Really. This whole 'lifestyle' is just a joke to him. Being a demon, or half-demon in this case, to follow in his father's footsteps and bring fear and terror to those inferior to him in both strength, power and levels of many different things just left a bad taste in his mouth. Really... this was just nothing more than a huge insult to him. But, he is to follow his father's footsteps if he was to take rule over the lesser humans as a real demon so that he would gain what is rightfully his. Whether that is 'rightfully his' is another thing up to debate and he didn't really care for
( ... )
From across the square, the heavy and ornate doors yawned wide. The interior was dark inside. Orihime gazed at it with wide eyes. She could definitely feel a unique presence from within that blackened doorway, and she felt her insides tighten up a little
( ... )
And once the young woman had entered the room, it was just right on cue that a blue flame suddenly erupted from the his fingers and tossed into the firepit, first causing the logs inside to glow a blueish glow before it turned into a regular red and orange flame. Rising up from his plushed chair, she would see that the red, white and black robes he had worn was open, revealing a thick set of black chainmail to cover his chest and leather studded leggings with thick, black boots
( ... )
OH NO BLOOD! ...No, wait. Wait. The smell of fermented grapes was easily detected. Not blood at all.
Orihime stayed rooted on the spot, not daring to move. Instead her head turned, eyes following the demon as he moved about the room. He sounded young, too. But maybe that was just how demons were. She couldn't claim to have had any prior experience in dealing with them.
At his question, she shook her head, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing the cords secured around her wrists. "I suppose...to get eaten or maimed?" she suggested. But despite the macabre reply, she didn't sound all that terrified. Certainly she was nervous, but she found her curiosity to be stronger than her unease. Why would be pour a cup of wine for, presumably, a person he intended to devour?
"I see the stereotype has still remained the same even after all this time." And there was a hint of disdain in those words that followed with a huff. "No. That is not it at all. I'm truly starting to wonder if those idiots even truly understand doing what I do." He then takes a small sip from his drink to first savor that taste and possibly welcoming alcoholism into his life with the incompetence his own men are having
( ... )
Orihime looked at the winecup, then back to the demon. With a weak smile she shrugged and shook her head. It was kind of hard to hold a glass anyway with her hands still tied, but even then, she wasn't entirely sure it was a wise idea to drink something offered to her by a demon (even if he seemed a lot nicer than she originally anticipated
( ... )
"I'll be simple and brief about it. Officially, I was to be searching for a bride. Hence the beautiful and worthy parts to carry on my bloodline. To carry on the family name and achieve through other trials to obtain certain things I am in need for due to personal reasons, but the starting step to it all is that. If the offer of being tainted with a demonspawn inside you is too unbearable for you, have other choices... one, you are free to go and leave this place... this town... everything behind. You will be given enough materials, a horse and carriage to take you wherever you need to go... but the condition is to never come back and never let any of the townsfolk see you at all. Remember, you are the sacrifice. If you are discovered then you will be sacrificed. Understand
( ... )
Orihime blinked, and color began to spread through her cheeks. A bride? Her? Still she said nothing, listening to him speak as he presented her with three very generous options. She looked at the table.
"It's hard to decide...all of those things are so much better than what I had," she admitted, the corner of her mouth turning upward in wry amusement. Being the wife of a demon, or granted a horse and means of living wherever she pleased, or even working in a grand place such as this where she would be fed and cared for...all of these things far exceeded her expectations. It was impossible to choose, so she was glad for the gift of time to think it over.
"Well...what about you?" she asked, her head tilting faintly to regard him with curiosity. "Don't you have a preference?" Orihime would benefit from any of those options, but she wasn't really sure which the demon would like best. And considering he'd done so much for this town as it stood, he should gain something at the very least.
"No, I don't. But I have been doing this for a long time and half of those before you chose to leave as the other half chose to work. Not one of them wished to be the used as a bearer of a child of my blood. And for good reason, so I do no blame them. Whatever choices you make, I will respect them... however, I will expect you to uphold your end of the bargain as well for these choices
( ... )
Orihime gazed at the rope for a moment, uncomprehending, until she realized the itchy cords around her wrists no longer itched. She glanced back over her shoulder in shock, hands drifting apart, then forward. She was free! But how had he done that...?
She looked at the demon again, her mouth drawn into a line of fervent perplexion. She really was free, and not just from the bonds that had tied her hands together. None of his tributes had ever chosen to marry him? Orihime could understand why, she supposed, but how did that make him feel? Being rejected could be a painful experience. Surely he must have loved at least one of the girls that had been given to his care. He didn't seem cruel, or bad-tempered. Being wed to him might not be all that bad, really, and the possibility wasn't one she would readily dismiss
( ... )
He stopped in his tracks for that moment she had called out to him, raising an eyebrow in idle curiosity on what she had wanted right after he told her any other questions would be answered by her escort-- but when she asked for his name, his eyes went downcast as if trying to think of how to answer this before looking back at her again. "So long as you are not my bride, you will address me as Master Howard. Just as the title and name I had introduced myself to your people when I came here first. If you have forgotten my name then I will be sure that those outside those gates will remember it."
