#happy belated birthday to lizard man

[siomaoart]

nuzzle

[fenheart87]

Trading Circle of Hell

@semi-slaughtomatic happy belated birthday doll! I will be cross posting to AO3 later as well but I wanted to get this out there now that its done!

-start-

"Welcome welcome! Females to the left and males to the right! Look for anyone with a purple butterfly mask to make your purchase or ask for more information on our unique invenitory! Rumor has it our esteemed kings shall be here today, make your selection quick for I fear even I wouldn't dare say no to them...."

Viperion scanned the room in disgust, cages with humans, demons, various kinds of fae and more supernaturals were lined and spaced very strategically. Only one or two people could view a 'selection' at a time and there were plenty to choose from.

"This is not what I was expecting." Chat Noir spoke up, teeth bared in rage at what he was seeing. They had been tipped off there was an underground market, an illegal one even by demon standards, and here was the proof right in front of their eyes.

"Easy Plagg, we have time to browse and choose carefully from the... Inventory."

"Yeah yeah Sass, kumbyyah and all. I want one with spirit."

"I want one with some brains, the traps keep killing people." Sass responded, sharing a smirk with his companion and drawing his hood closer to his face. The last thing they needed was for someone to recognize them as they were investigating this horrid black market before they could shut it down. The problem with the recon mission was that they needed to be stealthy and being the Snake and Black Cat made them the best choice, even if they had more favorable morals and senses of justice within them unlike many other demons. It was the secret that made them good rulers and their following loyal to them and them alone.

"Welcome gentleman! Forgive me I have spent too much time topside lately, is there anything specific you happen to be looking for? Someone for manual labor or more physical labor in the place of rest?" The Showrunner as he chose to title himself wisely decided to not touch either of them like he had for many of the other buyers.

"I need someone with a firey spirit and tough enough to withstand the Hell Fires."

"Oh, you must live under our illustrious leader Chat Noir then, pray tell would a dragon suffice good sir?" Beady eyes were shining in glee as Plagg exchanged a glance with Sass.

"Depends on the age and gender, perhaps you can direct me where I could find such one?"

"Of course, in the front row at the very end of the left side. A Longg follower that is quite the spirited miss. And for you fellow good sir?"

"I need someone smart and cunning, quick as a mouse if you will,"

"Ah I wish we could've acquried a Mullo follower but alas not this round... I do however have a special quiet thing that could fit the bill if you're interested?"

"Perhaps, show me your inventory and I may still need to browse, I have other stations that could be filled if I do not find someone to my liking." Sass followed the leader and hid his disgust with all of his being, he wanted nothing more than to poison the man with a quick strike. The cages had various states of captured folk in various stages of distress or anger, the collars adorning their necks were equipped to restrain their unique talents and powers, preventing any type of escape from their cages. Guards and hired demons of lower levels were mingling around the crowd should someone get lucky enough to successfully escape from behind the bars.

"Here we have a pretty little thing but awfully quiet. she does have a voice but her glare usually speaks for her, I have had some issues with one so she is at a discounted price, only 150 thousand."

Sass raised a brow at the price, many of the others were easily going for ten times as much for a starting bid. Either she was too much to handle for the ring leader or she was damaged in some way. Finally looking at the cage, his breath caught. He would know those blue eyes anywhere and was glad that his self control was damn good. Her resemblance to her parents was uncanny, even if they had not been seen by a single eye in over 200 years.

"She's a looker but anyone who dares to get too close suffers, unless that's your type of ah, fun shall we say?"

"I'll take her, she'll make an excellent addition to the baker's guild. If she turns out she can't bake well, I'm sure she could plead to Tikki for help before she became the next meal."

"Very well, as with everyone else I'll collect the payment before the next round and after inventory has been checked and secured, you can take it home with you. If anything else catches your eye, please let me know." With that, the Showman left to prey on other prospective buyers and Sass glanced around, noticing only a few other demons looking at the few cages with interest. It was safe enough he supposed.

