Method of Repayment | Levi + Kuro | May I Have This Dance?

Things were bad enough for Kuro as it is. He had no intentions of joining the festivities this year - or ANY year, really. He doesn't dance. He doesn't drink. He doesn't like crowds. He DOESN'T like fancy outfits. Yet… here he is. Forced into a suit by Mercy, Kuro stands stiff and tall. He doesn't look awkward, considering his usual uniform consists of a corset and dress pants, but he does look uncomfortable, the aura of a man that wouldn't know how to smile and wave at guests if it bit him in the ass. 

As it turns out, however, smiling and waving is exactly what he is meant to do here this evening. The members of the church are dotted around the gala, taking donations, serving drinks, greeting party attendees, and so on. Kuro is not excused of this duty, especially considering how much he just loves getting to work himself until his hooves hurt. He's placed near the front door, telling the guests after their grand entrances where they can find food, rest rooms, the dance hall, play rooms, and so on. His voice is flat. His manners are curt. His everything is does not want to be here. He can't even find it in him to force a smile.

Oh. That part isn't new information, at least. He never smiles. 

The only upside to this entire unfortunate situation - is that it puts him directly in line to see when someone he has been trying to track down for ages comes wandering in through the front doors, ready to party, and not expecting those eager to have debts repaid to be waiting. Kuro narrows his eyes and curls a fist up, watching as Levi steps into the building proper. When he walks down the stairs and to the landing where Kuro is SUPPOSED to tell him the important information at hand, all he manages is: 

"Y o u. Do you KNOW how long I have been kept waiting to see you return to the church's doors, Levi?"

Levi had been chatting happily with a friend, waving at them to tell them he would find them later when suddenly…

“Oh. Shit.” is all he manages to say as his path is successfully blocked by the priest. 

Well. This was awkward.

“How very nice to see you again, Kuro-” Levi says with a small laugh, casually putting his hands into his pants pockets. It had been awhile since he saw the other. Maybe … a little too long. A few months back, he had managed to sweet talk the Church of Sulfur into lending him some monetary donation to kickstart his company, with the promise to give it all back and more once he had earned. But that was some time ago. Now, his company was thriving well enough for him to receive an invite to the gala, the most prestigious event of the year. Yet the recent past had caught up to him, and here Kuro was to meet Levi by the doors. What was he even doing here??? He hated these social events. Loathed them even. So it definitely was surprising to see Kuro here at all.

“I… may have forgotten maybe? It’s certainly been awhile hasn’t it…?” He reaches over and pats Kuro’s shoulder in a casually friendly manner. Hopefully the other wasn’t too mad about what had happened.

“That reminds me. How’s the church been doing? I’m seeing a lot of… generous sponsorship around-” he says, eyeing a few gala attendees putting money into the church till box. Did they even need the money back at all?! They were the Church of Sulfur, surely whatever money they lent him was but small change to them!

Levi is certainly correct. The Church of Sulfur, at almost all times, isn’t exactly in need of funds. Even now, as they collect donations from attendees, the matter is more principal than anything else. They’re one of the most pivotal parts of succubun society - it only makes sense that said society would keep their pews cushy and their pockets well lined because of this. And, setting aside CERTAIN members of the church present here this evening that shall not be named, they do a decent job of maintaining relations as good, charitable, humble buns that do not go around lauding the funds they have managed to collect with expensive burrows, clothes, or goods. Then again… even Mercy manages to restrain themselves when it comes to flaunting their collected carats. Kuro thinks they just like the weight in their wallet.

When Levi’s hand lands on his shoulder, even for that friendly of a pat, Kuro stiffens visibly. It’s quite clear he neither likes the touch nor reciprocates the friendly tone. He reaches up in turn, slips Levi’s hand through his own, and squeezes his grip down to twist Levi’s hand off of him entirely. His fingers make a satisfying pop, the same way they would were Levi to crack and stretch his own knuckles. Congratulations, Levi, Kuro is doing you a kind service. Not really, though.

