The cheerful vibe Asa Mitaka showed was only ever for Cael.
With outsiders, she got thin‑skinned fast.
Power's outright refusal left her completely flustered.
Disappointment showed clearly on her face.
Of course Cael had to step in.
"Alright, alright, it's Nyako then. Let my friend hold the cat for a bit, it won't lose any meat," he said, sounding way too chill for the situation.
"No, Nyako is mine. I'm not letting you hold it," Power growled stubbornly.
Cael raised an eyebrow, "You really are damn unyielding."
"I'll state it again, I am a fiend," Power said proudly.
Cael groaned and raised his index finger.
"Power, just tell us your price. As long as you let Asa hold Nyako for a minute."
"Price?" Power looked like someone had suggested licking concrete for fun.
"Besides Nyako, I'm not into anything else," she declared.
Cael rolled up his sleeve and showed his arm.
"Power is a Blood Fiend, right? You can sip some of my blood if you want."
Asa, eager to help, showed her own arm.
"You can drink mine too."
Power gave a look that screamed judgment.
"Do you think I'm some inferior creature? Do you think your blood tastes good? Do I have to drink that?"
Asa Mitaka sighed, tugging on Cael's collar.
"Let's just go back. I'm happy just seeing Nyako's doing well."
Cael shrugged, "Looks like this is the only way. Asa loves cats, so we'll go adopt one later."
"Mm."
But just as Cael and Asa started to leave, Power called out, sounding like she was coughing up a weird idea.
"Wait!"
Cael turned.
"What now? You ready to talk?"
Power rubbed at her nose thoughtfully.
"I just suddenly remembered something I've always wanted," she said. "If you can get it for me, I'll let you hold Nyako."
"What is it?" Asa asked, curious.
Power chuckled proudly.
"I want a Nobel Prize!"
Cael and Asa just stared.
…
Yep.
A fiend's logic was absolutely unhinged.
Well… not totally random.
Power's fiend body's brain was pretty intact, so she still had the personality of whoever she'd possessed in life. That meant eccentric ideas didn't exactly phase her.
Power flashed a huge grin like she'd just discovered fire.
"With my one‑hundred‑point IQ, winning a Nobel Prize should be easy."
"What have you invented?" Cael asked, hands out.
Power patted Nyako proudly.
"Only stupid people need inventions to win a Nobel Prize, right? If you're smart like me, you don't even need one. Can you help me apply for one?"
"Actually," Cael muttered under his breath, "yes, there is a Nobel Prize…"
He swore he'd support whatever ridiculous thing came next.
"Hey! I knew you were the man for the job!"
"But there are multiple Nobel categories, Power. Which one do you want?"
Power thought deeply, like she was solving the meaning of life.
"Oh! I want the Nobel Toilet Brushing Prize, because I'm really good at brushing toilets."
"Okay, sure," Cael said way too quickly. "No problem. I'll have the Nobel committee award you the Toilet Brushing Prize."
Asa watched him pull out his phone and open a template, starting to Photoshop an official‑looking certificate.
She felt a bit sorry for him. Spending too much time around this fiend was definitely going to fry his brain. What if her boyfriend turned into a certified idiot?
Power licked her lips with gleeful ambition.
"When I get this Nobel Prize, humans will bow and obey! Then I'll use it to run for Prime Minister of Japan!"
Her eyes lit up like a kid with fireworks.
"When I'm Prime Minister, I'll raise taxes… not triple, tenfold! I want to see humans suffer! Wagagagagaga!"
Asa said nothing out loud, but inside she was chewing her own thoughts to bits.
Tenfold taxes?
If Power actually did that, she deserved a Toilet Brushing Nobel Prize.
"Here, Power, I finished it," Cael announced proudly, flipping his phone to show the Photoshopped certificate.
"Let me see!"
Power shoved Nyako into Asa's arms and snatched the phone.
"P‑power… Hey! Look! It's my name! So cool!"
Asa's brain went blank.
Mission accomplished.
"Can you also make me a paper certificate? I want to frame it." Power said seriously.
Cael nodded like everything made sense.
"Yeah, sure. I'll process it and mail it to you."
"Good, good, good!"
Power slapped Cael's shoulder with enough force to rattle a bowl.
"When I'm Prime Minister, you'll be my Prime Minister's Hand!"
Just then a cold familiar voice broke in from behind.
"Cael, why are you two at my doorstep?"
It was Aki Hayakawa, juggling shopping bags.
"I…"
Before Cael could explain, Power shot forward, phone in hand.
"Braid Girl! Back from skipping work! Look, my Prime Minister's Hand got me a Nobel Prize!"
Aki gave Cael a tired, annoyed look.
"Tsk, stop teasing my idiot," she muttered.
Cael just shrugged, totally innocent.
Meow~
Nyako, who'd been calm in Asa's arms, perked up and jumped onto Aki's head.
Sigh.
Aki pulled a dried fish out of an empty cigarette box and tossed it up.
Nyako caught it like a pro and began eating.
"Tsk, dumb cat, eat slow, don't mess up my hair…"
One thing after another, was it just chaos all day long?
"Braid Girl, show some respect to me, Croissant!" Power shouted proudly. "Today I scrubbed the toilet AND flushed it!"
"Is that so…" Aki paused, a tiny bit impressed.
She glanced at Cael and Asa.
"Since you're here, come in and sit."
"Hey! Braid Girl, don't bring strangers into my house!"
Aki held up two fingers.
"First, Cael is my colleague, not a stranger. Second, this is my house. Miss Makima let you, Power, stay here temporarily."
Power wasn't having it.
"Braid Girl, nonsense! You say it's your house? Then why did I end up here? Obviously this is my house!"
Damn. Logical genius level.
Aki didn't even flinch. She just walked inside.
"Come in, don't mind her."
Cael and Asa exchanged looks.
They suddenly felt very sorry for Aki. Living with a Fiend every day had to be exhausting.
They took off their shoes at the entryway and followed her in.
"I'm going to the bathroom to fix my hair. Make yourselves at home."
"Okay."
Aki took off her jacket, showing her lean figure.
Compared to Asa Mitaka, she was… less voluptuous.
Overall score: inferior to Asa in the curves department.
No sooner had Aki gone into the washroom when a piercing shriek echoed.
"Power!"
"What the f*** did you do with the toilet brush?!"
Power, startled, looked around and suddenly pointed at Asa.
"Why are you yelling?! I didn't do it! It was definitely that woman you brought in!"
---