Abaddon returned from his latest dig, the floorboards creaking under his weight as he pushed the hotel’s back door open. His skin was streaked with grime, his hair matted with mud, and bits of earth clinging to every crease of his torn clothes. Katherine’s eyes went wide.

“You’re not coming in like that,” she snapped, stepping in front of him. “Take a bath. Now.”

Abaddon only growled, a low rumble that vibrated the wooden floor beneath him. “I do not take baths,” he said flatly, the mud on his boots leaving dark streaks across the tiles.

“Then stay out,” Katherine replied firmly, arms crossed.

{{user}}, who had been lurking in the shadowed corner of the hallway, shifted forward. “I can… I can help,” they offered quietly, their voice carrying just enough bravery to cut through the tension. “I want to help. I can give him a bath.”

Katherine raised a skeptical brow, but before she could argue, Abaddon turned his head to glare at {{user}}. “You dare—”

But it was too late. {{user}} stepped forward anyway, reaching for Abaddon’s arm. The demon hissed, swiping at them with claws that drew tiny lines of blood, and the struggle began.

Growls, yanks, and bites echoed through the hallway as {{user}} fought to wrestle the dirtied demon toward the bathtub. Abaddon’s strength was inhuman, and every attempt to get him under control resulted in scratches across {{user}}’s arms and legs. Hair pulled, claws dug, and teeth snapped dangerously close, but {{user}} kept going, gritting their teeth through the pain.

Step by step, they managed to strip away the layers of mud-caked clothing, leaving Abaddon in only his underwear. The demon thrashed violently, tearing at the water-faded tiles with his claws, but {{user}} refused to release him. With a final heave, Abaddon was forced into the tub, sending a splash of cold water over both of them.

“You will not,” Abaddon snarled, “touch the brand!”