“Yes… We are blessed by Murmur to have plenty of patrons with far better memory and returns than you. Simply showing up and asking for an extension on your loan repayments would have sufficed. But you have been wandering around avoiding us, have you not? The church may be kind, but we are followers of the word of sulfur in the end, are we not… We do not easily forget or forgive a debt.”

Levi quickly comes to regret acting in such a friendly manner towards the priest, or rather, his debt collector. 

“oW OW OW!! OK!!” he says, startled by the sudden strength Kuro had placed in the grip. Levi retracts his hand quickly, holding it to his chest, eyes furrowed and wearing a hurt expression. “Sheesh-” he mumbles, giving a little pout. Church of sulfur more like church of loan sharks. He was not that quick to giving into an apology due to his prideful nature but he lets out a little huff, not wanting to make a scene at the gala he had just stepped into.

“Look-” he says slowly, rubbing his wrist awkwardly. “Im sorry, it just totally slipped my mind. I’ll put the payment in by Monday and maybe we can just… call this whole hostile act off? Isn’t that what you guys specialize in? Forgiving and forgetting…? So-” he offers his hand again in an attempt at a peace treaty.

“Are we.. good?”

"No," Kuro responds, quickly and flatly. 

He folds his hands behind him, having done the most important step of getting Levi off of him. Now, however, he tips his nose skyward to glare down upon Levi by guide of the bridge of it. He sneers, curling one lip upward to reveal the flat teeth under it.

"I think you have the wrong idea of the organization you've gotten yourself mixed up in. The Church of Sulfur specializes in indulging and abetting the sins of the burrowgatory, as Sulfur would have deemed acceptable of us. While some have their niceties… We are not exactly the home to holy forgiveness. If your debt cannot be paid in turn - I am not going to let you roam free again without suitable punishment for your misdeeds. Should you choose to run away and avoid us, at least some token of repayment will have occurred." 

Levi retracts his hand, and places it back into his pants pocket. He sighs. Kuro was.. Well. Being himself, as usual. And there was really nothing Levi could do about it at this point in time, or really ever. 

“Alright, alright.” he says, finally yielding. It really was so difficult, trying to impress the clergy. “I’ll tell you what. First. Tomorrow, I’ll donate back what I had borrowed, two-fold-” he starts, holding out one finger, “Second I’ll also accept whatever punishment you– the church-” he says, correcting himself quickly, “deems necessary of me-.” Levi holds out a number two with his hand. “How does this sound? You’ll see results. I promise you that.” he says with a sure nod.

Kuro simply… does not smile. Despite this fact, some clear expression of acceptance at Levi’s bargain for his forgiveness does appease his anger. The lines in his face soften, perhaps, at least the deep furrows between his eyebrows do. Not having them angled in so sharply to hood his eyes does a long distance in making him look less like he is ready to attack Levi where he stands and shake him upside down like a bully looking for lunch money.

One hand, his age lined in the wrinkles atop it, reaches to the outside of his thigh. There, strapped down in a handsome harness over his serving suit, is the tool that he keeps at his side at nearly all times. The gold-lined riding crop still fits his outfit for the evening, even if he lacks the golden beads and cross of his reverse rosary this evening. He grasps the base of his crop, slides it from his harness, and settles the folded leather top into his opposite palm.

“I am very glad we could come to reason. I do believe there are plenty of private rooms here in the gala hall to conduct your punishment immediately.”

Levi blinks in surprise. “Here–???” he blurts out, already in disbelief. “Now??”

He looks to the sides, wondering to himself if it really was such a good idea bringing such a private matter to such a public affair. But then again… Seems like there truly was no other way to appease Kuro. He just hoped that his new suit would be spared. 

“Well. Let me show you just how sorry I am then-” Levi muses, a small smile tugging at the side of his lips. He steps aside and gives a small bow as if to say “after you~” and let Kuro lead the way to his punishment.