That evening, Lion had made up a bed on the floor using folded old sheets. He insisted that Inn take the actual bed. Inn shrugged, he only put up enough of a fight to continue the charade of being the chivalrous Hanuman before comfortably settling on top of the mattress.

Even the bed wasn’t great, it was a far cry from the luxurious silk that Inn was used to and the damn thing creaked ominously every time he moved, metal springs grating in their rusted sockets.

Inn tried to catalogue all the humans he had met that day, trying to work out if there were any good candidates for having a ‘pure heart’ that he could mercilessly pluck from their ribcage and offer to his Demon King father.

“Thanks again for today,” Lion offered into the silent room after a while of Inn tossing and turning.

Inn frowned before remembering the boy must be referring to the thugs that had ganged up on them by the mango tree.

“No need,” Inn shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to having gratitude directed his way and wasn’t sure how to respond convincingly. He huffed as he discounted that gang of delinquents from his list, certainly none of them had a pure enough heart for the witch’s curse. They had been so ready to pick on someone far smaller and weaker than them.

Inn narrowed his eyes in absent thought. “Do they target you often?” he asked, listening as Lion moved on the scratched wooden floor.

“I guess a little bit,” Lion replied in a tone of voice that led Inn to surmise he was lying.

“Why?” Inn asked, surprised to find himself genuinely curious. He couldn’t imagine what Lion would have done to provoke aggression.

Lion let out a grim laugh, “I’m not really sure. I guess I’m just a bit different to them? It’s high school, it happens.”

“I see,” Inn replied slowly, trying to pick out the underlying meaning behind the words.

Lion huffed and Inn could see him sit up on his elbows in the semi darkness, the other boy looked like he was going to say something before he shook his head and shuffled back down, rolling over so his back was facing Inn.

Inn wondered if it were really Hanuman here, would he try to console the small human boy? Would he ask him further questions? Inn rolled his eyes at himself before settling down into a troubled sleep.

In his dream he presented his father with heart after heart, Tosokan would take a bite out of each quivering, bloody muscle before spitting chunks of meat right back at Inn's face, declaring each one to be unfit for purpose.

Just like his son.

+++

“I’m so sorry you have to come to this,” Lion winced up at Inn. Inn felt that the other boy often looked uncomfortable or embarrassed, it was rather pathetic…or perhaps a little endearing, Inn wasn’t sure.

“Only we haven’t bought you a phone yet and I’m worried you don’t know the way home fully and you’re my responsibility and I promise I tried to find something out about this in the library today but I –“

“It is fine Lion,” Inn nodded, holding open the glass door to the ballet studio and gesturing for Lion to go in first. Inn felt rather smug about remembering not to bulldoze in front of everybody like he would the servants at home.

“It’s only an hour,” Lion continued. “There’s a coffee shop next door you could wait at? Or there’s a vending machine in the lobby.”

Inn noticed Lion was waving enthusiastically to a sweet looking girl with her hair in braids. “That’s Pink, she’s one of my friends from ballet but she goes to a different school. Her boyfriend Kay always comes to watch her so I know there’s some seats at the back of the room…not that you would want to watch me!” Lion threw his hands up. A vivid red flush was staining his cheeks and mottling the skin all the way down his slender neck. “Um, Nin is here as well, you met her already by the water fountain at school and then in English class.”

“P’Lion!” Pink came running over, she was already dressed in her ballet gear and a pale lilac cardigan. The AC in the studio was on very high, Inn supposed it was for the sake of those doing physical exercise and building up a sweat.

“P, who’s this?” Pink smiled shyly as she looked up at Inn and swivelled around on her feet. A tall boy with thick rimmed glasses, that Inn assumed was Kay, had come over to join them.

“Ah, this is my… this is Inn,” Lion explained, talking quickly. “He’s a family friend visiting from Russia.”

“Oh!” Pink looked excited, but before she had a chance to ask any more questions a petite lady with her hair in a tight bun came out from one of the rooms and announced that the lesson was about to start.

“You’re going to love this,” Kay leaned over to tell Inn. The other boy had an excited look on his face, “they’re practising a selection of scenes from famous ballets. Today is the last one of La Sylphide, have you heard of it?”