"Tell me little one, do you like sweets or cheese?" Pulling carefully on his power, he let flow enough to touch his eyes, making them turn mint green and seeing her eyes flash a pale pink, drawing a gasp from that luscious mouth. "So you are a true Mullo follower then."

"Snake." She murmured and smiled sweetly, eyes flashing once more.

"Black cat is here too, the Longg follower is coming with us and this place is done for." Sass whispered, directing his gaze towards the other side where he could see Plagg was prowling and looking at everything with a calculating gaze, casing the entire space.

"Kagami?" She whispered so softly he nearly missed it, drawing his attention and she flushed pink as she shrunk down.

"Well then, even better. Plagg, if you're ready I am. Nothing else has caught my interest."

"Good, let's find the Showman and collect." The green of his iris was gleaming, a yellow tint coloring them acid and the barely concealed rage shining. Their aura made everyone scurry away from their path as they followed the twists and turns through the cages.

"Ah, is there a problem, good sirs?" The Showman was on guard, eyes narrowed and watching carefully for any signs of aggression.

"Ah, he's a devout follower of Lord Viper himself, very covetous this one is. Terribly sorry but it would be in everyone's best interest if we were to collect and leave the place in one piece." Plagg smiled, fangs fully on display which kicked up the tension a few notches.

"Ah we can certainly make an exception but the prices do change for those in a hurry to get to the breaking in part. Do you have your own collars for your purchases?"

"Now now, it's not nice to insult paying customers, good sir." A black gloved hand produced two simple collars, the scent of ash faintly stirring the air.

"Ah, this way then." With a couple of gestures, two lizard demons who posed at security moved through the crowds and collected the cages, going down a different hallway then the trio did. The lanterns glowed eerily with the Hell Fire flames, Plagg and Sass having to bite back their power to prevent a surge in the flames and revealing themselves to the scum they were forced to follow.

"Alright, very simple to do. I'll deactivate the collars and you can place yours, once secure then I'll remove the standard ones. Precautions you know…"

Sharing a glance they split and stood in front of their chosen. The slimey demon brought over two charged stem crystals and with a small fizz of power the collars were deactivated. Sass noted the little mouse seemed upset but not scared as expected, carefully he stepped closer and leaned down slightly to secure the 'collar', a small whisp of smoke puffed to signal the lock was in place. Taking the other charged stem, the Showman waved it nearby and the slave collars fell off into his hands.

"Thank you for your time and interest gentleman, enjoy your investments!" Waving them to follow one of the guards and the other bringing up the rear, the four made their way out of the illegal catacombs market. Continuing on for a few tense miles until they were sure the guards had indeed returned, they stopped.

"Alright, introductions! I would happen to be Chat Noir, ruler of all the darkness and destruction. For stealth purposes please refer to me as Plagg."

"Viperion, Lord of Time and Incubi. Code name Sass."

"Kagami, a devout Longg follower. I work under the name Ryuoko." The dragon dusted herself off nonchalantly, eyes piercing in their intent to gage how much of a threat the two lords were.

"Multimouse, a converted Mullo follower."  Viperion ignored the sly grin and everything that it said from his fellow demon lord.

"So what's the plan?" Ryuoko asked, smirking.

"Well, do what we do best…" Blue eyes turned a shimmering green and emerald green took on an acid yellow green shine.

"Destroy those who break the Seven Hells contract." Each collar shifted into a choker, a reaction to the sudden leak of power from demon lords, this would boost both female demon's powers as well as protect them. The time of reckoning was at hand.

[hsj-scenarios]

Happy belated birthday to mod-m!!! And also happy birthday inoo!!! If it's okay can I request a fluff Au with inoo as a pet shop owner and (Y/N) is trying to adopt a cat?

Title: ImprintingPairing/Relationship: Inoo Kei x ReaderRating: GWarnings: cuteness overload, a boy who is more cat than boyGenre: Purrrfectly fluffy sweetnessType: Oneshot

Summary: You want a new pet, but how will you figure out what pet  you should get? It’s a good thing there’s someone else who can help you!

You’d been on the fence for months about whether to get a pet or not, and even once you’d decided that your apartment would be far less lonely with an animal living with you, you still hadn’t really decided what kind of pet you should get.

