Once her own parents had gone to bed, Kate joined Evelyn and her father in Hell, answering the usual questions and taking Albert back home once he got tired too. Returning to the library, Kate was surprised by Lizzy, who had decided to join the librarians for the rest of the night.

“Not cleaning up tonight?” Kate got comfortable on a couch in the restaurant.

“That’s a job for later, now I relax with my friends.” Lizzy leaned back.

“I’m glad you consider us friends.” Eisheth leaned a little closer to the young reaper.

“Why wouldn’t I? I don’t hang around here often, but all of you changed my life and are super sweet whenever we are in the same place.”

“I mean… we all try to be nice and, well, you are pretty cute.”

“Oh my. Thank you. Uhm… I don’t know what to say.”

“Even cuter when you’re flustered.”

“Uhm, Kate? Help?” Lizzy slowly turned ever more red.

Kate giggled. “Nope, I won’t ruin your chances to have a good time.”

“Nyeee, anyone else? Help?”

Nirrti leaned over the back of the couch and put her face right beside Lizzy’s. “Just give in, let it happen and enjoy.”

“You evil telepaths! You know I want this but I just… fuck, I’m a fucking noodle.” Lizzy sighed. “You are super pretty, Eisheth. I just never had anyone actually tell me they think I’m cute... at least not anyone who is also really beautiful and someone I’m attracted to. It’s quite a lot for me, sorry.”

Eisheth smiled and put her arm around Lizzy. “Good thing that you have all the time in the world to get used to this.”

“I almost hope I don’t…”

“Ah, keeping the novelty going for as long as possible. Understandable. Why don’t we add to that novelty a bit and you join me at my place?”

“I… uhm… yes, please?”

“Good. Shall we?”

Lizzy simply nodded before being teleported away.

Kate turned to Apollyon who had been grinning at the entire ordeal. “Can we get drunk? Was Eisheth drunk? I’ve never seen her so enthusiastically flirtatious.”

Apollyon shook her head. “Not from what we drank tonight and the only ‘drunk’ state we can achieve, that I know of, is the aftermath of caffeine. I am sure she would have been far less… dressed if she had been exposed to any. She is right though, Lizzy is cute. I think she just took the opportunity to drag someone who is a bit shyer into some demonic cultural exposure.”

“I hope the two have fun.”

“I am quite certain of that.”

“So, should we have some fun too?”

“We should.”

The last thing Kate saw before being teleported away were Nirrti and Adelina exchanging meaningful nods.

 

Kate stared at the ceiling of Apollyon’s bedroom. “We should get back to the library soon. Don’t want to leave Ama alone today.”

“We should, but I don’t want to get up.” Apollyon pulled the blanket over her face.

Kate chuckled and turned to look at her friend. “What’s going on with you today? Normally, you’re up way before I’m even awake.”

“I haven’t slept since before the solstice celebration, the warmth of a bed with you in it is too good right now.”

“I thought we didn’t need to sleep? Something I need to know?”

“We don’t need it, but it feels good and relaxing. I don’t know how humans can do so much in so few weeks. Winter has too much going on.”

“We can turn the celebrations down a bit next year.”

“No, it’s alright. I just need a few cycles to relax and then get back to work. Maybe once we have dealt with the whole heavens heist thing, we can go back to normal library duties and take it easy.”

“That would be quite nice. Well, the least I can do today is take over breakfast preparations.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

“Okay, but stay for a bit longer.”

“Of course.”

 

Many hours later in the afternoon, a special visitor entered the library. Kate leaned over the reception desk to look at Missy who was complaining loudly about something.

“Okay, hello to you too, Missy.”

Construction work on Monica and Laura’s house had begun.

“That’s good, isn’t it? That means your shed will be improved.”

The shed was currently inaccessible.

“Okay, I see your problem. I don’t think I can tell Joro to let you into the shed, that would be dangerous.”

Missy didn’t like not having a shed.

“Yea, I understand but it’s only for a few days.”

Missy didn’t want to wait a few days, Missy wanted a shed.

“I can’t just make a shed for you. Why don’t you stay here with the other cats in the cat room when you don’t want to be at Monica’s place?”

Missy wanted a quiet place, not something with other humans, cats, or demons.

“Our conference rooms are pretty quiet. I can even place a sign on the door not to disturb the room until you can return to your shed.”

That seemed like an okay compromise. One Missy would accept if she was also provided with the best food. Canned duck.

“Hm… once a day.”

Three times a day.

“Twice a day.”

Missy found this acceptable. She would make the conference room on the top floor all the way in the back her temporary home. She also demanded several towels and blankets to make it comfortable.

“I am sure we can provide that but give us a few hours to do so.”

That was acceptable. Missy wanted to patrol the perimeter, whatever that meant, of the construction site anyway. Just to make sure no one was doing something bad to her shed.

“A good plan. Good luck.”

Missy meowed an appreciative good-bye and wandered out the front door again.

Oliver slowly walked over to Kate from between the shelves. “Did you just talk to a cat?”

“Don’t you?”

“Not like that, no. Almost sounded like you can understand them.”

“I can! Cats are quite talkative if you listen. This one, Missy, made herself a little home in a shed and now there is construction going on around it. Yes, the shed will stay and be fixed up a bit, but she currently can’t get into it.”

“And so, you negotiated the use of one of the conference rooms?”

“Yes, and she gets some fancy food as compensation too.”

“Neat. What do I have to do to get fancy food?” Oliver chuckled.

“Be here for dinner, I suppose. I don’t have special plans today, why don’t you join us here?”

“Sure, sounds good.”

“Very good. How was your day anyway?”

Oliver shrugged. “Cold I suppose. I really shouldn’t have taken the bike here, we have busses for a reason.”

“Yea… I can take you and the bike home later if you want. Don’t want you to freeze out there.”

“Thank you, that would be awesome. How was your day? And your party last night?”

“Only had a small party, nothing big. Evelyn got turned and came out to her dad, I had a small meetup with Lizzy and my parents and then just went home with Polly. Nothing major but still fun and cozy. I think Adelina and Nirrti are still, uhm, busy.”

“Sounds liked a good time. I just watched the fireworks from my balcony all called it an early night.”

“Aww, why didn’t you tell me you had no one to party with? We would have invited you.”

Oliver shook his head. “That’s very sweet of you, but I don’t like new year party stuff. I’d rather be around for a normal evening.”

“Then I will make a point of inviting you here for food more often. You could also just ask whenever you get hungry. I can literally pull things from thin air, least I can do is share some food.”

“Fair enough, I’ll make sure to ask. Before I get too hungry and can’t wait for dinner anymore, I really need to know more about you and cats.”