Melvin, lost in his thoughts, let the toes of his boots go just under the ledge of a slightly-raised platform. He tripped, falling onto his face. He grunted when he hit the floor, groaning and laying there for a few moments more.

He stayed there, contemplating his life, and trying not to cry about losing his cat.

“What are you doing?”

Melvin knocked himself out of his own mind, then looked up. A tall, admittedly kinda pretty man stared down, slightly disappointed almost, at him.

Woa.

In the man’s arms was a wrinkly, white cat. It was curled up, purring softly while it was pet. After a moment, Melvin realized it was a hairless cat. His hairless cat. His eyes got wide and he jumped up, flapping his arms. “My cat!! You found my cat!!”

The man continued to pet Melvin’s cat. He seemed unimpressed, like this scrawny, messy-haired vampire was encroaching on his life, even though the man was the one with the lost cat in his arms.

Melvin seemed unbothered by the huge, leathery wings on the man’s back, assuming he was just another hybrid. He saw plenty of those growing up, it didn’t really matter to him.

“C…can I have him back?”

The air around the man turned a couple degrees colder. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Oh! Sorry, right- I was looking for my cat! But- you found him! If you give him back, I’ll be off, and, y’know, go back home!” Melvin started to sweat.

The man made no attempts to let go of the cat, or give him back. He narrows his eyes. Who did this vampire think he was? Who did this vampire think he was? Did he not know his own species’ leader?

Melvin, realizing that asking over and over wasn’t working, tried to make small talk. “So, uh, what type of demon hybrid are you?”

The vampire lord froze. He stopped petting the cat. What did this common just say?

“What sin type, too? I, uh, can’t tell…” 

The vampire lord stared at him, silent.

Melvin shifted, uncomfortable, on his feet. Small talk clearly wasn’t working. He continued to try anyway. “So, uh, what do you do for a job?” He asked, instead of, I dunno, the man’s name.

“I look after idiot vampires, such as yourself.”

Ouch, that sorta stung. Melvin flinched back. “I… idiot vampires? What gives you the right to-“ 

“Vampires like you need to learn to respect your lords.”

“L… lord…?”

The vampire lord’s wings spead, making Melvin feel even smaller than he felt. The cat did not leave his arms. “I am Lord Firion. I expect to be respected by all vampires, and people of lesser status.” 

 Melvin’s eyes drifted down to the cat. “I… I just want my cat back, sir, I… I didn’t… I’m sorry, I’m…” Melvin felt tears well up in his eyes. No, no, he couldn’t cry now! Please, please don’t cry in front of the vampire lord. Oh, gods, that would be so embarrassing. This was embarrassing. Melvin wiped at his face.

Oh, Ahedres, how do you deal with people crying? Lord Firion panicked, slightly. 

Melvin’s cat was shoved into his arms. In a blink, the lord was gone. His cat was purring softly.