You’d arranged your schedule to get off work early today, keeping the whole ‘pet hunt’ a secret from everyone to ward of naysayers and ne'er-do-wells who would give you all of the advice and, likely, criticism of your decision.

You work too much to take care of a pet.

Pets just tie you down, you can’t travel if you want to.

They cost a lot of money, especially if they get sick, are you prepared for that?

Having a pet is a huge responsibility.

I don’t think you’re ready for that kind of responsibility.

Well, they’d all said that last one when you’d moved out and after almost a year of living on your own outside of your home and dorms–having graduated and begun work in your field. You’d prove them wrong with this situation as well. 

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission. That’s a saying right?

To avoid running into people you knew you went to the pet shop away from  your house, not too far, but far enough that you didn’t expect to run into anyone at all from your neighborhood or family. You’d also researched and found out that this particular shop only offered rescues for adoption, something that made you really happy to consider. Saving an animals life would be a reward in itself, not to mention the fun you were going to have.

You walked in, the door making the cutest little bell sound, you looked up to see that the shop still used a real bell just like they did before technology screwed it all up.

You walked through the front of the store, surprised it was as big as it was since from the outside it looked considerably smaller. Winding your way to the back where the signs directed you to the animals you suddenly found yourself falling to the ground.

A heavy weight had ran into you from the side, knocking the wind out of you as you landed firmly on your behind, sprawled out on the carpet. You were glad you had on blue jeans instead of a dress or you’d be really embarrassed.

Not that this wasn’t embarrassing at any rate, and then there was a guy standing there, and he was…well, you tilted your head, trying to figure out what he was…he was…beautiful? But…not in the traditional sense, because his hair was long and shaggy and in his eyes, and he was panting, his hand held out to you as he was saying some words over and over again. He was...a cat?

He had cat ears on and…cat paws on his hands…which tickled the palm of your hand as you allowed him to help you back up. You glanced at the rest of him, mostly covered with an apron with the shop’s logo on it, but couldn’t help but notice the tail that was peeking out from behind him. 

Who is this guy?

You finally gathered yourself enough to understand that he was apologizing over and over again, trying to explain what had happened. He was talking so fast you could barely get what he was saying–something about a kitten he was playing hide and seek with. You glanced around the area, not seeing a kitten. Well, besides the human one standing before you.

You reached over, lightly touching his forearm to get his attention, speaking softly over top of him, “It’s okay, really, I’m fine, please, I am really okay.”

He hummed, his eyes drifting over you, the gaze taking an inventory in case there were any injuries you weren’t mentioning, and despite knowing what he was doing, there was a level of intimacy in his look that made you take your hand off his arm and step back.

He blinked when he made eye contact with you, a wide, happy smile making his face light up and then he turned around heading down the aisle to the back, calling loudly, “Tama-chan! Come out and apologize for knocking the pretty lady down!”

Pretty, huh?

Probably just buttering me up so I don’t sue or something stupid like that.

You watched him as he moved out of your view, not sure what to think of his behavior but shaking your head and heading toward the back. You approached the cages, all of the animals in a flurry of excitement and seeking your attention. One dog howled softly, and then another one, and before long there were three puppies howling in the cutest little sound you’d ever heard.

“You’ve started a howl-nya,” a voice whispered in your ear, causing you jump, your hair brushing forward from his breath as he laughed, shifting to get around you to approach the puppies cages.

“Hey, hey, you calm down,” his voice was so soft and soothing, and you blinked, surprised when all three of the puppies not only stopped howling, but each of them sat down instantly, eyes fixated on the man as he moved closer to them.

He reached into a pocket in his apron and pulled something out, a treat you guessed, and gave one to each of the puppies. Satisfied they all turned away happily, trotting off into the play yard.

“Were you considering a puppy?” The guy turned to speak to you, his eyes holding your own.

“I…um…well, I haven’t actually decided what kind of pet to get, to be honest,” you murmured, your eyes drifting over to the cages that held some lizards, and others with mice, and then to the cages that must have the kittens, though you couldn’t see any in there.

