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Chapter Text

He felt it when it happened. When his Lady faded from this world. He felt whatever last bits of Her power remained inside him disappear. It left him empty, hollow, numb. He would never admit that he could fall victim to something as human as being in shock, but that is exactly what happened. His mind refused to comprehend that the centuries of work him and his Lady had done was now all gone. And so was She. He remained in that numbness, still tied up in the library of the great monk where the ‘heroes’ had left him. He was now nothing more than a husk, a sword with no wielder, left to rust.

He was taken out of his lack of thought when he heard footsteps approaching. “Well, well, well, look who hasn’t moved an inch, how very convenient.” Said the voice of none other but Li’eur Mihou. The six eared Macaque. The mayor didn’t bother looking up at the figure that loomed over him. “Now look who’s still alive.” The shadow monkey declared dusting himself off as if he’d just returned from a scuffle. “Sorry about making you wait but you know what they say, Ladies first, but now it’s your turn.” The monkey grinned, sharp fangs on display as he grabbed the former thrall by his collar and lifted him up easily.

When the ice demon didn’t say anything, Mihou’s grin of delight faltered as he got irritated. “Oh come on, my guy! No last words? Not gonna tell me your Lady is gonna return and fulfill her destiny? Aren’t you gonna try to do it in her stead? Gimme something to work with, Mayor!” He goads, wanting the other to retaliate, to say something. Anything. He wanted this to feel good!

“Just end it will you? So I can see Her again...”

That was not what the shadow demon wanted to hear, he tried not to sound desperate when he said: “Are you serious? Not even a last ‘fuck you’?!” he asked as if the very idea of the other not taking the chance at one last jab was offending him. The ice demon didn’t even dignify that with an answer. Was he truly just waiting for Mihou to kill him?

The shadow monkey hated how there was nothing but emptiness in the mayor’s white eyes. Despite the lack of an iris or pupils, the man had never made the impression that he was blind. His eyes always looked like they were seeing, perceiving, one could always tell when those eyes were focused on them and that was usually the last thing they would see. But right now, Mihou saw nothing. No focus, no drive, no twisted delight, not even sadness or hatred, just emptiness.

He clenched his teeth, this wasn’t right. Why didn’t it feel right?! Why couldn’t he just strangle him, crush his skull in his hand, watch the last ember of the Lady Bone Demon’s memory fade out of existence and be happy about it?!

“You’re fucking RUINING this for me!” the shadow demon yelled, slamming the mayor into the ground but before the body could make contact they both phrased into a shadow portal that opened beneath them. When Mensheng was slammed onto his back it was on his apartment floor “What…?” he grunts, vision adjusting to the new environment.

Mihou held the man down by his throat when he roared “I came here to kill the Bastard who’d wear that creepy ass fucking grin while punishing me at his Lady's word! It’s not gonna be satisfying if you’re this fucking pathetic!”

The former thrall stared up at the other, he had no biting words. He only had one question. “So…will you kill me now or not?” Sounding afraid, but not afraid of the possibility of dying. But rather the possibility of NOT dying.
Looking into those eyes again, the monkey saw it. The tiniest amount of fear, the fear of living? No…The fear of living without his mistress. “No.” The shadow demon grinned, laughing under his breath, wanting to do nothing more than whatever would hurt the other the most. It was insane, he knew what he was about to say sounded insane. But he already felt like he was losing his mind. He must be if he can’t even crush this fucking rat. He must be losing it! “I won’t. You’re gonna live. You’re gonna recover your powers, you’re gonna become your cheerful creepy self again and then I’m gonna fucking kill you. Until then, YOU are gonna fix the damage you caused, Mr. Mayor.”

And as soon as Mihou had said those words, as if on cue, the phone in Mensheng’s apartment rang. Giggling the shadow demon cut the ropes easily before disappearing into the shadows, literally. The ice demon stared after him for a while as the phone rang. When he finally snapped out of it he got up, groaning in pain, everything hurt. When he took the call the first thing Mensheng heard was his secretary.

“Mayor? Oh my god Mayor! I’m so glad you’re okay! Are you Okay?? I’ve been trying to reach you!”

Don’t let her think anything is amiss.

He heard his Lady’s voice instructing him instantly. Without questioning it he straightened up and tried to put on his usual smile knowing that it could be heard if he wouldn’t.

“Ah, I’m glad to hear you are still alive, Ms. Huang!” It wasn’t even that much of a lie. She was a delightful young woman, always bringing life into the office with her colored hair. “We were so worried about you!” The mayor heard her say.

Lies. They don’t care for you. No one does. They would never care if they knew your true purpose. They wouldn’t understand. Only She understood. His Lady knew his purpose, She GAVE him his purpose. Her voice still lingering in his memory made him miss Her more, yet also brought him comfort. He took a breath before speaking again.

“The last few days have been…eventful haven’t they.” The ice demon sighed wistfully, exhausted beyond belief as he let the days pass by, looking out the window of his penthouse apartment. He grinned when he saw the Carnage his Lady had wreaked upon Megapolis and the world. The ice may be gone but buildings lay in ruins, power lines were cut, railways blockaded or broken. “We have our work cut out for us don’t we Yaya?” he mused.

The secretary huffed a laugh of exhaustion. “Yeah, heh…I suppose you’re right. But, if you need time to rest I’m sure they would understand-” - “Nonsense!” Mensheng interrupted. “Have the reports of all that must be done from the appropriate authorities brought to me by Monday." He ordered and after a short pause the young woman on the other end laughed as if she had missed the man’s chipper attitude, as if his smile in the face of chaos somehow bolstered her own resilience. Naive child. His Lady would call her. “Yes sir! Of course!” She chirped. “See you Monday.” And with that, she hung up.

Without missing a beat he thought of reporting to his Lady about this-Oh…

Right.

Somehow it still didn’t feel real. As in...it ACTUALLY didn’t feel real. It felt like She should still be here. Talking to him. Ordering him to fix this mess! To not let down his cover while looking for this or that artifact for a new plan! But there was no plan, no orders, no Lady bone Demon…

Well, what do people do when they don’t have a centuries long goal to work towards in some form 24/7?

Chapter Text

Turns out. Nothing. As in, truly nothing. 

Mensheng sat in his armchair staring at the ceiling, lamenting how he hadn’t protected his Lady well enough till Monday arrived. Turning on Autopilot as soon as the clock struck 7am, he took a shower, washing the grime and dirt of the week or so off himself. He had no idea how long he had been down in that library for. After getting dressed in a new suit, he made his way to the Mayoral office. 

Walking into the familiar halls as if nothing was amiss, he greeted his secretary who suddenly stood up from her chair and gave him a hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright, Sir!” 

Well that was unexpected.

“Ms. Huang- May I ask what the meaning of this is?” He stammered as he was unable to comprehend this sudden bout of…affection. Yes, he knew that Huang Ya was a strong believer in his politics as the first Demon Mayor, that was why he had employed her, but why would she hug him? They weren’t particularly close. Sure,  he had his little nickname for her but that only came about because she was a little too dedicated in the beginning, reminding him of appointments till it annoyed him and he started waving her off saying ‘Yaya’ to annoy her right back. 

Eventually she seemed to grow strangely fond of it as they kept working together but she would still roll her eyes slightly whenever he called her that. 

“Sorry.” She dabbed her eyes slightly as she stepped back. “I’m just happy you’re okay! I-it probably sounds silly but when that giant mech got blown up and we finally got the phone lines and power back on, I thought…No one would be able to deal with this except you.” She laughed, both embarrassed yet also happy to see the man. “After how you handled the aftermath of the Demon Bull King, the spider queen incident, I thought, no one else would be qualified to fix all this.” 

Mensheng smiled at the compliment. Oh that poor soul had no idea he was responsible for at least one of those things. “Some would say, these attacks happening in the first place would be a failure on my part as the mayor you know.” He commented but she shook her head vehemently. “The hell could YOU have done to prevent any of this? Besides, I’d love to see anyone on the City council try to take this on.” The last part was said with a surprising amount of sass and the mayor had to admit, he may have misjudged his secretary before. 

Sure, she was sweet, friendly, still a little young, but she was far from stupid. And in her statement he found a strange sense of comfort. What could he have truly done? He did everything his Lady had asked, yet still…here he was. Alone. Perhaps there was truly nothing that HE could have done, if even She, in her infinite wisdom, didn't predict this end. 

The ice demon chuckled. “I suppose you’re right on that. Well, time to get to work then, hm?” He smiled and she gave a playful salute before getting back to her desk. “All the reports are on your desk, Sir.” She reminded him and he gave her a nod before entering his office. 

As soon as he looked over the reports on losses and damages he sighed. The hospital had a list of needed equipment attached, so did many other papers from emergency responders. Without hesitation he approved them all. They wouldn’t ask for things they wouldn’t need in a situation like this. He could nearly hear his Lady instructing him. You have to look like you actually care for them. Shouldn’t be hard for you, you were always so terribly sympathetic. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your behavior ever since I took this child as a host. I forgive you for your misplaced protectiveness, just try not to let it get too out of hand. 

He remembered that conversation. It was true, he got just a tad more…protective, nurturing if you will, when his Lady took the form of such a young girl. A ridiculous notion considering how infinitely more powerful She was than him. How gracious of Her to forgive him for his error. 

Hearing the memories of Her orders did help however. As he went through his work, approving requests, thinking of proposals, making a priority list for the rebuilding efforts, he imagined his Lady telling him the same things She had after the demon bull king incident. It helped calm him, whenever he was stuck he simply consulted his Lady, remembering the last times he consulted with Her on similar issues was the closest thing he could get at the moment. 

In a way he was deluding himself. Pretending She was still around. As if what had occurred, hadn’t. He didn’t even feel like he was in his chair, in his office, it didn’t feel like he was actively doing all this. He was on autopilot. Going through the motions like he’d done this before, and he had. Twice now. All for his Lady. 

But as the hours passed, it became more and more difficult.

Every task he had ever done as the Mayor was for her. To further Her plans, to fulfill Her destiny. He had made sure to be the best Mayor this city had ever seen just so that when he occasionally made decisions that would have someone raising eyebrows, it would be easily overlooked. Like when he permitted two scrupulous individuals, aka Princess Iron Fan and Red Son, to build in a strange part of town. When in reality they were just digging to find the Demon Bull King. Which they did, kicking off his Lady’s plan. 

But now that She was gone. There was no purpose to him being the mayor. There was no purpose to HIM. 

As it got late, a knock on his door snapped him out of his thoughts and reflexively he straightened up. “Come in.” His secretary peeked her head through the door and smiled. “I’m gonna go home now. See you tomorrow!” She said cheerfully, her brows furrowed in worry however. “Don’t stay too late, yeah? You need to rest too, we don’t have to do this all at once.” She reminded him. He put on a smile at her sympathy and waved his hand saying “Yaya” and she huffed a laugh, rolling her eyes again. “Just go home, goodnight, Sir.” 

“I’m just signing a few more things real quick. Goodnight, Ms. Huang”, he said and watched as she closed the door before he leaned back in his chair. It had only been a day and the pressure was weighing on him. Just thinking of arguing with the city council about the rebuilding proposals was giving him a headache. He hated having to face the consequences and making the big choices, especially when he had no Lady Bone Demon to tell him what the correct choice was. He never CARED about the decisions, he just served her goal. Why did he care now?!

