The first thing Riley did once the world became solid again around her was turn to quickly and efficiently check each corner behind her. She'd long since learned that the last thing you wanted in a situation like this was something sneaking up on you. Only once she'd made sure nothing was about to come pouncing out of the shadows did she allow herself to take in some of the details of the strange, unfamiliar place she had suddenly found herself in.
It was surprisingly tame, Riley thought, by the standards of demonic pocket dimensions. It was nothing more than a large room, one that reminded Riley a little of a hotel room, although friendlier and cosier. It was clean and tidy, and fairly minimalist. There were no windows, though, and the room was lit only by the many, many flickering, sweet-scented candles set all around on tables and cabinets, or even on the floor. At first, the only sign of anything unnatural about the room that Riley could see was the fact that the candles burned with vivid, violet flame, bathing the room in a pink-purple glow that glistened strangely on Riley's dark skin. But then she noticed the way the shadows were moving. There were more of them than there should have been and they seemed to cling to surfaces even when they shouldn't, and sometimes Riley had the impression of reaching hands and grasping. swarming tendrils, eager to snuff out the light that kept them contained. The magical girl was careful to avoid stepping too close to any of the shadows as she slowly advanced on the bed.
The bed was the centerpiece of the room; that was beyond doubt. It was huge, and piled high with all kinds of pillows, cushions and blankets. Riley had never seen a bed that was so large, or that looked so luxurious. Were the sheets silk? Velvet? Riley wasn't quite sure, but either way they looked so unimaginably soft that they seemed to beg for her to reach out her hand just so she could stroke them and marvel at their texture. In fact, Riley found herself yearning for much more than that. The room was at the perfect temperature to make the prospect of crawling under the covers deeply appealing, and it was so easy for Riley to imagine how she would curl up on the bed, making a little nest out of all the cushions and resting her head on the softest pillow she could find. The butch magical girl was gripped with the conviction that the sensation of letting herself sink into the bed would be beyond pleasurable. Even the sweet fragrance coming from the candles was making her a little sleepy. All in all, Riley couldn't imagine a more ideal place to curl up and rest in than this room - if not for the fact that the bed was already occupied by a demon.
It took Riley a moment to be sure that was what the girl was. She looked far less threatening than any demon Riley had ever seen, curled up in a ball as she was on the bed. She was small too; not much more than five feet, by Riley's guess. But her long, lithe tail, wrapped around herself like a cat's was a dead giveaway, and while the way the violet candlelight played off her skin made it difficult to see, Riley quickly discerned that the demon girl was a deep blue color all over. As Riley balled her hands into fists and prepared to summon her weapon, the demon slowly raised her weary head and looked at the magical girl with huge, deep eyes.
"Hey there," the demon said, her voice soft and lilting. She opened her mouth wide and let out a long, loud yawn, showing pointed teeth and a very, very long tongue that slowly uncoiled to hang out of her mouth as she yawned. "Welcome, Sentinel Blue. I'm Sloth."
"I guessed," Riley replied evenly. She took a deep breath. "Look. I don't know what kind of shit you're trying to pull, but I'm not going to fall for it. I've been doing this way too long to fall for demon tricks. In the name of the stars, I'm going to destroy you, so I can get back to my friends and save their asses."
A shower of silver sparks radiated from Riley's fists, and she let out a very small sigh. She always felt silly, posturing like that. She'd become accustomed to it, mostly because it seemed to lend some of her less experienced teammates some courage, but that didn't mean she liked it. Especially when she was wearing the sailor outfit. Riley knew it didn't suit her, no matter what anyone tried to tell her. She didn't want it to suit her. It just wasn't her style. There was a reason usually opted for more androgynous styles. But, as she'd often joked, apparently the stars didn't care that she was butch. Sure, she could learn to live with a miniskirt, but she'd been living with it for a little too long now.
Sloth seemed entirely untroubled by Riley's threats. Slowly, as if it took her great effort to move, she raised herself up onto her hands and knees, and stretched languidly. "That seems so... rushed. Why so hasty? Don't you want to take a moment to take the weight off your feet first?""
"Do you really expect me to fall for that?" Riley asked tersely.
Sloth sighed. Her voice sounded so heavy with sleepiness, although Riley didn't believe for a moment it was anything more than a ploy. "No, not really," the demon girl admitted. "But I'm sure you can't blame me for trying. I think it's kind of unfair that I had to go up against you. Way too much work. You're the experienced one. You've been doing this so long now. I don't have a chance."
Riley nodded. It was true. She didn't like to think of herself as old, but she was certainly older than most magical girls. She'd fought all kinds of demons and dark creatures, and she wasn't about to let her guard down any time soon. She knew just how insidious demons could be, even under less disorienting circumstances. In spite of that, though, she found herself a little distracted by Sloth's appearance. The demon was wearing nothing more than a sheer nightgown, and as she sleepily raised herself up on her knees, Riley got a very, very good look at her body. Sloth was short, but she was also stacked. She had wide, curvy hips, a cute stomach, and a chest big enough to completely bury someone's head in. She was exactly the kind of short, shapely, feminine girl that Riley, tall and strong, liked having on her arm. Once she realized the direction her thoughts were turning in, Riley had to pinch herself. What was wrong with her? Maybe it was the scent of the candles. They were heady and strong, and more than a little distracting.
"Yeah, I can see it in your eyes," Sloth continued, yawning again. "So many foes slain. So many long, hard battles. It seems so... hard. Aren't you weary of it, Star Sentinel?"
"Shut up," Riley snapped, more out of irritation than anger. She didn't care what this demon said; she wasn't going to listen.
Sloth simply ignored her. "How do you cope? You've got your friends, I guess. Your teammates. They look up to you so much, don't they? The veteran. The one who always knows what to do. That must be nice." Sloth's eyes suddenly flickered sharply, like she was reading something in Riley's face. "Or maybe... not. It's just another burden, isn't it? Their hopes and expectations. They always need you to be strong. That must get so... tiring. It's not fair, is it? When's it someone else's turn to be the strong one? When do you get to rest for a change?"
"I said shut up!" Riley repeated, this time with greater force. Sloth was touching at a nerve now. Why was she even listening to this? She should just destroy the demon and be done with it. But Riley started to move forwards, her limbs seemed suddenly heavy.
"Wouldn't it be nice to set all that down for a change?" Sloth went on, her voice the same carefree, sleep-tinged lilt as always, as if she simply didn't notice the look of fury on Riley's face. "Everyone needs a break, after all. Every now and then, you just need to let yourself be a little lazy. I'm sure you've told some of your teammates as much, from time to time, when they've been too hard on themselves. So why not, you know, take your own advice? With my help, of course."
"Shut... the... fuck... up!" Riley grunted. Suddenly, even words had become difficult. She was just a few paces from the bed, but each step felt like running a marathon with lead weights strapped to her ankles. Her strength had deserted her. The toned muscles she'd worked so hard to build now seemed only to drag her down. The magical girl immediately knew this fatigue was far from natural. "What... what did you do to me?"