Your eyes shifted back to the guy, glancing down at his name tag to find his name was “Kei” and then looking back up to his face, only to find him staring intently at you, his gaze focused and intense.

“What’s your favorite color?” 

“Ah…” you were confused, not sure why he would ask such a question but it seemed harmless enough, “…blue.”

He nodded like that’d solved some kind of problem, then asked, “What side of the bed do you sleep on?”

Now, that’s a really strange question, and you wavered on telling him anything else, but he had an aura about him that just screamed ‘trust me’–though you were positive that was a trait even serial killers had–still your mouth opened of its own accord, “Right.”

“Of course,” he nodded his head, drawing his hand up under his chin, rubbing it as if in deep thought, “Book or movie?”

“Book.”

“How much sugar in your coffee?”

“Two cubes…”

“I see, I see, very interesting,” he hummed like the two of you were sharing his thought process, his hand reaching up to his hair for a moment, and you could have sworn he pawed at it like a cat would do, “House or apartment, and how many animals and or humans live there?”

“Apartment, and just myself…”

“Any chance of anyone living there in the future, at all?”

“No, not even remotely,” you admitted, rather sadly because, really there was not even a single hope of a relationship for you these days. You’d pretty much given up on the whole dating scene…most guys only interested in one thing, and even the ones who might be into a relationship felt very shallow and self-absorbed.

“Excellent,” he smiled broadly, rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet, “ one more question!”

You nodded as he spoke, “Music or sports?”

“Music.”

“I thought as much,” his voice was sing-song like as he mused, his eyes alight with an emotion you weren’t too sure of, and then suddenly he cried out, “TAMA-CHAN! I’ve spotted you now-nya!” and he darted down the aisle away from you.

You just shook your head as he disappeared, glancing over to the animals, deciding that it really came down to two animals, either a dog or a cat. You watched the puppies playing happily in the yard, and then walked to where the cats were supposed to be, not seeing any in the large crates. You frowned, not sure you wanted the choice to be made just because they didn’t have any cats for adoption today. 

“Someone else needs to apologize to you-nya!” 

You turned to see Kei walking toward you, his voice so sweet and precious, and your breath caught in your throat because if there was anything cuter in the universe of cute than what you were looking at right now, you’d sell your soul to see it. Cause there’s no way it was possible.

No way.

He was holding some fluffy furry ball of kitten, and he was rubbing it on his face, and his expression was nothing but sheer joy and delight, and it was like watching two of the most beautiful creatures ever be beautiful together. 

A kitten hugging a kitten.

“This is Tama-chan and she would like to sincerely apologize for knocking you down earlier,” he stepped forward, instantly pushing the kitten into your hands.

Your eyes were wide as you lifted the tiny fur-ball up, the kitten not remotely concerned, limp and waiting for you to move. You looked back to Kei who just gestured for you to hold the kitten like everyone had some natural instinct on how to actually do that.

“Here,” he whispered, moving around behind you, reaching forward to move the arm that wasn’t under the kitten’s belly to rest across your chest, then he took the hand with the kitten in it and moved it against your chest, helping you curl your hands around the kitten’s body. 

He was so close, his body pressed up against yours and you felt chills run up your spine, you could smell a heady mixture of the woods and spices, and you shuddered involuntarily when his hand drifted down your arm after you had the kitten settled on your chest. He moved around, his smile wide as he took in the image of you and the kitten, nodding his head, his voice laced with absolution when he spoke, “She’s yours.”

“I-I…wh–what?!”

“She definitely wants to be yours,” he spoke in a tone that seemed edged in certainty, and you couldn’t help your response.

“I don’t…I haven’t…I mean, how do you know…”

“Shhh-nya,” he smiled, stepping closely, his finger extending to point to the kitten’s ears, causing you to actually look down at the kitten in your arms finally. She was curled into a tiny ball there, purring contentedly, “She has her ears like that because she feels safe, her tail is wrapped like that because she feels comfortable, the way she’s got her nose nuzzled into you is because she senses your spirit is the same as hers, and the way she’s rolled to her side showing you her tummy means that she trusts that you will take good care of her.”