Why in the world was he even still here?

She was gone! He didn’t HAVE to keep being the Mayor heck he didn’t HAVE to live! Who is to say that his immortality didn’t leave him alongside his powers? 

As Mensheng spiraled he turned around to look out of the window at the city he was supposed to rebuild now. And as he looked out onto the skyline he thought ‘what if…’ 

Curiously, he opened the window and looked down. He had survived worse falls than that…but that was with his Lady’s aid. Without Her however…maybe, this could do it? He swallowed. It’d be easy, if he lived. He’s a demon, he would heal quickly…but what if he didn’t? What if this would just send him straight to Her? With that thought, he could have sworn he heard Her whispers again. Her blessed hushed voice, beckoning him, pulling him down. He wasn’t sure when he stepped onto the windowsill, his thoughts drowned out by her commands to do it, do it, do itdoitdoitdoit-

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

The whispers stopped immediately. The ice demon didn’t move an inch. He wasn’t sure why but the monkey had a way of getting under his skin so easily. “Doing you a favor?” The Mayor said only to be pulled back by Mihou’s shadows and pinned down onto the ground. “You can shove your favor up that Arctic Cave of yours! Did I not say you don’t die till I fucking say so?” The shadow demon growled as he stood over the other, looking down at him. 

Mensheng struggled against the shadows, furious with the other for foiling his plans. “What do you WANT?! My Lady is gone! So is my power! If you want a satisfying fight you’re not getting it! It’s over! So just let me die will you?” He yelled. To the ice demon it almost felt like Mihou was the one who had problems accepting the end. 

“Bullshit.” The shadow demon said, kneeling down, straddling the Mayors chest as he did. He ran his fingers along the floor right next to the man. He smirked when he rubbed the ice he had scraped up from the floor between his fingers. Shocked by this, Mensheng turned his head as best he could, seeing that yes…he had frozen the ground beneath him. “You’ve still got your powers, Elsa. You just can’t use 'em properly. Losing the Bitch and her ghostly energy may have done a number on you but you’re still an ice demon, her death doesn’t change that.” Mihou said with a grin, putting a hand on the ice demon’s throat and squeezing it.

“So you are going to bounce back from this eventually. Until then I’m gonna make sure you stay alive so that once you’re back to your creepy, unsettling self, I can erase the very memory of you and your Lady of this mortal plain.” The shadow demon declared unbothered by the way his hand was going numb from the cold that was seeping out of Mensheng in his anger. 

“And how do you plan on stopping me from just ending it? Gonna lurk in my shadow every day?” The ice demon challenged with a growl but yelped when Mihou opened a shadow portal beneath him. It was like when he first captured him, after his Lady had possessed the great sage. When he came back up, on the floor of his apartment he shook off the flashbacks he was having of that moment. 

Letting go of the man, the monkey got up and explained: “Simple, I’m gonna stay here and keep an eye on you.” Grinning as he took a look at the apartment. “Nice place by the way, how much money DO you have?” Shocked and frankly, even more irritated, the Mayor got up as soon as the shadows released him. “You think you can just invite yourself in here?” 

“Why not? What are you gonna do, big man?” Mihou grinned as he watched the ice demon get up and dust himself off. He stepped in front of Mensheng, looking up at him. There was a notable size difference between the two but the monkey wasn’t intimidated by that in the slightest even though his head barely reached the mayor’s chin. “Come on, Jack Frost. Try to kick me out.” He challenged with a toothy grin, daring him to try. Waiting with twisted delight for the mayor to give him a reason to crush him. 

He clenched his fists to keep himself from taking the shadow demon’s head and freezing his brains in his grip. He knew he couldn’t though. Not yet. He was too weak. 

Useless. 

He heard his mistress say. Shouldn’t he do it then? Try to fight him and have Mihou kill him? Then again…the other was way too set on his plan for that. He wouldn’t kill the Mayor. He would humiliate him though and that was a worse fate than death in many ways. So he took a breath and sighed. “Have it your way.” Walking past the monkey, towards the armchair he’d been occupying whenever he wasn’t at work. 

“I fucking knew it!” The shadow demon cackled. “You want it too, don’t you? A fair shot at me. When you’re at your best, when you could possibly even fucking beat me. You want to make me regret challenging you.” He purred, delighted at the confirmation that the ice demon still had SOME fight left in him. Even if it was from a misplaced sense of pride. 

Mensheng let himself fall back into the chair, staring at the ceiling when he said “Has anyone ever told you, you talk too much?” “First person to tell the other to shut up in an argument, is losing. Thought as a politician you would know that.” Mihou muses as he goes into the kitchen, opening the fridge without a second thought and finding it…dark, and not cold. 

Confused, he looked down to find its cord simply laying beside it like a dead snake. “Why is your fridge not plugged in?” The monkey asked incredulously. The Mayor didn’t even look away from the chandelier on his ceiling when he responded lazily. “Why waste electricity on something I don’t use?” 

Mihou plugged it in, announcing “You may not use it, but I fucking will, look at this thing it can make ice cubes!” The shadow demon never really had fancy amenities, living life on the edge for the most part. “You don’t even have a need to drink, let alone eat.” The Mayor noted, to which the shadow monkey responded by rolling his eyes “Have you ever done something because you felt like it?” Mensheng didn’t even dignify that with an answer.

That’s when it hit the shadow monkey.

“...this is really all you do. Don’t you?” Mihou asked as he looked at the Mayor. They had had a few verbal back and forths before where the monkey sarcastically remarked that all the ice demon did in his free time was sit around waiting for orders from his Lady. Well it turns out he had been absolutely correct. “You’re just a fuckin Roomba that kills people and just goes back to the charging station.” He observed, seemingly baffled that this was truly the entirety of the other’s existence. A part of him asked itself how in the world one would get to that point. How long had he been in the Lady Bone Demon’s service to end up this way? At a point where not only was he like this, but also saw nothing wrong with it and the idea of doing it differently wouldn’t even occur to him. 

It was admittedly a little sad. 

He shook off that thought before it could congeal into anything resembling sympathy. “Well, I’m gonna get some of my stuff, and also some snacks for my brand new fridge that’s been wasted on you, See ya!” He chuckled before disappearing into a shadow portal. Leaving the Mayor to wallow in his misery again, this time with the added factoid that his would-be executioner was now his roommate. 

Chapter Text

Being roommates with Li’eur Mihou was…irritating. In all fairness, the monkey did do his own laundry and cleaned up after himself whenever he cooked something in the kitchen, but there was the issue of the shedding. The shadow demon shed, more than any mangy feline the Mayor had ever encountered. It was on the couch, it was in the shower drain it was on his SUITS, how did it get on his suits?! They were IN his closet! 

His more frequent use of lint rollers aside, his electricity bill was also now higher since Mihou actually used the amenities of the apartment unlike Mensheng. He even slept in the man’s bed that he didn’t use, because he had no physical need for sleep. Neither did Mihou, the monkey simply enjoyed sleeping a lot. Much like a mangy feline. 

Speaking of which, the first time Mensheng had noticed the hairs on his suit was when he had put it on without really paying attention and got the question from his secretary. “Sir? Did you get a cat?” When he looked down at himself and saw the fine black hairs that looked all too familiar, the ice demon felt his eye twitch when he ground out behind a tight smile. “I took in a stray.” While picturing the ways in which he would kill the monkey once he got his powers back. He would freeze dry him. Yes, that would be delightful- 

“Oh that sounds so wonderful, are you going to keep it? I could recommend some vets for you, I have cats myself! Two actually, Yuu and Shoyou, Yuu is a black kitty too, Shoyou is orange. If you are looking to re-home it I can recommend some no-kill shelters, my girlfriend also fosters cats!” The woman said with a bright smile. 

The ice demon was surprised about his secretaries enthusiasm about the fictional feline but he didn’t feel like kidnapping a cat off the street to appease her so he simply said: “Thank you very much, Yaya but my wife will handle the poor thing. She mentioned already having someone in mind who would take the pitiful creature in.” He declined appreciatively. Mensheng, during his election campaign had said he was married. 

Becoming the first Demon elected Mayor of Megapolis was not an easy task. He managed to get the demons on his side along with the lower class with his policies for more affordable housing but he also needed the older, more conservative voters. So despite his progressive policies he advertised himself as a traditional married man with family values. Technically not incorrect, many of his policies did help families. 

Whenever people asked about his wife at his public appearances however, he would simply say she was shy, or sick, or both.  When he was asked why he did not wear a ring, he explained that metals reacted to temperature, he would not want a symbol of his eternal love to become brittle by the very nature of his physiology as an ice demon, with a very low core temperature. But his fictional spouse quickly turned into a convenient excuse for whenever he had to make a decision that seemed odd or out of place. It was so convenient in fact that he never even thought twice about using it here.

“Oh! I completely forgot to ask about her!” Ms. Huang gasped, feeling incredibly guilty for being so very rude of checking on the Mayor’s well being but not asking about his spouse. “How is she doing after everything? Of course you don’t have to say” she assured hastily but the ice demon simply responded: “She’s alright, thank you for asking. She is…keeping busy.” He said with an air of hesitation. “She’s been watching me like a hawk ever since the incident.” He chuckled a little, his thoughts drifting to the monkey who is actively keeping him from punching in his ticket early. 

She huffed a laugh. “Well, I’m not surprised. If I was worried about you I can’t imagine how she must be feeling, I’m surprised she even lets you leave the house.” Yes, he supposed if his spouse were real she would be extremely worried for him, the ice demon thought. “Well, my Shuye knows that she couldn’t keep me from doing my job if she tried. She knew who she married.” He said with an affectionate chuckle, as if he were thinking of her. When in reality his mind was with the incredibly annoying celestial primate residing in his home. 

“Shuye, huh?” His secretary noted. That’s when Mensheng realised he had never disclosed the name of his supposed spouse. The name just came to mind when he thought of the shadow demon. But before he could explain that away the young woman smiled playfully. “Well, I’m glad that you’re leaving the office on time these days, whatever she’s doing it’s working.” Ms. Huang giggled before turning back to her work. “You should probably get a lint roller for that suit though. You do have a city council meeting in an hour.” And Mensheng held back a groan, simply nodding and saying: “Yaya..” as he strode off to his office. 

Mensheng knew today was going to be difficult. But it was worse than he thought. After the meeting, having to defend the expenses that would go into rebuilding the city’s infrastructure he was exhausted already. Why in the world they needed as many reasons to focus on low income neighborhoods first, as he was forced to give was beyond him. He did in the past make a handful of his most influential detractors…disappear. The world was better without them anyway. But without his powers that would be difficult, besides he was already a subject of distrust for being a demon in a position of leadership. He couldn’t allow himself such methods these days unless absolutely necessary. 

He didn’t want to resort to bribery because they weren’t worth the money he wasn’t spending. Mihou had gotten a hold of his credit card and used it to his heart’s content. He bought an unholy amount of fancy alcohol because he had always wanted to try them, there needed to be a reason why they were so expensive after all. Well, the shadow demon quickly discovered he wasn’t a fan, proceeding to mix some 55 year old Yamazaki Malt Whisky with coke, like a fucking animal.

Yet despite this, the Mayor still believed the money was better spent that way, than in any of the pockets of his fellow city council members. 

