit better for the moment.

Lukas looked at the heart sculpture. It was his now, right? He fulfilled his end of the deal.... Once again he had given much too little for what he'd gained... Still, that was what she had asked for in return for it. Finally, he carefully picked it up and put it in his bag possessively. No matter what the price was, it belonged to him now and he doesn't plan to give it up.

Once inside he could hear Bob and Melody talking. "...And he made a deal with you? Do you know how dangerous that is?!"

"Yes, but we hugged. It's fine."

"Do you even know what fine is? And aren't you worried WHY he wanted the art piece?" Melody sighed and looked at Bob.

"No, I'm not. It's art. Maybe he eats the emotion in objects. Maybe he likes sad art pieces. Maybe he has a girlfriend or mom and was like 'this would be a nice birthday gift'. With art you never know why someone wants it."

"Ok fine but why let you pay with a hug?"

"Because I asked. He was willing to take out the emotions but that seemed like a bad idea. Not in a ‘he was trying to pull something’ way but more a slippery slope way." He rubbed his temples a bit.

"Alright.... alright. But please no more deals without me present." Melody nodded a bit.

"I'll see. Thank you for worrying Bob." She carefully moved to the couch and sat back down. "Gods with us....my legs are gonna be dead now... can I do the dishes in the morning?" Bob nodded a bit. "Yes... just keep quiet when you do. Since morning is apparently at dark o clock."

"It's not her fault you'd rather sleep in until the day's almost over. I thought wizards are supposed to try to get the most out of everything.... one would think that includes daylight time..."

Bob let out a slow breath. "Well, my primary hours of work are between noon and midnight for the magics I investigate and practice. And I have things I am not able to do until the moon goes down. Also, last night she woke up at 4am. Most wizards would tell you that is an ungodly hour to willingly wake up, never mind do chores."

"Well, I haven't heard her complaining about the racket you were making at eleven last night. Suck it up, Buttercup." Bob muttered something about how it wasn't him and started getting dinner prepared. "So... what's for dinner, Web Spinner?"

"Web spinner? Really? We are going for childish name calling? If you must know I am finishing up some gumbo." He went to the pots he had set up and started turning on the heat. "Melody said she can eat anything so I thought some gumbo would be pleasant. It just needs to warm back up and the rice needs to cook." Melody took a peek and started getting some things out from her cabinet and mashing some other herbs and some dried insects.

"Looks good."

"..I thought we agreed no dye making in the kitchen during food preparations?"

"Oh it's not. Not this time. And I'm not adding it to the gumbo so don't worry." She went to the fridge and pulled out a night berry juice and mixed some of it with the mixture before drinking it.

"Both look good." Lukas grins. "I'll get job tomorrow, so then I can help getting food."

"And who will hire a demon for work?"

"Mall retail." she looked up as the both looked at her. "...What? It's true. The Hells Affairs store loves employee's that look like they're from hell."

"Is it a good place to work? I don't mind bad conditions, nothing here can beat hell jobs, but.... If co-workers really hate job, it would be bad to be around...."

"It's the mall... I'm not sure most people will like their jobs."

"Then, I'll try original idea first; coffee shop. Most people there just tired, and that goes down when they get their drinks. Plus strong scents hide other smells."

Melody nodded a bit. "Food delivery could be good too, then." He could see a shift in her eyes as whatever she drank started to take effect. "I'm gonna lay down for a bit, let me know when dinner is ready." She headed off to her room while Bob watched, trying to hide some worry.

"She will be okay, just wants to eat your gumbo.... Extra steps needed for her to eat."

"I know it's just... While I don't agree with what her ex did to her, I can understand the concern marrying a mutt like herself. Any children she has are not likely to survive long... her organs may not be compatible with each other... I'm amazed she has lived this long." Normally even this level of concern could get Lukas going on making a contract but something was blocking him.

"Most species worry too much about compatibility... She has found a way and her offspring probably will be able to as well. She is a survivor, that will be passed down to her children. Wizards always overthink things too much... it's what causes them so much unneeded trouble."

Bob gave him a small side glare and went back to cooking. "Don't you have a chore to do to earn your supper?" By the time dinner came around, Melody came out of her room, her skin looking a touch darker. She sat down and looked at them both.

"Well... you two look like you're doing ok at least. I'll be working at my kiosk tomorrow."

"Don't you have someone to help work that for you?" Bob asked.

".... my ex would help cover time before. I need to get around to hiring someone."

Lukas spoke up. "I can help some, but still getting another job. Another job means more yummy food."

"Don't burn yourself out now."

Bob snickered at that. "Demons can't. They are eternal, for all intents and purposes."

"Not eternal, just hardier species than most. Physical burn out near impossible for demons, but not so much with magic. Like with half fulfilled contracts.... Most demons would rather die or be eternal slave than be stuck in such magic draining limbo. Contract will keep draining magic, but can never take last bit because contract not finished... Demon is stuck always magically burned out."

Bob became very interested in his gumbo. Melody looked at Lukas. "You aren't going to have that problem are you?"

"I don't agree to contracts that are complicated. More complicated equals more things that can go wrong on either side. Like if I ask for a specific cookie as payment and someone else eats it, I technically don't get paid and contract isn't finished. But if I only say that I want a cookie, it's easier to get payment. Same if I agree to do something that I can't... That's why I only offer to do things I know I definitely can do."

She nodded a bit. "Still, risky business. What do demons do when they get stuck like that?"

"Depends on demon and reason.... If payment is the problem, sometimes they can alter one or two words in contract to make it possible. If it's what they couldn't do.... That's more complicated. Sometimes a more powerful demon can make it possible for them to complete their end of the contract.... Like if you said you'd grab spices from a high shelf because you didn't realize how high up the shelf really was. You might be able to ask a taller person to lift you up so you can reach it. You still did what you said you were going to do even though you had help."

Bob looked at him. "Is there a REASON you are choosing this specific example?"

Lukas looks confused by his question. "No, I just think lifting someone up to reach something high illustrates well what the more powerful demon would have to do. They can't fulfill the contract for the smaller demon, but sometimes they can make it easier for them to do..."

"Well some contracts can be impossible." Melody felt like these two were having a completely different conversation than she was picking up. Oh well. The gumbo was good.

***

Late that night a small demon was sitting on Bob's desk. "No, I don't think he can help. I'm not sure he's strong enough for this kind of muck up."

Bob sighed. "I didn't think so..."

"We could try to cancel it."

"The penalties are very steep for us both... We just have to find a way. I have some new leads on time magic"