bsumone | ❝ Temptation is irrelevant ❞

“Do you know what cows are? It’s their milk. Oh, there’s some process It goes through, but at its most basic, it comes from dairy cows.” While he explained, he poured more from the container into the bowl of floor cereal. Fishing out a spoon, he dipped it into the bowl and held it out for Death to partake of the gloriousness that is Frost Flakes.

He nodded to say that he knew what cows were. Tilting his head, he watched him add more of this milk to the bowl then the spoon was offered to him. Intrigued, he took it to investigate it then had a bite of the food. It was sweet. And the milk was cold and refreshing. He wasn't sure of the nutritional value but he could see why humans would enjoy this.

Death hummed in thought. "Do you like this sweetness?

“Very much,” Matthias chirped with a subtle smile. As soon as he spoke, he turned to get another bowl to fill with cereal and milk for himself. He probably shouldn’t have let his companion eat the cereal from the floor, but it’s too late for that now.

“I don’t have to eat food, but I enjoy doing it. Gluttony is one of my many sins.”

"Sins..."

He'd heard that word in the past and he hummed a bit as he let it mull around in his mind. Such a strange concept really. Sin. And yet so many living beings were hung up on it for some reason. Enough so that when they died many of them were still clinging to the notion of it.

"Enjoyment in abundance. That is this...gluttony."

Matthias grinned and held up a finger. "According to humans. Mostly those of a particular religious persuasion." Tapping said finger against his lips, the demon pondered his unexpected companion. "I lean into a lot of that, even if it's mostly bullshit. I don't suppose those sorts of details matter a lot to you, hm?"

"My lot? There is only me."

He looked to the window suddenly as if someone was calling to him. Rising to his feet, he moved with quiet elegance to open the window. Leaning out of it, he held out his hand. A glowing orb was caught in his hand as screams were heard outside and someone saying someone jumped.

Death paid this no mind and just closed the window, taking the orb and gently cradling it as he lifted his other hand to let the orb slide into a ring there. Then, as if nothing had happened at all, he returned to the cereal to keep eating it.

Matthias didn't start at the shocked screams. Though he didn't interfere with the people who lived in this building, he still had a good understanding of what was going on with whom. Mostly because he didn't want to get caught up in any of their issues.

Dark eyes watched curiously. Matthias has long been around dying people, but he's never witnessed death in this manner before. When something is new to him, he's always a little surprised and deeply inquisitive.

"So she finally did it," he mused with a small sigh. Not because he felt anything about it, but more because he was annoyed it interrupted their conversation. "Is that why you're here? To collect her?"

"No. I sensed you were near another soul I collected. I was curious since those who die have often been near you."

The one who jumped? Well, he just happened to feel her as she was perishing. It was easy for him to collect her now since he was right here. And she would be safe with him until he could return to his realm.

But, he was liking this food. So he should finish it.

It would be rude if he didn't finish it. Not that Matthias was some sort of arbiter of politeness.

"Mm, I can believe that." While he doesn't kill humans directly, he's been known to have an indirect hand in it. That's probably just what happens after he worms his way into their hearts and souls and then just... abandons them when he's bored.

"I like to think of myself as a storm. Awesome and beautiful and its power, but leaving only devastation in its wake. That's too romantic, though. She wasn't one of mine," he added nodding toward Death. "I think she was just tired of living."

"No. She was not one of yours. She experienced many tragedies and could not maintain. It is time for her to have peace."

Souls like hers? They were not suited to rebirth. They were best kept with him to rest. Returning a soul that damaged into a new life would only breed a harsh tragedy. He'd seen the cracks and it was time to pull her away from the world for good.

"Though, a storm is appropriate for you."

Peace. A strange concept to someone so used to being a chaotic force. But even Matthias has his quiet, calm moments. Maybe that's what peace was like.

"You think?" He preened a little at having his own concept of himself affirmed. Maybe it wasn't too romantic after all. "What makes you think so?"

"Storms will move through the world and can bring disaster for those unprepared. They leave destruction and death in their wake when they have moved on. In those times I am pulled to collect the fallen. A similar thing happens when you move on as well."

Then Death would again come in to collect the fallen. So to liken Matthias to a storm was rather accurate. Perhaps not quite to the level of a natural disaster but a storm was simple enough. A few possible deaths that would require his attention and nothing more.

How apt. Matthias would agree that he's no natural disaster. That's far more damage than he wanted to cause. It's part of why he has such a low opinion of the many demons he's met: they're mindlessly destructive, wasting so many resources in the process. Matthias liked having the option of going back for seconds.

"Do many of mine die because of me?" He's not worried, only curious. Whatever they do when they stop calling him, stop banging on his door, stop screaming up to his window at some awful time of day... It's not his business once he's done with them.

"It depends," he said in that whispering tone. "Sometimes they are not ready yet." Perhaps because this demon was still feeding on them. Perhaps not. He didn't know and it wasn't really his place to say. Matthias could do as he wished because he was only there to collect the souls.

"But they all fall in the end when you are finished."

Unsurprising.

"Well," Matthias all but purred with a rolling shrug of his shoulders. "The are only human."

And humans die. Eventually. Every single one of them. Without fail.

Death nodded but there was no signs of sadness in his expression. It was a fact that all things came to an end. The only thing that ever lingered on was himself. Himself and Time. But he hadn't spoken to that entity in a very long while. They rarely had reasons to interact though neither of them felt negatively about the other.

He finished his cereal then sat back with his hands in his lap. "Must you always count as you did?"

Ugh, must he be reminded of that? Matthias pulls a few, wrinkling his nose with a deep frown. "I must," he answered after a moment in which that scowl turned into more of a pout. Matthias leaned back against the counter, cross his arms over his chest with a quiet little huff.

"It's irritating."

Hm. An odd characteristic. He wondered why that was the case. Was it something to give creatures a chance to escape such a powerful being? Possibly. He wasn't entirely sure and it wasn't really something he'd had to consider before. Something he likely wouldn't consider again in the future either honestly. There was no reason for him to, after all.

"It would take up a great deal of your time depending on what was cast."

The expression changes subtly, something growing softer, perhaps a bit warmer in those dark eyes.

"I once knew a priest who kept a handful of rice grains in his pocket to throw in my path." He was quite fond of doing it whenever Matthias was being particularly annoying to him. Which was often, since Matthias enjoys being a significant annoyance.

❝ Temptation is irrelevant ❞

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw: suggestions of suicide

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject