#(sisy)phos

Phos had just gotten home and gotten a shower when there was a knock at his door. He's surprised to see Jevil at his door. The mischievous monster seemed to come and go as he pleased, and largely did what he wanted - what problem could have him coming to Phos of all people?

There are certain signs people take to mean bad news is coming. A sudden cold breeze, a shadow of a cloud passing overhead on an otherwise clear day, a dog barking and then being silenced - innocuous things that one could over look... And Phos did.

He was not a superstitious monster.

So while minor things had gone wrong all day, he did not take Saki waiting where the bus stopped to drop him off from work as another sign something was necessarily wrong. They did not tend to interact, but as far as he could see the house was still standing and he had recieved no message from Arrow that Arachne was having troubles.

Saki's presence did not have to raise concerns in Phos' mind... and so it didn't. There was only mild warrieness as the only possible thing he could think Saki would seek him out when he was alone would be to discuss his brother - and if Saki had complaints about how Merlot was treated he surely would have addressed thrm by now.

At first he thought it was his brother. His brother was barred from the premises since his last arrest and if his mate were not so kind, helpful, and good with Arachne...

So of course he went around and began pulling them down, they not only were annoyingly catchy the notes were tacky and clashed with the decor. Phos couldnt help but read them. They were simple, too simple which is part of their repulsion, but a few were... different.

Oh there were the usual jokes which would mke him roll his eyes if he could only spare the magic, but interspersed were... flirty ones. It was discerning.

His brother would not leave a note that said "I feel butter with you" with a piece of toast drawn on it. Which left the only other person who had - theoretically at least - both access to his house and an interest in puns.

Merlot.

But why?

It felt like a deliberate challenge, one he was unsure how to answer...

There were a lot of notes. Assembling them gave him time to think, amd as he walked he organized them by color folding and sticking them together as he went until he had a rather large flower made out of the things.

It did nothing to unwind his tension sadly. The challege needed to be answered, but he could not devise a good response when he had promised not to engage in any more activities without being asked directly for them.

Phos thinks he's gotten most of them - no doubt he'd be stumbling over the things for weeks - and he looks at the colorful piece he's made and wonders if perhaps he is just not thinking creatively enough.

"Most likely?" Phos says with a hint of amusement. "Die. Not that I think he shares my proclivities.

Though I suppose it depends on what sense you mean claim."

He rolls his skull, stretching out his neck to relieve the tension there. "If you simply mean put a collar on me to mark me as his, well, I hardly think he has the desire. If you meant more seriously staking a claim as in a -"

Silly bones?

He's not a child.

Phos wants to snarl, he rather thinks he has an impressive one building, but he takes a deep breath. Holds it for a moment. And then lets it out.

"Feelings," There's only a mild sneer in his tone "have nothing to do with any of it."

"It's never been about that." He snaps out almost instantly, the lightest touch of blue crossing his face.

"The illusion of control perhaps, the aspect of possession, being a source of ..." He trails off and looks away, staring hard at the wall instead as he collected himself.

Side stepping the issue was beneath him.