Or any other politician for that matter. 

Sighing in both frustration and exhaustion, the ice demon grabbed the letter opener to rip off the bandaid that was opening his mail. These days it was usually just mind numbing bureaucracy about building regulations, permits, budget requests, and whatever else only he had the authority to approve. He just hated how it was always worded purposefully to fill out space. A lot of words but not much said. Mensheng hated that. As he got lost in thought he made a small error and cut himself when opening another letter. 

He hissed, inspecting the wound and realizing…he was bleeding. 

He could bleed. 

He watched the red seeping out of the small cut on his thumb with unsettling fascination. He swore he heard Her whispers again. Was he mortal without Her? He certainly didn’t bleed when She was still possessing his body. But then again, his Lady never let it get that far in the first place. Her strength, Her speed, Her magic coursing through him made it impossible for any opponent to even touch him, aside from the Great Sage but that was to be expected. 

He ignored the dull ache at the memory of being effectively replaced that day. No longer his Lady’s weapon of choice. It was a logical decision. He’d told himself and perished the thought from his mind that he would have any claim to his Lady’s attention. 

Staring at the letter opener that was now stained with his blood, he got a terrible idea. If She wasn’t here, to punish him for his failure to protect Her. He should do it himself no? It would be the closest thing to death he would come, to feel Her presence in the pain. The same way She made him feel it in the past. To numb his mind and remind him that he belonged to Her. That She decided his fate in every way, that Her word would guide him when he was lost. 

He pulled up his sleeve, turned the blade on himself. Her whispers echoing in his mind before he realized. He wouldn’t die. He would bleed, he would scar, there would be questions. Mihou wouldn’t like that. Mihou wouldn't let him die. Mihou…Mihou…

He shot up out of his chair fast enough for it to fall over, slapping the letter opener onto the table and gritting his teeth. Mihou. 

He left his office without looking back, walking past his secretary saying “I’m taking an early leave, something came up.” He barely heard her pipe up. “Oh! No Problem, Sir! I’ll tell any callers you're busy!” Before the elevator doors closed and he was on his way. 

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L’eur Mihou had to admit. It was pretty cool living in a penthouse apartment with working air conditioning, hot water, and a huge BATHTUB! It wasn’t like the springs on flower fruit mountain but it came close enough. Another big plus was the massive fridge he could fill with whatever he wanted. He knew Mensheng had money, ridiculous amounts of it. After all, the thrall had spent centuries accumulating wealth and influence to help execute his Lady’s plans. 

How? He didn’t ask but seeing the ice demon’s bank balance after stealing his credit card, made the monkey all too happy to relieve him of some of all that unused cash. He was listening to my chemical romance in the apartment while scribbling onto his notepad, ripping out pages he was unsatisfied with and throwing them into the bin on the other end of the room. He didn’t even need to look to know every throw was perfect. 

But his zone was interrupted when the apartment door opened and the ice demon walked in. Looking rather frazzled. The shadow demon reached for the remote to the speakers with his tail and clicked it, turning the music off before he stood up. “You’re looking a lil out of it, Icy-”

“Give me an order.” Mensheng almost sounded like he was pleading. 

Mihou needed a moment to process that, his petal like ears twitching as if he wasn’t sure what he had just heard. “Come again?” 

“Give. Me. An order.” The ice demon enunciated before elaborating, or rather spiraling. “Tell me to set an orphanage on fire, tell me to get you ice from Antarctica for your Whisky coke, tell me to father a child and sacrifice them for you! Tell me to chop my hand off for your own amusement-” “Will you shut up?!” The shadow demon said reflexively and the Mayor snapped his mouth shut without hesitation.

And the monkey looked at the ice demon with wide eyes, the gears in his head turned. “Kneel…” He ordered, voice uncertain, as if he wasn’t sure if the other would actually do it. To his surprise and intrigue however, Mensheng did just that. Without flinching, without thinking, he fell to his knees in front of Mihou like a pilgrim reaching the destination of a years long journey. 

His heart ached at the thought of that image. Wukong abandoned him for the pilgrimage. But this man, for just this moment, looked like Mihou was his only destination. He hated how it made his heart flutter and he stamped that feeling down before it could turn into anything. The shadow demon stepped closer cautiously, he wasn’t sure how much he could trust the situation. Because the last time the Mayor looked like this it was with…her. But now it was directed at him. The monkey swallowed as he looked down at Mensheng, who looked up at him with reverence, relief even, as if kneeling for him was somehow bringing him comfort. Is this what she got to see all the time? Because if so, I don’t blame her for enjoying it- Mihou thought, before slapping himself mentally for thinking it. 

He cleared his throat, gathering himself when he asked: “So…in words I can understand. What’s going on?” The ice demon took a breath before he spoke, wanting to explain it as best he could. “I…was never more than a tool. An extension of my Lady’s will. I’m not used to…making so many decisions by myself, weighing the consequences, being the sole bearer of those consequences. I never had to think about any of it! I need to not think…for a while.” 

Mihou listened intently. He did suppose he understood where the other was coming from. He had seen it first hand, how he truly didn’t do anything with his time. When you are never allowed to have wants that don’t pertain to your final goal…you have no more wants when that goal is gone. And you’re left empty. The Mayor was empty. And he was asking for the shadow demon to give him purpose. That must be the saddest goddamn fate for the ice demon and that made the monkey chuckle. 

“I see…this must be hard for you, huh?” The shadow demon cooed mockingly, his hand pulling the Mayor’s hair back to make him look up at him. He ignored how the grunt the man gave him in return made him feel. His voice drenched in obviously fake sympathy while he couldn’t hold back his grin when he continued, “Having to use that silly little brain of yours. Watching the world move on without her, signing off on every new measure making her memory disappear from this city. And the rest of the world is doing the same. Leaving you all alone without a Master to tell you what to do…And now you want that to be me? The guy who wants to kill you? You must be real fucking desperate.”

His smile only got wider when he added: “But I suppose it wouldn’t be too big of a change for you no? After all she did throw you away in the end, leaving you for dead.” Mensheng tried to look away, not wanting to meet the other’s eye when he said those words. He didn’t want to let the shadow demon see just how much it hurt. How right he was. He’d been tossed aside in the end. His hundreds of years of servitude made meaningless before his Lady had passed on. 

“You are already raising me as your pig to slaughter, you may as well give me a purpose if you’re making me live.” The ice demon retorted through clenched teeth. “Big demands, Snowflake,” Mihou noted. “But I suppose you’re not too wrong. Why would I waste a perfectly good puppet?” He mused as he let go of the Mayor who watched the monkey go back to the couch he’d been sitting on earlier. Once he was sitting comfortably again, pen and notepad in hand, he pointed to the spot on the floor right by his side and ordered: “Get over here.” 

Mensheng was about to get up before Mihou stopped him. “Ah ah ah! Crawl.” He demanded with a grin and the ice demon did as told. When he took his place, kneeling by the shadow demon’s side, he listened to his next instructions. “You will stay here and wait till I need you. If you get tired you can lay your head on my leg, but other than that you won’t touch me. You will answer when I speak to you and you will never, ever, lie to me, got it?” Mihou watched the Mayor nod but then told him, “Use your words.” 

“Yes, My Lord.” The ice demon smiled, seemingly satisfied with his orders. My Lord, the monkey thought. Same as My Lady, what he used to call the Lady Bone Demon…it truly felt like he was taking her thrall. Her property was his now, after he’d helped defeat her. There was something deeply satisfying about that. 

“Good boy.” He said without even thinking about it before turning back to his notepad, missing how Mensheng seemed to get a little flustered at those words. 

The shadow demon grabbed the remote to the speakers and turned his music back on before he continued to write. Crossing things out, writing them again, occasionally ripping out a page and crumpling it up, throwing it into the bin, rinse and repeat. He was a little tense admittedly. The way Mensheng just sat there, watching him, waiting for his command was creeping him out a little. It was like having an attack dog watch you. You know you didn’t do anything to have it attack you, but you saw what it looked like when it did and that alone made you a little cautious. 

He’d seen the damage the Mayor could do. Had felt it on his own body. You know what it feels like to almost lose your limbs from frostbite? Mihou knew. Parts of him frozen only till they were barely on the edge of being permanently lost or damaged. And then the ice demon would let go. Warming back up again almost felt worse than the freezing itself, having hot blood rush back into your cold veins, causing that tingling, like fire ants crawling under your skin. 

When the monkey looked back down at the other, to find he had truly not moved an inch, he figured he could use a drink. “I want you to go get up and get me that pink monster can from the fridge and…” he thought for a moment “and cut me up a mango while you’re at it.” He decided before going back to his writing. Leaving the ice demon to do as he was told. 

Watching the ice demon perform his task with the same delight he would carry out the Lady Bone Demon’s orders was chilling, no pun intended. Just seeing him handle a knife with the efficiency of a surgeon. A part of Mihou thought Mensheng would throw it at his head. Wouldn’t be the first time. But he realised that wasn’t happening, that the Mayor would wear that same smile if the monkey asked him to kill someone. He would flash that grin while presenting Mihou with their head.  

A shiver ran up the shadow demon's spine at that thought, while he watched Mensheng return with his treats. After cracking the can open and taking a sip he smiled, petting the man’s head. “Good boy.” He said, watching the Mayor mumble a shy “Th-thank you, my Lord.” The monkey couldn’t help a smile at that. It was unreal, watching him submit so easily. 

Shaking off any signs of endearment immediately he went back to his work. He continued to write for a while, picking up a piece of mango with a fork and eating it. When repeating that process he stopped before he bit it off, he had a thought. “How are your powers coming along?” He inquired, the ice demon who perked up. “I am not yet sure how far they have recovered, I tend to avoid any skirmishes unless necessary. However I can use them to temperature control myself and my environment again. Which is useful considering it is getting warmer.” 

That was correct, the weather station was starting to ring in the summer. Mihou felt it too, turning up the AC in the apartment just a tad higher every week. So, he figured, he could test if the Mayor could be useful in making this summer just a little more sweet. He held the fork with the piece of fruit up to Mensheng and ordered “Freeze it. Just a little.” The ice demon blew on it as if it was a spoon with hot soup instead. And just like that the shadow demon had a frozen snack which he immediately popped into his mouth. “Mmh, frozen mango is the best-Ngh! Brain freeze!” He winced, interrupted himself immediately holding his head, waiting for the feeling to pass. 

“I’m so sorry!” The ice demon gasped and bowed his head. “You can punish me however you see fit!” He proclaimed but Mihou raised a brow in confusion. “Excuse me-punish you? I’m not gonna do that for something like this, stupid!” He huffed. The Mayor seemed surprised, almost appalled. “B-But My Lord I hurt you! There is no greater offense than-” “Are you talking back to me right now?” The shadow demon growled with a glare, knowing this would shut the thrall up and he was correct. He narrowed his eyes, “What I do and don’t punish you for is up to me, are we clear?” The monkey asserted. He wasn’t even sure why he was so mad at the idea, after all, shouldn’t he jump at the opportunity to abuse the other? 

Maybe it was the fact that it would be something the Lady Bone Demon would do. And a big part of Mihou would rather die again, than ever sink to the level she was at. The monkey had done plenty of terrible things but he wasn’t like her. Or at least he didn’t want to be. When Mensheng nodded, before remembering how to use his words and stammering. “Y-yes my Lord.” The shadow demon appeared satisfied, going back to his work “I’ll let it slide this once” he drawled, going back to his writing. 

