The Devil Doesn't Bargain (MatD part 2)

Chapter TWENTY FOUR - Brahms

Brahms Sallow-Gaunt-Barlowe the Third had supposedly just shown up in the Undercroft one day and no one could figure out exactly how he had done it.

Ominis had assured me that no feline had ever found its way in before and was quite perplexed at the little furry demon's burglar capabilities. Sebastian was quick to remind him that the cat had in fact, not actually stolen anything and therefore couldn't be a burglar.

"An unwelcome guest then."

"Oh come now Ominis, don't be so standoffish. Look at his little face!" Sebastian scratched his fingers beneath the cat's chin between sips of tea. The four of us each cradling our own cups as we sat among the pillows and papers on the floor.

Ominis sat unamused. "Sebastian, there's something I need to tell you."

Sebastian peeled his eyes away from the cat slowly as if it were truly a hassle. "What's that Ominis?"

"I'm blind."

"Are you really?" Sebastian breathed.

Ominis only responded with a grunt and another sip from his cup.

I smiled into my own, swallowing the now perfectly warm liquid before speaking. "How did he get his name?" 

Brahms had decided he'd had enough of Sebastian's attention and was now rubbing his head against Ominis' knee. The boy shooed him away.

"Well, Ominis chose his first name." Anne poured herself another cup of tea and smiled. "He said his meow reminded him of a cat he used to have as a child."

"I didn't 'have' a cat." Ominis corrected, now setting his cup down on the floor in order to skid Brahms away from him unsuccessfully. "The creature just lived in our house. Slept beneath my piano most days. I used to call him Brahms in secret."

"Ominis, I need to tell you something." Sebastian crossed his legs beneath him.

Ominis didn't answer.

"There's this thing called a 'pet'. It's where an adorable animal lives and sleeps in your personal space."

"Might I start referring to you as one then?"

"I- what? No-" Sebastian spluttered.

Ominis took another sip. "Shame."

Anne continued on as if neither boy had spoken. "I insisted on giving him a last name but none of us could agree which might be best, so in the end we went with all of them."

"And what about 'the third'?"

Sebastian beamed. "That was my idea. Makes him sound regal doesn't it?"

I sniffed. "Why the third specifically?"

"Well, the first would of course be Ominis' first pet." He emphasized the last word. "The second is the Johannes Brahms character Ominis named them after."

"That character, is a renowned pianist and composer Sebastian. One of my favorites in fact." 

Brahms sniffed Ominis' teacup.

"My apologies. I didn't know you were such a stickler for specifics."

"Its respect Sebastian."

Sebastian leaned forward, hands clasped under his chin.

"What's that like?"

Anne and I glanced at each other across the turmoil and I nearly spit out my tea at the look on her face. She too had to turn away to hide her giggles.

Brahms had now stuck his entire head into the teacup and was lapping away at it.

"What's that noise?" Ominis head quirked. "My tea!"

Snatching the cup away from the feline and placing it aside his opposite knee, Ominis scowled to the ground muttering about how surely now Brahms could be considered a burglar.

Sebastian and Ominis' bickering continued for a good long while and Anne picked herself off the ground completely to come sit aside me. Her fingers found mine and squeezed them gently. "It's so good to have you back. We needed our missing piece."

Brahms had taken quite the liking to Ominis' tea and though the boy feigned irritation, there was no denying the extra moments he would pretend not to notice before shooing the cat away again. Despite the constant displacement, Brahms would always return, curling up against Ominis' leg or carefully working his way under his arms only to twirl round and round in his lap before promptly falling asleep there. Ominis would shake is head only to be found moments later with his fingers drifting gently through the fur on the little feline's back.

Brahms and Ominis were inseparable, though neither would be keen to confirm the allegation.

Sebastian, after having decided he'd had enough of Ominis' attention, curled up next to me instead.

"I think it might be time to check off the final bit from our list now." It wasn't phrased as a question but his eyes watched me closely, waiting for my go ahead.

The comfort of my little family padded the weight that settled in my gut and while I still wasn't ready to come back to reality just yet, I didn't feel entirely alone anymore either.

I nodded.

His small smile enough to fill my stomach with wings once more.

"I've been doing some reading-"

"We've been doing some reading." Anne corrected.

"Right yes, we wanted to do a bit more research about obscurials..." He said the last word so softly, as if any increase in volume might tip the scales and I'd go running again. "...Anne and Ominis found some pretty interesting bits but I found something else."

Both Ominis and Anne turned their heads and Anne scrunched her brows, evidently, also hearing this for the first time. Even Brahms' twitching tail stilled, his eyes closed in Ominis' lap but ears swung back to listen.

Sebastian continued, a bit more hesitantly. "Something that might help us know for sure. Well, someone rather..." He turned around to Ominis. "...but you're not going to like it."