Later That Evening
A soft bell chimed as the door opened.
They slipped into a modest sized bookstore, the scent of old pages clinging to the air..
"A bookstore?" Selvynee tilted her head, curiosity peeking, as she stepped in behind Ashfang.
He nodded, scanning the shelves with narrowed crimson eyes. "I want to find information about that red gem the ogre offered."
A rustle came from one of the nearby aisles. A young woman, half-hidden between towering stacks of books, perked up at the sound of footsteps.
She rose slowly, brushing her skirt and turning toward them—only to freeze.
Her eyes widened with delight.
Then she smiled. Wide. Too wide.
"Hi there! From the looks of you, I'm guessing you're part of the demon race?" she chirped, already turning sideways to grab a book from a nearby shelf. "Let me check something real quick…"
Sirus blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her energy.
Selvynee stifled a giggle behind her tail. "Someone's a little too excited to meet you."
The girl flipped through pages frantically, eyes darting between the book and Sirus. "Let's see… Red eyes? Check. Horns? Check. Claws? Yep. But… hmm…" Her gaze trailed down. "Your legs aren't quite what's listed here."
She murmured the last part, distracted.
"…Let's go to another bookstore," Sirus said flatly, already turning.
"Wait," Selvynee stepped beside the odd book-girl and tapped her shoulder.
The girl glanced up, only for her expression to shift again—excited, then anxious as Selvynee placed a furred hand firmly on her head, halting her before she could reach for another book.
"I think you owe my brother an apology," Selvynee said, calm but firm, gesturing to Ashfang, who now stood stiff as stone.
His face was unreadable.
Selvynee narrowed her eyes slightly. "We're not animals to stare at. Maybe try not staring at us like we're wild animals."
The girl wilted instantly. "S-sorry," she mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck. "I just… got excited. There were rumors about a new face in town, and I've never met a real demon before."
Sirus's ears twitched. He looked down at the two of them, his gaze unreadable.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the red gem, its surface gleaming faintly.
"Do you know anything about this magic gem?" he asked, tone even, composed.
The girl adjusted her glasses, peering at it with renewed interest. "Hmm… hang on."
She darted off to another aisle, returning a moment later with a thick book in hand.
Handing the book over to Sirus, she spoke.
"By the appearance and the shine of red. That's a fire gem." She sat down, slightly more composed but still visibly fidgety.
Sirus flipped through the pages, eyes narrowing slightly as he searched.
But the bookkeeper couldn't help herself.
"Um… if it's not rude to ask—" she began, her voice threading into the quiet.
Selvynee, who'd been casually browsing nearby, froze. Her ears twitched.
"Judging by your horn size and frame… you can't be older than six, right?"
Selvynee slowly turned, a stare fixed on the girl. Her expression blank, confused.
"Wha… what did you just say?" she asked, her voice low and slightly breathless.
The girl blinked, then clarified as if it were common knowledge. "He can't be more than six years old. I mean—" she motioned at Sirus's legs, "he looks taller than expected, but that's likely just his physiology. From what I know of demon growth rates, he's still a kid."
Snap.
The sound of the book shutting echoed.
Sirus looked up, gaze sharpening. "You're quite nosy, aren't you."
But then he noticed Selvynee's eyes locked on him, her expression unreadable.
"You good?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she dropped the book she'd been holding and walked slowly toward him.
"Ashfang…" she said, voice quiet. "How old are you?"
He blinked. "I should've turned five last week. Why?"
A brief silence fell.
At the end of the aisle, the book girl slowly backed away, attempting to make herself invisible behind a stack of books—but she peeked over, curiosity burning in her eyes.
Selvynee stepped closer and gripped the front of his jacket with both hands. Her expression was calm, but something beneath it cracked—confusion, maybe, or revelation.
"I thought I was supposed to be the little sister…" she murmured.
Ashfang raised a brow. "Does it matter?"
She let go of him and turned her back, then slowly looked over her shoulder—her eyes bright with something resolute.
"I'm the oldest between us," she declared, a proud fist lifted to her chest. "So that means I should be the big sister!"
Ashfang blinked. "If you want. Doesn't bother me."
Selvynee stood frozen, stunned by his casual acceptance.
He turned away, raising the book in one clawed hand.
"I'm taking this as compensation," he said, glancing toward the aisle where the book girl still lingered.
She yelped softly, ducked back, then peeked again and gave a rapid, flustered nod.
Without another word, Ashfang took Selvynee's hand and led her out of the shop.
Later That Night
Stepping into their allotted room, Selvynee dropped face-first onto the bed, her voice muffled by the pillow.
Sirus blinked at the sight, paused.
"...I'm going to get us food," he said flatly. "You can stay here."
A muffled sigh escaped her in reply.
He stepped out, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
Selvynee rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, her expression unreadable, her thoughts noisier than the quiet around her.
"...I don't want to be a big sister," she murmured into the stillness.
A pause.
"Ashfang has the personality of a big brother anyway… so."
Her tail lazily curled up over her head, flicking in slow arcs.
"I'll stick to being the pampered, spoiled little sister," she added with a faint grin, silly and genuine.
The room fell into a hushed, peaceful silence. Twenty minutes passed.
Then—Click.
The door creaked open, then closed with a soft thud.
Selvynee's nose twitched. She peeked her head from under the covers.
"Food!" she chirped, springing from the bed like a cat in the sun.
Sirus held out her favorite sandwich and a roll. Wordlessly, he sat on the floor, leaning against the bedframe.
She took the meal from his hand and settled at the edge of the bed, legs swinging as she ate with content delight.
He took a bite of his own, savoring it without a word.
Then, with a slow turn of his head toward her, he muttered:
"Sisters are weird."