Inn shook his head, frowning as Kay seemed to feed an inordinate amount of baht coins into the lobby vending machine before passing half of the snacks to Inn to help carry.

“Oh, it’s so touching,” Kay continued, seemingly undeterred by Inn’s facial expressions. “It's about a man called James readying himself to marry his sweetheart Effie. But on the big day he meets and becomes infatuated with a Sylphide, a mythological spirit. He tries to get on with normal life but just can't forget her and, oh well it’s so sad but he gets tricked by a witch and she ends up dying.”

“Uh huh,” Inn replied, frowning down at the packet of shrimp flavoured seaweed chips in his hands. He really didn’t understand mortal food in this strange new world.

“Nin is playing Effie,” Kay whispered as the two of them sat down on some folding plastic chairs at the back of a large room. The floor was a bright pine and the opposing wall was completely covered in mirrors.

“Lion and Pink are sylphs,” Kay added with a wink at Inn that provoked nothing but confusion. Inn frowned again, wondering if this Kay boy could be pure of heart? He seemed happy and innocent enough. Then again, Kay had just handed Inn the bag of durian buns and kept the pineapple for himself.

Inn looked up as music began to play, he spotted Lion with some other female dancers, they were high up on their toes before dipping their bodies and pattering across the floor. Inn’s fingers loosened on the food packets he was holding, letting them drop, discarded to the floor as he watched the dancers in front of him.

His father often brought in troupes of dancing girls and boys for entertainment during feasts and festivals. Inn had always found the performances rather boring and archaic. Now, however, he found himself staring at the movements of Lion. The way the small human boy spun and twirled, always a bright smile on his face.

Lion’s leotard was a dull grey, clearly over worn and when he bent down, the fabric turned almost translucent, revealing his notched spine and prominent ribs. During one heart stopping moment the very top of his buttocks was visible as Lion bent down to graze his toes with his fingers.

Inn forced his eyes away to glance briefly at the other dancers. Several of the girls had tutus on, pastel leotards with shiny details and tulle skirts. Their shoes too, seemed newer and more colourful. Lion’s own ballet slippers seemed to be more comprised of tape than satin.

Inn wondered if this was due to lack of funds. The other boy and his grandmother lived in seeming poverty when compared with Inn’s lifestyle. However, Inn hadn’t been sure if this wasn’t the case for all humans in this dimension. Now, he was beginning to wonder if Lion and his grandmother really were struggling?

The girl called Nin, whom Inn had met at school, had seemingly noticed his presence and was sending enthusiastic smiles his way. Inn lazed smugly back on his chair, he was used to the attentions of the women back in Longka. However, soon his eyes drifted away from her sequinned skirt and focussed on the dancers in the background.

Inn watched carefully as Lion moved. The boy was elegant and graceful, small but like a coiled spring of power when he leapt and pirouetted. Inn licked his lips as Lion’s thigh muscles tensed and quivered under clinging fabric. The boy’s body was completely covered by it and yet somehow it seemed far more alluring and scandalous than the scantily clad dancers back at the palace.

Inn noticed Kay lick his lips in his periphery vision. Inn jerked his head with a sour glare to the other boy but found that Kay was simply staring adoringly at a small packaged crepe cake.

The dance practice was over before Inn had even had a chance to grow bored. He hastily scooped up the fallen snacks and deposited them back on top of Kay who let out a surprised laugh.

“Well I guess I’ll be seeing you around here P’Inn? I assume you’ll come again to watch Lion?”

Inn snapped his head round, he didn’t think such a puny looking human should be throwing around such barbed accusations. However, when Inn observed Kay closely he realised the other boy’s face was open and genuine.

“Perhaps,” Inn replied unsurely.

“Ah,” Kay rubbed the back of his neck, “it’s just really nice to see someone like you supporting Lion.”

“Someone like me?” Inn raised his eyebrow questioningly.

“Y’know,” Kay shuffled on his feet, looking awkward for the first time all morning. “You look like you’re kind of cool.”

Inn blinked in surprise but didn’t have time to reply as Lion and Pink came bounding up to them, sweaty and laughing.

“We can go now!” Lion rushed out. “I’m sorry that took so long, you probably fell asleep right? But did you see Nin? Ah, of course you did, stupid question – but she’s amazing right?”

Inn sighed as Lion scurried off to the changing room before he had time to answer.