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It was his first time, out in the wilds of Halloween by himself. Although Ember wanted to go visit in a golem so very badly, the opportunity didn't come up before duty assigned him to the Haunted House. But Ember was well accustomed to the likes of that: everyone had their part to do when livestock was involved. The work at Deus was, usually, a little more pleasant than cleaning out pens.

His coat was white and pristine, flared out at his waist. He had on one of his many flower crowns, adorned with spikes, pinned to his hair so it wouldn't fall out should he need to move swiftly. Black boots clomped a bit too noisily along creaky floorboards, oblivious to the noise he was creating.

Stealth was not something he was even aware of. Sun truly was a better fit for him than any other division, further proven by his equally bright disposition, eagerly inspecting every room he traversed, taking his time to drag his fingers along the walls, crouching to peer beneath rocks and structures and what laid in pools of water.

Every room was so different. It was remarkable.

He was, very obviously, a hunter-- and a new one. His weapons weren't even out, despite the warnings to always be prepared.

Funnily enough, to Ember, Zar would appear as...

A demon.

Not a true demon, mind you, but someone certainly dressed as one. Broad in the chest and shoulders, with fake ram horns and yellow contacts, all of it costume, but still, the intent was clear. He had a fake tail, too, spaded and everything. He wore a nice suit, and was, perhaps, Ember's discordant loves put together: fine clothes and the demonic.

"Ohhh," he said, cheeks pinking up nicely, hiding a smile behind his hand. "Yeah!" he excitedly replied, "are you like, a hunter too and just, dressed up to like, try and blend in?" Ember laughed despite himself, sheepishly smiling again behind his hands. "Oh, baphomet. Your costume is like, super cool."

Oh! That made a lot of sense, didn't it? Someone had to keep watch, just in case. Perfectly logical.

"Neat," he said, getting a little closer to inspect his outfit. "Pretty convincing, too. I was like, so hopeful you were the real thing, it took me off guard, you know?" Ember laughed, still behind a white-gloved hand.

The shakiness did not go unnoticed, but the interpretation was decidedly different.

Ember beamed. "Sure! I like, sort of really prefer Halloween anyway, and like, i really need to visit properly in a golem and stuff, so I can get myself a minipet, and make lots of demon friends. Do you have any, being in here so much?"

Ember's eyes followed the claws like a moth to a flame, more caught up in the appearance of added parts rather than his, admittedly, handsome face.

But he could get that anywhere. Getting a full cosplay outfit-- a convincing one-- was surprisingly harder, even in the satanic circuit.

And then he stepped a little closer, and closer still, the chunky heels of his boots dragging across the floor. "That is like, so cool. if you can help me get in touch with them, I'd be suuuuper interested too, even if it does seem a little boring to be by yourself so much."

Ember gave a little gasp at the thought, and actually started jumping up and down a little in place. "Show me," he implored, eyes light with an almost manic glow. "Show me, please, I promise I won't tell anyone at all. I swear!"

Ember had never been so flattered in his entire life. Ember clasped his hands together, eagerly watching with hawk-like eyes, as the transformation unfolded.

This was no costume. This was wings, huge and black, this was hooves, this was teeth and a very very long tail. He absolutely dwarfed Ember, who stood barely at 5'3" in his boots.

He took a deep, deep, breath.

And then screamed at the top of his lungs, half interrupted by wild giggling, more enthused than any fangirl at a pop idol concert. Rushing forward, Ember reached out to touch the wings, running his fingers along them with delicacy, almost vibrating with excitement. The screaming died down, replaced with a high EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE of giddy excitement, having lost the ability to even use words in his moments of adoration.

Ember erupted into bright laughter, fascination written all over his face, a careful sort of reverence.

"Yes." It wasn't shy, not quite, as even in the face of what should be terrifying, he was only excited. Ever adventurous and curious, fingers skimming along the top of his tail.

Zar's emotional connection would run into something just as interested, full of wonder and careful worship, swirling curiosity welling up to the surface.

"You look," he whispered, breath hitching, "like a real demon."

There was something else in his head, he realized. But that wasn't quite right, was it? It was a feeling, wrapped all around him, snug and too warm, bringing color to his pale cheeks. Ember licked his lips, reaching one hand up to touch Zar's face, monstrous and different as it was, tracing his lips back to one ear, tracing the curve of its shell.

"Oh," Ember said, and a huge spike in yes, yes, I can't believe it, yes, lanced through him like a spear to the heart. "I want to stay."

And then, stretching up on his tippy toes, pressed a kiss to some small part of Zar's mouth, dwarfed by him in height, in width, in sheer presence. He smelled good, and Ember wanted, so badly, even without the aid of any aphrodisiac.

The word faith set off another star-burst of reverence, of pride, of I knew it, I knew it. His hopes and dreams were real and true, and while it was a little scary, to be at the mercy of something so powerful, the excitement was undeniable. Ember's hands wandered, eagerly exploring new and foreign territory: tail and teeth, tongue and horn, claw and fur. Wholly, utterly, completely demonic.

All his life, he'd wanted to meet one properly, and now Ember had, and was sharing with one the most vital of partnerships, if only for a moment. It was an act of worship, and it was pure.

The choice was clear. There was only ever one choice to be had, after the path he had walked. As a willing disciple, a devoted servant, an eager thrall: Ember succumbed.