Devildom summers were brutal. Warm and humid in a way that felt like wading through a bowl of chowder if you dared to step outside. Even cooling magic was of little help most days.
The House of Lamentation's age showed in its poor insulation. You could hardly even breathe up in the attic. Cold air escaped through hairline cracks around the manor's large windows, and at the same time heat seemingly oozed in through the thick glass.
That is to say, it's best to stay indoors and do nothing when hell gets this hot.
You discovered one fast, easy, and free way to cool down was to simply take off your clothes. Free yourself from the constrictive bonds of heavy fabric. This way, the air feels cooler on your exposed skin and sweat doesn't build up so much.
So the day was to be spent lounging on your bed in your underwear. When the sheets absorbed too much body heat, you rolled over onto a fresh spot. There was a rickety old metal fan from the human world in the corner, slowly blowing air from side to side, and the wind it stirred up lightly tickled every time it passed.
Your DDD dinged. A message from Mammon appeared at the top of the screen.
"Wanna see somethin' really cool?"
You sent a sticker response and stared at the screen. Mammon wasn't typing. You figured he was trying to take a picture and couldn't get it in focus. You figured wrong.
Your bedroom door burst open, allowing a cacophony of chatter and a gaggle of demons wearing tank tops and shorts to parade into your room.
"You have got to see this!" Leviathan declared with a bounce in his step. He was somehow persevering with a light jacket on. Probably because the white shirt under it was so thin that you could see the contours of his body through the fabric.
"I found it out back," Belphegor boasted with a proud smile on his face. His bangs were weighed down by sweat and covered most of his eyes.
Even Satan looked pleased. "It's so unusual to see these in the capital, especially at this time of year. We're lucky."
Asmodeus could be heard from the hallway before he came in, walking backwards so you could see how his shirt was knotted from behind and exposing his midriff. "I can't belieeeve you actually picked that up! Ew, ew, ew."
Mammon finally swaggered in carrying a large 6-legged toad-like creature with five eyes. Iridescent purple skin shined under a layer of mud and wet leaves. Beelzebub couldn't take his eyes off it.
"It's a cankered bane toad," Beelzebub said simply. He must have been the one to catch it. His knees and the front of his shirt were similarly covered in mud and leaves.
"Ain't it a beaut?" Mammon laughed. "These guys are mega rare! Once word gets out, we'll have our pick of buyers linin' up down the road!"
"Their secretions are used in many potions, not to mention the meat is used in a variety of fine Devildom cuisine," Satan explained to you.
Leviathan pointed at one of the eyes. "Plus, they were the inspiration for the water starter in third generation of Mononoke Land! Looking at it that way, isn't it kind of familiar?"
Everyone was talking over each other in excitement when they entered, but the yakking slowed as, one by one, they spotted you relaxing defenselessly on your bed.
Caught off guard, you didn't really know what to do. Your muscles stiffened. Your eyes grew wide as you pursed your lips into a thin line. You shifted your legs closed and curled into yourself a little. You stared at the toad and the toad stared back.
Leviathan and Asmodeus screamed at the same time, in vastly different ways even though they were for the same reason. Sounded like Asmodeus just won the lottery and Leviathan just fell into a bottomless pit.
"That's a bold look!" Asmodeus commented as his brothers got riled up in a whole new way.
"W-what are you wearing?" Mammon stammered as Belphegor asked, "Where are your clothes?"
You went to sit up and got a face full of sweaty shirt, courtesy of Satan. He marched over, shielding you from the others, and offered you the clothes off his back along with the following angry request: "Cover up!"
Beelzebub quickly grasped the situation. "You didn't know we were coming."
"I did not," you confirmed.
"I texted you! Everyone saw me do that!" Mammon insisted, covering his red face with the wart-laden toad as he pushed Satan aside. It wasn't fair he was the only one with a good view. Mammon was determined to protect you.
Too bad he was outnumbered five to one and got fiercely dragged back by his brothers. No hogging the eye candy.
"You said you had something you show me! That's different!" you clarified. With everything happening so fast, you couldn't figure out how to get Satan's shirt on. You gave up after trying to fit your head through the sleeve a third time. "I didn't know you were coming over! All of you!"
Belphegor just smiled and acted innocent. You were sure those hidden eyes were pointed your way. Leviathan had his eyes fixed on the metal fan, his back to you. You could hear warbled wails of embarrassment every time it turned his way.
Beelzebub decided this was a good time to offer you his shirt, too. Now you had two sweaty shirts partially clinging to your frontside and a whole room of sweaty demons who were too flustered to leave in an organized fashion.
"Stop stripping and get out!" you ordered before anyone else offered you their top. The toad croaked.
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