After the plate of mangos was empty and the shadow monkey seemed satisfied with his work he had thought of the next command he would give the Mayor. Something that would inevitably keep him busy for a while. “Have I ever told you what I’m working on?” The question was rhetorical, he knew hadn’t. But the ice demon answered anyway, because it was expected of him. “No, my Lord.” Mihou elaborated with sarcastic delight. “I’m writing a script for my next shadow puppet performance. Too bad I have nowhere to perform it after someone wrecked my theatre!” He didn’t bother hiding his displeasure when blaming the Mayor for his theatre now being unusable. 

In all fairness the ice demon was always convinced that the theatre was just another scheme to get under the Monkie kid’s skin. Though at the time he probably wouldn’t have cared even if he knew it was an actual creative business venture for the shadow demon. The entertainment district, where it stood was destroyed in the takeover of his Lady, which meant the theatre was most likely in complete ruins. But before Mensheng could say any of that, Mihou already made his demand.

“Now, since you are so desperately looking to be useful to me while I still allow you to live, Mr. Mayor.” The monkey grinned. “I order you to rebuild my theatre, no matter the cost. Consider it, supporting the local demon arts. You can do that for me, can’t you?” He purred, petting the Mayor's head again, like some pet. But the ice demon loved the treatment, smiling in delight at the thought of having a task once more “Of course, my Lord.” he sighed in relief as if being given a task like that was a soothing balm to a burning wound. 

Swallowing thickly at the sight, Mihou shook off any thoughts of the mayor making that noise in a different situation. “See that you do.” He simply said before getting up off the couch “I expect a breakfast of pancakes tomorrow by the way!” He called out as he went to the bedroom, closing the door and leaving the ice demon to his own devices. Admittedly the monkey didn’t think he would fall into this role so quickly. A Lord. A Master. Someone who owned another living being. But then again, wasn’t this what he was doing? He alone would decide Mensheng’s end, which effectively meant he owned his life. 

As the demon laid down in bed and stared at the ceiling, he thought of the worst issue of this new situation. He liked it. He liked the Ice demon looking at him like he was his salvation. He liked having his undying loyalty. He liked knowing that the man would kill for him, die for him and most importantly, live for him. 

Li’eur Mihou was used to being abandoned by those he loved most. He was used to being cast aside. 

Sun Wukong couldn’t fucking help himself and kept looking for more sources of immortality, tried to overthrow the jade emperor despite Mihou’s warnings. He let himself be led astray by Azure and the others. And then when he finally came forth from the mountain, shackled by the circlet around his head, and Mihou tried to help him, despite the disaster that was the havoc in heaven the shadow demon tried to help his friend regain his freedom! Yet how was he thanked? With death. 

He was mature enough to see now that the journey had made Wukong better. The pilgrims were not his jailers, they were his friends. People he learned to care for, people who taught him how to really care in the first place…and Mihou was going to kill them. He understood now that in that moment he was the enemy. But that didn’t make it hurt less. That didn’t make any of it right. It didn’t make the nightmares go away and it didn’t undo any of it. He just wanted his friend back! But instead he lost his own life. And from where he stood, Wukong didn’t even feel bad about it. 

That was the part that hurt the most. That the great sage equal to fucking heaven didn’t give a damn about the pain he had caused him. So sue him. When the ice demon looked up at him from his knees, for the tiniest moment he liked being the center of someone’s world. Even if it was his former jailer, now powerless, broken and hollow. It didn’t mean anything. Mihou was just getting caught up in his feelings of the past. He could enjoy this while it lasted but in the end it would be temporary. He didn’t forgive Mensheng for any of the pain either. And at least with him, the shadow demon could actually kill him without anyone being mad about it. 

Right. 

Chapter Text

Mihou awoke to the sounds of someone cooking. For a moment he was confused. After spending half the night lost in thought, the order he had given the Mayor to make him breakfast completely slipped his mind. He made his way out of bed, wearing his pajamas that consisted of a Band shirt and shorts. When he came into the living room, towards the open kitchen he was surprised to find it smelled delicious. 

“Did you even sleep?” He asked, voice still raspy from just waking up. “I do believe you know the answer to that, my Lord.” The ice demon responded cheerfully as he took the last pancake off the pan and added it to the stack. Mihou sat down as he watched the man work. He almost changed his mind about this arrangement because of how unnerving it was to see him so fucking chipper again. Nobody who was this happy this early in the morning was ever someone the shadow demon would trust completely. 

Only now did he notice that Mensheng wasn’t wearing his suit jacket, just his crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It was still neatly tucked into his pants, how in the world his clothes stayed in place whenever they fought was beyond Mihou. He hated how his eyes wandered to those well tailored slacks that hugged the Mayor’s-No! Stop that! He scolded himself. He tried to fill the silence and distract himself from his own thoughts when he stated “You know, you don’t have to be like that with me. You can just talk to me like you always did.” 

“Oh, but this is who I am.” The ice demon hummed “I want nothing more than to serve, to belong. What you saw before is me being…out of sorts. This is what I am truly made for-ah perfect” he chirped when he was finished with his work. 

The plate of pancakes was set in front of the monkey, with fresh fruit cut up and arranged in the shape of an intricate flower on top. Taking a bite he was taken aback. If the smell was already good, the taste was heavenly “I thought you had no need for food! Why do you know how to cook?!” he asked the Mayor, perplexed.

Mensheng chuckled a little when he explained while unrolling his sleeves. “Whenever my Lady would ask me to find some artifact, in the days before the internet and even the book press, I would follow the item’s trail to some rich human who had purchased it without any idea what it was capable of. But in order to find it and get out unnoticed without being put on a wanted poster, I needed to make my way into these houses legally.” 

“Usually by becoming part of the staff, so I would be a butler or a cook. Of course I haven’t needed to do this in a long time, leading to me not being quite up to date with today’s culinary practices. So I had to look up a recipe but I am nothing if not good at following instructions.” He explained as he buttoned up his shirt sleeves. A motion that had the monkey practically wagging his tail-what was it about that particular action that was so mouth watering. 

He distracted himself by continuing to eat his pancakes. “Huh, can’t picture you actually having a job. Speaking of which, where did you get all your money from anyway?” Mihou asked, not caring that he was speaking with his mouth full. The sweet goodness was enough to take his mind out of the gutter for now. 

He watched the man put on his suit jacket again before responding “Climbed the ranks of the military to impress a few noble ladies, married into money several times with several identities. Acquiring Land, enterprises and inheritances that way and from there made a few wise investments in businesses of the future. Now I own plenty of real estate properties around megapolis that bring me more than enough revenue, including this building.” He appeared so nonchalant when casually mentioning that the very building they were in, the high end apartment complex in the bougiest part of town, was owned by him. 

No wonder he has the fucking penthouse apartment, The shadow demon thought. 

After the Mayor had adjusted his Jacket to satisfaction, he turned to Mihou and took a small bow. “I hope you have a productive day, my Lord. I’ll see you in the evening unless you have need for me, in which case you may call me any time.” He smiled before leaving to go to his mayoral office and get to work. 

And work he did. 

Looking over the progress reports for the rebuilding efforts he concluded they were close to completing the most essential parts. Hospitals and other first responders, low income neighborhoods and schools along with public transport routes. Now that survival of many was secured, they were free to focus on the less essential parts. Like the higher income housing as well as the entertainment district, specifically the establishments with cultural significance. 

He phrased his proposal for these next steps to discuss in the next city council meeting. Of course he could also rebuild Mihou’s theatre out of pocket, but if he could somehow put it in with some of his existing work then he would try that first. Once everything was prepared and the emails for the next meeting were sent out, he heard a knock on his office door. “Come in!” He yelled out as he looked up from his work and just as the Mayor had already thought, it was his secretary bringing him some mail that had been delivered for him. 

“These came in earlier today” Yaya said as she placed the letters onto his desk “Oh, I also saw your email about the meeting! I had no idea you were so passionate about the performing arts” she said. Because I’m not passionate about anything, Mensheng thought before deciding to go to his tried and true favorite excuse. “Oh, it’s more of my wife’s passion. But what can I say, I enjoy seeing her happy. And if taking her to these performances makes her happy then so be it.” The ice demon explained with a smile. 

The young woman sighed fondly at the thought of the man wanting his wife to get to enjoy the theatre again after the disaster they had all survived. “You know, marketing keeps trying to think of ways to make you more appealing to the voters but I think…if you just showed a little more of this side of you we wouldn’t need a marketing team at all.” She says. “Maybe you should make a personal social media account! Show people what you do outside the office! Going on theatre dates with your wife, taking in a cat, all those things!” 

The Mayor chuckled at her enthusiasm of the idea “Well, I give you full permission to suggest it to them. They are getting ready to prepare for my next campaign anyway, so feel free to throw them some ideas” he said, both encouraging yet with a pinch of annoyance. Campaigning was awfully busy and involved so many public appearances. He much preferred what the job actually entailed. 

He watched Yaya’s eyes light up when she nodded. “I’ll make sure to tell them! I really think it would especially bring the younger voters in!” That was when the phone at her desk rang and she smiled sheepishly. “Back to work. Later Sir!” The young lady chirped before going back to her desk to take the call for him. 

With that, he went back to planning and preparing for his upcoming project, already thinking of some ideas of how to improve Mihou’s theatre. Making sure it was everything the shadow demon could possibly ask for and more. Better than it had ever been. The old one was fine, but old, very obviously so. Much of it the monkey had built himself. But this would be different. It would look like a true stage for the arts. 

And for the first time in weeks. Mensheng didn’t think about Her for a little while.

Chapter Text

They had fallen into a new routine. Mensheng would make breakfast for his Lord as requested the evening before, go to work, come back and take his place kneeling by his Master’s side. He would sit and wait for Mihou’s orders, the monkey simply working on his scripts while listening to his music. When Mensheng asked one day why he liked loud music, when his hearing was so sensitive, the shadow demon responded: ‘It helps me focus, by drowning out all the other noises around me. When it’s off, I’ll hear the buzzing of the lights, the sound of the AC, the cars bellow on the streets, the people, the sound of the pipes in the walls and so much more. With this…I can focus on just the music and whatever is closest to me. Like you.’

The smile the monkey had given him at that explanation did something to the ice demon. He chalked it up to simply being glad the other didn’t see his question as intrusive, or inconvenient to answer. Very rarely did the Mayor allow himself to ask questions to his Lady. Even honest questions were seen as challenges, mockery, or even insults to her ability to give orders. That would usually lead to pain. Everything he did, would lead to pain. That is why his Lady’s goal was so important. It would bring an end to that pain, to ALL pain. 

But it was nice, knowing that at least with Mihou, he didn’t really have to worry about punishment as much. 

Weeks passed before the Mayor allowed himself to accept the shadow demon’s offer from the beginning of their arrangement. To lay his head on the monkey’s leg when he got tired. When Mihou noticed he had glanced down at the ice demon, surprised to find him doing something that actually resembled resting. Hesitantly he had started to pet the ice other’s head, who first froze, thinking the shadow demon had changed his mind about the offer. But he relaxed again when realizing Mihou was just running his claws through his grey hair, sometimes tracing the white stripe along the side of his head. 

