Momotes, and the trouble they cause

Azrael had finished another long, yet successful shift at work when he finally got home to his luxurious apartment in one of the largest cities on The Nysus Cluster. He was relieved to be home, and he imagined all the things he could be doing once inside. As he took the keys to the door from out of his pocket, he thought about each thing he wanted to do. Perhaps cook a nice meal, relax in a hot bath, watch something stupid yet entertaining on TV… perhaps he’d video call with one of his boyfriends, Caim! Or maybe invite Cadavór over for a well-deserved night of hugs and kisses. 

However, those ideas were all dashed to the ground as Azrael pushed open the door of his apartment. He immediately knew something was off when his pet momote, Lotus, didn’t come to greet him as soon as the door started to open. It was quiet…. Too quiet. As Azrael stepped further into the apartment and continued on his inspection, his eyes narrowed. Where was that tiny, adorable thorn in his side? Lotus would usually be all over him by now, curling around his legs, licking his face, and biting at his wings. However, the momote was nowhere to be seen. As Azrael slowly walked into the kitchen, his hooves tapping against the floor– his steps crunched on something. He looked down and found… an empty bag of treats. And another. And another— he followed the trail until he found Lotus lying halfway in and halfway out of the lower cabinets in the kitchen where the treats were kept, which the momote had somehow UNLOCKED and gotten into. Containers and bags had been destroyed, treats were scattered everywhere, some half eaten and others just crumbs. Azrael groaned and slapped a palm to his forehead as he observed the creature slither lazily onto the floor, look up at him, and greet him with a gurgling peep– though Lotus looked the furthest thing from sorry. In fact, he looked rather smug.

“Yeah, yeah, you little shit. I bet you’re really proud of yourself, aren’t you?” “Azrael grumbled, leaning over to pick up the momote, whose stomach was slightly distended from the massive amounts of treats he had consumed. “You know I’m going to have to clean up after you, right? And all this will lead to is you having a horrible stomachache?”

Lotus let out another smug peep in response before closing his large, olive-looking eyes and… promptly falling asleep. Oh, the little bastard. Azrael rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, shaking his head. He couldn’t stay mad at the little guy for long. He floated out to the living room and placed Lotus on his fluffy little bed, gave the momote a pat on the head, and then flew back into the kitchen. After surveying the mess, Azrael rolled up his sleeves and sighed.

“Alright, time to get to work. The things I do for that little beast, I swear...”