“Tama-chan is only eight weeks old, her family were lost, and she is still a tiny baby, but many people have come to visit her, but none of them were her human…but you,” he took a deep breath, his eyes soft and full of emotion, “you’re definitely her human.”

You wanted to protest, wanted to tell him he was positively insane because what was he? 

The cat whisperer? 

But something in your heart stopped you, because his words didn’t feel false. They seemed to resonate somewhere inside of you, and your hands instinctively pulled the kitten closer to you, a tiny mewl coming from her as she lifted her tiny head and blinked sleepily at you.

“She said she wants to go home with you,” he grinned, leaning closely to whisper in the kitten’s ear, “You’ll need to convince her Tama-chan.”

It was like the kitten impossibly understood him, as she shifted, lifting her head up and you had no idea what she was going to do but she moved close to your face, and then like a moment from a movie or book you’d been consumed with–the world stood still. 

The kitten, you could have sworn she was smiling, and she leaned her head forward, slowly nuzzling her nose and face against your chin, the soft texture tickling in a good way and that was it.

“I want her.”

He laughed brightly, “Of course you do–she’s imprinted on you.”

You couldn’t be bothered to understand what he meant by that, but  you knew with every fiber of your being that this kitten was meant to be yours, there was no question within you. 

“Imprinting is when an animal senses that you belong together, there’s a tie that binds your hearts together, it’s uncontrollable, and instant…and that’s what you have with Tama-chan. An imprint-nya.”

He led you to a room to the side that had a sign that said “Get to know me!” and left you there to spend some time with Tama-chan while he gathered the necessities you would need since you honestly had no idea.

You didn’t know how much time had passed, as you whispered to Tama-chan and cuddled and she leaned into you. So caught up in the tiny kitten, you were startled when you glanced to the door, finding Kei standing there leaning against the edge, legs and arms crossed, smiling brightly, “You two are precious and beautiful, this is a great happiness.”

You blushed, because you weren’t sure anyone had called you beautiful since you were, like, seven, and the fact remained that even if it was the cat he was referring to, you’d still take the compliment.

He led you to the front, going over all of the instructions carefully, and you settled the bill. Honestly, you’d spent almost six hours in this shop and you knew he would be closing soon but for some reason you were really having a very hard time leaving. You couldn’t understand why, but every time you considered it your chest hurt.

Maybe I’m nervous about being alone with the kitten.

You finally forced yourself to make the first step toward the door, the entire time your body rebelling against the movement. He helped carry all of the products out to your car, the kitten secured in a blue kitten carrier, curled up contentedly for the ride home.

“This,” he held his hand forward, “…this is my contact info.”

You pulled the card from his fingers, shivering when your hands touched, glancing down at it, a phone number hand written in the space below the shop’s logo.

“It’s my cell phone, so if you….you have any troubles, you can call me and I’ll help you with anything.”

Ah, of course, such a professional.

“I will certainly call if Tama-chan and I run into any issues,” you smiled, tucking the card in  your pocket, holding your hands close to keep them from shaking.

“Yes, if you and Tama-chan have issues, or in fact, you could call if you just…well, needed anything.”

Your eyebrow rose up slowly, the blush that was creeping up his neck and cheeks bright, and you gulped because that sounded a lot like something other than professional to you.

Suddenly, he was so close to you, his eyes bold and fixed on your own, and you blinked rapidly as he spoke, his voice layered in feelings, “I wonder…if it’s possible for humans to imprint on humans?”

His eyes were wide and so preciously innocent, and you had never seen an emotion so pure in your entire life. You felt a warmth spread throughout your entire being, smiling as you spoke, “I hope so.”

There was a passing of truth without words, and it went without saying that you would be calling him, soon, and he seemed to understand that as he grabbed your hand, pulling it up between you to place a soft, gentle kiss upon the top of it. Your heart beat wildly as you stared at him, his mouth twisting into a cute smile as he spoke softly.

“Until then-nya.”