This happened a few more times before the shadow monkey noticed something new. As he was writing and absentmindedly petting the other, he picked up a new noise with his all hearing ears. Humming. But not from himself. He looked down bewildered, realizing that it was coming from Mensheng. He was humming along to the song that was playing. Mihou had a playlist of his favorite metal bands that just ran on shuffle. The playlist itself was about 10 hours long so it wasn’t uncommon for songs to repeat occasionally. But apparently the ice demon was fond of this particular melody. 

“Do you like this song?” the monkey asked curiously. The humming stopped, the ice demon looked up with wide eyes, only now noticing what he’d been doing. He made a noise without being spoken to. He must have interrupted his Lord in his work. How dare he?! “I…I’m sorry, I didn’t realise-” “Ah ah ah!” Mihou held up his finger to interrupt him. “Answer my question.” he ordered. 

Mensheng got a little flustered, clearly reluctant to answer but he knew he couldn’t lie to Mihou. He swallowed before he spoke “I suppose I…find the words relatable.” He said shyly. The shadow demon looked over at the speaker system, checking the name of the song, seeing it was one of the foreign ones he didn’t always understand and just liked the sound of. This one was some German industrial Metal band. “I didn’t know you knew other languages, aside from ancient Chinese for obvious reasons.” The monkey noted. 

“Since when do you know German?” Mihou asked curiously. But much like every skill the Mayor had, it was gained for one reason and one reason only. “My Lady had me chasing after artifacts and spell scrolls, all over the world. And before translation apps were invented, one had to actually learn the languages of the places they were going, in order to gain information. I didn’t retain all the languages I had to learn, but the ones that kept being useful, I kept up with. 

I currently speak Nepali, my Lady and I’s mother tongue. Mandarin, in all its forms throughout history, Japanese and Korean, I am still proficient in. Russian, German and English, I am mostly fluent in, though I admit by now some of my vocabulary may sound dated to a citizen of those places. My French only has the purpose of impressing people at social gatherings I must attend, so it’s not useful beyond basic conversation really.” He explained. The shadow monkey tilted his head, somehow that explanation gave him more questions than answers. When did he learn all those? How long did that take? Also, he’s from Nepal?! 

“I had no idea where you even come from.” Mihou observed. Mensheng blinked at the other and tilted his head. “Well, it never came up. In the end it’s not all that important is it?” He shrugged. “I mean, when we were still enemies, we had bigger things to worry about. But now I’m curious, where are you really from?” The shadow demon asked as he put his notepad in his lap, resting his chin on his hand, ready to listen. 

The Mayor seemed a little perplexed by the other’s interest but answered the question regardless. “Well, different subspecies of Ice demons are common in many colder regions of the world. But my particular breed called the Himalayas their home. My village was isolated, along the foot of the mountain we now know as Mount Everest, near some Sherpa villages. I do not know if the settlement I once unfortunately called home, still exists.” he shrugged “I have not been there in the last millenia.” At that the ice demon seemed to get uncomfortable. Shrinking in on himself as if the mere thought was making him feel the harsh winds of that area again. 

Not having any intention to pressure the other into telling him, Mihou figured he should let it go for now. Though he had to admit, he was intrigued. This was the first time Mensheng ever seemed to not want to tell him something. Something to ask about some other time perhaps. “Well, since we’re being honest, I don’t really understand the song, I just like their sound so they’re in my playlist. So…do tell me. What does it say that you relate to?” Mihou asked casually. The ice demon huffed a little laugh, seemingly a little embarrassed when he muttered. “It’s laughably simple actually, you’ll think it’s silly.”

“Try me” the shadow demon coaxed gently, taking a sip of the drink he’d had on the coffee table the Mayor was sitting by. “Well…the song is a simple call and response structure. Or rather in this case, a question followed by an answer. The questions are, asking permission for different things. Asking if they are allowed to live without constraints, to make peace with their enemy, to love despite the consequences, look for their purpose in life, among other things.” 

“However, each question is answered in the same way. No, they are not allowed to do those things. In a cold, firm tone that indicates finality. The question answerer has the last word and the one asking, simply has to accept this. That’s what leads into the chorus, that this metaphorical cold is seeping into their bones, freezing their very heart and how they should simply go to sleep.” 

“Something that may refer to hypothermia. When a person is starting to die from it, they get drowsy and giving into that urge to lay down and rest before having gotten to safety, is certain death. So accepting the cold, accepting the conditions of this life the question answerer imposes, is seen the same as dying. To the author of the piece, such a life is not worth living.” 

The monkey noticed that with every word spoken the ice demon seemed to become more open. He noticed that when he spoke freely he gestured a lot more. His voice was calm but laced with subtle enthusiasm. Mihou did have to admit, he was a good orator. It was nice listening to him talk, he didn’t even think he’d care about what Mensheng would talk about. No wonder people voted him into office, he must be damn good at giving speeches.

“Yeah I can see how that would remind you of a certain someone…” Mihou mused, leaning back on the couch as he looked down at the other. “Like I said it’s silly…” Mensheng sighed, the smile that had formed earlier falling a little. “Why is it silly to you?” the shadow demon asked confused. “My Lady wouldn’t approve of me recognizing her in such frivolous things as music. Not to mention in a piece so…naive and childish. Love, looking for meaning, free will, it is so very…human, to yearn for them. Humans do not live long enough to realize that these things only ever lead to pain one way or the other. Pain that my Lady wished to free the world from. It is almost insulting that I would see her in this.” The Mayor explained, smiling still, but sadder, it almost looked like he felt some sort of guilt. 

“It’s not silly…Art is like that. It’s made to express ourselves. To share the things that we’re feeling with each other in a way that isn’t necessarily regular words. So that we can understand each other, or ourselves in the process. So we can connect with those feelings…” Mihou explained, looking at the script he’d been writing, the sketches he’d been making for every scene. “It’s a little profound don’t you think? That some silly mortal somewhere in Germany wrote a song that you, a being he never met, who is infinitely older than him, could find meaning in. I think that’s what art is all about.” he smiled. 

“Is that why you do it?” Mensheng asked, looking between the notepad and his Lord. The monkey shifted in his seat a little before saying: “Contrary to popular belief: Yes. I don’t just use it to mess with people. I think putting what I want to say into a story gets the point across better. Plus…it makes it easier for me to talk about.” He added the last part a little quieter. Mihou wasn’t sure why he was suddenly so honest with the man. It was probably just because the shadow demon would kill him soon, so there was no real consequence to telling him. He’d be dead before he could use it against him. Right. 

Mensheng seemed just as surprised at the sincerity from the monkey. It made his chest feel strange…like it was lighter, hollow, with an arctic breeze dancing inside it. How very odd. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like that. Words were always completely sufficient. Sometimes my Lady didn’t even need those. But I suppose I am…somewhat starting to understand the appeal.” he smiled shyly. Mihou chuckled “Any other hidden talents of yours I should be aware of?” 

“I suppose that depends on what you consider a hidden talent. I suppose I can dance.” The ice demon shrugged. “At balls and galas it was more than just entertainment to do so, it was also a good way to speak to someone alone, away from any groups who could listen in. A conversation hidden in plain sight. It was a good way to endear people to me.” He smiled, looking back at the many times he had charmed his way into good graces that way. 

“Is that how you got to marry into money so many times?” The shadow demon raised a brow, smirking and the Mayor returned the expression of mischief when he responded. “Among other things, yes.” A man had to do what a man had to do to gain power and influence, he supposed. “I’m no stranger to a good Tango either” The monkey grinned and the ice demon tilted his head in question, a look of playful skepticism in his eyes. “Oh really?” He questioned. 

“Absolutely. After I ‘lost’ your Lady’s key I decided to go on a little holiday to Cuba. Once there, I had a couple of Chupakabras teach me how to dance…and a few other things, that’s also why I actually know Spanish. I still go there to spend my season.” Mihou purred with a wink. 

Mensheng felt his cheeks heat up at the insinuation that the other did such a thing. “O-oh...I see...” he stammered. “Awww, come on, don’t tell me you’re a prude” the shadow demon poked. 

“I’m not, I just…I don’t really…” Mensheng swallowed. Mihou’s eyes widened and he gasped in disbelief “What…you mean to tell me you haven’t screwed anyone?” 

The ice demon sputtered. “No of course I HAVE just…only when it benefitted my Lady’s plans. Again, when you want to be in a position of power it helps to have people like you…and people tend to like you when you have sex with them.” The Mayor had no idea why everyone was so obsessed with Sex if he was being honest. It was far from the most pleasant thing he’d ever done. It wasn’t unpleasant either. It was just…something he did to get ahead.

“When’s the last time you’ve done that?” Mihou asked with growing curiosity. “Not for 300 years.” Mensheng responded as if it were the most normal thing to say. The shadow demon was absolutely aghast. “You haven’t had a lay in 300 years?!” He blurted. 

“No.” The Mayor answered simply. “You haven’t done anything? Like…not even…solo?” The shadow demon narrowed his eyes, skeptical that any being could survive such a life. “No.” Came the ice demon’s answer, who almost seemed a little perplexed why the monkey would be so invested. “What do you mean ‘No’?! What about when you’re in season?! How do you not die?!” The shadow demon exclaimed. 

Oh, Mensheng realized what had confused the other so, about his state of semi-celibacy. “Ah, you see my Lady has removed this need from me a long time ago. After my first season when She had taken me in, She didn’t want me distracted by such useless urges any longer. So She elected to free me of them. I have not experienced a rut in almost a thousand years.” 

Mihou blinked a few times as he processed the fact that the Lady Bone Demon had effectively Castrated this man. “So, You still could…if you wanted to, you just don’t want to anymore? Like at all?” The monkey asked, clearly having trouble wrapping his head around living in such a way. The ice demon shrugged when he explained. “Indeed. I can find people pleasant to look at but that never turns into any desire to interact with them in any way. I do believe that was also the case before I met my Lady however.” It wasn’t like he took pleasure in the act of Sex anyway.

“Huh.” The shadow demon thought about it for a moment. “I think humans call that, being asexual.” He pondered for a moment. “They do.” the Mayor agreed. “I would consider myself aromantic and asexual considering I have no need for either of those things.” He muses. Mihou wasn’t sure why that made him feel slightly disappointed and he’d rather die than explore those feelings any further so he simply decided to change the subject again. 

“Well, anyway! Now that I know you speak that many languages I can make you translate some more music for me.” He said as if that were a playful threat. The ice demon raised a brow when he inquired. “And you’re not using the internet for that because…?” “Because if I use an app for it, it’s gonna translate it way too literally. It wouldn’t understand the nuance when something is metaphorical or takes into account cultural context. Not like someone who actually speaks it would be able to explain.” The monkey elaborated. That he just liked Mensheng’s voice stayed unsaid, before he grabbed the remote with his tail and skipping a few songs before he got to a specific one. 

That was how they spent the rest of that evening. With Mihou abusing the ice demon and his hundreds of years of linguistic prowess for something so…frivolous. And Mensheng hated to admit just how much he enjoyed this activity. The monkey was actually interested, something that was rare when the Mayor spoke about anything and it was about a topic that the ice demon was increasingly fond of. He had never paid much attention to art of any kind, there was an appreciation for the skill that went into making it. However not much beyond that, considering any thought of deeper connection would be discouraged by Her. 