He pivots himself to move once more to his destined location, his bedchambers. His own personal haven yet prison in these walls.
Maybe Orihime was just too secluded, then. She'd never ventured near enough to the outskirts of the city to be put in danger of an assault from the monsters without, nor did she possess anything worth being robbed of. The demon's arrival was big news, but Orihime hadn't attended his welcoming. If he meant to kill them, she'd flee, and that was all there was to it. He'd never made any hostile overtures, so up until now, the 'demon lord' had never played much of a role in her life
( ... )
'I'm not planning to eat you or whatever you humans think we do.' Oh he really wanted to say that, but it's just best to keep calm and remain elegant at all times. After all, it's just her first day and the excitement and sudden mood changes would make someone confused and odd at times too. So he wasn't really going to hold it against her at all. And dinner time was just hours away, so at least she'll calm down by then... right?
... right? This kind of lifestyle is normal for humans, isn't it?
((Timeskip to dinner time and the fancy dining table y/n?))
Despite the elegant hairdo and white dress, Orihime stood gaping at the sumptuous feast spread out before them like a kid at the midsummer festival. Though she'd been offered a chair, she still stood, gripping the table as her eyes moved first to devour everything in appearance. She'd never seen so much in one place, save for the open market, and she'd certainly never had a chance to eat anything so rich or beautifully prepared.
Her head lifted to look at Master Howard as she pointed to a plate of chicken and rice with a thick curried sauce. "It's really okay to eat this...?"
That was one downfall of having a common girl elected to be the tribute: she knew nothing of etiquette around those of higher status and class. All she knew was that she was about to eat the best meal she'd ever had in her entire life.
Now... THIS was a sight that's all too familiar, yet one he could never really get used to at all. Seeing this girl's excitement over something so simple as food, appearance and hospitality... is a human's life a lot more cruel than a half-bred demon's? Or is it because he was not exposed to such things in his life? Either way, the sight was just... well... very captivating to say the least.
"...y-yes. You are our guest, so therefore, yes, you are free to eat what you like from the table served for you. I trust this is all satisfactory?"
He was pausing in mid-cutting his own thick slab of steak as he answered and watched in a mix between shock and awe.
Orihime looked at the demon, then beamed, jerking her head in a sharp bob of agreement. "It's way better than that. Thank you very much!" This time she did sit, her eyes still darting from dish to dish. Where was she supposed to start? She wanted to try all of it, but even if she ate just one bite from each, it was unlikely she'd be able to make it all fit
( ... )
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Orihime stayed rooted on the spot, not daring to move. Instead her head turned, eyes following the demon as he moved about the room. He sounded young, too. But maybe that was just how demons were. She couldn't claim to have had any prior experience in dealing with them.
At his question, she shook her head, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing the cords secured around her wrists. "I suppose...to get eaten or maimed?" she suggested. But despite the macabre reply, she didn't sound all that terrified. Certainly she was nervous, but she found her curiosity to be stronger than her unease. Why would be pour a cup of wine for, presumably, a person he intended to devour?
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"It's hard to decide...all of those things are so much better than what I had," she admitted, the corner of her mouth turning upward in wry amusement. Being the wife of a demon, or granted a horse and means of living wherever she pleased, or even working in a grand place such as this where she would be fed and cared for...all of these things far exceeded her expectations. It was impossible to choose, so she was glad for the gift of time to think it over.
"Well...what about you?" she asked, her head tilting faintly to regard him with curiosity. "Don't you have a preference?" Orihime would benefit from any of those options, but she wasn't really sure which the demon would like best. And considering he'd done so much for this town as it stood, he should gain something at the very least.
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She looked at the demon again, her mouth drawn into a line of fervent perplexion. She really was free, and not just from the bonds that had tied her hands together. None of his tributes had ever chosen to marry him? Orihime could understand why, she supposed, but how did that make him feel? Being rejected could be a painful experience. Surely he must have loved at least one of the girls that had been given to his care. He didn't seem cruel, or bad-tempered. Being wed to him might not be all that bad, really, and the possibility wasn't one she would readily dismiss ( ... )
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He pivots himself to move once more to his destined location, his bedchambers. His own personal haven yet prison in these walls.
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... right? This kind of lifestyle is normal for humans, isn't it?
((Timeskip to dinner time and the fancy dining table y/n?))
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Despite the elegant hairdo and white dress, Orihime stood gaping at the sumptuous feast spread out before them like a kid at the midsummer festival. Though she'd been offered a chair, she still stood, gripping the table as her eyes moved first to devour everything in appearance. She'd never seen so much in one place, save for the open market, and she'd certainly never had a chance to eat anything so rich or beautifully prepared.
Her head lifted to look at Master Howard as she pointed to a plate of chicken and rice with a thick curried sauce. "It's really okay to eat this...?"
That was one downfall of having a common girl elected to be the tribute: she knew nothing of etiquette around those of higher status and class. All she knew was that she was about to eat the best meal she'd ever had in her entire life.
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"...y-yes. You are our guest, so therefore, yes, you are free to eat what you like from the table served for you. I trust this is all satisfactory?"
He was pausing in mid-cutting his own thick slab of steak as he answered and watched in a mix between shock and awe.
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