The First Among Demons

[ Those hands are grounding. Jean sighs. ]

I’m not having a crisis, Lilith, let alone an emotional one. I just zoned out, I promise.

[A small smirk.]

[ There’s…absolutely no reaction, for a few long moments. ]

…

…?

[ Back to it. ]

Oh, Lilith. Thank you.

[Gentle hands rest on his shoulders.]

It might be more comfortable to have an emotional crisis in bed, no?

“It’d help a lot if you disrobed!”

[Brenda then realized what she said, and she immediately added a correction with a bright red face.]

“O-or put on a bathrobe that I can remove easily to prevent getting your clothes stained with oil?”

[She then went to one of the drawers and pulled out the bottle of oil, as well as turn on the sound of rain. She wondered if Lilith would like that.]

“After you’re ready, just lie down and relax!”

“My Queen you need only but ask...”

[Lilith disrobes to Brenda’s comfort, a towel for modesty’s sake covering the... naughty bits of the vessel they’re currently using. And they lay down, exposing their back to her.]

“Now, who’s to say we can’t still enjoy close quarters, Lilith? You think I’d come all the way down here just to sit three meters from you?” he teases, before he strips down from his already-lacking dress to slip into the spring, one eyebrow raised quizzically.

“C’mon, love. We’ve got room to get every spot we can find, and some we can’t.”

“Oh, but the cold porcelain of a western bath, against the warm skin of someone else...” They sigh before stripping down themselves and joining him in the bath.

“I’m simply saying that... Well... Being who and what I am...” They wrap an arm around Teddy, tracing a little water heart on his chest.

[By now, Brenda was rather familiar with Lilith’s slightly silly flirting antics. However, ‘being familiar’ with them did not prevent her from the flirting having an effect on her. She giggled.]

“The honor would be all mine! Hershel has been teaching me, so I hope I can do as well as him someday.”

[Hm. Speaking of which, she should ask her husband to give her a massage one of these days. That’d be nice.]

“I even have some rosehip oil I’ve been saving for an occasion like this…! Oh! And we can even put some lovely music, too!”

[Lilith gently tugs Brenda’s hand to rest over their heart.]

“Merely being in your presence allows me to relax more than anything.”

[They smiled, Brenda was truly precious.]

“Perhaps one day Hershel will grace me with one of his massages. But I am sure yours are just as wonderful, if not more.”

[They snap their fingers and the both of them are transported to the bedroom. Lavish as ever with the plush kingsize bed with fresh bright red satin sheets.]

“Oh, Eastern, please. I could do with a spa treatment. It’s been a “blah” kind of day and it’s come to my attention how overdue for a pampering I am.”

“Oh My selfish heart was perhaps hoping for the close quarters of a western bath, but you desire is my command.” With a graceful snap of their fingers the room changed around them to that of a lavish bathhouse.

“You and me both, Lils. Why don’t we just share a bath and an evening?”

“Would you also like a nice massage? I’ve been practicing!”

“A Massage...? Why, My Queen, that sounds absolutely divine~” They take her hand in theirs and press a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

When he’s scolded, Teddy folds his ears back to pin against his neck, and his frame comes down into a crouch. He’s already nervous as it is, but something seems to come over him, and he straightens back up, a certain sharpness coming into his eyes.

“We would want to appreciate you, Lilith, in every way We possibly could. Our Prince still fears the worst, but you, our Precious Demon, fear nothing. May We lie with you in ways that only We can?”

“Ooh. Getting more forward, ey? I like this side of you.” Lilith drums their fingers on Teddy’s snoot.

“But of course, darling. You merely needed to ask.” Lilith smiles moving their hand away. They blow a kiss. “I must confess, you aren’t my first dragon, but you are my favorite.”

Teddy shuffles in, properly, now, and it’s assuredly strange to see him with his paws folded over one another in uncertainty, eyes scanning everywhere but Lilith themself.

“Well, my reasons are twofold. One, this stupid lizard wants to be overly affectionate and Jean’s terrified of the particular way he wants to be affectionate…and two, I think I need to work on…work. Do you mind humoring us?”

Lilith snaps their fingers, “Now, now. Enough of that negative self-talk. There shall be none of that in my home.” They step forward and place a hand on Teddy’s snoot.

@liliththefirst

It’s at a wee hour that Lilith may sense an intrusion. A very big intrusion.

Namely, a big dragon snout snuffling at them.

“Liiiii~ls.” It’s almost a pule, but it sounds strange in the Dragon’s voice, unfitting for a creature so accustomed to its carefully-measured tone. “You en’t busy, are you? I have a bit of a strange request.”

Lilith is just lounging around, reading. They enjoy the peace. And then they feel the intrusion.

Lilith is looked back at with errant disdain, but it’s only superficial. And that grumpiness softens when he gets the details. “Blights. A homunculus? Shit fire, I’d be a mess, too, if I didn’t really have an identity to call my own.” 

Upon being told he can leave his problems at the door, he laughs dryly, humorlessly. “Fuck. Wish I could. We wouldn’t be having this little chat if it were that simple.” He wouldn’t be having such a conniption if it were that simple.

But of course, Lilith would use it to proposition him, and that falsely cranky glare becomes a little more genuine. “Is this really the time to try and get in whatever you’re trying to get into of mine, Lily? I don’t think so.”

“Well, Here’s hoping Motz time to himself will help him then, yes?” Lilith smiles.

Then Lilith pinches Teddy’s nose. “Now, now! Not all of the activities I’m thinking of are sexual in nature! Goodness, Theo! You’re just as bad as the anons!” Their tone was joking but... At the same time...

“Though. To your credit they could all be considered Lustful at their base. That being my desire for your happiness!” They aren’t really offended, though.

“I’m doing my best to help and you push aside my generous offer to help by assuming i’m trying to get into something? How dare. Other than perhaps getting, metaphorically, into your heart all my intentions at this moment are pure as a demon’s can be!” Which, to Lilith’s credit, was perhaps saying quite a lot.

“The other... more physical getting into just.... all depended on how you were feeling, but I can see other than getting into light trouble you aren’t interested in anything else.” They pull their hands away from him and tuck them under their arms.

“Oh, so when I want a break, you insist on talking it out, but some random fuckin’ poof wants one, and you give them the luxury of taking a back seat, no questions asked. Fucking figures.” He’s just growly because he’s in a bad mood, and Lilith would probably pick up on that. 

Still, he sets aside his tea and lays down, letting out another heavy sigh as more of a snarl than a sigh. “Well, I’m fucked up because I killed a man. He was going to track down and murder Jean over and over and over, and maybe even endanger this reality, if I didn’t, so I had my reasons, but…I have a very strict “do no harm” code, and breaking it kinda scrambled my eggs, if you catch my drift.”

Lilith slowly runs a hand through Teddy’s hair. “You’re far too pretty to only see in the mirror, Teddy.” They lean down a bit to look into his eyes.

“Besides, Motz is.... Well. Special might be putting it lightly. The man is a creation. Poorly patched together memories in a body not his own.” They rest one hand on Teddy’s chest. “I’m doing him a favor. So he can find himself.”

Lilith paused. “Ah, A Hippocratic Oath, how noble of you.” Despite how easily that could be read as sarcasm, They were being entirely honest. “Well, Here in my home your problems can be left at the door. Just relax with your dear Lilith, and let it all go.”