But here was Mihou, the monkey that didn’t stop him from thinking such useless things. From making such arbitrary connections. Slowly but surely Mensheng was losing control of himself, a control the Lady Bone Demon had worked so very hard to help him maintain. Yet he couldn’t stop it, couldn’t stop talking, couldn’t stop forming opinions and heavens forbid, voicing them to his new Lord and Master because he asked him to. Oh, She would be so disappointed, enraged even. Perhaps that’s why the monkey did it. Robbing him of every ounce of her memory ingrained in his soul, before ending him for good. 

Call him a masochist but he couldn’t even bring himself to be angry about it. Mensheng had always appreciated a good scheme. And this? The way it happened so slowly, so subtly, that by the time he noticed it was already too late, was genius if the monkey did it on purpose. And he must have. Because that’s what it was all about wasn’t it? To erase Her. And that included him, didn’t it? He was part of Her after all. Wasn’t he? 

That is all he ever was and all he ever would be…

Right?

Chapter Text

“We thought it’d be a great idea for you to start a personal social media account. You know, showing what you do outside of being the Mayor and sharing some more unfiltered opinions on current happenings. We thought it might make you seem more like a person, to the voters, no offense.” 

Well, I’ll be damned.  Mensheng thought as he was informed that his secretary’s little idea from a week ago was actually now being repeated to him by the marketing department. 

When he had told her to tell them about it, he didn’t think she would actually go through with it. Nor did he think they would actually listen. Perhaps he had underestimated her. The ice demon was not sure whether to consider giving her a raise or firing her.

“I’ll consider it.” The man lied. 

They did discuss a few other ideas but in the end it all came down to the same thing. In an age where technology was so very prevalent, and the youth valued authenticity in those they chose to follow, they needed a way for Mensheng to be seen as more than just the Mayor. Currently he had a sort of ominous presence about him, he came seemingly out of nowhere, was everywhere while campaigning, yet after he was voted in you didn’t really see him. If it wasn’t to unveil something, or be present at a fundraiser, the ice demon was nowhere to be found, not even just out and about doing normal things. 

Which made sense considering he didn’t leave his house for things like groceries or the like. Mihou did that, because he was also the one eating them. 

He did take the suggestions of the marketing team with him to think them over on his own. When in reality he was simply going to think about what he would do after no longer being the Mayor because there was no way he was doing any of this. His post be damned. He was dying soon anyway! 

The ice demon came back to the apartment that evening, simply dropping the papers onto the coffee table before taking his place on the floor, laying his head on Mihou’s lap as he’d come to enjoy doing. He was willing to admit, it did help him relax. The monkey looked up from his notepad and saw the papers resting on the table “Honey, what did I tell you about bringing your work home with you?” he pouted, voice high pitched imitating a frustrated housewife before he chuckled, going back to his usual dark tone. “Seriously though, what’s that?” he inquired, nodding at the papers. 

Mensheng looked up without taking his head off the shadow demon’s lap before he responded: “Just the marketing department's suggestions on how to ‘personify’ me to the voters.” Mihou noted how he said, personify, not humanize, because the Mayor was in fact, not human. Nice attempt at inclusive language I guess, he thought. Placing his notepad aside and picking up the papers, the shadow demon skimmed over them. 

“Garbage, performative, uninspired, ew” The monkey commented on each one as he flipped through them. “I feel like making you do all of these just to embarrass you-Ouhhh” he interrupted his own comment as he reached the last page. “Now that is…a little more interesting.” he grinned. Mensheng didn’t even need to look up to see which one Mihou was referring to. “It was actually my secretary’s idea. I had, unfortunately, told her to take it to marketing.” he sighed. 

The shadow monkey chuckled “I mean it’s not a bad idea, it just depends very heavily on execution. Manufacturing authenticity is among the hardest things to attempt in this day and age. It was easier when the internet was still new. But it’s far from impossible.” He mused “especially if you have someone smart to coach you” Mihou grinned. 

“You aren’t actually considering this are you?” the Mayor asked although his voice was worried, as if he knew the answer already and didn't like it. “Well if I want more money to go to my Theater, I need you to keep being the Mayor. That and well, I like messing with people. That’s my whole thing if you’ve forgotten, frostbite! I like scheming, and tricking the whole City into thinking you’re a semi-normal person sounds like a fun scheme.” the monkey responded with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Sure he enjoyed the downtime of working on his performances, but he was getting a little bored admittedly. This would give him something to do and also more opportunities to relieve Mensheng of more money. “Now hand me your phone.” Mihou ordered, holding his open hand out for the Mayor to do just that. Which he did, although with a bit of reluctance which only made the monkey smile wider. 

As he created a profile for the ice demon, the monkey mumbled “Still can’t believe your last name is just ‘cold’. It’s so on the nose.” to which the other responded “My Lady chose it” head still on the shadow demon’s leg, less in relaxation but in resignation to his fate. Mihou hated how fondly the other still spoke of her despite everything. Heck even her name for him sounded like she was mocking him. Leng Mensheng. Leng didn’t just mean cold…it could also mean lonely. ‘One cold lonely life’, ironic considering she made herself out to be the only person he was close to. Shoo-ing the thoughts away before he could get too deep into it he finished the profile. 

“So, now for your first post I think you should go somewhere nice. Not too bougie, not too common either though, classy, but not posh…preferably making a statement but like, subtly.” Mihou began to think, something about watching him put so much effort into this, was oddly endearing to the ice demon. Truly, the shadow demon was a performer at heart, passionate about any new act he got to play, or in this case directed the Mayor to play. 

He watched the monkey demon think for a while before he snapped his fingers, face lighting up with a big grin as he got the perfect idea “Oh I know just the place!” 

The Fox Den was an oddly smart, but also daring choice, for several reasons. Fox demons were in the past known for their tendency to play tricks on their victims. Often playing a very long game in the process, going as far as to marry, have children with and then simply one day out of the blue, kill their target and whatever family they had with them. For this very reason fox demons to this day had a lot of prejudice to deal with. Some chose to lean into it, turning to a life of crime, others using their image of an alluring, mysterious creature to become escorts. 

But when it came down to it, they had the same desire for safety, stability and acceptance as any other creature. Mensheng had a feeling Mihou had chosen this place because it was run by Lady Daji, one of the most famous fox demons to ever live. She also employed exclusively foxes as staff. Many were former convicts too, having trouble finding jobs considering their previous misdeeds, even if they wanted to get away from that life. She was known for giving them a chance. 

Another reason would most likely be that L’eur Mihou had his own set of legends attached to him. A trickster, a deceiver, a backstabber, a silver tongued liar. The monkey was a shapeshifter much like the foxes were to an extent. The ice demon could see why there might be common ground there, an unspoken kinship if you will. However, knowing why they were here specifically didn’t explain one thing. 

“May I ask why you have chosen to come here as a woman?” the Mayor asked. 

The shadow demon looked up from the menu he’d been skimming over and smirked at the question. “What? You don’t think I make this look good?” Mihou was wearing a tight black dress with sheer shoulders and sleeves that were only exposed once she’d taken off the blazer she’d worn over it. Its pointed shoulders resting on the back of the chair. Long hair tied up with an ornate gold hairpin. The outfit was far from scandalous, it even had a high neck. But it was still alluring in the way it hugged the demon’s figure. 

So Mensheng answered honestly “I’m not saying you’re not pleasant to look at, I’m simply confused as to why you wouldn’t just choose to wear this as yourself.” Mihou giggled “I appreciate the compliment but my regular chest could never fill out this dress the way I want it to” Lady Macaque said with a smug grin, subtly gesturing to her sizable…assets. Enough to create the hour glass figure the demon was clearly going for. Gold eyes glinted in the light of the candle that was between them on the table when she explained “On top of that, I can’t exactly have the great sage finding out I’m hanging out with you. Otherwise he might kill you before I can, and remember, I’m the only one who gets to do that.” 

“I see” The Mayor responded “I do wonder though...is it like a costume to you? Being a different gender I mean?” he asked curiously. He wasn’t even sure where this interest came from. Perhaps it was the fact that the ice demon himself couldn’t shapeshift to that degree and therefore had no idea what it would feel like. His own form was the closest to human he could get and even then it had some very obvious tells. He had no option to completely become someone else just like that. 

 Mihou seemed equally taken aback by the question but answered honestly “When you’re a shapeshifter, gender becomes pretty blurry. I don’t really care what parts I have or how I sound or how people refer to me. I’m me, regardless of the skin I choose to wear. And different parts have different pros and cons.” 

With a shrug the shadow demon added “I guess in human terms I’d fall somewhere under the nonbinary umbrella, though I’m not really one for labels as is. I can be whatever I want and fuck whoever I want, it’s not that complicated.” Mihou smirked when that last part made the Mayor a little flustered again. Having mercy on Mensheng she brought it back to their original purpose of being here “Alright, time to snap some pictures and show the people that their Mayor supports local demon businesses.” 

The ice demon wanted to roll his eyes but kept from doing so, letting Mihou direct him on some good pictures to post. It felt like those press shoots Mensheng did for his campaigns except he was lacking the desire to freeze dry the monkey directing him. 

A picture of the aesthetically designed Menu cards, a photo of the expensive wine Mihou ordered because of course she would. As they drank the ice demon watched the monkey realize that fancy wine may not be for his palette, as with many things that require refined taste. “I appreciate you trying new things at the expense of my wallet, but I think you’d be doing yourself a favor if you just stuck to what you know.” the Mayor suggested. 

The shadow demon’s answer was a glare and a quietly grumbled “Not my fault you rich people like things that taste god awful” before throwing the glass back like it was a shot just to have it gone. 

Before Mensheng could comment on the non-existent grace of Lady Macaque the waiter arrived to take their orders. After they had done so and the man left, the monkey leaned on the table, whispering “I thought you didn’t eat?” her glare suspicious of the other. Now it was the Mayor’s turn to be smug when he also leaned on the table to get a little closer, correcting the other “I said I have no need for food. I never said I didn’t eat. Plenty of social gatherings actually require me to do so. Business dinners, Fundraising Galas, Office Christmas parties, instances in which me not eating or drinking anything would be considered somewhat rude.” 

He watched the shadow demon pout childishly, muttering “and here I thought I could embarrass you.” “I’m sorry to disappoint you my dear” the ice demon smiled into his glass before taking another sip of his wine, but when he met the demon’s wide blinking eyes, he realized the words that just left his mouth. It sounded like the glass in his hand shattered. 

My dear. 

Li’eur Mihou would never admit to anyone that in that moment, his tail was wagging and he thanked the heavens it was invisible at this time. Why the fuck, does it sound so good when he says it in that voice!? She screeched internally. “Well, darling” the shadow monkey mocked, her voice wavering just a bit at the beginning “you may have to eat sometimes, but do you actually like it? As in, do you have favorite dishes? You know, like a person?” 

She liked to remind the other that for all his knowledge and skills, the Mayor was stumped by the most basic of questions, usually ones that involved him having a personal opinion. Mensheng sighed quietly, relieved they wouldn’t be talking about the accidental endearment.

He thought about the question for a moment before reasoning “Well, I am partial to meat, I used to eat raw humans. So whenever I do have to be at restaurants like this I tend to order steak, the bloodier the better. I suppose old habits die hard. What about you? I see you eating all kinds of things in my apartment but nothing all too substantial. Or does your main diet really consist of mango flavored snacks and monster energy?” 

