“Oh…”
A disappointed mumble left his lips as he put a lid on the pot, seeing as Yoichi didn’t like it.
“Hmm… Yeah, I ate enough for a week. Though food is never too much, really.”
He smirked faintly before vacant eyes stared at the pot as memories flooded to his head, something that rarely happened.
It was Mutin, an old and weak surface demon that had also run away from the havoc above, who had taught him how to cook. He was one of the very few people who Spike had ever formed any sort of bond with. It began rather strangely, as Spike trapped him with the intent to eat him but the manipulative demon easily convinced Spike that such a skinny, malnourished demon like him would have no decent meat to provide him. Using Spike’s dreams of a friendship the ancient, wise creature manipulated the hope-filled youngster into several things, including getting him food, marveling Spike with tales of the surface - tales of fearsome encounters and lost friendships. At some point, Mutin even said that all surface dwellers cooked their meat, even though he knew it wasn’t quite true, an habit which Spike had found to be rather odd. However once again, swiftly and skillfully, Mutin managed to manipulate Spike like a puppet, sparking the boy’s interest in a manner that Spike himself said he wanted to know what was this cooking thing and learn how he could do it. And of course, Mutin promptly agreed to teach him and be his testing dummy.
Even now Spike remembered Mutin’s voice an every word he had ever said with a freakish accuracy. Like a spring of water, the memories flooded wildly, willfully, filling his brain as his chest tightened.
Hey kiddo, don’t show up unannounced…
Yanno, even an old fart like me has some serious business going on with the ladies, ahah!
I’m serious though.
Just wait for me at your place.
I always show up don’t I?
Eh, you’re getting real good at this, redboy.
If you keep it up like this I’ll become addicted to your cooking!
Maybe someday when things up there are all better I’ll take you with me and you can become a chef for some fancy freak, ahah.
Yo, shrimp!
Woah, what’s up with the silly look on that mug of yours?
Like seeing me that much?
Like seeing me that much?
Like seeing me that much?
The words became distorted… and another memory made a point to emerge…
Think again, a*****e. That kid is worth at least 40 sacks of the s**t. I’ve taken a lot of time grooming this one, so if ya think I’ll freaking sell him for less than that, you’re dead wrong. This guy’s gonna be a prime quality demon with that weird bone thing he has going on. Prime quality! I ******** want the goods to match- eh… K-kid?! What the hell are you doing here? I told you not to show unannounced! Ah, that? Ahah, course we weren’t talkin’ about ya. Why would we be? What a little narcissist you are! Don’t mind that conversation, he was just leaving... We have fun things to do today anyway, don’t we?
In the end, Spike eventually realized the truth the hard way when a group of demons came in the night, knowing about his secret hideout, knowing how he was always completely defenseless when he slept, knowing exactly when to strike, knowing all the things he had only ever told Mutin. And though Spike screamed as loud as his lungs allowed him, his voice fell on empty ears and he closed his eyes shut. Suddenly, for just a moment, he felt as if he had lost his body. Screams filled the deadly darkness – though to his surprise- none was his.
When he opened his eyes again, everyone was dead and he sat, with ragged, nearly gone clothes, in a pool of blood, entrails and half-living corpses, twitching and slowly dying on the floor. Every single inch of his body hurt more than he ever imaged to be possible. And somewhere deep inside his chest a strange pain throbbed.
The next day, when the pain on his body had all quelled but the one on his chest, he went hunting for Mutin, who, realizing his men hadn’t returned, had quickly figured it was time to run for his life. For three days young Spike chased him, fueled by an emotion he had never felt before and never after happened to feel again. On the fourth day he found the wretched demon but when the opportunity to kill Mutin was given, he simply couldn’t do it.
As he saw the weak little demon, begging for his life in the name of all the things they had done together, begging that Spike helped him get more of that weird purple powder he was always sniffing and trying to sell... trembling more from withdrawal than from fear… Seeing the only person that had made him feel like he was wanted, loved… even if it wasn’t true… He couldn’t do it.
In exasperation he cut off Mutin’s tongue and left, knowing that with no tongue Mutin would never be able to trick another again…
But it wasn’t long before news of Mutin came. He had been killed. Rumors told that for some reason the higher-ups found him no longer needed. If the rumors were truth, Spike knew the reason.
After that, a small war broke out in Zone X8-003 as demons fought for Mutin’s position.
And Spike left.
For a moment one would have seen a completely different Spike. Lost in thought, with a serious expression.
He had been manipulated into something again. However this time… for some reason… this time it didn’t hurt. It didn’t hurt at all… Because even though he had been tricked into this sort of situation…
“Abby never lied to me… even gave me a name…” The thought slipped out through words and when Spike realized it his posture immediately shifted and he started laughing, his apparently usual, silly, self coming to life once again.
“Ah~~~ that’s only to be expected though. I guess I’m pretty dumb… Someone like me doesn’t need to be lied to in order to get in this sort of strange situation…” He said chuckling, wide though sharp gaze shifting to meet Yoichi’s with an unexplained innocence.
“Wah! Which reminds me! Yoichi, Yoichi, look!”
He suddenly gained complete energy, grabbing the other caldron and showing it to Yoichi.
“I made it for- ah... Yoichi, what name does Abby Abraxas likes best? Since he has two I don't know which on I should use.”
He said, with a somewhat troubled expression as the sweet scent curled up in the air and into their noses.
“Oh, but anyway, I put this powder that’s made from dried Muglak’s stomach and it immediately digests almost everything. And because Abby Abraxas' stomach is sensitive I put these fruits that I always use when I get a sick stomach and can’t eat anything. They always make my stomach good, although I always have to eat them until my stomach gets well on its own. Do you think it will work?”
He poked a finger in it and offered the coated finger to Yoichi.
“Plus they make it taste really good! Taste it! Taste it!”
He said, pushing his finger closer to Yoichi frenetically.
((lol the actual content is slim, i should stop wandering off to random stories XD))