Mihou rolled her eyes although a smile playing at her lips. Admittedly, if something was mango flavored she was going to try it. But that wasn’t her favorite dish, not really. She played with a strand of hair that wasn’t tied up when she mused “I really like shellfish.” Her smile turned a little sheepish when she confessed “I could count on one hand the things I wouldn’t do, for some really good crab legs. Heck I'd even die again.” 

“Remind me to take you to The Reef next time then.” Mensheng said without missing a beat. That was another moment that gave the shadow demon across from him pause. It wasn’t just the fact that ‘The Reef’ was one of the nicest restaurants in town, also demon owned, but that the Mayor suggested it, for seemingly no other reason than, Mihou would like it. Yes, the ice demon did as he was told but usually only when he was told. He didn’t really do nice things off his own accord, because he didn’t want to presume and accidentally do something wrong. 

In the last few days their conversations had become different, with Mensheng occasionally getting the courage to sass him, or ask if there was something he could or should do. But to simply say ‘We should do that next time, if it makes you happy’ was completely new. That combined with being called ‘dear’ earlier made Mihou’s heart skip a beat and she wanted to stab herself in the chest to make it stop doing that. 

When the waiter arrived with their orders the shadow demon thanked the heavens for having something to distract herself with. 

The monkey held her hand open again and said “hand me your phone.” When the Mayor did just that he asked “Why?” “Trust me, just gonna take a few snapshots during dinner” the shadow demon mused. With a shrug the man decided to eat the steak that was about as raw as legally allowed. When Mihou took a picture of him, mid bloody bite, he glared at him. 

When the other showed him the photo, giggling a little he found himself grumbling at him “You really like embarrassing me huh.” That’s when the monkey leaned in again and explained “Yes I do, but it’s also gonna serve the plan. Because it’s silly. It’s not perfectly staged to make you look as good as possible. Believe me, it’s gonna work like a charm.” she assured the Mayor before starting to dig into her own dinner. 

.

.

.

That’s how most of their following outings went. It wasn’t just restaurants either, sometimes it was just walks in the park. Or it would be visits to museums and Art galleries and of course, because Mihou insisted, going to the theatre. The Mayor did have to admit he was starting to enjoy those. He’d never actually seen plays like Hamlet and Julius Caesar performed. All the while they posted about those outings on his account. 

Though as it began to gain traction there was a question that came up more frequently. The question of who was taking the pictures of Mensheng that he couldn’t have taken himself. When the Mayor suggested to the shadow demon to use his tried and true excuse “We could just say my wife took them.” Mihou exclaimed “Wait-you’re married?!” probably sounding way more mad than he intended. He cleared his throat quickly and in a more calm voice hinted “you never mentioned that.” Although his eyes looked like the monkey wanted to burn a hole into the other’s skull. 

A little taken aback by how affected the shadow demon seemed by this, the man tried to soothe him “I’m not, but people think I am. It kind of serves the whole traditional picture of a human man and all that. Somehow it made me seem more approachable especially to the older generation. I just always make up excuses of why my non-existent spouse can’t be at certain events.” 

Mihou nodded as he understood. Right, it was fake. Just like everything else in the Mayor’s life. The monkey shouldn’t have expected anything else. And even if he was married? What would he care? It didn’t mean anything if somewhere out there, there was a woman who thought Mensheng was probably dead anyway. It’s not like there was any betrayal, even though the ice demon had sworn his fierce loyalty and soul to Mihou, till the day he’d kill him! 

So he totally wasn’t relieved when the Mayor assured him that there was in fact no real marriage! Concentrating on the actual question at hand though, the Monkey realized that if Mensheng told everyone his wife took those pictures, that would effectively make Li’eur Mihou aka Lady Macaque, his wife. At least in the eyes of the public. Even if he was only ever behind the camera. 

There wasn’t really a different excuse the shadow demon could think of though. At least none that wouldn’t lead to speculation that the Mayor was having an illicit affair. It was just convenient to say, who else would the man be going out with if not his significant other? Duh. It wasn’t like Mihou minded the idea of being perceived as a woman.

He supposed he just didn’t expect to be this involved with the scheme he had cooked up, but considering it further he saw the potential in it. A grin formed on the shadow demon’s face when he agreed “Yeah. Let’s tell them it’s your wife.” 

Something that the Mayor had not yet caught onto but Mihou had, was the few comments who seemed to enjoy the content beyond just seeing their local politician living a regular life. He noticed it the first time when he’d posted a photo of the ice demon looking at a painting in an art gallery. His hands in his pockets, stance relaxed, the picture taken from slightly behind, so there was only a hint of a contemplative expression to be seen. 

And well, a few people seemed to have noticed the man’s…well tailored pants, from that particular angle. Some of Mihou’s favorite comments that day were: 

‘looking oh so respectfully’ 

‘don’t ask me the color of anything right now!’ ‘Nobody is looking at that painting’ 

and a very subtle ‘so is he single?’

Now for how much the monkey may despise the ice demon, he could admit when a man looked fine. And Mensheng for his best efforts of trying to look like an average human male in his late 30s, wasn’t able to completely hide the warrior’s physique he had under that suit of his. The height, the broad shoulders, the tight waist and as the internet had now noticed, well shaped derriere, were all hints to what he truly was. Mihou hadn’t really seen him in any state of undress aside from when the man took off his suit jacket to cook. But the very well defined forearms gave him a taste. 

So in posts after that one in particular, Mihou would sometimes make it a fun little game to lure those people out of the wood works with some of his pictures. Nothing crazy though, just a few snapshots from some flattering angles, the occasional picture of Mensheng doing that sexy thing of adjusting his cufflinks. But Mihou could read the barely contained thirst, in a few comments. The Mayor didn’t seem to notice them or thought nothing of them since they were few and far between. The ice demon chalked it up to some internet lingo he just wasn’t familiar with.

However after the man had made a post explaining that the mysterious photographer was his wife, the shadow demon knew the games had only just begun. 

The following weeks were filled with the monkey leaning into his new role, hard. There was a picture of Mensheng presenting his wife behind the camera with a flower, a picture of Mensheng walking in front while holding his wife’s hand, a picture of Mensheng cooking, all of which were sprinkled in among regular posts the Mayor would make here and there. From snapshots of his office days, to the occasional opinion on current events, it was just innocuous enough. 

But it got the desired effect. Once people had realized the Mayor was married, the pictures of him out with said spouse were starting to get comments like

 ‘God, I’ve seen what you’ve done for others…’ and 

‘Can his wife fight?’ was a personal favorite. 

Oh if they only knew. The monkey enjoyed it, perhaps a little too much that others were jealous of what he supposedly had. 

Though Mihou may have girl-bossed just a little too close to the sun when they went to dinner at The Reef, just as the Mayor had promised not too long ago. The shadow demon had taken the phone and held out his hand for the ice demon to take, saying “Treat me like a Lady and look into the camera.” The resulting photo of Mensheng kissing his ‘wife’s’ hand and looking at him with an expression that could only be described as pure reverence, may have made the shadow demon feel just a little hot in the face. 

And when that picture was posted, the monkey realized that it also awakened something in a few others. Because just an hour after it was uploaded when they got back to the apartment, Mensheng asked “Why is everyone in the comments barking? Also why are they calling me Daddy, I don’t-”

Mihou forbade the Mayor from ever reading the comments again after that. He did not elaborate on why. 

In the evenings the shadow demon would still work on his performance while Mensheng sat by his side. Although this time he noticed something odd. He looked down, about to tell the ice demon that he would call it a night, when he saw he had his eyes closed. After a moment the monkey realized…he’d fallen asleep. 

Mensheng was fucking sleeping. 

It seemed that his work, in combination with their outings, and his ‘slave time’ was finally taking a toll on him. Mihou couldn’t help the smile forming on his face as he watched the other. So he did in fact have a need for sleep. Perhaps not a physical one, but he needed to actually rest. With this in mind, the shadow demon carefully ran his fingers through the ice demon's hair who woke up with a start. 

“Wha-Oh! I’m so sorry my Lord!  I don’t know what came over me-” The Mayor apologized profusely but Mihou simply chuckled “It’s fine. I was actually gonna head to bed and this time you should too.” the monkey declared. At this Mensheng's eyes grew wide and he asked shyly “a-are you sure? What if you need me for something and I don’t know?!” Clearly distressed at the very idea of not being ready when his master needed him. 

That’s when the shadow demon thought of something, that made his ears twitch and his face heat up again. “How about this, if you sleep in the bed with me you’ll be close by. So that if I need you, I’ll just poke you awake and it’s all good. The bed is big enough so that neither of us would be in each other’s space” he suggests. 

If the monkey was asked to describe the expression on Mensheng when hearing this, it would be, the barely contained excitement of a dog who was allowed to sleep on the bed with their owner for the first time. If the ice demon had a tail it would be wagging. Yet he also appeared shy about it, as if he didn’t want to come off as too enthusiastic. And something about that was so incredibly endearing to Mihou-No! It’s not! He’s a pathetic pet slave! Nothing more! He scolds in his mind. 

The ice demon didn’t know why his heart pounded in his chest at the thought of sharing a bed with the other. He chose to chalk it up to it being an unfamiliar situation for him in general. Even though he had been married and shared a bed with his wives in the past. This felt different. It felt more intimate. But if his Lord demanded it “Y-yes my Lord.” 

And once they had gotten into the king sized bed together, it was true, neither of them was even remotely close to the other. Mensheng didn’t realize just how much his body ached till he laid down, something he didn’t do a lot in general. So he fell asleep surprisingly quickly. 

Mihou chuckled a little when he saw the ice demon out like a light. Repeating in his mind how it wasn’t cute. No. Not at all. 

But he did have to admit it felt satisfying to watch the Mayor truly relax for the first time. Not constantly waiting for orders, not constantly on guard, not constantly waiting to be rewarded or punished. 

His last thought before he fell asleep was that he wouldn’t mind the other being a little closer…

Chapter Text

It was done. Mihou’s theatre was back in business. And to pay the monkey back for all the marketing work he’d done (and the spike in his blood pressure), the Mayor was ordered to attend its premiere. Of course also posting about it, since he had become somewhat of a local influencer, much to his own chagrin but his marketing team’s delight.

Partially he was happy that this meant he wouldn’t need to do any of the other ideas the PR team had cooked up in their kitchen of horrors.

As the ice demon walked into the theatre and admired the fruits of his labour. Or well, his and the construction workers. Mensheng had actually had a hand in designing the place, making sure it was perfect for Mihou. From the foyer that resembled the inside of an ancient chinese lantern, to the velvet holstered seats for the audience and the antique, hand crafted, massive screen the ice demon had managed to acquire. He did have to use some of his old skills in relic hunting to find something like this, but the internet certainly helped with that.

Getting it transported was the bigger challenge but with some luck (and a few death threats) all went well. And here he was, waiting for his Lord and future executioner to present his art piece. So did a crowd of curious spectators. It seemed that Mensheng’s support of ‘the local demon arts’ as Mihou would put it, had in fact driven a few others to engage more with their community. It was oddly nice, seeing their work pay off in such subtle ways.

But before he could think any further about that, the lights dimmed until the theatre was drowned in darkness. After just a tick too long, the candles behind the screen lit up, making it the only source of light in the room.

Show time.

Welcome one and all, I am pleased to see so many for our first performance. Now come along as we recount a tale of Friendship, betrayal and the price of trust.

Our tale begins with a young Warrior. He’d set out on a journey, to avenge the deaths of his parents, who were brutally murdered when he was still young. He had tracked mountains of snow for days, trying to cross the mountain range towards the city. With rations running low and another snow storm soon approaching, he took refuge in a cave. But as he lit a fire there to try to keep warm, in the light of the flame he could see that the cave was not empty.

There was a beast inside with him. Laying there, breathing slowly, heavily, was it sleeping? The Warrior knew he couldn’t go back out into the merciless weather, it would kill him. So he’d have to slay the beast or die by its claws! Though as he raised his sword and approached it slowly, he saw it was injured. The creature too had taken refuge in the cave to recover. A quiet truce was struck between them. The Warrior used some of his clothes to bandage the wound of the creature and in return it didn’t attack him.

The Warrior fell asleep that night and when he awoke. The beast was gone. When he noticed that his rations were now all gone, and he was in danger of starving, the creature returned to the cave. Carrying a dead deer. It dropped it in front of the Warrior. Re-igniting the fire, and after checking that the beast allowed him to take a piece, the Warrior grilled the meat and together, they ate.

When the storm stopped, Warrior and beast were friends, wandering the mountains together. Hunting and seeking shelter together. The creature had nowhere to go. No pack to return to. It seemed they had both lost their family.

By the time they reached the next human settlement the two were like brothers. Inseparable truly. The warrior, still on his quest for revenge, made his way to the city, and the creature followed, ready to help its friend with whatever he asked. He had told the beast the sordid tale of how his parents were slain by the king’s men for perceived betrayal.

When they arrived at the city they made a plan to storm the castle. The beast, now fully recovered, would go in first and eliminate the guards, so the Warrior could come in and kill the king. They elected that together they would rule when it was all done. Together, as brothers.

The creature did as told. Tearing through the castle, killing guards and ripping into them. And the Warrior was right behind as promised.

When the creature however reached the king, and was about to turn, to look back towards its friend…

It felt a stabbing pain in its back!

Struck to the ground, a sword in its back the beast looked up at the looming figure of the Warrior. Betrayed, the beast tried to get away but the man was consumed by vengeance “Your pack are the ones who killed my family. I had chased each and every one of them, swore to myself I would kill every last one of you, I will not let you harm anyone else, foul creature!” and knowing now that it had been lied to the entire time, the beast watched as the blade came down one last time.

The Warrior presented the king with its head. Declaring his task complete and the King, grateful for being saved, let the Warrior marry his beautiful daughter. The Warrior and his princess lived a life of happiness most could only dream of. And every now and then he found himself quietly thanking the beast for trusting him that day in the cave.

For if it hadn’t, it could have killed him. And he would have never completed his mission and met the love of his life.

Perhaps in another life they could have been friends. If only they had met under different circumstances…

With that, the light behind the screen was extinguished and the room was dark again. After a moment of silence the audience clapped and with their applause the lights turned back on and Mihou, in his disguise of a robed mysterious stranger stood in front of the screen, taking a bow.

Mensheng on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel like the story was just a tad bit familiar. It took him a moment before he clapped as well, proud of his and his Lord’s work finally paying off. When the crowd departed, the Mayor stayed behind in an alley behind the theatre, waiting at the back entrance for Mihou to get out. When the shadow demon appeared, Mensheng presented him with a bouquet of oriental lilies saying "Congratulations on such a successful premiere my Lord.”

Blushing at the oddly sweet gesture Mihou stammered “O-oh, thanks.” “Are you ready to go?” The Mayor inquired and the shadow demon nodded “Yeah, let’s walk.” He was incredibly tired. It wasn’t like using his powers this way was physically draining, it was the easiest thing in the world. But it was a mental strain. He had to keep the script in mind, while also making sure the images looked the same as what he had sketched, so that they would be the same for every performance and he had to time it all with the music he chose. And it had to be one long, perfect take.

Hence why he didn’t really feel like using his portal to go back to the apartment after his performance, especially considering the beautiful sunset. “How’d you like the show?” the monkey asked the Mayor. He had come to care about what the ice demon thought about things, he shouldn’t get too attached though.

“It was beautiful,” Mensheng said honestly. “I must say watching you write and draw and plan so many nights has had me curious. And you did not disappoint.” The ice demon's smile fell a little however, when he added “I won’t lie though, it was a little macabre to see my future spelled out so clearly.”

Oh. Right. Mihou realised. He’d written that script when he was still thinking of killing Mensheng. No wait-WAS?! Did he not want to do that anymore?! Of course he did! What the fuck is he thinking of course he is still going to kill this motherfucker! His play was clearly just the shadow demon’s sadistic way of reminding Mensheng of his inevitable demise! Because he hated him!

The monkey put on his best, villainous toothy grin when he said in mock comfort “Awww come on, the way your powers are coming along you’ve still got some time left. Enjoy it while it lasts!”

Before the ice demon could say anything to that however there was a voice both of the demons knew and learned to fear.

“What the Hells are you doing with this creep Macaque?!”

The great sage had jumped off his cloud and landed in front of the two demons, crossing his arms as if he’d caught Mihou doing something he wasn’t supposed to. Technically nobody told the shadow demon that he couldn’t take a prisoner so…

“Oh hey there, Peaches!” Mihou spat the last word like it burned in his mouth. “Here to tell me you liked my premiere? Oh no wait-you weren’t invited! Which means you’re not invited to the afterparty either so kindly fuck off” he waved the other monkey away.

Wukong growled “Not before you tell me what you are doing with THAT!” pointing at the Mayor who smiled as widely as ever, with a blank stare.

The monkey looked behind himself where the ice demon stood as if he hadn’t noticed him there. “Oh him?” he asked sarcastically “I did say I was gonna do some scheming didn’t I? Well I decided to get myself a thrall” he grinned as he reached back and pulled the Mayor by his tie. The ice demon barely reacted, aside from his heart seemingly standing still for a moment. He simply followed his Lord’s lead, recognizing he was clearly intending to rile the great sage up. He couldn’t help but smirk when Mihou continued “I got him second hand but he’s still in good condition, nothing wrong with some thrifting, better for the environment and all that.”

Monkey king didn’t believe a word of that, though knowing that Mihou was trying to piss him off, he responded “You know what Mango? I was wrong, this is pretty in character for you. Always only second choice even for your own slave. But you should be used to that by now.” For a moment it felt good. It always did. Their jabs used to be friendly teases, but now it was all stabs at each other’s insecurities. Weaknesses they knew all too well considering how long they had known each other.

Not about to let that stand, the shadow demon grinned, his expression turning suggestive when he practically purred “At least I found someone who finally listens to me. Someone who learns from his mistakes, who knows what I want.” As he spoke he pulled the mayor closer by his tie. The ice demon had to admit, it was a delight to watch the great sage squirm and so Mensheng put on his best look of devotion when the shadow demon spoke in a dark husk “Should I draw you a hot bath when we get back? My Lord?”

The two demons watched Wukong lose his composure. Face red either with embarrassment or jealousy. It was no secret that the two celestial simians used to be awfully close. Many even thought they were together for a while. Even Mensheng was of that opinion until he was tasked with recovering the shadow monkey from the Diyu. In the process he had gained insight into the memories that were part of Mihou’s existence. They formed his soul, his personality, so they had to come out with him after all.

His heart ached for his Lord who was hurt so terribly by the great sage, whom he used to care for so much. So there was a certain satisfaction in seeing the monkey king lose his temper. “You know what Mihou!? Do whatever you want! Who fucking cares!? You already died once, so sorry for wanting to make sure you don't die a second time!” Wukong scoffed.

Mihou relished in the king’s reaction and chuckled “Oh don’t worry, I’m in the best hands” he pulled Mensheng closer, lips nearly touching the ice demon’s cheek when he purred “Hands that are very good at relieving my…tension. So don’t worry about me Peaches, Bye!” and with that the black furred monkey opened a shadow portal beneath them, phasing into it and disappearing.

When they arrived at the apartment Mihou threw himself onto the couch and cackled “Did you see his FACE? Oh that was GOLD! HAHAHA!”

There was something about the shadow demon’s laugh that Mensheng found strangely infectious. And for the first time since his Lady had died, he laughed. In a way it felt like they were really just a villain and his loyal thrall. It was a role the shadow demon felt comfortable in. After all, it is the role he’s been playing since Wukong killed him the first time.

And he didn’t know why he loved the sound of Mihou’s laugh so much. Didn’t know why he enjoyed seeing him smile. He began to grow weary of that feeling. He had begun to realise that he thought of his Lady less and less. Thinking more about Mihou. His servitude to the shadow demon was now no longer a means through which he could stay sane in his Lady’s absence…it was a means through which he could make Mihou happy. And as that thought sunk in he felt the guilt that came along with that thought.

As he watched the monkey he realised that he truly was his new master. Not a replacement for the Lady Bone Demon. Mensheng was here because he wanted to be. And he’d die by Mihou’s hand when the time came, not to see her again, but because it would make Mihou happy.

The ice demon didn’t notice for how long he’d been silent till the shadow demon asked him “Penny for your thoughts, Icicle?” and before Mensheng could catch himself he blurted out “Just thinking about your graceful hands strangling the life out of me.”

“What?”

“What?”

The Mayor didn’t realise he’d said that out loud. And both demons stared at each other in silence. Mihou wasn’t even put off by what Mensheng had said. It wasn’t the first time he uttered similar words, but the way he said it so whistfully, with so much longing, unintentionally. Made it…oddly intimate, making his ears twitch and his tail thump against the couch. The monkey cleared his throat to compose himself before he stammered “W-well uhm…like I said-Like I was saying earlier, considering the state of your powers. We still-YOU still, have some time. Anyway I’m gonna go take a bath, see you later!” and with that the shadow demon disappeared into the bathroom for some well deserved relaxation.

There was undeniably…a moment. They had several like that. But Mensheng always pushed them from his thoughts. Yet the more they happened, the more the ice demon let his mind wander. Actually, no. He didn’t let it. It simply did. It wouldn’t stop doing it. No matter how hard the Mayor tried, his mind wouldn’t stop wandering to those beautiful pedal ears and the way they moved depending on how Mihou was feeling. That overexcitable tail that always gave away when the monkey was enjoying the food Mensheng had prepared for him.

The elegant claws that did such delicate tasks as drawing and writing, but could also rip out his throat. And whenever the ice demon woke up first in the bed they now shared he would delight in the tiny chirps the monkey made in his sleep sometimes. No matter how often the ice demon reiterated to himself that Mihou despised him or at the very least wanted him dead, that didn’t matter. His heart didn’t stop pounding when Mihou looked at him. He didn’t stop melting whenever Mihou ran his hand through his hair.

And the guilt he felt about those thoughts, wouldn’t stop eating at him. The guilt he felt just having them towards his master in the first place. And the guilt he felt towards his Lady for having someone else take her place, coming so very close to erasing the very memory of her in his bones.

Mensheng wasn’t used to feeling this much.

He hoped he’d regain his powers soon.

This was getting awfully exhausting.